Ready to rethink leadership? Hear about an innovative framework built around four key management streams: downstream, upstream, sidestream, and the reservoir stream. These streams represent different aspects of managing oneself, managing teams, engaging with upper management, and collaborating with peers. Dalmo Cirne explains how his cross-disciplinarystrategy can transform the way we lead and manage our projects. Chapters 00:00 … Intro02:26 … Common Management Challenges03:31 … Management Streams Overview05:59 … Streams vs. Traditional Management07:20 … Managing Multiple Streams09:44 … The Management Stream Framework12:38 … Don’t Get Overwhelmed15:59 … The Reservoir Stream18:23 … The Downstream21:54 … Ren Love “Projects of the Past”24:29 … Going Upstream27:22 … The Sidestream29:36 … Building Trust31:40 … The Evolving Role of Project Managers34:14 … Get in Touch34:50 … Closing Intro DALMO CIRNE: You have to ask yourself, is it the right incentive?  Is it why I wanted to become a manager?  Or if I had an opportunity to continue on the technical side or on my individual contributor path, if that would have been more rewarding.  So, and that question can only be answered by the person themselves.  There is no correct answer to that question.  But you need to ask yourself, why did you become one?  Was it so you have the prestige?  Was it to feel important?  Those would not be the real good answers for that.  Because in management, perhaps you are not writing the code or implementing the product and doing those things.  But in management, you have access to levers where you become a multiplier. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s good to have you back with us.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates. If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love to hear from you, whether it’s on our website Velociteach.com, on social media, or your favorite podcast app.  Your feedback helps us keep inspiring and supporting project managers like you.  And if you’ve got questions about our podcast or project management certifications, we’re here to help you.  Don’t forget you can also earn free professional development units from PMI just by listening to this episode.  Stick around until the end, and we’ll tell you how to claim those PDUs. And in today’s episode we’re exploring a fresh perspective on leadership and management with our guest, Dalmo Cirne.  He is the author of “Management Streams.”  He’s a mathematician and software engineer, and he brings three decades of experience in computer science, mathematics, and leadership to the table. BILL YATES:  Dalmo introduces a new framework that offers a cross-disciplinary strategy for management, and we’re going to get into that.  This framework is built around four key streams or core components which he defines as downstream, upstream, sidestream, and the reservoir stream. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re going to dive into his innovative approach to management and discover how his ideas can transform the way we lead and manage in today’s ever-changing world.  Dalmo, welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad that you’re joining us today. DALMO CIRNE:  I’m glad to be here.  Thank you for the invitation to join the show. Common Management Challenges WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  We want to talk to you about management streams, and it’s just a unique approach that we’ve appreciated learning a little bit about.  So just looking back, what management challenges have you observed, and how have you addressed those? DALMO CIRNE:  That’s a great question to start.  Management is mostly focused on going downstream, and by that, I mean the teams that are directly underneath you, and the projects and the operation of those.  Basically, focusing only on managing that, it will pretty much compromise other areas that also need to be managed.  And at the end of the day,

Industry 5.0 is the next phase of the industrial automation revolution where humans collaborate with AI-powered robots and devices. Tim Jaques breaks down how Industry 5.0 builds upon the foundations of Industry 4.0, transitioning from pure automation to a more human-centered approach, integrating technology with sustainability, ethical decision-making, and advanced customization. Hear why project managers should care about Industry 5.0’s shift from economic to societal value and its impact on their roles. Chapters 00:00 … Intro02:58 … Industry 5.004:39 … The Impact on Project Management06:36 … Industry 4.0 vs. 5.008:54 … Cobots10:08 … Core Components of Industry 5.013:17 … Ethical Decision-Making and Sustainability14:29 … Customization and Sustainability19:27 … Emerging AI Project Tools23:18 … Innovative Mindset for Project Managers27:41 … Adding Value as a PM30:35 … Upskilling for Industry 5.035:39 … International Project Management Association37:40 … IPMA Certifications42:36 … How to Get Involved43:26 … Find Out More45:17 … Closing Intro TIM JAQUES:  But also, I think there’s a very big opportunity mindset that we can take on this.  And the opportunity for project managers in particular is I think that the world right now is obsessed with “new.”  The new things are coming online faster than we can blink our eyes at.  And project managers who can continue to work in those areas, who can evolve in those areas, are going to be rewarded.  There’s going to be a lot of work for us as we understand how those technologies and humans interact. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’re so glad you’ve joined us today.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and sitting right next to me is Bill Yates. If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love to hear from you.  Whether it’s on our website Velociteach.com, social media, or your favorite podcast app, your feedback helps us keep inspiring and supporting project managers like you.  And if you’ve got questions about our podcasts or about project management certifications, we’re here to help. If you haven’t yet left a review on Apple Podcasts, that’s a great way to show your appreciation.  A quick review of Manage This would mean the world to us, and we’re so grateful to everyone who’s already taken the time to do so.  Thank you for being part of our community.  And don’t forget you can earn free professional development units from PMI just by listening to this episode.  Stick around until the end, and we’ll tell you how to claim them. So, our guest today is Tim Jaques, and we’re so thrilled to talk to him.  He has over 25 years of experience in business transformation, and a wealth of knowledge to share.  He’s a serial entrepreneur and has grown multiple companies and continues to push the boundaries of innovation.  His work spans some of the most complex and dynamic organizations in the world including Siemens, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, NASA, and more.  Tim is also the current president of the International Project Management Association USA, and he recently chaired its annual Global Research Conference. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Wendy, we’re so fortunate to have this conversation with Tim and appreciate his input and sharing his insights.  Yes, he is the current president of IPMA USA.  We’ll talk more about that.  That’ll be the last portion of the episode.  At the beginning we want to go deeply into Industry 5.0 and talk about that; and specifically, okay, what does that mean to us project managers? WENDY GROUNDS:  So, join us.  Let’s get ready to learn what kind of work really matters in the era of Industry 5.0.  Hi, Tim.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re excited to talk with you today. TIM JAQUES:  I’m so happy to be here.  Thank you, Wendy and Bill. Industry 5.0   WENDY GROUNDS:  So, there’s a couple of things we want to ask you about.  The one is Industry 5.0, and the other is the IPMA.

In this episode, we explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on project management and how it’s transforming the profession. Oliver Yarbrough shares how project managers can leverage AI to enhance their skills and stay competitive in an evolving, AI-driven landscape. Hear about AI's impact on Agile teams, how SLMs and LLMs are revolutionizing data refinement, how to balance data security while leveraging AI, and how to treat AI as a key stakeholder in the evolving landscape of project management. Chapters 02:21 … Meet Oliver04:21 … What is AI?05:39 … Will AI Replace the PM?06:41 … Incorporating AI Tools08:45 … Finding the AI Capabilities09:44 … Skills and Knowledge Areas13:02 … AI and Data Analysis Challenges15:23 … ChatGPT and Data16:40 … Human in the Loop18:08 … Protecting Your Data20:14 … Contractors Using AI22:20 … Kevin and Kyle23:18 … Impact on Agile Team Performance26:22 … Fine Tuning and Refining29:05 … A Large Language Model (LLM)30:08 … Current Trends in AI32:21 … AI Component to PM Tools33:40 … Streamlining Workflow with AI39:36 … Future Evolutions of AI43:17 … Contact Oliver44:58 … Closing OLIVER YARBROUGH:  AI acts as a stakeholder on our projects, and we should treat it like we treat any other stakeholder.  That’s very important.  Initially, I used to say treat it like it’s a piece of software tool.  But with the new advents of these AI agents and AI assistants and all these other things, you really do need to treat it like a true stakeholder. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to another episode of Manage This. where we dive deep into the latest trends, insights, and strategies in project management.  This is the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  And in the studio today we have an incredible guest who is sure to enlighten, inspire, and, I think for me, educate a lot. Joining us is Oliver Yarbrough.  He’s a PMP, a renowned author, speaker, and trainer with a knack for combining hands-on real-world experience with project management fundamentals.  His impressive career includes positions with Fortune 500 companies like Lucent Technologies, Staples, and Sprint, as well as successful business ventures of his own. Currently, Oliver is an active member of PMI, where he shares his extensive knowledge on adapting to AI, deriving value from data, and recognizing AI trends in project management.  He has some LinkedIn courses which we’ve taken a look at.  They cover everything from leveraging AI in project management to the importance of human strengths in an AI-driven world. BILL YATES:  As Wendy is saying, we’re going to explore a topic that, I mean, if you connect to the news, if you connect to the Internet in any way, probably one of the top trending topics is AI, or artificial intelligence.  We’re going to dive deep into that with Oliver, and we’re going to look at it from a specific lens, and that is from the perspective of the project manager.  How does this impact me?  How does this impact my job and my future?  Oliver is going to share some insights with us.  He’ll help us understand how to stay relevant.  What are some strengths from AI that we can harness?  What are some things that we cannot fear?  So, Oliver is here to open our minds. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yup, so get ready as we welcome Oliver.  Hi, Oliver.  Welcome to Manage This. OLIVER YARBROUGH:  Yes, great.  Glad to be here. Meet Oliver WENDY GROUNDS:  Oliver, why don’t you tell us how you got into artificial intelligence?  How you took that path? OLIVER YARBROUGH:  Well, I sort of fell into it backwards.  So, I did not start off as an AI person.  I’ve always been a Curious George.  I’ve always been poking my head in, like, “What’s going on here?  What’s going on there?”  But, you know, I have a project management background.  So, I was doing PMP exam prep.  I was training people.  And that’s how I got in touch like with you guys.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Is Scope Creep derailing your project? A lack of control can lead to projects spiraling out of scope. Join us as Shannon Keenan shares strategies to keep your team focused, avoid delays, and deliver successful outcomes. Learn how to manage scope effectively and prevent projects from spiraling out of control. Table of Contents 03:11 … Artemis Factor04:45 … What is Scope Creep?07:33 … Change Request vs. Scope Creep10:14 … The Problem with Scope Creep12:27 … Scope Change Requests13:38 … Is All Scope Creep Bad?17:22 … Signs of Scope Creep Occurring19:23 … Project Health Checks22:25 … The Planning Phase25:08 … Importance of Documentation26:11 … Ren Love ‘Projects of the Past’28:37 … Push Back on Scope Creep30:43 … Be the Trust Agent32:45 … Finding the Balance: Innovation vs. Scope36:43 … Useful Tools for Managing Scope Creep40:37 … Keeping a Decision Log42:49 … Connect with Shannon43:49 … Closing SHANNON KEENAN: What we do to avoid those pitfalls are project health checks.  We’ll do monthly health checks.  It depends on how big the project is or how long it’s going to run.  And you really want to kind of just do a quick check, it’s good as a PM you’re looking forward, but just kind of take a quick glance back; right?  What was your original charter?  Or what was your objective?  What was your timeline?  What were the benefits?  Are these additional requirements causing any kind of pain to the project or negatively impacting any of those original requirements, objectives that were set up at the beginning of the project? WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  We want to take a moment to say thank you to our listeners who reach out to us.  If you leave comments on our website or on social media, we love hearing from you.  We appreciate your positive ratings on Apple podcasts or whichever podcast listening app you use.  Please do get in touch, leave us a comment at Velociteach.com or on social media, and let us know what you like to hear more of, as well.  We like to make our episodes something that you’d want to hear more about.  So, if you have some suggestions of project managers who are doing amazing projects or topics that would be very helpful to you in your career, please let us know. BILL YATES:  Got a team needing top-notch training?  Velociteach specializes in private group training, both on-site and virtual.  Share your training goals with us, and we’ll craft the perfect plan for your team.  Whether it’s exam prep, maintaining certification, or mastering the latest project management best practices, our live classes and expert instructors will fast-track your organization to success.  Explore our private group training offerings at Velociteach.com today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Today we’re exploring the crucial topic of scope creep... BILL YATES:  Scope creep. WENDY GROUNDS:  ...in project management.  It can be that silent killer that’ll derail even the most well-planned projects.  We’re joined by Shannon Keenan.  She is the co-founder and partner at Artemis Factor, and she brings over 25 years of project management expertise in the pharmaceutical industry.  Shannon has expertly guided both large and small teams through comprehensive strategies across the entire pharma value chain, from R&D and clinical trials to regulatory affairs and commercial operations.  Her extensive experience makes her the perfect guest to shed light on this pervasive issue. BILL YATES:  And we had students and listeners reach out to us, and they had specific questions about scope creep.  I can’t wait to put those in front of Shannon. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  So, let’s get started.  Hi, Shannon.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. SHANNON KEENAN:  Thank you so much for having me.  I’m excited to be here and excited to talk a lit...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How do successful project managers turn tough project negotiations into win-win outcomes? Discover a practical seven-step approach to managing claims, negotiating with customers, and closing negotiations effectively, offering a competitive edge for project managers handling complex projects. Stay in touch and give Rick some feedback on this podcast here: https://talk.ac/rickc?code=VELOCITEACH Table of Contents 02:34 … Meet Rick04:03 … Hiring Tips05:56 … Defining a Claim06:53 … Best Practices and Negotiation08:26 … No Knee-Jerk Project Negotiating10:15 … The Seven Step Approach to Managing Claims13:56 … Rehearse What you’re Saying15:14 … Leveraging Schedule or Payment17:07 … Connect with the Customer18:53 … Look for the Root Causes22:25 … Kevin and Kyle23:12 … Clarifying your Claim26:08 … Check the Numbers29:24 … Finding Leverage33:42 … Prioritizing Problem Areas34:35 … Successfully Closing a Negotiation36:13 … Contact Rick37:51 … Closing RICK CZAPLEWSKI: When you’re a project manager, your most critical project, the thing that is on your critical path as a PM is a distressed project.  If there’s a problem, that is your priority.  You have to get on that right away.  Because what you’re trying to do here is, if you know you or your company has done wrong, you want to put out the small fire before it blows up into an inferno.  That’s a common PM trap is, oh, man, this is a hard situation.  I’m going to leave it till the afternoon. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  We just want to remind you that if you’re looking for opportunities to acquire PDUs, your professional development units, toward recertifications, you can still claim your PDUs for all our podcast episodes.  Listen up at the end of the show for information on how you could claim your PDUs. Today’s guest is Rick Czaplewski and he’s a seasoned expert in project management, especially in the art of negotiation.  He teaches negotiation and leadership skills to executives and professionals.  Today he’s going to share some invaluable insights from his journey and the critical aspects of negotiation within project management.  BILL YATES:  Wendy, negotiating, dealing with claims, dealing with disputes, that’s a part of project management life that is not very appealing to most of us.  There may be a few out there who just love it.  But there’s a lot of fear and trepidation when it comes to that disagreement with your customer.  Rick is going to provide us with a seven-step process for how to go about facing those claims and some tips on how to negotiate your way through. Now, a couple things about Rick.  He is a unique combination of CPA and PMP.  Also, a little background.  Rick and I first met, I don’t know, at least 10 years or so ago.  He started his career with HP, and then he was working with Siemens.  He was working with Siemens Light Rail in Sacramento when I had the privilege of teaching a PMP prep class in Sacramento for Siemens.  Rick was my point of contact there and participated in the class, earned his PMP on his first try and gave me the most exciting tour of their facility so I could see how they take raw materials and build light rail systems out of them.  So, we are delighted to have him as our guest today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Rick.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us. RICK CZAPLEWSKI:  Hi, thank you for having me. Meet Rick WENDY GROUNDS:  We are looking forward to this topic.  We’ve talked a bit about negotiation before, but you have something else.  You have a whole lot of different experience in negotiation.  So, we want to hear more about that and definitely get your advice.  