A natural stage in PM professional development is when you become the ‘fixer’ - the one called in to take over or fix ‘broken’ critical projects. This is hard, stressful work, and you may wonder why you get (or keep getting) the ‘dirty’ jobs. But these assignments mean your management team has a lot of confidence in you. Embrace it! In this episode, Kate and Kim talk through how to approach taking over broken projects, and take you step-by-step through the remediation process. Kate and Kim share...
Jan 07, 2019•46 min
A defining characteristic of a project is that it ends. Finally. Just finish it, right? If it were only that easy! This episode Kate and Kim talk about what it means to close a project, and walk through some typical scenarios where closing can be really tough, and then share some practical tips on how to get to done. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership ...
Dec 17, 2018•37 min
Have you ever had to justify the value of Project Management in your organization? Doh! So do we. Listen in as we share our best responses to, “is PM really needed?” You don’t have to justify the existence of the Finance team. Or Sales & Marketing. Or Executive Management. So why do we have to justify the existence of Project Management? This week we explore this question and share some of our favorite responses to help educate our stakeholders and show the value of what we do. JOIN THE HAPP...
Nov 22, 2018•44 min
Many companies employ personality assessments to help their team members understand their strengths or communication styles. Are these a waste of time? Or do they have value we can leverage as PMs? Today we are joined by Fai Mo, long time project manager and manager of project managers. Fai will share his experience in leveraging one type of assessment, Strengthfinders, and how he helps his team leverage this tool to improve their management skills. ABOUT OUR AMAZING GUEST, FAI MO Fai Mo is an a...
Nov 12, 2018•48 min
As we gorge on our kid’s leftover Halloween candy, we answer a number of Listener questions left on our Facebook and Linkedin pages. What are some good ways to describe PM-ish duties on a resume/CV? What are some tips on holding someone accountable? How do you create a timeline for a project with a new technology you don’t know about? When and how do you call out a team member who is not doing their job? What are some tips on working with an external IT vendor PM? And more! Got your own question...
Nov 05, 2018•51 min
“What are we even doing in this project?” If you’ve ever asked yourself (or been asked) this question, go back to your Project Charter right now! The Project Charter is a keystone project artifact, authorizing the very existing and base assumptions and structure of your project. It can be called many things - a statement of work, a project initiation document - but whatever, if you don’t have some kind of document that authorizes your project, you may be in trouble! In this episode we talk about...
Oct 28, 2018•44 min
This episode we are joined at Happy Hour by prominent PM thought leader, Naomi Caetti. We chat with Naomi about what it takes to transition from being “just” a Project Manager to a Leader - both for your project and your organization. Check out this episode to learn how to take your game to the next level! OUR AMAZING GUEST NAOMI CAIETTI Naomi Caietti is an award-winning business woman, widely respected global virtual thought leader in the project management community for over 25 years, and an h...
Oct 21, 2018•44 min
This episode, we get the great opportunity to speak with Hussain Bandukwala, PMO Coach and founder of the PMO Virtual Summit this October. Hussain helps us understand what a PMO really is (and should be), then shares some great insights into the career path of someone who wants to be a PMO leader. Some great tools Hussain shared are linked here: Article about co-existence of product & project management for startups: https://www.parwaazcc.com/5-reasons-why-project-management-is-a-no-brainer-...
Oct 11, 2018•46 min
Whether you are an "accidental" Project Manager or eager to get into the field, the PM Happy Hour membership can help you with your "How to PM" questions! We focus on practical advice and tips and make it easy (maybe even fun) to listen to! Promo warning - This episode we share a bit about our PM Happy Hour Membership! What the heck are you waiting for?! Join the Project Management Happy Hour Membership and be part of the community! If you join by October 9, you can still get in on the launch me...
Oct 07, 2018•7 min
Project Management Happy Hour means Painless PDUs and dare we say, "FUN!" PDUs! Check out this video podcast to find out more. Promo warning - This episode we share a bit about our PM Happy Hour Membership! What the heck are you waiting for?! Join the Project Management Happy Hour Membership and be part of the community! If you join by October 9, you can still get in on the launch membership special, and lock the price in for life at $4.99/month or $49.99/year. Check us out at pmhappyhour.com/me...