But before we go there, can you tell us about how you got into project management, and a little bit about your career? RICK CZAPLEWSKI:  Yes,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The Key Crossing Reliability Initiative by Baltimore Gas and Electric (BG&E) is a critical project replacing aging transmission lines across the Patapsco River, spanning 2.25 miles. Managed by Cody Duplisea, PMP, it powers over a million homes and businesses in Baltimore. Completed before the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, it gained high visibility for ensuring reliable power transmission. Table of Contents 03:03 … Meet Cody04:53 … Key Crossing Reliability Initiative Project06:31 … A High Visibility Project07:43 … Project Timeline08:23 … Cody’s PM Role09:11 … The “Above Water” Decision-Making Process13:30 … Width of the River15:00 … Tower Height16:16 … Stakeholder Outreach17:13 … Project Challenges19:45 … Decommissioning Old Cables21:03 … Kevin and Kyle21:47 … Handling Stressful Moments23:02 … Ensuring Good Communication25:58 … Balancing Onsite and In Office28:15 … Navigating the Unexpected31:13 … Extra Risk Mitigation Strategies32:29 … Project Takeaways33:57 … Lessons Learned36:27 … Find Out More37:22 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS: Hey folks, the bridge we’re talking about in this episode is the Francis Scott Key Bridge, over the Patapsco River in Baltimore. As many of you know the bridge collapsed around 1:30 a.m. March 26th this year after a massive cargo ship, called the Dali, lost power, veered off course and struck the bridge. Six construction workers died in this accident. This episode we recorded before the tragedy took place and before the bridge collapsed. We opted against editing our conversation and chose to leave it in its original state. So, we do talk about the bridge quite a bit in this podcast. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates. We hope to bring you some support as you navigate your projects.  We like to also delve into the latest developments that are shaping our world today.  And we’re thrilled to highlight a remarkable project on this episode.  This is called the Key Crossing Reliability Initiative, and it has been named a PMI Project of the Year Award Finalist for 2023. BILL YATES:  Yeah, this is such an honor to be able to speak with Cody directly about this project.  He was involved in it and led it.  Just to step back for a minute, this is a project that Baltimore Gas and Electric, BG&E, initiated.  They were replacing transmission line. So, as you guys know, I spent the first half of my career working in the utility space.  Utilities have a generation component, transmission, and distribution.  Transmission, these are the tall towers that we see when we’re driving down the road.  Those are high voltage.  They cover long distances.  And then distribution is that last piece that gets the electricity to our homes or to our business.  So, these transmission lines that we’re going to talk about are, again, they’re high voltage.  And in this case, they’re spanning across a river.  And we’re going to talk about eight transmission poles that are put in place to span like a 2.5-mile space.  Five of those are in the water, and eight total to get transmission, to get electricity from one side of the river to the next where you have a million customers who need electricity. WENDY GROUNDS: Our guest is Cody Duplisea, and he works for Burns & McDonnell as a project manager working on Baltimore Gas and Electric’s Key Crossing Reliability Initiative.  Cody’s career started in Northwestern Pennsylvania as a pipeline project engineer with National Fuel, and he has since become an integral part of the Burns & McDonnell PMOC for BGE going on nine years.  Since joining Burns & McDonnell in 2015, Cody has worked in the development of BGE’s Project Controls Organization for the STRIDE Gas Main Replacement Program, as well as managed multiple facilities’ enhancement projects.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. For the past 25 years, the Guédelon Castle project has been a mesmerizing journey into the past, building a medieval castle in the forest near Paris using authentic 13th-century methods. Sarah Preston details this project where a dedicated team of artisans and history enthusiasts have revived medieval construction practices, with meticulous attention to detail. Table of Contents 02:16 … The Inspiration for the Guedelon Project04:19 … The Onsite Experience06:08 … Dressing for the Project08:18 … Adhering to Historical Architectural Principles11:02 … Tool-Making Process12:49 … Funding the Guedelon Project16:07 … Safety Plans17:39 … Planning Permission Process18:00 … Where to Build the Castle?20:00 … Collaborating with Advisory Committees21:33 … Ren Love’s Projects of the Past23:51 … 13th Century Team Communication28:37 … Staff Training30:23 … Unique Project Challenges31:11 … Guedelon Project Lessons Learned35:56 … Modelling a Vault Build38:51 … Measuring Success41:08 … Leadership Lessons42:46 … Guedelon Project Completion44:01 … Find out More45:09 … Closing SARAH PRESTON:  …the castle is measured both in the height of the walls and the strength of the castle itself, but also in men and women who have gained this knowledge, who are sharing that knowledge and inspiring future generations. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and here in the studio with me is Bill Yates. We are so excited about today’s project... BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  ...that I just want to jump straight into that.  So about a year or two ago I watched a program, and it was a BBC series on a castle.  It is called the Guédelon Castle, and it’s a remarkable project that’s been, gosh, I think for about 25 years they’ve been building this castle.  It’s nestled in the forest near Paris, and it’s a testament to the dedication of a team of artisans and history enthusiasts.  And they are resurrecting authentic medieval building techniques. This is an ambitious experimental archaeology project that has captivated historians and builders alike as they are meticulously recreating medieval construction practices, and they’re not using any modern amenities like electricity and power tools.  They are just building a castle using bricks and using... BILL YATES:  And they’re putting the bricks together, and they’re mixing the paint. WENDY GROUNDS:  Right. BILL YATES:  It’s just mind-blowing. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s all from scratch.  The person we’re talking to is Sarah Preston.  She is originally from the southwest of England, and she’s worked at Guédelon since 2006.  She’s a guide, a photographer, a translator, a press officer, and she’s also worked as associate producer for numerous documentaries about Guédelon. So, when we reached out to them, they wanted to talk with us.  They were excited to share their project.  But they needed someone who spoke English.  Or we did, because we don’t speak French.  So, we are very excited to be talking to Sarah. BILL YATES:  You know, Wendy, one of the interesting things to me with this project, there are so many aspects to it.  But the lessons that they’ve learned with Guédelon are now being applied to the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, following the fire that was so devastating to that beautiful cathedral back in 2019.  My wife and I were fortunate enough to see Notre Dame before it burned.  And just the, you know, the heavy heart when I saw the devastation of that.  So, it’s especially neat tribute that this project is helping the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, it’s pretty incredible, and I’m excited to get into it.  So do join us, folks, as we celebrate this remarkable project. Sarah, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us today. SARAH PRESTON:  Thank you for having me.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Happiness isn't just about feeling good—it's a strategic advantage in the professional world. In this episode we’re taking a look into the powerful connections between happiness, project success, and compassion. Emma Seppälä reveals how team happiness directly influences project outcomes and how a compassionate culture can reduce stress, boost productivity, and enhance team cohesion. Table of Contents 03:10 … Happiness Fuels Success05:07 … Impact of Stress on Creativity06:36 … Culture, Values and Happiness07:54 … Take Care of Yourself09:35 … How to Guage your Internal Landscape13:40 … Having the Right Attitude16:11 … Self-Critical vs. Self-Aware18:15 … Are You Being Too Nice?20:48 … Kevin and Kyle22:01 … Showing Compassion in the Workplace24:12 … Physiological Impact of Compassion26:55 … Compassion and Resilience28:28 … Learn to be Compassionate29:46 … Sovereign31:10 … Closing EMMA SEPPALA:  And a compassionate leader makes room for the human moments, makes the workplace not just a place of transaction but interaction, and gives grace when grace is needed, when suffering is present.  And what doesn’t make sense about that?  It just makes sense. And when that happens, the employee’s loyalty gets really strong because their leader had their back at a time when they needed it.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates. We want to take a moment to thank our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  You can find us on Velociteach social media, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.  And we love hearing from you, and we always appreciate your positive ratings on Apple Podcast or whichever podcast listening app you use. Velociteach is a community of leaders, project managers, and hard-working team members, here to support your growth and success. InSite is our project management mobile learning platform where you can prepare for your PMP certification or get better at your job by choosing from over 70 high quality and engaging courses. These courses cover a variety of topics such as communication, leadership, status reporting, the work breakdown structure, and more. Each course aligns with a PMI Talent Triangle, making earning and reporting PDUs easier than ever. We designed InSite for project managers who prefer a flexible and convenient method of learning from industry experts. Visit us at velociteach.com today to get started. Today we are looking at the intersection of happiness and compassion, and in this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Emma Seppala.  She’s an expert in the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection.  Emma teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program.  She’s a psychologist and research scientist by training.  Her bestselling book “The Happiness Track” has been translated into dozens of languages, and she’s just published a new book, “Sovereign.”  Emma is also the science director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.  And so, she definitely has a lot of really great information on happiness, on success, and on compassion, which are the things we’re talking about today. We’re going to explore the intricate relationship between happiness and success, and we will uncover how cultivating happiness isn’t just a feel-good endeavor, but a strategic advantage, particularly in the professional realms, and how we can apply this to our projects.  We’ll also examine how team happiness can directly influence project outcomes. Fostering a culture of compassion doesn’t only alleviate stress, but also enhances overall productivity and cohesion amongst team members.  So, let’s get ready to be inspired by Emma. Hi, Emma.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. This episode explores the art of asking effective questions. Author Jeff Wetzler offers practical advice for improving our skill at asking effective questions. The “Ask Approach" is Jeff’s five-step method designed to enhance anyone’s questioning skills, and he walks us through each step and presents questioning techniques we can all apply. Table of Contents 02:43 … Motivation for Ask03:56 … Why People Withhold Information05:17 … Barriers to Sharing07:40 … What We Say vs. What We Think09:53 … What People Withhold12:00 … Asking Superpowers14:17 … The Ask Approach16:00 … 1. Choose Curiosity18:58 … 2. The Safety Cycle19:32 … 2.1 Creating Connection20:43 … 2.2 Open up First21:09 … 2.3 Radiate Resilience22:37 … 3. Pose Quality Questions24:41 … Using a “Why” Question26:23 … Clear up Confusion28:13 … 4. Listen to Learn31:31… 5. Reflect and Reconnect35:39 … How AI Can Help36:53 … Connect with Jeff38:25 … Closing JEFF WETZLER:  …we don’t realize there’s something that we need to know.  We’re not curious.  We walk around the world thinking that we’ve got it figured out, thinking that we know how this person is and what motivates them and what the right answer is in this situation.  And so, we’re trapped in what I call a “certainty loop,” where the pre-existing beliefs and assumptions we have about the world lead us to walk into any situation and just size it up in ways that essentially reinforce what we already thought and believed.  And we get that sense of, “Here we go again.  This is how they always are.”  And so all of that keeps us stuck.  And we don’t even realize there’s something to ask about.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  We like to talk to you twice a month to talk about what matters to you as a professional in the field of project management.  And we like to bring top experts to speak to you. And today we have someone.  His name is Jeff Wetzler.  He’s written a book called “Ask:  Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life.”  And when Jeff sent the book to us, Bill and I both read it and were completely impressed.  And we thought, now, this is something we can talk to project managers about. Jeff has been on a quarter century quest to transform learning opportunities.  He blends a unique set of leadership experiences in the field of business and education.  And he’s been a management consultant to the world’s top corporations, and the Chief Learning Officer at Teach for America.  Most recently he’s a co-CEO of Transcend, an innovation organization. BILL YATES:  We have so much to learn from this book and from Jeff’s input or description of it.  For project managers, we ask questions all the time.  And quite frankly, some of us are good at it, and some of us are not.  Some of us are growing in this area, and this is an opportunity to take a conversation with a guy who’s written a book and researched how to ask questions that are effective, that are not throwaway questions, that go deep, that remove some of the barriers that people have to actually sharing what they’re feeling, what they’re thinking, what their experiences have shown them.  And what I love about it is he’s got a five-step approach.  I love a five-step approach, and he has that.  He lays that out for us.  And we’re going to walk through it with Jeff so we can understand how can we get better at asking questions that are effective. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hey, Jeff.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us. JEFF WETZLER:  Oh, it’s so great to be with you. WENDY GROUNDS:  We are going to ask you a lot of questions.  We’re just going to pick up from the [crosstalk]. JEFF WETZLER:  I love it.  I love questions. Motivation for Ask WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re going to start straight away.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. In this second part of our conversation about Decoding Megaprojects with Bent Flyvbjerg, we explore the idea of "Pixar Planning," a method inspired by Pixar Studios' approach to making movies. Next, we tackle the concept of Modularity, and the significance of standardized, modular approaches in driving efficiency and reducing the frequency and severity of project failures. Table of Contents 01:22 … Pixar Planning06:33 … Iteration10:37 … Modularity12:46 … Modular vs. Bespoke16:20 … Kevin and Kyle18:04 … Examples from Shipping Containers22:26 … Advice from Bent28:26 … Contact Bent29:22 … Closing BENT FLYVBJERG:  So, my advice to anybody working in any field is start thinking about how you modularize what you're doing.  Don't ever do bespoke projects.  Only if it's absolutely unavoidable should you ever do bespoke projects.  You should always do projects that have an element of standardization and modularity.  And the larger you can make that element of standardization and modularity, the more successful your projects will be.  So that's the direction of travel for the whole project industry, no matter what type of project you're working in.  And every one of us who's working in this industry can make a huge contribution by constantly thinking, how do we make what we do more modular and more standardized? WENDY GROUNDS:  You're listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I'm Wendy Grounds, and as always, I'm joined in the studio by the one and only Bill Yates.  This is Episode 2 of our conversation with Bent Flyvbjerg.  We are thrilled that he generously extended his time with us, and we are eager to share our conversation with you today. Before we dive in today's episode, we want to remind you to check out our website, Velociteach.com, where you can easily subscribe to the show so you never miss out on the latest insights and discussions.  And you can also earn PDUs, your Professional Development Units, by listening to our podcast. Pixar Planning BILL YATES: We’re going to jump right back in where we left off. Just a quick review. The first two things we talked about were: thinking from right to left; and thinking slow and acting fast. Bent, I want to shift to a third key concept. You know, where we've seen some of their amazing movies, and Pixar Studio follows this same idea “think slow, act fast” when they take their approach to making movies.  Some of the great stories that I've read through “Creativity, Inc.,” written by Ed Catmull.  As you and I were just talking before we even started recording this, such a great book, such a great leader Ed Catmull is.  When I read the book back in 2016, I didn't latch on to what you found in this and through your research, which is this concept of Pixar planning.  So this idea of Pixar planning, I know you go into it deep.  What is it that makes that unique, and how can we apply these same concepts to our projects that Pixar does when they're developing their movies? BENT FLYVBJERG:  So Pixar planning is not a concept that Ed Catmull came up with.  This is what we call it because we think that their method is so important and ingenious that it deserves a name, you know.  And it deserves the name “Pixar Planning” because Pixar is the organization who came up with this.  And what surprised us was how much Gehry's method and the Pixar method, which was spearheaded by Ed Catmull, who was the CEO of Pixar then, he later became also CEO of Disney Animation and Pixar at the same time, and he's now retired.  So he and his team pioneered this.  And when I read Ed's book back in 2016 also, I was so excited because – and I started asking my students at Oxford to read the book. And at first they were like, what?  We don't work in the movie industry, and certainly not animated movies.  Like why would we want to read about animated movies?  You know,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Part one of our two-part conversation with Bent Flyvbjerg, delving into decoding megaprojects. Bent’s research draws from a database of 16,000 megaprojects to extract valuable insights. Megaprojects are increasingly shaping our world, and Bent sheds light on both their successes and failures, aiming to provide lessons for future endeavors, big and small. Table of Contents 03:52 … “How Big Things Get Done.”06:25 … Examples of Mega Projects08:35 … Iron Law of Megaprojects10:23 … The Success Stories12:28 … Thinking from Right to Left14:44 … Frank Gehry’s Leadership Principle18:42 … Ren Love’s Projects from the Past21:12 … Think Slow and Act Fast26:23 … Guggenheim Bilbao vs. Sydney Opera House30:34 … Find Out More30:43 … Closing BENT FLYVBJERG:  But we made a big effort of, you know, hoovering up all the success stories that we could find and see what we could learn from those and present that to the reader so that we actually, our intention with the book is that people can read this book, and they can start doing their projects better, based on the insights, both the data and the management leadership principles that people who were successful.  So we deliberately sought out people and organizations that have a track record that they can actually deliver one project after another successfully.  So it's not just luck.  They weren't just lucky once.  They actually have some kind of methodology, some kind of system, some kind of process that makes it possible for them to deliver success over and over. WENDY GROUNDS:  You're listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I'm your host, Wendy Grounds, and as always I'm joined here in the studio by the one and only Bill Yates. Before we dive in today's episode, we want to remind you to check out our website, Velociteach.com, where you can easily subscribe to the show so you never miss out on the latest insights and discussions.  And if you enjoy what you hear, we'd love you to leave a comment on our website.  Better yet, spread the word about us to your fellow project management enthusiasts.  And you can also earn PDUs, your Professional Development Units, by listening to our podcast. BILL YATES: Looking for an easy and affordable way to maintain your certifications and get better at your job? Our PDU Passport is an all-access pass to every online PDU course in InSite. Take your pick from over 200 high-quality and engaging PDUs aligned to the Talent Triangle. Available when and where you are, with any connected device. WENDY GROUNDS: At Manage This, our focus is on sharing captivating stories of fascinating projects and engaging in conversations with experts who are reshaping the landscape of project management. And today is no different. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Bent Flyvbjerg. In fact, we're happy to announce that our conversation with actually Bent will span across two episodes. We enjoyed talking with Bent so much that we made the decision not to trim any content, but instead, to extend it across two episodes. Bent is the first BT Professor and Inaugural Chair of Major Program Management at Oxford University's Said Business School.  And we asked him, and the BT stands for British Telecom Corporation.  He's also the professor and chair in Major Program Management at IT University of Copenhagen. He has also received numerous honors and awards, including a knighthood and two Fulbright scholarships.   His latest book is “How Big Things Get Done.” BILL YATES:  Yes.  Somebody recommended his book to me, and I purchased it and started reading it and then got hooked.  The subtitle is “The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything in Between.”  Bent takes a database of 16,000 megaprojects and looks at their performance, and then extrapolates from that some key findings.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Join us in celebrating 200 episodes of Manage This, as we embark on a voyage through the intersection of project management and sailing with captain and author, Andy Crowe. Andy is our Velociteach founder and author of the best-selling textbook: The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try, he brings a wealth of experience both on the open waters and in project management. Table of Contents 01:33 … 200 Episodes03:50 … An 1,800-Mile Journey05:19 … Planning a Sailing Project07:16 … Planning for Obstacles08:24 … Precise Communication11:53 … Know Who to Listen to14:36 … Deciding Who Needs to Know18:30 … Keeping an Even Keel21:08 … Know Your Project24:35 … Kevin and Kyle25:20 … Isolation and Self-Sufficiency28:03 … The Broken Steering System30:23 … How to Prioritize33:46 … A Flexible Schedule35:21 … Managing Regulatory Compliances37:39 … Do Your Research43:39 … Benefits Realization for Andy45:45 … Closing ANDY CROWE: …but a lot of the skills that I practiced as a project manager prepared me for elements of this so much.  You know, thinking about good communication skills, thinking about, resource management, all of this, it matters.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the Project Management at Sea episode.  Today we’re navigating the waters of project management with a seasoned captain at the helm.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in today’s episode Bill Yates and I have the privilege of diving into the world of sailing with Andy Crowe, a dedicated captain who is also the founder of Velociteach and of this podcast. BILL YATES:  Yes, he is.  It’s so fun to have Andy in the room with us in the studio.  Andy is the author of one of the most respected books that people turn to prepare for the Project Management Professional certification exam.  It’s called “The PMP Exam:  How to Pass on Your First Try.”  And that was the impetus for Velociteach.  Andy started the company in 2002 with that book.  That book has become the most trusted and authoritative volume on PMP Exam prep.  I know many of you have probably used it to pass.  Andy’s book has been reprinted 27 times in five editions and sold more than a quarter of a million copies worldwide.  At Velociteach we offer live instruction, over 280 hours of self-paced, online education, and blogs, and podcasts.  Velociteach is a community of leaders, project managers and hardworking team members, here to support your growth and success. 200 Episodes WENDY GROUNDS: Today marks the 200th episode of our podcast, and we couldn't be more thrilled to have you join us for this momentous occasion. Now this is someone here who’s been at the podcast since episode one! BILL YATES: I cannot believe two hundred episodes! That’s amazing! It’s incredible! It feels like just yesterday we started this adventure, and now here we are, reaching this incredible milestone. WENDY GROUNDS: Yeah, and Bill you have been faithfully on every episode. Myself and Andy and Nick have jumped in and out but you have been consistent. None of this though would also have been possible without our incredible listeners. You’ve been with us every step of the way. Supporting us, sharing your thoughts, and inspiring us to keep pushing forward. BILL YATES: That’s so true. We've had the privilege of interviewing some truly remarkable guests, exploring fascinating topics, interesting projects, delving into stories that we never would have known all the details of, they’ve really touched our hearts and inspired us. Today, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to each and every one of you who has made this journey so rewarding. WENDY GROUNDS: Yup, and the journey doesn't stop here. In fact, this is just the beginning of what is going to be even more exciting chapters for our podcast. We have some incredible guests lined up, some thought-provoking topics to explore, and plenty of surprises in store for our listeners. Also,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Shaping the future of project management is PMI 2023 Future 50 honoree, and our second guest in our "Rising Talent" podcast series, Monique Sekhon. She is a trailblazer making waves both professionally and within her community. As the youngest chapter president in PMI global history, she embodies a passion for giving back to her community. Join us to gain fresh perspectives and valuable insights from one of the industry's brightest talents. Table of Contents 01:56 … Meet Monique04:09 … Path to Public Health07:47 … Monique’s Current Position10:28 … Most Effective Project Management Practices14:36 … Collaboration with Stakeholders19:33 … Kevin and Kyle20:48 … Overcoming Attitudes and Challenges24:36 … PMI Chapter Leadership29:25 … Advice to Younger PMs30:28 … Monique’s Nonprofit Care-2-Share33:49 … Find Out More34:50 … Closing MONIQUE SEKHON: …my job to work with people and talk to people and bring people together who are experts – because I’m definitely not the expert – bring those people together as a project manager into a room to say, okay, these are the priorities.  This is our common goal.….  And this is what we’re trying to achieve.  And then working with all of those people to determine, okay, how are we going to get there?  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m your host, Wendy Grounds.  And right here in the studio we’ve got the brains behind the show, Bill Yates.  We take pride in showcasing the remarkable work of rising talent, adding a fresh perspective to the vibrant project management community.  This is the second and final in our current Rising Talent series.  We have an extraordinary guest.  This is a trailblazer making waves in both her professional and community spheres.  Do meet PMI 2023 Future 50 honoree Monique Sekhon.  She’s a dynamic professional with project management in her DNA, as she’s going to explain to us.  She joined the British Columbia Ministry of Health starting as a junior business analyst.  And here she played a pivotal role in the Health Data Platform project, which was a large-scale initiative to enhance the efficiency of health data access for researchers and academics.  She was promoted to senior project management advisor at the age of 22, and today she manages over 45 concurrent complex data projects.  Her impact extends beyond her job.  She’s a volunteer with PMI Vancouver Island Chapter.  And she’s currently the chapter president for the 23-24 chapter year.  She’s also the youngest chapter president in PMI global history. BILL YATES:  That’s impressive. WENDY GROUNDS:  Very much so.  So we’re excited to talk to Monique today.  Hi, Monique.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us. MONIQUE SEKHON:  Thank you for having me.  I’m so excited to be here. Meet Monique WENDY GROUNDS:  We are looking forward to digging into your story and just hearing a bit about your journey into project management.  So tell us a little bit about what influenced you early on in your career in project management.  How did it start for you? MONIQUE SEKHON:  Yeah, so it’s kind of an interesting story, and it’s a bit of a legacy story.  So when I was in high school, my mom was studying for the PMP.  So at our house, all over all the floors, every possible surface, there was a PMBOK and tons of material and all that good stuff.  My dad would sit with her and quiz her and ask her questions.  And then she would be like, “Monique, come and quiz me.  I need to prepare for this exam.”  And I think she did write it twice.  So as a result, it was like quite a significant portion of my high school life helping her with this. And I just remember as she was going through, you know, studying and learning and hearing those words, okay, initiation and waterfall and all those, you know, terminologies.  And I’m somebody who has always been really active in schoo...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Following the 2020 devastating explosion in Beirut, project manager Kevin Gemayel's journey is nothing short of inspiring as he tackled challenges head-on. Hear firsthand accounts of his experiences during the blast, his strategies for managing tasks, stakeholders, budgets, and time, and the invaluable lessons learned. We discover Kevin's extraordinary project and the power of resilience in the face of adversity. Table of Contents 04:27 … Meet Kevin05:30 … Kevin’s Story of the Tragedy07:25 … Gathering a Team08:18 … The Family Façade Business09:44 … Deciding How to Prioritize13:34 … An Emergency Response15:33 … Resources and Supplies16:47 … An Economic Crisis20:08 … Personal Impact21:36 … Keeping a Team Motivated22:38 … Ren Love’s Projects from the Past25:00 … Planning Time Management and Strategy28:21 … Creative Problem-Solving29:31 … Kevin’s Lessons Learned31:08 … Personal Growth Through Tragedy34:57 … Looking Back36:37 … Advice to Younger PMs38:46 … Contact Kevin39:59 … Closing KEVIN GEMAYEL: … in leadership, they say you should become a leader and personally lead yourself before leading anyone else.  And I would advise every project manager to learn and to focus on how they should lead themselves before going out there and leading projects and people and teams because, when they do things right themselves, … they will be able to influence the people they are working with.  …  So don’t just focus on books and numbers and theoretical things.  Focus on yourself, as well. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  We want to feature some younger talent in the project management community.  We’re calling it our Rising Talent series.  So for the next two episodes we’re going to be sharing the stories of two young project managers who are not only inspirational, but they’re also making waves with their incredible contributions to the field.  Now, we have spoken to some young project managers in the past. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Episode 165 we had a great conversation with Kat Shane.  You may recall she had a startup company that she began at the University of Georgia, and it was working on a solution to help people, governments, and businesses figure out what products or packaging are locally recyclable.  So, can I recycle this?  And how to get them where they needed to go. WENDY GROUNDS:  We also spoke to Christelle Kwizera.  That was Episode 146.  At the age of 20, Christelle founded Water Access Rwanda, which was in response to the dangerous conditions Rwandans would face when collecting water from rivers and dams.  She was quite an incredible young lady. BILL YATES:  What a story.  So inspirational and so young. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, yes.  She was also a PMI Future 50 2021 honoree.  And the folk that we’re talking to in these two episodes are also Future 50 2023 honorees from PMI.  We are really enjoying featuring younger talent in the project management community.  The first one is our guest, Kevin. BILL YATES:  Yeah, this is a heavy story, this conversation we’ll have with Kevin.  It’s heavy.  It’s about the blast in Beirut.  And many people lost their lives, and many people who survived it will be dealing with it for a lifetime.  So, we wanted to recognize that.  But there are so many powerful lessons for us to learn from that, and to hear from Kevin. And we’ve tackled these kinds of topics before.  We spoke with Matthew Harper about the attack on the USS Cole and the lessons learned from that.  Peter Baines joined us from Australia.  He led international identification teams after tsunamis or terrorist attacks.  So, he’s talked with us about that.  And of course, Chuck Casto, that story was so engaging, looking at the Fukushima disaster and the 11 months that he spent onsite after the accident,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Have you ever wondered why project team members decide to quit? Join us as we unravel the mysteries behind team turnover with HR expert Cindi Filer. Discover the pitfalls project managers should avoid to retain their team members, foster a thriving workplace environment, and optimize your most valuable resource: your people. Table of Contents 03:22 … Why are People Quitting?05:13 … Survey: Three Reasons People Quit06:03 … Employee Engagement Categories08:14 … Loud Quitting10:31 … Importance of Leadership Training12:23 … What Impacts Employee Engagement?19:24 … Where to Start as a PM20:58 … Kevin and Kyle22:22 … Building Your Team Culture26:05 … Pitfalls to Avoid29:43 … Dealing with Pay Issues32:47 … Well-Being at Work35:15 … Contact Cindi36:18 … Closing CINDI FILER: ...make sure you and your team is catching each other doing things that are positive, and then speaking those out to people.  Because I think encouragement is oxygen.  You’ve heard that.  And so it’s amazing when somebody’s leader calls them out for something that they’ve done well.  It’s amazing how much they feel grounded in that area. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m your host, Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates.  He is our seasoned project management expert. Today we’re diving into a topic that’s at the forefront of every organization’s success.  We’re talking employee retention.  And together with our guest we’re going to unravel some of the complexities and insights into the importance of maintaining employee and team member retention.  Why do people quit their jobs?  Why do they quit project teams?  What are the top factors driving this trend?  We’re going to be exploring the nuances behind this phenomenon and hopefully answering some of those questions for you today. BILL YATES:  Absolutely.  This is going to be a, we believe, a very helpful conversation.  We’ll be tackling the crucial question of how much of team engagement is attributable to the manager, and what advice do we have for the project manager who claims they don’t have time to focus on engagement, I’ve got a project to deliver.  Spoiler alert, there’s always time for strategies that boost team morale. And of course we can’t ignore the pitfalls and mistakes that project managers should steer clear of to prevent turnover on their teams.  We’ll learn from the errors of others so we don’t have to repeat those mistakes ourselves. WENDY GROUNDS:  We are honored today to have a distinguished guest with us in the studio.  We’re so excited.  We actually have a guest in the studio that we’re not sitting on Skype or Zoom.  We have Cindi Filer with us in the studio. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Wendy, this is exciting to have Cindi in the studio with us.  By the way, we have been using a new studio.  It’s called Summer Street Productions.  It’s a local Kennesaw-based studio that has fantastic equipment and facilities.  We’re delighted to be in here, and super excited to be enjoying the quality and the production value they bring to us.  So thank you guys at Summer Street. WENDY GROUNDS:  Cindi is a seasoned professional who has dedicated her career to help companies acquire and optimize their most valuable asset, their people.  She spent the early days of her career at Delta Airlines and Worldspan, a Delta company in the human resources space.  Twenty-nine years ago she founded Innovative Outsourcing, which is a staffing and recruiting firm dedicated to helping companies find and keep talented professionals, both part-time and full-time.  So stay tuned as we unravel the secrets to fostering a workplace where team members not only stay, but thrive. Hi, Cindi.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us. CINDI FILER:  Oh, I’m so glad to be here.  Thank you for asking.  Can’t wait to talk about some human resources stuff.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Have you ever wondered why project team members decide to quit? Join us as we unravel the mysteries behind team turnover with HR expert Cindi Filer. Discover the pitfalls project managers should avoid to retain their team members, foster a thriving workplace environment, and optimize your most […] The post Episode 197 – Thriving Project Teams: Retention vs. Turnover appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Are your projects truly delivering the promised benefits? Rasmus Rytter explains the often overlooked realm of Benefits Realization. He explains why so many projects miss the mark on delivering measurable benefits and shares strategies to implement to maximize value. Hear about the significance of engaging with sponsors, tracking progress, and analyzing outcomes for future improvements. Table of Contents 02:37 … Why Benefits Management?03:54 … What is Benefits Realization?04:34 … Why Projects Fail to Deliver?07:55 … Other Reasons for Failure09:41 … How to Create Value14:17 … Looking Beyond Deliverables17:19 … Reassessing Throughout the Life of the Project20:27 … How Benefits Change over Time22:18 … Kevin and Kyle23:35 … A Cause-and-Effect Relationship25:42 … Project Sponsor Relationship28:37 … Successful Project Closure32:12 … Challenges to Change Implementation35:19 … The Benefits Realization Book36:50 … Contact Rasmus37:36 … Closing RASMUS RYTTER:  And you keep having those conversations up until a point where you say, okay, now we’ve done some analysis.  We have sort of a fair idea about, you know, what’s the IT part going to cost, and how expensive this change part is going to be, and then also what benefits can we realize?  And then the sponsor can say, yes, it’s still an excellent project.  Let’s go.  Or, no, it’s probably better that we spend some of our efforts on another project.  So we want to do some analysis to begin with, to have that conversation with the sponsors to make sure that we are not initiating projects that can’t really create the benefits that we dreamt of. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer, our sound guy. Our guest today is Rasmus Rytter.  