Oct 05, 2018•6 min
This episode, Kim shares some lessons from his time studying martial arts studies with some amazing instructors that apply to Project Management! And no, they do not include giving that troublesome stakeholder a spin-kick to the head :-) But they do include lessons on how to assert yourself, how to focus on the important things in the moment and how to approach mentorship. Join the journey from white belt to kickass PM black belt! From the Filipino stick fighting art of Balintawak Eskrima to Ame...
Oct 02, 2018•37 min
This episode, Kate and Kim talk about their favorite Project Managers from the big screen and small screen - and what lessons we can take away from them. From big-screen capers to everybody’s favorite movie PM (who is “here to put you BACK on schedule, commander"... because the sponsor is not as forgiving as he is… :-) ) Laughs aside, media are a big part of everyone’s lives, and these characters and plots are part of our culture - as should be project management. So, get some popcorn, listen to...
Sep 24, 2018•44 min
This episode, we are excited to have Elise Stevens, podcaster, speaker and PM thought leader join us on our show! Elise shares what she learned in undertaking the task to interview 50 women in Project Management over 50 days, and gives us some great tips to help us support our fellow PM’s ABOUT OUR AMAZING GUEST, ELISE STEVENS For over two decades, Elise has worked closely with project managers to positively impact and innovate effective management processes. She has collaborated with a range of...
Sep 17, 2018•40 min
Project Managers can be categorized as “internal” project managers, who deliver projects for stakeholders within their own organizations, or “external” project managers, who delivery projects to customers outside their organization. Although both are project managers, there are some very important differences between the skill sets they use. But which is better? Which role fits you best? What skills are most important for each role? Having each lived in both worlds, Kate and Kim take opposite si...
Sep 03, 2018•59 min
One of the toughest - and most important jobs - of a PM is having difficult conversations. These can be with sponsors, stakeholders, team members or other PMs. And the ability to successfully manage these difficult conversations can make the difference between success and failure - for your project, and your career! Continuing our deep dive into the concepts in the book, Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler, we wrap up our 3 part discussion on thi...
Aug 27, 2018•59 min
One of the toughest - and most important jobs - of a PM is having difficult conversations. These can be with sponsors, stakeholders, team members or other PMs. And the ability to successfully manage these difficult conversations can make the difference between success and failure - for your project, and your career! Continuing our deep dive into the concepts of Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler, we pick up where we left off in our first Crucial...
Aug 20, 2018•47 min
Controlling your project scope is one of the most important things we can do as project managers - but so easy to let slip. Don’t let Scope Creep sneak up on you! In this episode we talk about scope creep and discuss ways to keep your scope on track - and how to handle it if your scope needs to change. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM’S!...
Jul 29, 2018•30 min
Management escalation, oh, no! When issues get escalated to our managers and executive stakeholders, our hearts sink, a sweat breaks out and we start to freak out. But should we? Maybe we should "flip the script" and think of escalations as good and even necessary - when done correctly. In today’s show, Kate and Kim talk frankly about management escalations, and how, in some circumstances, a PM isn’t doing their job if they don’t raise some issues for management attention PLUS, Kate gives Kim a ...
Jul 29, 2018•40 min
One of the toughest - and most important jobs - of a PM is having difficult conversations. These can be with sponsors, stakeholders, team members or other PMs. And the ability to successfully manage these difficult conversations can make the difference between success and failure - for your project, and your career! In this episode, Kate walks us through some key concepts and real life examples based of one of her most influential business books, Crucial Conversations by Joseph Grenny, Al Switzl...
Jul 22, 2018•46 min
While the term “mastermind group” was coined in the 20’s, it has been used by business leaders, writers, artists and philosophers going back much further to develop new ideas, themselves and accomplish amazing things. In this episode, we get some coaching from a Mastermind Master, J.R. Russell on how to facilitate a mastermind group - and we do one live on the air with PM Happy Hour members! Also, for the first time, we have video of a Podcast session! Come to our web site at pmhappyhour.com to ...