He is a partner, a consultant, and advisor from Implement Consulting Group, and he is the author of the book “Benefits Realisation:  The Change-Driven Approach to Project Success.”  Rasmus is an author, a speaker, and a renowned expert within benefits realization and organizational change.  Before joining Implement, he worked for 10 years as a project manager, program manager, and people manager; and he is definitely well versed in benefits realization.  We’ve really enjoyed getting to meet Rasmus. If you’re rethinking benefits in business projects, and you want to dive into why so many projects miss the mark on delivering expected benefits, we’re going to shift the focus from mere deliverables to real value creation in this podcast.  We want to explore the project manager’s perspective on benefits realization and discover strategies for maximizing project value. And Rasmus has excellent advice in all of that. BILL YATES:  He does.  He’s so down to earth with this advice, too.  He started out as a project manager, and he has delivered, I’m using air quotes, “successful projects” where he looked back on it and went, “They never used the thing that we built.”  You know, I’ve experienced that, too; and that’s a very frustrating, it’s a deflating feeling.  And through that, I think it spurred his interest in looking at the long-term impact of a project, which is really what are the benefits after that project is done, the team has finished, the project manager has moved on to the next project.  What are they doing with the outcome?  So we’re going to focus on that.  He’s going to share great advice for us so that we can make sure that our projects have a lasting impact. WENDY GROUNDS:  Rasmus, welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad you’re with us today. RASMUS RYTTER:  I’m so glad that you would have me. Why Benefits Management? WENDY GROUNDS:  The first thing is just tell us a bit about your passion for benefits management.  Tell us about your “why” behind this. RASMUS RYTTER:  Well, I think we should start by, you know,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Are your projects truly delivering the promised benefits? Rasmus Rytter explains the often overlooked realm of Benefits Realization. He explains why so many projects miss the mark on delivering measurable benefits and shares strategies to implement to maximize value. Hear about the significance of engaging with sponsors, […] The post Episode 196 – The Hidden Value: Understanding Benefits Realization appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. We are taking a fresh look at project estimation. Topics include the estimation obstacles project managers commonly face, key factors essential for accurate projections, the impact of organizational culture, implementing cost management strategies, and navigating the risks of underestimating or overestimating project estimates. Table of Contents 02:10 … Project Estimating Course03:56 … What do We Estimate?04:46 … Factors in a Project Estimate06:26 … Ensuring Accurate Estimates08:30 … Experience and Experiment10:26 … Choosing the Best Approach11:41 … Estimating Tools12:38 … The Problem with Culture14:27 … Who Participates in the Estimating Process?15:55 … The People Side17:31 … Significance of Historical Information20:16 … Managing Costs22:17 … Underestimating your Project Estimates23:44 … The Issue of Risk Management25:26 … Dangers of Overestimating27:56 … How to Combat Overestimating29:03 … Implementing an Estimating Process33:54 … Closing BOB MAHLER:  ...every time you sign your name on the dotted line, your credibility as a project manager is going to be in question and scrutinized.  And the larger the project, the more visible, the more scrutiny you’re going to have.  You should welcome that, and you should rise to that challenge. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I am Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and our sound guy, Danny Brewer.  We’re so happy you’re joining us today because today we’re going to dive into the world of project estimation.  We’re going to discover the essential elements that demand estimation and the crucial factors driving accurate projections.  With our guests, we’re going to navigate the landscape of estimation tools and strategies as we discover a seamless approach for crafting dependable estimates. Now, the experts we’re going to talk to on project estimating are Ren Love and Bob Mahler.  You all know Ren.  She is part of our Velociteach team.  She also does our Projects from the Past snippets that we sometimes include in our podcasts.  And she is the manager of curriculum development at Velociteach.  She’s also worked in zoos, science centers, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom before she joined one of the Big Four accounting firms; and she has 10 years of unique management experiences.  We’re so glad to have Ren on the team.  BILL YATES:  Now let me tell you just a bit about Bob Mahler. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve talked to Bob. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Bob started his career with Velociteach similar to what I did, as an instructor.  So he taught for a number of years.  And then he migrated into sales, a natural role for him.  He’s director of business development with Velociteach now.  His background, he started out with the military.  As a matter of fact, he served our country as a Green Beret through the U.S. Army; served in Egypt, Kenya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, many places.  After 12 years of service with the military, he moved back into the private sector and was a telecommunications specialist there.  Project Estimating Course WENDY GROUNDS:  Bob and Ren have developed a project estimating course which you can find on our website. This is an instructor-led course for group or corporate training. This course will teach students the most common and effective practices, tools and techniques for project estimating. You can email [email protected] if you would like more information or you can find a link to this course on our transcript. WENDY GROUNDS:  Ren and Bob, it’s so good to have you both back on the podcast.  I wanted to ask you a little bit about the course.  You developed a course for Velociteach on project estimating.  Can you give us some background to that? BOB MAHLER:  Well, of course.  First and foremost, it’s always a pleasure to be here with the Velociteach team, my home, my family,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. We are taking a fresh look at project estimation. Topics include the estimation obstacles project managers commonly face, key factors essential for accurate projections, the impact of organizational culture, implementing cost management strategies, and navigating the risks of underestimating or overestimating project estimates. Table of Contents 02:10 […] The post Episode 195 – Estimate This: Managing Project Estimation appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Burnout and resilience. How can we move beyond viewing resilience as a buzzword and dispel the notion that it involves only toughing it out or maintaining a positive attitude? Balancing project success with avoiding burnout is a real challenge in high-stress environments Dr. Marie-Helene (MH) Pelletier discusses the necessity of adopting a strategic approach to resilience by integrating psychology and strategy. Table of Contents 02:39 … Why Resilience Is Important03:45 … Do We “Tough it Out”?04:57 … If the Context is Changing, Change Your Approach08:23 … What “The Resilience Plan” Offers11:56 … Helix Shape Resilience Plan Model13:28 … Being Strategic about Resilience15:11 … Creating a Resilience Plan19:04 … Kevin and Kyle20:10 … Burnout24:10 … Can Resilience Cause Burnout?28:20 … Striking a Balance31:20 … Taking Care of Yourself34:15 … Team Resilience37:30 … Contact MH38:07 … Closing MH PELLETIER:  ...most project managers, would not be in a situation where on the daily basis have to explore how everyone’s feeling about everything, obviously.  But they’re also managing a project, managing people who are within this project, and managing themselves supporting this project.  So the more we can incorporate in our observations, the very normal expected demands and expected impacts that these may have on all of us as we navigate this timeline, the more we can, again, proactively manage and be prepared to reactively manage when any one of us, to your point, feels like we need to hit the pause button.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome, resilient leaders, to a special edition of Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Stay tuned with us today for a conversation that will reshape the way you approach challenges in project management. I’m Wendy Grounds.  My co-host, who is the expert in the arena of project management, is Bill Yates; and joining us is our unflappable sound guy, Danny Brewer.  Today we’re delving into a topic that’s the bedrock of success in the face of adversity:  resilience.  In the high stakes arena of project management, where challenges loom around every corner, resilience isn’t just a buzzword, it’s actually the secret sauce that turns your setbacks into stepping stones.  If you are navigating a stormy project or just seeking to fortify your professional resilience, this episode is your compass to success because in project management, the resilient not only survive, but thrive. We’re excited to introduce our guest, who is a true champion in the realm of resilient project leadership, Marie-Hélène Pelletier. BILL YATES:  Yes, we are so fortunate to have her joining us as our guest.  And she goes by MH, which is appropriate.  It’s a handy reference to mental health.  The short form really is a great fit there.  We love that.  So you’ll hear us refer to our guest as MH.  She’s a psychologist with a systems mind.  She has both a PhD and an MBA.  She has over 20 years of experience as a practicing psychologist and as a senior leader in the corporate insurance, governance, and healthcare sectors.  MH’s unique talent is bringing together workplace and psychology, translating concepts into key takeaways that listeners can put into action the minute they finish the episode.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, definitely.  There are many takeaways from this conversation, so let’s get talking. Hi, MH.  Welcome to Manage This. MH PELLETIER:  I’m thrilled to be here. Why Resilience Is Important WENDY GROUNDS:  We really appreciate you being with us.  You released “The Resilience Plan.”  It’s a strategic approach to optimizing your work performance and mental health.  Why is resilience so important?  Why does it matter to you? MH PELLETIER:  Great question, and let me provide a definition because we hear the word, we use the word.  What is mostly the definition, even if we go to literature?

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Burnout and resilience. How can we move beyond viewing resilience as a buzzword and dispel the notion that it involves only toughing it out or maintaining a positive attitude? Balancing project success with avoiding burnout is a real challenge in high-stress environments Dr. Marie-Helene (MH) Pelletier discusses […] The post Episode 194 – Strategic Resilience: The Best Defense Against Burnout appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Discover how project managers leverage their skills to navigate the multifaceted sales role. Harold Samson, shares insights on developing diverse sales-oriented skills. From the art of securing resources, fostering team alignment, and building client relationships, hear about the pillars of successful project management in a sales-oriented role. Table of Contents 03:10 … The Project Manager Salesperson06:32 … Internal Sales10:26 … Successful Salesperson Qualities14:30 … Opportunity Bulletin16:56 … External Sales Strategies19:57 … Kevin and Kyle21:00 … Selling to Senior Management25:36 … Real-World Situations29:03 … Look for Opportunities30:43 … Ethical Considerations in Sales34:11 … Contact Harold35:56 … Closing HAROLD SAMSON: One of the earliest things that I learned was that every person in the world since the dawn of time, everybody makes decisions that are in their own best interest.  It’s as simple as that.  And all you need to figure out is what are their best interests? WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me are Bill Yates and Danny Brewer, our sound guy.  We’re so excited that you are joining us.  If you like what you hear, please consider rating our show with five stars, and you can also leave a review on our website or whichever podcast listening app you use.  This helps us immensely in bringing the podcast to the attention of others, and we want to reach as many project managers as we can to be able to help the community. One question I have for you listeners:  How does your experience as a project manager translate into your ability to sell a product or an idea to stakeholders, to your clients, or even to your team members? BILL YATES:  The sales aspect.  You know, just as we were preparing for our conversation with Harold, just this week there was a blog that I read by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, a guest of ours on an earlier podcast, and here’s a quote:  “Traditionally project management has been viewed as a support function, a facilitator of a predefined business strategy.  However, in my experience as a project management expert” - this is Antonio speaking, not Bill – “modern project management isn’t just a facilitator, but an enabler and driver of business growth.” So this is very interesting that Antonio just wrote about this.  There is a sales side to what we do as project managers.  We have to sell it to the team, we have to sell it internally to get the resources, and then sometimes we have to sell to our external customers.  There’s nobody better to talk to us about it than Harold.  He’s had such great experience with that.  I’ve known Harold since 2006, have been working with him since 2006, and he’s just got a vast amount of experience and knowledge on, not just project management, but different industries and how consulting practices work and how project managers get things done.  WENDY GROUNDS:  So today we’re talking with Harold Samson, who is one of our instructors at Velociteach.  Harold has been with us for many, many years.  He has more than 25 years experience in application systems development, and 20 of those involved all aspects of project management.  As a senior principal and co-founder of C.W. Costello & Associates, which is a national provider of business systems consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, Harold gained hands-on experience managing project teams in all phases of the system development lifecycle within many different industries. We just realized we have not yet had the opportunity to talk to Harold on a podcast. BILL YATES:  We need to make that straight.  We need to fix that. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, yes.  Hi, Harold.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for being our guest today. HAROLD SAMSON:  Well, thanks for inviting me.  I’m looking forward to the conversation.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Discover how project managers leverage their skills to navigate the multifaceted sales role. Harold Samson, shares insights on developing diverse sales-oriented skills. From the art of securing resources, fostering team alignment, and building client relationships, hear about the pillars of successful project management in a sales-oriented role. […] The post Episode 193 – Mastering the Project Sales Role: How to Persuade, Lead and Succeed appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers, for project managers.  Project C.U.R.E. has become the world’s largest distributor of donated medical supplies, equipment and services to doctors and nurses serving the sick and dying in more than 135 countries. Dave Maddux, shares invaluable project insights on addressing the critical shortage of medical resources worldwide. Table of Contents […] The post Episode 192 – Project C.U.R.E. Delivering Health and Hope appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers, for project managers.  Project C.U.R.E. has become the world’s largest distributor of donated medical supplies, equipment and services to doctors and nurses serving the sick and dying in more than 135 countries. Dave Maddux, shares invaluable project insights on addressing the critical shortage of medical resources worldwide. Table of Contents 02:15 … Project C.U.R.E.03:59 … Dave’s Role as Special Projects Manager05:14 … International Projects07:06 … Switching Between Strategic and Urgent09:59 … International Teams12:12 … Team Highlights and Lowlights14:24 … Selling the “Why” behind C.U.R.E17:03 … Establishing Long-Term Volunteer Loyalty18:34 … Sponsor Relationships21:13 … Spreading the Word23:51 … Assessing the Project Scope25:54 … Meeting the Customer’s Needs29:18 … Technical Support for Equipment31:25 … Dave’s Lessons Learned on Projects33:23 … “What I wish I had Known”35:07 … Find Out More36:40 … Closing DAVE MADDUX: ...there's a giant difference between agreement and alignment. You know, we can all agree on what our end goal is, but I think if we're not all aligned in the same goal, the results aren't nearly the same. WENDY GROUNDS: Welcome to Manage This the podcast by project managers, for project managers, I'm Wendy Grounds. With me are Bill Yates and Danny Brewer. We love bringing you project stories and today's project story is one that we are so excited to share with you. Our guest’s name is Dave Maddux, and Dave is the special project manager at Project C.U.R.E. Before that, he spent eight years as a field project supervisor for the Home Office of Sam's Club and Walmart doing new store rebuilds and remodels. We're excited to hear his story about Project C.U.R.E. Now Project C.U.R.E. “C U R E” stands for Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment. Project C.U.R.E has become the world's largest distributor of donated medical supplies, equipment and services to doctors and nurses serving the sick and the dying in more than 135 countries. One of the things I found on the website that they say is ultimately they believe where you live shouldn't determine whether you live. BILL YATES: That's impactful. Project C.U.R.E.’s Cargo program delivers 40 foot cargo containers that are stuffed to the top. Sometimes the value is between 350,000 and 400,000 dollars worth of donated medical supplies and equipment. Dave will describe more about what's in there. And it's being sent to under-resourced hospitals, clinics and community health centers in developing countries. One of the things that Dave shares with us is over the lifetime, Project C.U.R.E. has delivered over 1 billion in medical supplies to these needy locations. Dave has a background with the Navy. He's done a lot of project management work, as we mentioned, Sam's Club and Wal-Mart. He brings a unique perspective to this not for profit role that he's in now. We're going to hear some great advice from Dave. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Dave. Welcome to Manage This. We are thrilled to have you here. Thank you so much for being our guest. DAVE MADDUX: Thank you very much for having me. Project C.U.R.E. WENDY GROUNDS:  Can you describe for our listeners a little bit about what Project C.U.R.E. is and just the scope and the reach of your programs? DAVE MADDUX:   Project C.U.R.E. got started in 1987 by Jim Jackson, who did wealth Management similar, and he went to this little neighborhood in Brazil on one of his trips and just realized in one of the medical clinics that they had nothing. They were rerolling Band-Aids and they were reusing needles and things like that. He came back to Denver and got with a friend of his. And they started with $50,000 in a garage full of medical supplies and decided to start shipping all over the world. At this point, what we focus on is 40 foot Conexes for everything that we do. And we've been to 135 countries around the world. Everything comes from hospitals,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Foundational power skills encompass soft skills, behavioral competencies, and personality traits essential for leaders, aspiring leaders, and team members alike. By embracing these power skills, individuals can elevate their capabilities, leading to enhanced organizational performance and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture within organizations. Table of Contents 02:47 […] The post Episode 191 – Mastering Power Skills for Exceptional Performance appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Foundational power skills encompass soft skills, behavioral competencies, and personality traits essential for leaders, aspiring leaders, and team members alike. By embracing these power skills, individuals can elevate their capabilities, leading to enhanced organizational performance and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture within organizations. Table of Contents 02:47 … Neal’s Motivation03:54 … Targeting the Audience05:31 … A Power Skill08:21 … The 24 Power Skills12:07 … Pick Your Top Three13:25 … Manage Daily Your Top Three Priorities18:11 … A Project Story21:30 … Feedback on Focusing on Top Three23:13 … Treat All Project Managers Equally27:45 … Setting Expectations29:33 … Kevin and Kyle30:52 … Power Sills for the Team32:29 … Who Teaches the Power Skills?33:58 … Informing Your Leaders37:09 … Make Your Leaders Look Good42:37 … Contact Neal44:22 … Closing NEAL WHITTEN: Power skills give you the real power to get your job done effectively and efficiently.  It places the accountability for your actions squarely on you.  I’m very big on accountability.  I think it’s something we’re missing in this world quite a bit.  And I find also that most people would rather have the authority and accountability that these power skills support.  So when you unleash this power in the non-management ranks, I assert your organization and company are going to prosper like never before. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds.  And here with me in the studio is Bill Yates, and our sound guy is Danny Brewer. We’re excited to bring this episode to you.  We’re talking with someone who is well known and loved by all the Velociteach team.  This is Neal Whitten.  He’s a trainer, he’s a consultant, mentor, author, speaker in the areas of power skills and leadership, as well as project management, team building, and employee development.  He has authored eight books and has written over 150 articles for professional magazines and was a contributing editor of PMI’s PM Network Magazine for over 15 years.  He has developed 20 online products through Velociteach.  And Bill, you’re going to tell us a little bit more about Neal, too. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  You know, there are certain relationships that you have at work, partnerships like this, that just take your game to the next level.  We are so honored to partner with Neal.  And I think it’s been nearly 10 years that we’ve been working with Neal.  And yeah, we have a number of InSite courses that are in the voice of Neal Whitten.  It’s actually his voice, it’s his content, and it’s in our InSite self-paced platform. We also are thrilled to offer, if somebody wants Neal to come onsite and present one of his workshops, he even has a two-day workshop on the content that we’re going to go through with this Power Skills book.  You can contact us.  We have that relationship with Neal, and we can set that up, as well.  One of my highlights in working here at Velociteach has been this partnership with Neal Whitten.  We’ve got so much respect for him. WENDY GROUNDS:  And we are going to be talking about his book, “Power Skills That Lead to Exceptional Performance.”  It’s a new book that’s just come out this year.  And, hey, if you’re looking for a gift that you want to give to everybody on your team or to a project manager that you know and love, this is an excellent idea for a wonderful Christmas gift, and you’ve just got a few days to go out and get yours.  Hi, Neal.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re excited to have you back again. NEAL WHITTEN:  Thank you, I’m honored to be here. Neal’s Motivation WENDY GROUNDS:  So we’re going to jump right in and talk about your book, “Power Skills That Lead to Exceptional Performance.”  And Bill and I were very excited that we got to read it early.  It’s a very good book.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Constance Dierickx lays out a new paradigm for leadership that offers a way to synthesize thinking, emotion, and behavior. Meta-leadership goes beyond conventional leadership attributes, emphasizing not only the possession of knowledge and skills but also a keen sense of observation and discernment. Table of Contents 02:29 […] The post Episode 190 – Meta-Leadership: Integrating Thinking, Emotion, and Behavior appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Constance Dierickx lays out a new paradigm for leadership that offers a way to synthesize thinking, emotion, and behavior. Meta-leadership goes beyond conventional leadership attributes, emphasizing not only the possession of knowledge and skills but also a keen sense of observation and discernment. Table of Contents 02:29 … Meta-Leadership04:42 … Adopting a Meta-Leadership Strategy07:24 … Meta-Leadership Enables Decision-Making10:12 … Factors that Drive our Decisions14:36 … A Tension between Certainty and Uncertainty18:45 … Dealing with Unprofessional Behavior24:35 … Meta-Level Awareness26:16 … Kevin & Kyle27:22 … The Courage to Fail32:23 … Listen, Learn, and be Curious36:55 … Connect with Constance38:42 … Closing CONSTANCE DIERICKX:  And I can't stress the importance of showing sincere interest in other people.  Don't say it.  Don't say, “I'm a people person.”  No one believes you.  Don't say, “People are our greatest asset.”  No one believes you.  Public relations, vanilla pudding.  Do not spew the typical stuff.  Say things that are sincere and memorable and uniquely yours. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I'm Wendy Grounds.  In the studio with me is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We're so excited you're joining us today.  We're talking with Constance Dierickx, and she is the author of a book that we have read called “Meta-Leadership:  How to See What Others Don't and Make Great Decisions.”  Constance is really fun to talk to and has excellent advice.  I think you're going to enjoy this conversation. She earned her PhD in clinical psychology focusing on decision science and crisis intervention.  She's an internationally recognized expert in high-stakes decision-making, and she has advised leaders and delivered speeches in more than 20 countries.  She's the founder and president of CD Consulting Group.  And we're going to be looking at her book “Meta-Leadership.”  One of the things that comes out of her book that I thought was really interesting was good leaders become great in part because they recognize that their own thinking, emotions, and habits of behavior can be a source of error.  So this is time for a lot of introspection.  We're going to be looking at ourselves, looking a little deeper and how are we being meta-leaders? BILL YATES:  Even to decision-making.  And here's an example of how Constance applies this idea of meta-leadership.  Let's say I'm contemplating a significant decision.  Here are questions that I should answer.  Who am I trying to please?  Or who do I not want to disappoint or annoy?  What pressures am I experiencing to make one decision or another?  Are there opinions that I am minimizing or dismissing because I don't like that person that they're coming from?  Am I being closed-minded?  Those are some of the questions that we're going to be prompted to consider as we look at this topic and discuss it further with Constance. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Constance.  Welcome to Manage This. CONSTANCE DIERICKX:  Thank you, Wendy.  It's delightful to see you and Bill on my screen. Meta-Leadership WENDY GROUNDS:  Can you describe for our audience what you mean by meta-leadership? CONSTANCE DIERICKX:  Yes, yes.  So “meta” is a prefix from the Greek.  Someone needs to tell Mark Zuckerberg that it's not a word unto itself, although I doubt he'll listen.  “Meta” means above or beyond.  And so we think about metacognition, which means thinking about your thinking, which I write about in the book.  I have a whole section on thinking.  We think about meta-analysis.  So researchers will sometimes take a group of studies that have something in common.  Maybe they're all studying the effects of a new antidepressant, and they collapse the data and do what's called the “meta-analysis.”  And so you get the “meta‑study.” I have worked with boards and CEOs for 25 years.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Learn from the intriguing parallels between a jazz ensemble and an effective project team. Gerald J. Leonard demonstrates that music and project management share common principles as he offers a unique perspective on fostering a high-performing project team through the integration of music, productivity, workplace culture, and […] The post Episode 189 – Harmonizing Potential – The Jazz of High-Performing Project Teams appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Learn from the intriguing parallels between a jazz ensemble and an effective project team. Gerald J. Leonard demonstrates that music and project management share common principles as he offers a unique perspective on fostering a high-performing project team through the integration of music, productivity, workplace culture, and neuroscience. Table of Contents 01:41 … Combining Jazz and Project Management05:12 … Gerald the Author07:31 … Incorporating Jazz and Project Management09:39 … A Cadence to Managing Projects11:50 … Recognizing the Traits13:57 … Mentoring and Coaching14:52 … Kevin and Kyle16:10 … Jazz and Productivity20:01 … Gerald’s Recovery Story23:04 … The Pomodoro Technique and Flow26:03 … Motivation and Accountability31:23 … Employee Burnout34:33 … Getting into the Right Rhythm36:08 … Contact Gerald37:42 … Closing GERALD LEONARD:  ...it’s like playing jazz where things are moving quickly, meeting every day, things are happening.  Every two weeks you’re delivering something.  So things are happening really rapidly, and they can adjust because the customers say, “Hey, I don’t want that.  Let’s move to this one.  I want this requirement now.”  And you have to move and adjust.  Well, that’s like playing jazz.  Again, the song is moving pretty quickly.  So everyone has to, one, know their part, but also really lean in and listen. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome, fellow project champions, to Manage This! I'm Wendy Grounds, and joining me in the harmonious studio adventure today is Bill Yates, and Danny Brewer, our sound guy. Hold onto your project plans, because today we're diving headfirst into a fusion of beats and business. You heard it right – jazz and project management are about to collide in a symphony of ideas with a trailblazing maestro of maximizing potential, Gerald J. Leonard. Gerald is an IT project management consultant; but he also has two degrees in music and is an accomplished bass guitarist.  As a professional bassist, he uses jazz metaphors to illustrate how to build supportive and effective team cultures. Creating successful projects and high-performing teams is much like building a jazz ensemble. This isn't your average podcast – it's a symphony of ideas, where project management meets the jazzed-up art of success. So, buckle up, hit play, and let the show begin! Hi, Gerald.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. GERALD LEONARD:  Wendy and Bill, thank you so much for having me.  I’m really happy to be here. Combining Jazz and Project Management WENDY GROUNDS:  Can you tell us, just as an introduction, how you’ve combined your dual careers as a professional jazz musician and as a project management consultant? GERALD LEONARD:  Yes. I had done my bachelor’s and master’s in music, studied through the Manhattan School of Music with a gentleman at Juilliard, and played professionally in the city.  And then I did some ministry work back in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and I wanted to get back into music, but now I was married with two kids. I was kind of done with clubs and those kinds of things and thought, “Okay, so how can I keep playing and also make a good living and raise my kids?” So I got into IT at a time where, if you could spell IT, they were letting you in.  And so I got in.  You know, and I had my master’s already, so I thought, “I’m not going to go back to school for another degree.”  And then I realized they had all these certifications out there, the Novell certifications, the Microsoft certifications, the MCSE certifications, and all these different things like that.  So I just started going that route.  That led me to a place where for years I was doing project work, became a project management consultant with a number of different companies, did work for the National Archives and major corporations, helping them at the enterprise level.  And then I would go and play shows,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. In this episode we dive deep into the world of dyslexia and how it impacts a team’s productivity and success. Carlene Szostak and Madeline Szostak Hoge discuss the challenges dyslexic employees face and how to harness the unrealized potential of a diverse workforce. Table of Contents 03:10 […] The post Episode 188 – Unlocking the Strengths of Dyslexic Individuals on Project Teams appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. In this episode we dive deep into the world of dyslexia and how it impacts a team's productivity and success. Carlene Szostak and Madeline Szostak Hoge discuss the challenges dyslexic employees face and how to harness the unrealized potential of a diverse workforce. Table of Contents 03:10 … Defining Dyslexia03:59 … Dyslexia and Dysgraphia04:54 … Indicators of Dyslexia06:20 … Carlene’s Motivation10:06 … The Impact of Dyslexia in the Workplace12:07 … Fostering Communication around Dyslexia13:16 … Managing Disclosure14:49 … Ren Love: Projects of the Past17:11 … Leveraging Dyslexic Strengths20:22 … Addressing the Stereotypes22:25 … Strategies to Help Dyslexic Employees24:00 … Inclusive Communication25:44 … Promote Awareness and Educate Team Members27:59 … Performance Evaluations and Performance Metrics30:32 … Get in Touch31:20 … Closing CARLENE SZOSTAK: I’ve worked with a lot of project managers that have dyslexia, and they are so innovative and bring a unique perspective to the solutions that others don’t even think about.  Which is interesting because project management is so rigid.  You would think that this would not be a place that a dyslexic person could thrive, but in fact they can. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me are Bill Yates and our sound guy, Danny Brewer.  We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories and leadership lessons, and advice from industry experts from all around the world. BILL YATES:  Hey, Wendy, I’ve got a trivia question for you.  Try to connect these people.  Tell me what they have in common.  Let’s go with George Washington, Picasso, Richard Branson, Albert Einstein, Keanu Reeves, and Tom Holland.  He’s the Spider-Man. WENDY GROUNDS:  The Spider-Man, yes, I know. BILL YATES:  What do they have in common? WENDY GROUNDS:  They are really varied.  I have no idea. BILL YATES:  They all have dyslexia. WENDY GROUNDS:  Oh, my goodness.  And they were incredible people, and are incredible people, very creative, and have done amazing things in the world.  So, folks, we’re talking dyslexia today. BILL YATES:  Wendy, you remember our conversation that we had on Episode 163 with Hiren Shukla.  He’s with EY and leading up a fantastic effort to not just accommodate, but reach out to those who are neurodiverse.  To his point, 15 to 20% of the adult population is neurodiverse, and they wanted to tap into those resources, source them, skill them, support them so that they could be contributors to EY.  Fantastic program there.  What’s interesting is, okay, 20% of the adult population is neurodiverse.  80% of that population is diagnosed with dyslexia. WENDY GROUNDS:  Oh, wow.  We have two sisters joining us.  One of the ladies is a guest that we’ve had on before.  Carlene Szostak joined us a little while ago to talk about negotiation.  And you’ve probably heard her name around PMI circles.  She’s a seasoned business leader, a consultant, an author, and educator known for her expertise in project management leadership and creating inclusive workplaces that understand and support individuals with dyslexia. And her sister is Madeline Szostak Hoge.  She’s the founder of Belle-Hampton Consulting, which works with family enterprises to optimize effective governance practices and long-term success mapping.  Madeline also has valuable experience in facilitating project and project leaders within her role.  She and her two sisters are bringing awareness that one in five people have the gift of dyslexia.  And this diagnosis, it was once considered an invisible disability, is now a celebrated attribute in the world of neurodiversity. She understands the challenges of dyslexia due to navigating two of her three sons through the school system with a diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. A project story about a massive initiative focused on an EPIC implementation at University Hospitals in Cleveland. Hear why this project to streamline patient information, enhance care, and improve operations has the tagline “Best Implementation of all time.” Table of Contents 04:29 … University Hospitals of Cleveland05:11 […] The post Episode 187 – The Best Project Implementation of All Time appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. A project story about a massive initiative focused on an EPIC implementation at University Hospitals in Cleveland. Hear why this project to streamline patient information, enhance care, and improve operations has the tagline "Best Implementation of all time." Table of Contents 04:29 … University Hospitals of Cleveland05:11 … The EPIC Integration07:18 … The Size of the Initiative09:51 … The Cost11:21 … Convey Calmness and the Right Mindset14:47 … The Guiding Principles18:38 … “Best implementation of all time.”21:48 … Kevin and Kyle23:17 … Risk Management28:09 … Time to Pivot31:31 … Big Bang Go Lives32:41 … Project Team Selection34:23 … Enterprise Program Management Office Perspective35:54 … PMO Resources38:15 … Takeaways from the Project42:56 … Find out More44:03 … Update44:36 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer, our sound guy.  Thank you so much for joining us today.  We have three guests, which is something new for us, and we’re quite excited to have a really full house on the Zoom studio today.  Our first guest is Sami Othman.  He is an operations and IT leader who designs and executes breakthrough IT solutions that optimize financial performance and efficiency in organizations.  Sami is currently the IT leader assigned to the effort of the project that we’re going to tell you about today.  He’s leading the transformative initiative to move University Hospitals of Cleveland to an integrated electronic health record system.  This is what they call Epic, and it is certainly an epic 600 million investment project that will standardize all hospitals into a common system and streamlining processes and consolidating one patient record. Another person involved on this project is Lora Niazov, and she’s currently the director of the Enterprise Program Management Office at University Hospitals. Lora has also just become is an Adjunct Instructor of Project Management at the John Carroll University  She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing industries. And then the other person on the project is Gubran Ahmed, and he is an experienced program management office leader with demonstrated success and strength in strategic planning, process improvement and problem solving, change management, and relationship building across many functional areas in organizations.  