Jul 11, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Here’s a short episode inspired by the mathematical study of Game Theory! Not only can “moving last” (or latter) put you in a strong strategic position, but can also make you a better listener. We’ll also talk about some of the downsides of “sequential” turns in meetings, and how to keep that from stifling honest feedback using the Delphi method. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new membership! h...
Jun 27, 2018•31 min
A lot of Project Management is about communicating and managing people. And one of our most frequently used tools for this is the meeting. In this episode we share some tips our best practices for making meetings productive - and not wasting yours and everyone else's time. Based on popular demand, Kate and Kim share some of their top productivity tips for running an effective meeting that doesn’t waste everyone’s (including your) time JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certific...
Jun 17, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Getting started in a new organization, new customer, or new parts of your current org can be tough, especially since managing a project usually means you need to navigate all those waters like a pro - out of the gate. But how do you do that? How do you “get to know” the organization quickly and effectively so you can get the show on the road? This episode we talk with a Change Management specialist, Dilerjit Oberoi, who will help us learn to "swim" in a new organization - or to new parts of your...
Jun 11, 2018•51 min
Negotiation is part of what we do every day - from negotiating for the best project resources to negotiating what you and your significant other are going to have for dinner. But for those of us who don’t feel like natural negotiators, how can we learn to negotiate in a way that helps us address our needs while not risking the long term relationships? That’s where the Harvard Negotiation Project comes in! One of our favorite business books, “Getting to Yes,” is a quick and easy read which can gi...
Jun 03, 2018•51 min
Negotiation is part of what we do every day - from negotiating for the best project resources to negotiating what you and your significant other are going to have for dinner. But for those of us who don’t feel like natural negotiators, how can we learn to negotiate in a way that helps us address our needs while not risking the long term relationships? That’s where the Harvard Negotiation Project comes in! One of our favorite business books, “Getting to Yes,” is a quick and easy read which can gi...
May 23, 2018•54 min
How do you get people to get stuff done when you have no "authority?" That’s a lot of the art of Project Management! In today’s episode, we walk through a few of Kate and Kim’s secret weapons that you can use to get things done even when you don’t have formal authority. This entire podcast was inspired by a great question from one of our PM Happy Hour members - big shout-out to Dani! Whether you are a Member or a Listener, we love to hear from you - give us a shout anytime at podcast@pmhappyhour...
May 11, 2018•1 hr 5 min
It can be challenging enough to deliver a project with tough timelines, budgets and limited resources. But what happens when your project is high profile? I mean, REALLY high profile? High profile in that your stakeholders include business executives, regulatory agencies, and heads of governments who do not align on key issues? And what if, at stake, is a program which could bring tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to communities that very much need it? That’s the daily reality of deliverin...
May 02, 2018•57 min
Oh, this was a fun one :-) Kate and I share a happy hour with you as we think back on all the things we wish we knew when we started project management. We trade lessons-learned back and forth - and we’re sure you can identify with some of these! Warning in advance - audio quality isn’t the best in my kitchen, and we do digress a bit, but it’s a fun listen and there are some really good nuggets in here. Enjoy! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, excl...
Apr 20, 2018•1 hr 8 min
How do you make sense of (and get your stakeholders to understand) a 200-line project plan? Or how about a program with 6 workstreams, each with 200 line project plans? How do you make a useful schedule for a smaller schedule, maybe for a personal project that you can share with “non-pm’s” that they can make sense of? This week we discuss using a “weekly roll-up” method for viewing schedules. It doesn’t necessarily replace your 200-line plan, but it is a very useful way for summarizing and repor...
Apr 10, 2018•12 min
Creative projects can be very fulfilling and provide tremendous value to any organization. But, they can also be very susceptible to scope creep. For those of us used to dealing in data-driven GANTT charts and Risk reports, how can we effectively approach a project with creative deliverables? Especially if we are not sure what those deliverables are supposed to look like? And how do we get objective results when it depends on subjective feedback? Today’s guest, Shawn Hardy, will walk us through ...
Apr 03, 2018•56 min