Currently Gubran is working at University Hospitals and is leading the Enterprise Program Management Office with a portfolio carrying a budget of over $200 million, encompassing 150 active projects.  And he tells us a little bit about that, as well, in the podcast. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  Yeah he does.  And all three guests are going to provide a unique perspective on what they’re doing with this massive program and how they’re seeing it unfold.  And this is big. WENDY GROUNDS:  This is Epic. BILL YATES:  This is Epic.  The name of the software is so appropriate.  There are 29,000 users.  We’re talking 22 terabytes of data and 3 million patient records that are a part of this conversion and implementation.  I can’t wait to get into it, hear some of the nitty-gritty from them, and hear some of their takeaways, their advice from implementation of this size. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, their project tagline is “Best implementation of all time.”  We really do think so. BILL YATES:  Yeah, I can’t wait for our listeners to weigh in and say, “Yeah, that does sound like it.”  Or “No, mine’s better.  I’m going to tell Wendy about it.” WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  And listeners, if you have an epic project, if you are working on a project that you think the story is worth sharing, that you’ve got some incredible lessons learned, or you’ve got a project that you think you’d like our audience to hear about,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Mastering effective meetings is essential for project managers, as successful meetings contribute significantly to project success. Rich Maltzman and Jim Stewart say we should apply the same strategic mindset to meetings as we do to projects, and they offer insights to enhance your facilitation skills to conduct […] The post Episode 186 – Mastering Effective Meetings: Strategies for Project Success appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Mastering effective meetings is essential for project managers, as successful meetings contribute significantly to project success. Rich Maltzman and Jim Stewart say we should apply the same strategic mindset to meetings as we do to projects, and they offer insights to enhance your facilitation skills to conduct successful meetings. Table of Contents 03:07 … Great Meetings Build Great Teams04:30 … Criteria for a Good Meeting05:44 … Allow Humor to Influence Meetings06:46 … Making a Sad Meeting Better08:32 … Why People are Attending a Meeting09:55 … Project Manage Meetings13:27 … A Meeting Planning Mindset15:12 … Don’t Worry about Being Liked17:06 … Kevin and Kyle18:12 … Dealing with Conflict in a Meeting21:12 … Goa the Garrulous23:16 … Pat the Passive-Aggressive25:56 … The Fear of Forage28:29 … Risk Register29:45 … Virtual Meeting Success34:01 … Get in Touch35:00 … Closing JIM STEWART: If you blow the meeting, you get to make first impressions once.  So the level of planning should be commensurate with the meeting. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio are Bill Yates and our sound guy Danny Brewer.  You can catch us wherever you listen to podcasts.  One of the apps that we’ve come across is Podurama.  It’s a free app for podcast lovers, and we are also there.  If you want to listen to us, take a listen on Podurama.  You’ll find a link to them on our transcript. We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories, leadership lessons, and advice from industry experts. One little thing to mention is we got an email from Feedspot, which is a content reader that helps people keep up with their websites.  And they told me that we are one of the Top 30 podcasts for managers on the web.  So we were very excited to hear that.  Shout out to Feedspot.  Thank you for voting for us. And we have some industry experts joining us today.  We’re very excited to bring you Jim Stewart, as well as a previous guest, Rich Maltzman.  Since 2003, Jim has been the principal of JP Stewart Consulting, and he’s a certified PMP, and he possesses multiple agile certifications.  He is a longtime member of the Project Management Institute and served for several years on the board of the local chapter.  With Rich Maltzman, he also is the co-author of the book “How to Facilitate Productive Project Planning Meetings” and its update, “Great Meetings Build Great Teams:  A Guide for Project Leaders and Agilists.” Rich Maltzman also has his PMP.  He has been an engineer since 1978 and a project management supervisor since 1988, including a two-year assignment in the Netherlands. Rich is also focused on consulting and teaching, and has developed curricula and taught at several universities.  But we’re very excited about their book “Great Meetings Build Great Teams,” and that’s what we’re talking about today. BILL YATES:  Yes.  This is a key to success for project managers is being able to successfully facilitate effective meetings.  So this is going to be a great conversation.  Plus, just reading through the book, there are so many familiar names and concepts that are there.  They make reference to Andy Crowe and the “Alpha Project Management Study” in his book.  They make reference to Alan Zucker, our instructor, who’s fabulous, and some of the blogs and research that he’s done.  And they also talk a bit about Wayne Turmel and virtual meetings.  We had him on Episode 64.  Wayne was terrific.  And also Carole Osterweil.  She was on number 90, Episode 90 with us, talking about facing uncertainty.  So lot of familiar folks that are being referenced here, and we look forward to talking about having more effective meetings. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Rich; and hi, Jim.  Thank you so much for being with us today.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Projects are instrumental in defining an organization’s vision for a more sustainable future. Dr. Joel Carboni talks about Sustainable Project Management, and the goal to achieve a stated objective while considering the project outcome’s entire lifecycle to ensure a net positive environmental, social, and economic impact.  Table […] The post Episode 185 – Redefining Project Success through Sustainable Project Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Projects are instrumental in defining an organization's vision for a more sustainable future. Dr. Joel Carboni talks about Sustainable Project Management, and the goal to achieve a stated objective while considering the project outcome’s entire lifecycle to ensure a net positive environmental, social, and economic impact.  Table of Contents 02:23 … Green Project Management03:41 … Multifaceted Sustainability04:42 … The UN Sustainable Development Goals08:35 … Green vs. Sustainable Projects09:51 … The Lifecycle Impact of Projects12:09 … Barriers to Sustainability Adoption13:25 … Questions to Ask on a Project Kickoff15:40 … Ren Love: Projects of the Past17:49 … Changing Role of the Project Manager18:54 … Raising Awareness20:54 … How to Influence Stakeholders22:47 … How to Evaluate Impact24:30 … PRiSM Project Delivery Methodology26:02 … The P527:42 … P5 in Action30:24 … Project Managers can Affect Change31:37 … Contact Joel32:18 … Closing JOEL CARBONI: We’re not being taught to think outside the box of initiate to close.  It’s what is the impact of our work, and what happens beyond handover?  What happens at the end of the asset’s lifecycle?  So when we look at green projects, it’s are you taking a total asset lifecycle focus?  And that’s what we have to do. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds.  With me in the studio are Bill Yates and our sound guy, Danny Brewer.  We’re so excited that you’re joining us, and we have a really interesting conversation today.  We’re talking about Green Project Management. Our guest is Dr. Joel Carboni.  He holds a Ph.D. in sustainable development and environment, and he has over 25 years of experience in various areas of project management including government, finance, consulting, manufacturing, and education.  In addition to serving as president emeritus of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) in the United States, Dr. Carboni is also the founder of GPM, Green Project Management.  And he’s the GPM representative to the United Nations Global Compact, where he was a founding signatory of the Business for Peace initiative and the Anti-Corruption Call to Action.  And he’s a contributor to the development of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. BILL YATES:  SDG is a Sustainable Development Goal.  We’ll hear from Dr. Carboni that he actually worked with the United Nations to define those 17.  Just some quick examples of some of those.  One of those is climate action; another is clean water; another is no poverty.  A final example, quality education.  So those are some of the sustainable development goals that we’ll refer to. Also Dr. Carboni is the creator of the PRiSM project delivery methodology.  We’ll make reference to that and the P5 standard for sustainability in project management.  He’s written training programs on green and sustainable project management that are offered to more than 145 countries.  He’s the lead author of the book Sustainable Project Management, and he is a well-traveled man.  We are fortunate to catch up with him and get to talk to him today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Joel.  Welcome to Manage This. JOEL CARBONI:  Thank you.  It’s good to be here. Green Project Management WENDY GROUNDS:  We are looking forward to getting into this topic.  I’ve been watching your website and been looking at Green Project Management for a while.  And I’ve always said, “Hey, I want to have Joel on the podcast.”  So I appreciate you being here.  Now, you’ve done a lot of work in sustainability.  You established Green Project Management.  Can you tell us a little bit more about your organization? JOEL CARBONI:  Yeah, sure.  So GPM, Green Project Management, we’re a social enterprise.  And that sits in between a nonprofit and a for-profit company.  So what makes us unique is that a large portion of our income ...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Amy King is a champion for the homeless! Hear how she boldly addresses the need for safe, rapidly deployable, living shelters, to deliver the dignity of private space for the homeless. This is a complex project which integrates social services to provide a healing community environment in […] The post Episode 184 – What if Your Project was Fighting Homelessness? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Amy King is a champion for the homeless! Hear how she boldly addresses the need for safe, rapidly deployable, living shelters, to deliver the dignity of private space for the homeless. This is a complex project which integrates social services to provide a healing community environment in each village, and also seeks to debunk adverse public perception towards homelessness. Table of Contents 02:28 … Meet Amy04:00 … The Homeless Problem05:11 … Homelessness Data06:41 … Designing the Shelters09:27 … Looking at a Pallet Home10:47 … The Prototyping Phase13:29 … Pitching the Project14:59 … The First Client16:35 … Talk to People with Lived Experience17:32 … Impact Stories19:38 … Returning Home21:15 … COVID as a Catalyst22:43 … The Impact of a Pallet Village25:30 … Forming a Team27:33 … Kevin and Kyle28:53 … Overcoming Obstacles33:01 … Requests from Cities33:30 … Overseas Market34:55 … The Goal to End Homelessness37:39 … “What I Wish I Had Known”40:55 … Where to Next for Pallet?42:32 … Access to Housing for the Homeless43:43 … Intrinsic Motivation for the Project45:36 … Find Out More46:06 … Closing AMY KING: So housing, there’s this really popular American narrative which is homelessness is a housing problem.  I 100% disagree with that.  ... A house, four walls and a roof, do not solve a person’s homelessness crisis.  Giving them keys to an apartment does not solve their homelessness.  You have to address the root cause issue.  That person will end up homeless again.  WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds.  With me in the studio are Bill Yates and our sound guy Danny Brewer.  We are so excited you’re joining us today.  We have an incredible project story. Our guest is Amy King, and she is the founder and CEO of Pallet.  This is a public benefit corporation working to end unsheltered homelessness and give fair chance employment opportunities to people of all backgrounds.  Pallet has deployed more than a hundred villages across 85 U.S. cities.  Amy also co-founded Weld Seattle, which is a nonprofit that equips systems-impacted individuals with housing, employment, and other resources conducive to reintegration back into society.  And her passion is just incredible.  I think you’re really going to enjoy her story. BILL YATES:  Yeah, when you take a husband and a wife – and Amy has a background in psychology.  She is a psychologist by education.  Her husband is a master builder engineer.  When you take those two and combine them and take the passion they have, you end up with something amazing like Pallet. Just getting back to it, Pallet offers short-term shelter, community rooms, and private stall bathrooms.  A large interim housing community can be set up in a matter of days with minimal tools using this Pallet system.  Each Pallet structure is versatile.  Units can be used for a variety of purposes from sheltering evacuees to building command-and-support centers or for temporary housing for recovery workers.  Their motto is “No one should go unsheltered when shelter can be built in a day.”  WENDY GROUNDS:  And they’ve done so much more than just build shelters.  When you hear Amy talk, what started as a small project, it grew, and it became more and more, and they got involved in the community.  They got involved in the lives of the people who were living in these shelters.  BILL YATES:  And as we’ll hear from Amy, many of those that have experienced homelessness are now vibrant workers and contributors to Pallet. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Amy.  Welcome to Manage This. AMY KING:  Thank you so much for having me.  I’m excited to be here. Meet Amy WENDY GROUNDS:  We are really looking forward to getting into this topic and to hearing about the incredible work that you’re doing.  But won’t you first tell us a little bit about your background, your career,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How can agile project managers create conditions for self-organizing teams to thrive? In the agile world of a self-organizing team, the trend is to empower the team so the individuals doing the work can make decisions. So, what role do project managers play?  Hear about the three […] The post Episode 183 –  My Team is Self-Organizing, What am I Supposed to Do? Agile Teams and the PM’s Role appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How can agile project managers create conditions for self-organizing teams to thrive? In the agile world of a self-organizing team, the trend is to empower the team so the individuals doing the work can make decisions. So, what role do project managers play?  Hear about the three responsibilities of the new agile leader and some important skills to level up in order to lead an agile project. Table of Contents 03:03 … Humanizing Work03:50 … Empowering Decision-Makers05:21 … Changing the Role of Managers08:20 … Challenges for Project Managers09:32 … Complex Systems11:33 … Defining the PM Role13:58 … Coordinate and Collaborate16:35 … Who Does It Well?18:29 … What’s in a Title?20:33 … The Three Jobs of Agile Management23:49 … Project Manager Skills27:25 … Visualization Skills33:10 … Is Agile Right for Me?36:39 … Contact Peter and Richard38:19 … Closing PETER GREEN: ... one of the things that has been an underlying theme to these amplifier skills we’ve talked about – coaching, facilitation – is a real trust that the people doing the work can figure out how to solve it if I do the three jobs well.  If I create clarity, if I increase capability, and if I improve the system for them, they will be able to knock this project out.  They don’t need me to manage it... WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio are Bill Yates and our sound guy, Danny Brewer.  We’re so excited that you’re joining us, and we want to say thank you to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We love hearing from you, and we always appreciate your positive ratings.  You will also earn PDUs for listening to this podcast.  Just listen up at the end, and we’ll give you instructions on how to claim your PDUs from PMI. Our two guests today are from Colorado and from Arizona, so we’re kind of jumping around the place.  But we’re very excited to have Richard Lawrence and Peter Green from Humanizing Work join us.  Richard’s superpower is bringing together seemingly unrelated fields and ideas to create new possibilities.  Richard draws on a diverse background in software development, engineering, anthropology, design, and political science. He’s a Scrum Alliance certified enterprise coach and a certified scrum trainer.  His book “Behavior-Driven Development with Cucumber” was published in 2019. Our other guest is Richard’s co-worker, Peter Green.  At Adobe Systems, Peter led an agile transformation and he co-developed the certified agile leadership program from the Scrum Alliance.  He’s also a certified scrum trainer, a graduate of the ORSC coaching system, a certified leadership agility and leadership circle coach, and the co-founder of Humanizing Work.  What I found interesting was, with all his other creative activities, Peter is also an in-demand trumpet player and recording engineer. BILL YATES:  Which will appeal to Andy Crowe, our founder, because he loves to play the trumpet.  Wendy, we are delighted to have Richard and Peter join us.  We’ve had conversations planning for this today with them, and they bring so much knowledge and experience to the table.  Here’s the thing.  Project managers traditionally are taught to direct and control team members.  So what role does management play in the agile world of a self-organizing team?  If my team’s self-organizing, what am I supposed to do; right?  How can they create conditions for self-organizing teams to thrive?  What is the function of managers in this new world, and what does an agile organization need from its management team?  Those are some of the questions that we want to tease out with them today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, guys.  Thank you so much for joining us. RICHARD LAWRENCE:  It’s great to be here. Humanizing Work WENDY GROUNDS:  We first want to find out a litt...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. If we can identify the reasons why people say no, we can be more effective in getting them to follow our requests. Patrick Veroneau introduces an acronym called GREAT to understand the resistance we may be facing from our team. An offshoot of effective leadership is being […] The post Episode 182 – How GREAT is your Resistance? Changing a No to a Yes appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. If we can identify the reasons why people say no, we can be more effective in getting them to follow our requests. Patrick Veroneau introduces an acronym called GREAT to understand the resistance we may be facing from our team. An offshoot of effective leadership is being able to inspire other people to say yes to our requests. Table of Contents 00:32 … Rise Against Hunger01:57 … Meet Patrick03:39 … Six Principles of Influence05:49 … Signs of Resistance07:02 … Goodwill09:21 … SCARF13:07 … Reactance14:56 … Self-Awareness16:41 … Expertise18:46 … Build Credibility20:55 … Kevin and Kyle22:02 … Apathy24:51 … Trust and CABLES26:16 … Congruence27:22 … Appreciation27:35 … Belongingness27:48 … Listening28:22 … Empathy28:37 … Specifics30:45 … Contact Patrick32:15 … Closing Rise Against Hunger WENDY GROUNDS:  We visited Rise Against Hunger as a company, Velociteach, and we did some meal packing there.  We packed over 1,080 meals that were sent to – I think these ones were going to Zimbabwe. BILL YATES:  Nice. WENDY GROUNDS:  But it was going to people who are not in the position to just be able to get food as easily as it is for us.  Rise Against Hunger is an amazing organization.  They target remote communities with hunger pockets, and they send their packages of food there. BILL YATES:  We had such a great time as a team preparing these, you know, helping put these meals together, packaging them.  And we ended up with all these boxes of packaged meals ready to go.  It was so fun for the team to be together.  It was a team-building event with a purpose.  Those are our favorites. WENDY GROUNDS:  I highly recommend it as a team-building event.  I think that was really fun.  Everybody really pulled together.  We packaged a bit too quickly, almost.  We were so excited about doing this that we got finished too quickly, and then we had to wash dishes; didn’t we. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  But there’s nothing better in terms of bonding than seeing your coworkers wearing hair nets.  It was just... WENDY GROUNDS:  Oh yeah.  Oh yeah. ____________________________________________________________ WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer. We’re talking to Patrick Veroneau today.  And he’s the founder of the Emery Leadership and Sales Group, and they focus on helping employees and organizations bridge the gap between engagement and excellence.  He had his first management position with a division of Van Heusen Corporation, and he spent over 15 years in the biopharma industry in sales training and leadership development.  He continues to develop and refine leadership and sales models that blend evidence-based research and theory with what happens in the real world.  And what happens in the real world is often we’re trying to lead or to manage people on our projects, and we get resistance.  And so we’re going to be talking about that resistance today. Meet Patrick Hi, Patrick.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad you’re here today. PATRICK VERONEAU:  Oh, thank you so much for the opportunity to be on the podcast.  Always great to talk about resistance. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  First of all, tell us about your company, Emery Leadership Group, and what inspired you to start it. PATRICK VERONEAU:  So Emery Leadership Group is primarily an organization that helps other organizations to develop better leaders and really to become more productive.  If you don’t have good leaders, right, if you don’t have people that can inspire other people to say yes to requests, then it’s very difficult to, I think, be as effective as you could be.  And there’s a lot of research in terms of what are the things that inspire individuals to want to say yes to our requests.  And that’s all that leadership is.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Selecting contractors and negotiating the terms of a major project is one of the most difficult aspects of project management. In this episode Ed Merrow sheds light on fairness in contracting relationships, for the relationships to be self-enforcing, and how not to unwittingly set your contractors up […] The post Episode 181 – Contract Strategies – Ten Key Principles of Contracting appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Selecting contractors and negotiating the terms of a major project is one of the most difficult aspects of project management. In this episode Ed Merrow sheds light on fairness in contracting relationships, for the relationships to be self-enforcing, and how not to unwittingly set your contractors up to fail.  Table of Contents 02:53 … Meet Ed05:28 … Contract Strategies for Major Projects06:59 … Hiring Contractors is Never Easy07:55 … Key Principle #209:12 … #1 There is No Free Lunch10:20 … TINSTAAFL11:28 … #3 Complex Projects Need Simple Contracting Strategies13:03 … Collaboration15:07 … #4 Owners and Contractors are Different17:44 … #5 Large Risk Transfers are More Illusion than Reality19:25 … Importance of Scoping21:29 … #6 Contractors have Shareholders23:14 … Ren25:29 … #7 Contracting Games are Rough Sport27:05 … #8 Assigning a Risk to Someone Who Cannot Control that Risk is Foolish29:07 … #9 All Contracts are Incentivized33:20 … #10 Economize on The Need for Trust36:40 … The Value of Prequalifying Contractors40:13 … Getting the A-Team or the B-Team42:48 … Get in Touch with Ed44:02 … Closing ED MERROW: ...both owners and contractors play games.  Contractors usually win those games.  My advice is try to keep games out of your contracts.  Try not to put in a bunch of complex provisions whereby you think that the contractor will “have skin in the game.”  I want owners to remember that skin in the game is almost always owner skin.  WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This.  This podcast is by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio are Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories, leadership lessons, as well as advice from industry experts from all around the world.  We want to bring you some support as you navigate your projects. If you like what you hear, please consider rating our show with five stars and leaving a brief review on our website or whichever podcast listening app you use.  This helps us immensely in bringing the podcast to the attention of others.  You can also claim free Professional Development Units from PMI by listening to this episode.  Listen up at the end of the show, and we’ll tell you how to do that. Today our guest is Ed Merrow.  Ed is the founder, president, and CEO of Independent Project Analysis, the global industry leader in quantitative analysis and benchmarking of project management systems.  Ed received his degrees from Dartmouth College and Princeton University; and he began his career as an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.  He followed that with 14 years as a research scientist at the RAND Corporation, where he directed the Energy Research Program.  We’re talking to Ed particularly today about his most recent major research effort which is centered on the quantitative analysis of how contracting strategies and delivery systems shape project results.  His new book is on this subject, and it’s titled “Contract Strategies for Major Projects.” BILL YATES:  In our conversation with Ed on procurement and contract strategies, Ed is going to share with us the key principles of contracting that all those involved with planning and executing major projects should know.  Here are three things to listen out for on this episode.  One, contractors may make convenient scapegoats, but they are rarely to blame for bad projects.  Number two, we depend heavily on trust, yet trust is not a contracting strategy.  And number three, contractors are almost always more skilled at playing those contracting games than those owners are. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hey, Ed.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us today. ED MERROW:  Well, thank you, Wendy.  I’m glad to be here. Meet Ed WENDY GROUNDS:  We are looking forward to getting into this topic.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Will your project’s documentation pass the test of time once the project is done and the people are gone? Documentation is at the intersection of information management, organizational design, and personal productivity. Accurate documentation makes teams more efficient and effective. Table of Contents 01:23 … Essential Project […] The post Episode 180 –  Fuel Your Project with the Power of Dynamic Documentation appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Will your project’s documentation pass the test of time once the project is done and the people are gone? Documentation is at the intersection of information management, organizational design, and personal productivity. Accurate documentation makes teams more efficient and effective. Table of Contents 01:23 … Essential Project Documents03:43 … Defining Information Management04:34 … Adrienne’s Story05:59 … Performing an Information Audit09:19 … Signs Your System is Out of Control11:33 … Dynamic Documentation12:44 … Improve Your Documentation15:19 … Budget for Closing Documentation16:57 … Finding the Right Balance19:12 … Kevin and Kyle20:27 … Strategies for Meeting Notes23:49 … Have a System25:54 … Getting Everyone Onboard27:25 … Documentation No-Nos30:06 … Personal Productivity31:06 … “The 24-Hour Rule”31:41 … Contact Adrienne32:43 … Closing ADRIENNE BELLEHUMEUR: I actually say documentation is at the intersection of information management, organizational design, and personal productivity.  So documentation kind of underpins these three major disciplines, but the personal productivity is often forgotten. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We’re talking today to Adrienne Bellehumeur, and she is the founder of Bellehumeur Company and co-partner of Risk Oversight.  She’s based in Calgary, Alberta.  She’s also an expert on productivity, documentation, governance, risk, and compliance; and has delivered 15 years’ experience as an auditor, accountant, analyst, problem solver, and independent consultant. Adrienne developed a documentation approach called “dynamic documentation,” and she’s a published author of the book “The 24 Hour Rule,” and she’s going to tell us more about that book, as well. Adrienne likes to talk about processes, tools, and methods, and some of the best strategies to use to maintain effective, efficient, and timely documentation.  So as you may have gathered, we’re talking about documentation and information management.  So Bill, my question to you is what are some essential project documents that project managers should be maintaining? Essential Project Documents BILL YATES:  Oh boy, the list goes on and on.  They’re all essential, every one of them.  Let me start with the legal stuff first.  I think project managers who’ve ever done work with, either with outside contractors or their customers, an external customer, they would agree anything related to contracts, addendums, agreements, even the email threads where those may have been negotiated or key decisions were made, those should be considered mandatory.  You’ve got to have those backed up.  They can’t just be living on your hard drive.  They need to be backed up.  Also things like the project charter, anything with signatures that gives authority to the project. And then kind of going down the list, there’s scope things like requirements, scope statement, the product roadmap, the backlog, change requests, logs that keep up with things, task lists, or issue logs.  These are dynamic.  These need to live.  So you have to document them almost with a date stamp on them.  That’s true with a risk log or risk register, as well.  Major communications, major rollouts, maybe you hit a milestone or something significant, you want to keep those documents.  Think about, okay, could someone who doesn’t know anything about this project take a look at it six months, two years later and go, “Oh, okay.  Yeah, I get it.  I see why you guys made that decision.  I see who was involved in it and then what action took place after.” And then one of the biggest challenges, and I think we’ll hear this from Adrienne as well, when you’re getting ready to wrap up your project, that is one of the most difficult times to make sure that you’re doing good docum...

The podcast by project managers for project managers.  Ren Love is the newest member of our Velociteach team and the Manager of Curriculum Development. Hear about her unique management experiences as she talks about leadership, interviewing, the PMP exam, and coping with testing anxiety. Table of Contents  02:19 … Meet Ren02:53 … Ren’s Project Management […] The post Episode 179 – Love Project Management – Come as You Are!  appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers.  Ren Love is the newest member of our Velociteach team and the Manager of Curriculum Development. Hear about her unique management experiences as she talks about leadership, interviewing, the PMP exam, and coping with testing anxiety. Table of Contents  02:19 … Meet Ren02:53 … Ren’s Project Management Journey06:20 … Memorable Success at Projects10:16 … Mammals and COVID11:34 … Preparing for Leadership14:08 … Routes to Project Management16:31 … Leadership Styles for PMs18:16 … Interviewing Tips19:58 … Be Confident in what You Know22:41 … Encouragement to New PMs24:37 … Ren’s Advice Wish List26:03 … Kevin and Kyle27:11 … When the Job is Different to the PMP Training30:35 … Common Questions about the PMP Exam31:54 … Overcoming Exam Anxiety34:47 … Contact Ren35:56 … Closing REN LOVE: ...be confident in what you know, and confident in how you’ll grow.  You don’t have to know everything about everything.  A well-rounded project manager is a lifelong learner.  ...Be confident that your past life experiences have made you who you are and will make you good at project management in the situation you’re in. And then also be prepared to say, there are things that I’m going to grow, and in this company.  What kind of opportunities can your company offer me to help me grow?  WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We’re so excited that you’re joining us, and we want to say thank you to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We love hearing from you, and we always appreciate your positive ratings.  You will also earn PDUs for listening to this podcast.  Just listen up at the end, and we’ll give you instructions on how to claim your PDUs from PMI. Today we’re talking to one of our co-workers.  Her name is Ren Love, and Ren has a very interesting educational background which is almost as diverse as her professional one.  She has done many, many things in her exciting career before joining us at Velociteach.  She has a B.S. in Environmental Science, she has an M.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Instructional Design and Learning Technologies.  And she has worked in zoos, science centers, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as one of the Big Four accounting firms.  So she’s really had fingers in the pie all over the place, and she has also earned her PMP.  She’s a Certified SAFe Agilist as well, as a Certified Scrum Master.  So she’s got some well-rounded advice. BILL YATES:  Yes, she does.  I can’t wait to have this conversation with Ren.  She joined us full-time in fall of 2022 as the Manager of Curriculum Development, and it’s just been a delight working with her, both as an instructor and now full-time on the team.  And we just wanted our listeners to be able to hear from Ren and hear about her experience. WENDY GROUNDS:  And questions about the PMP exam, as well. BILL YATES:  Yes, yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  She addresses some of that.  So we’re looking forward to this conversation.  Hey, Ren, thank you so much for joining us today. Meet Ren REN LOVE:  I’m so happy to be here.  Thank you for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  We want to jump right in and ask you what your current position is. REN LOVE:  So here at Velociteach I am the Manager of Curriculum Development.  So I started off as an instructor for Velociteach for about seven months before being hired full-time.  And I’m in charge of updating and maintaining all of the course materials that we have here at Velociteach. BILL YATES:  That’s all.  There’s not much to that. REN LOVE:  Yeah, it’s a lot more than what it sounds. BILL YATES:  Yeah, never a boring moment, that’s for sure. Ren’s Project Management Journey WENDY GROUNDS:  Tell us a little bit about your career background,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Sometimes a project can feel like a three-ringed circus! You are managing the schedule, the budget, and the requirements, and at the same time, you’ve got to consider the stakeholders, team members, and the organization. We are taking a look at the early 20th century traveling circus […] The post Episode 178 – My Project is a Three-Ring Circus! appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Sometimes a project can feel like a three-ringed circus! You are managing the schedule, the budget, and the requirements, and at the same time, you’ve got to consider the stakeholders, team members, and the organization. We are taking a look at the early 20th century traveling circus to see how they kept the circus performing as a “well-oiled machine.” Table of Contents 02:36 … Meet Jennifer03:42 … The Golden Age of the Traveling Circus05:04 … The Impact of the Railroad06:16 … The Project Manager of the Circus08:27 … The Daily Schedule12:13 … Logistical Magic14:07 … Maximize Impact and Profit Margin15:07 … Leveraging the Business Model16:43 … Strategic Planning18:45 … Planning Routes21:56 … Thinking Holistically24:36 … Kevin and Kyle25:42 … Procurement and Inventory Control28:22 … Managing Resources29:31 … Network of Support31:02 … Communicating Lessons Learned34:00 … Planning for Risk Episodes37:07 … Company Culture39:49 … The Satisfaction of a Common Purpose41:02 … Clarity of Roles Builds Trust43:38 … Find Out More45:24 … Closing JENNIFER LEMMER POSEY: ...if you are in this project with me, if you are trying to make this outcome the best that it can be, just like I am, then we’re together, and everything else doesn’t matter.  This is about what we’re trying to accomplish.  I love that attitude.  I think it’s one that we all could learn from.  Put aside your personal differences and get this thing done. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We’re excited to talk to you today about the circus.  Our guest is Jennifer Lemmer Posey.  She is the Tibbals Curator of Circus at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida.  And she’s been working with circus collections and the international circus community for 20 years.  Jennifer’s also served as editor for Bandwagon, the Journal of the Circus Historical Society, and was an advisory scholar for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrating the circus arts in 2017. You may be wondering why are we talking about a circus when we are a project management podcast.  If we listen carefully to the story of the circus, we tie in so many lessons for project management, from building community, to planning and coordination, for being resourceful. BILL YATES:  Some of you may be thinking, “My project is a lot like a circus.” WENDY GROUNDS:  That’s what we were thinking. BILL YATES:  You know, Wendy, the traveling circus back in the early 1900s resembled a small city.  It’s like a traveling city.   It entirely packs up and moves to another city every day or every few days.  The performance and movement of the circus must have required great discipline and carefully executed planning.  But it was so impressive that the U.S. Army sent a number of officers to study Barnum & Bailey Circus for a week.  The report the officers sent back praised the complex logistical operation of this massive project.  Here’s a quote:  “It is a kingdom on wheels, a city that folds itself up like an umbrella.  Quietly and swiftly every night it does the work of Aladdin’s lamp, picking up in its magician’s arms theater, hotel, schoolroom, barracks, home, whisking them all miles away and setting them down before sunrise in a new place.”  It is magical what they did with the circus.  And there are so many tiebacks, so many points that we can connect with the projects that we run. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Jennifer, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. JENNIFER LEMMER POSEY:  Hi, I’m delighted to be here. Meet Jennifer WENDY GROUNDS:  So we want to dig in and find out more about the circus.  But you have a very interesting job.  What was your career path?  How did you become the Curator of the Circus at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art?

The podcast by project managers for project managers. When it comes to problem solving or innovation, the goal is to generate ideas, make those ideas better, and then implement them to work better together.  Dr. Teresa Lawrence talks about understanding cognitive diversity, managing our thinking preferences to the stages of the creative problem-solving process, and […] The post Episode 177 – Work Better Together – Managing Thinking Preferences appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. When it comes to problem solving or innovation, the goal is to generate ideas, make those ideas better, and then implement them to work better together.  Dr. Teresa Lawrence talks about understanding cognitive diversity, managing our thinking preferences to the stages of the creative problem-solving process, and how our preferences influence project team interactions. Table of Contents 01:50 … FourSight Thinking Profile03:43 … Teresa’s Start in Cognitive Diversity06:45 … What is Cognitive Diversity?09:44 … Learning Thinking Tools11:13 … 15 Individual Thinking Preferences12:46 … Creating a Healthy Diversity15:40 … Keeping Everyone Engaged18:21 … Bill and Wendy’s Team Profile20:43 … Holding Ourselves Accountable22:50 … Communicating Thinking Preferences to Your Team27:35 … William’s Story30:44 … Find out More32:31 … Closing TERESA LAWRENCE: The more that we know our preferences, the better teams we make.  And again, just to underscore this notion of this unconscious bias that we have.  It doesn’t matter that I like you or not like you.  When it comes to problem-solving, I’m probably going to find myself moving toward the people who solve it the similar way.  And isn’t that great?  And isn’t that dangerous? WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me are Bill Yates and Danny Brewer. Today we’re talking to Dr. Teresa Lawrence.  She is recognized as a subject matter expert on the integration of creative problem-solving into project management. Since 2017 over 80,000 people have participated in her trainings, workshops, keynote facilitated sessions. She is a master facilitator of FourSight, the industry leading assessment that shows people their team preferences towards problem-solving and innovation. And she’s going to describe what FourSight is and go into a little more detail in our conversation. And we’re very excited to have her with us today. She’s also the president and owner of International Deliverables.  BILL YATES:  Yeah, Teresa is going to be a great guest.  She’s going to take some of the elements that we talked about back on Episode 170 with Amy Climer, and she’s going to go further with it.  With Amy we talked about the creative problem-solving process, and there are four stages that we’ll refer to in the podcast:  clarify, ideate, develop, and implement.  Well, what Teresa’s going to say is, hey, we all have a preference for one of those four stages, or maybe a couple.  And our preferences can influence how we interact with a team.  So she’s going to dive into that and raise our awareness as project leaders so that we can be better with our teams. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Teresa.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re grateful you’re here with us today. TERESA LAWRENCE:  Thank you.  It’s a privilege, and it’s great fun to be with you this morning.  Thank you for having me. FourSight Thinking Profile WENDY GROUNDS:  Teresa, could you tell us what is the FourSight Thinking Profile, and just a little bit about the science behind it. TERESA LAWRENCE:  So the FourSight assessment, typically known as FourSight, is a research-based assessment authored by Gerard Puccio, who is the department chair in what was formerly known as the International Center for Studies and Creativity, now recognized by title the Center for Applied Imagination, based on six years of research.  And so Gerard, masterful in the creative problem-solving process, said to himself, there are these stages of the creative problem-solving process.  Do people have a preference toward the stages?  And the answer is yes.  And so it has been validated by more than 20 academic journals.  It’s a reliable instrument that measures our thinking preferences. It is an online assessment.  You can do it pen and paper, but it’s just quicker to do it online.  39 questions takes about 10 minutes.

The podcast by project manager for project managers. A great leader strikes a balance between warmth and strength. If it’s time for you to conduct an honest assessment of your leadership style to connect better with your teams and understand your stakeholders more effectively, take a listen to hear how to connect, then lead. Table […] The post Episode 176 – Strength and Warmth – Balancing Your Leadership Style appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project manager for project managers. A great leader strikes a balance between warmth and strength. If it’s time for you to conduct an honest assessment of your leadership style to connect better with your teams and understand your stakeholders more effectively, take a listen to hear how to connect, then lead. Table of Contents 02:47 … Meet Matt04:44 … Social Power and Personal Power06:38 … Knowing your Likeability09:17 … Strength and Warmth12:12 … Strength and Warmth Matrix15:04 … Changing Your Impact17:51 … Make a Stronger Team Connection.20:02 … How Not to Compromise Warmth21:54 … Snap Judgements and First Impressions24:23 … Kevin and Kyle25:20 … Connect with Your Audience27:25 … Preparation is Vital29:44 … Be Your Authentic Self33:03 … Connecting Remotely36:26 … Keeping Energy Levels Stable37:33 … Communicating to Highly Skilled Professionals39:18 … Using Analogies40:05 … Speaking Truth to Positions of Power42:13 … Contact Matt43:57 … Closing MATT KOHUT: Some people tend to go with their strength first, and they backfill on the warmth.  Some people lead with warmth first, and they backfill on the strength.  And it’s sort of like being left-handed or right-handed.  Everybody’s just got a dominant hand.  And as long as you can pick up objects with both of them and not drop them, it’s okay. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories, leadership lessons, and advice from industry experts from all around the world.  Our aim is to bring you some support as you navigate your projects.  You can also claim free PDUs, Professional Development Units from PMI by listening to our show.  At the end of the show we will give you advice on how to do that. Today we’re talking to Matt Kohut.  Matt is a co-founder of KNP Communications, and he has 20 years of professional experience writing and preparing speakers for both general and expert audience.  In addition, he has served as a communications consultant to organizations including NASA, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Harvard University. Matt is currently a fellow at the Center for Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College, and he’s previously worked at Harvard University as research specialist to the dean of Kennedy School.  Now, this is an interesting conversation, and we are very excited to bring it to you because it follows on so well to our conversation we had with Vanessa Druskat on emotional intelligence. BILL YATES:  Yes, this is an area that I think because of my own experience, I feel like this is an area that a project manager, certainly me, should and can grow in throughout their career.  It’s amazing talking with Matt.  He knows so much about social science.  That’s the background experience he has.  But the advice that he gives is so practical.  Not only did he write speeches, he coached those who were delivering the speeches as to how to make a good first impression, how to connect with their audience, how to not overpower them with too much information.  These are things that project managers struggle with.  These are things that we have to be aware of.  So the advice that Matt gives in our conversation is really going to help us be better at our jobs, connect better with our teams, understand our customers better, and amp up our performance. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Matt.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for being our guest today. MATT KOHUT:  Thanks for having me. Meet Matt WENDY GROUNDS:  We are excited to talk to you about communication and leadership and all of those good things; but I am really intrigued by your other career, the side of you that is a professional bassist.  Can you tell us a little bit about that and your passion for music? ...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Transformations fail because we are failing to transform our people. In a successful transformation project, it is crucial to manage human behavior and pay attention to aligning culture and strategy. To lead a successful transformation project cultivate a healthy environment that inspires people to follow. Table of […] The post Episode 175 – Managing the Human Side of Transformation appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Transformations fail because we are failing to transform our people. In a successful transformation project, it is crucial to manage human behavior and pay attention to aligning culture and strategy. To lead a successful transformation project cultivate a healthy environment that inspires people to follow. Table of Contents 02:06 … Ricardo’s Story04:40 … Transforming Passion into Profession06:20 … Brightline Initiative10:44 … The Failure Rate on Digital Transformations15:54 … When Strong Leadership is a Liability20:18 … Effective Team Collaboration24:32 … Kevin and Kyle25:37 … Aligning Culture and Strategy30:39 … Diversity is More Effective33:26 … Cultivate a Healthy Culture36:17 … Getting Stakeholders Onboard41:33 … Contact Ricardo44:16 … Closing RICARDO VARGAS:  So what happens on digital transformation?  The company say, “We are doing this.  We are transformed.”  And the employee that is there saying, “And so what?  What is in there for me?  What is in there for me?”  And if I don’t see that, what I do?  I will say, you know, “I don’t want to be part of that.” WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We love having you join us twice a month to hear about project stories and leadership lessons, as well as advice from industry experts from all around the world.  And we want to bring you some support as you navigate your projects.  We have one such leadership expert with us today. BILL YATES:  We are fortunate to have Ricardo giving us the time and sharing his experience and knowledge with us.  It’s going to be phenomenal. WENDY GROUNDS:  I’m sure many of you have heard of Ricardo Vargas.  He’s an experienced leader in global operations, project management, business transformation, as well as crisis management.  He’s the founder and managing director of Macro Solutions. And he’s also a former chairman of the Project Management Institute, as well as a PMI fellow.  He also tells us a little bit about being the director of project management and infrastructure of the United Nations, leading more than 1,000 projects in humanitarian development projects.  And we talk to him about the Brightline Initiative.  Ricardo created and led this initiative from 2016 to 2020.  He has the Five Minutes podcast, and he gives some excellent project management advice on his podcast. BILL YATES:  Wendy, it’s going to be great to talk with Ricardo and get his input on the human side on digital transformation projects, complex projects, where sometimes we get a bit fascinated with the technology.  And as Ricardo points out, it’s all about the people. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Ricardo.  Welcome to Manage This. RICARDO VARGAS:  Thank you very much.  I’m very glad to be here with you today. Ricardo’s Story WENDY GROUNDS:  We are really honored to have you.  I think it’s been a long time coming that we wanted to talk with you, so we’re honored to have you with us today.  Can you look back and tell me how you got into project management?  What’s your story? RICARDO VARGAS:  No, that’s very interesting because you know my background, I’m a chemical engineer.  And when I was a student of chemical engineering, this was in the early ‘90s.  One of the disciplines I was studying was operational research.  So how do you put things in order, you know, on the production line, on the project.  And that was the first time I met the concept of critical path, of you know, resource leveling. And coincidentally, at that exact time I was working with Microsoft.  I was owner of a partner of Microsoft in Brazil.  And Microsoft was putting an effort on a new tool that they want to roll out in Brazil that was called Microsoft Project.  And they didn’t want anyone to say, “Okay, who can help us to leverage that?”  Because, Excel has mathematics,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The need for optimal emotional intelligence is even more pronounced in project management and Dr. Vanessa Druskat, who is married to a project manager, shares insights on emotional and team intelligence on how to improve your own EQ. If we can get in touch with an emotion, […] The post Episode 174 – Team Up with Emotional Intelligence and Deliver Successful Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The need for optimal emotional intelligence is even more pronounced in project management and Dr. Vanessa Druskat, who is married to a project manager, shares insights on emotional and team intelligence on how to improve your own EQ. If we can get in touch with an emotion, we can manage it, and the more emotionally and self-aware we are the more we can build emotionally intelligent teams. Table of Contents 02:37 … What is Emotional Intelligence?05:43 … Developing Your Emotional Intelligence07:07 … A Work in Progress08:25 … EQ and Cognitive Intelligence09:20 … The Need for Emotional Intelligence in Projects11:03 … EQ Research Study of Project Managers12:48 … Self-Confidence15:50 … Kevin and Kyle16:54 … Emotional Intelligence Starts with Self-Awareness19:09 … The Brain Science behind Emotional Intelligence21:03 … The Emotional Brain at the Unconscious Level23:53 … No Motivation without Emotion25:59 … Managing Oneself29:44 … Social Harmony34:45 … Find Out More36:42 … Closing VANESSA DRUSKAT:  And so the kind of norms that create space for people so that everyone can have the synergy, the kind of habits you create build an emotionally intelligent environment, and are more likely to have harmony and synergy and really produce.  You can produce results without that, but they’re not going to be synergistic.  They’re not going to be as good, WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and Danny Brewer.  We love to have you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories and leadership lessons and advice from industry experts from around the world. And just one of those industry experts is Vanessa Druskat.  Vanessa is a multi-award-winning behavioral scientist, and she’s an internationally recognized expert on leadership and team development.  She has a research program examining the differences between the behavioral strategies of high- and average-performing work teams.  And this led her to pioneer the concept of team emotional intelligence. Vanessa has a popular Harvard Business Review article with S. Wolff on emotionally intelligent teams.  She’s a member of the board of directors of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, and she talks a little bit about that at the end of the podcast.  And she’s also an associate professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.  So you may have gathered we’re talking about emotional intelligence. BILL YATES:  Yes, we are.  This is such a critical skill for project leaders, for project managers because we all know it.  We can’t do this on our own.  We’ve got to work with a team.  Sometimes that team, each one of the team members brings their own issues to the table.  We’ve got our own issues.  You bring in the issues of our customer, the issues of our contractors, and there’s just a lot to manage. WENDY GROUNDS:  There’s a lot of issues. BILL YATES:  There’s a lot of issues.  So we need to be more emotionally intelligent and figure out how to get things done. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Vanessa.  Welcome to Manage This. VANESSA DRUSKAT:  Thank you.  It’s wonderful to be here with you, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re very happy to have you as our guest, and this is definitely a topic we’ve wanted to talk about again.  And I think you bring such a fresh perspective.  And Bill and I were very excited when we found out your husband was a project manager. BILL YATES:  Yeah. WENDY GROUNDS:  So you definitely speak with some authority on this topic. VANESSA DRUSKAT:  Yes, indeed.  I’ve heard plenty of stories from my husband. BILL YATES:  I’ll bet. VANESSA DRUSKAT:  Some difficult times. BILL YATES:  Yes. What is Emotional Intelligence? WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. With billions of people tuning in to view the games, we wondered if anyone noticed the grass! In this unique project story, John Holmes explains how he navigated the selection process and became the exclusive […] The post Episode 173 – On The World Stage: The FIFA World Cup Turf Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. With billions of people tuning in to view the games, we wondered if anyone noticed the grass! In this unique project story, John Holmes explains how he navigated the selection process and became the exclusive supplier of turfgrass for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We share the planning, logistics, challenges, constraints and lessons learned in this remarkable project. Table of Contents 02:18 … Meet John03:41 … Atlas Turf Production05:22 … Sustainable Solutions06:53 … The Bid for The FIFA World Cup Turf09:23 … Transporting the Turf11:46 … Project Coordination and Planning14:12 … Kevin and Kyle15:41 … Project Budget16:57 … Project Timeline18:47 … Biggest Risk Factor19:39 … Collaborations and Cultural Differences21:43 … Government Restrictions22:38 … Lessons Learned23:56 … Soccer vs. Golf Turf25:52 … Leadership Advice from John27:30 … Find out More28:33 … Closing JOHN HOLMES: I’ve been really fortunate to travel to some very unique places.  And it’s really helped me grow as a person, and meeting folks from different cultures, nationalities, different beliefs than me.  But at the end of the day, everybody’s a human being and has the same struggles, similar struggles.  I try to be very respectful, too.  And I think that’s so important when you’re dealing with different cultures.  Well, at the end of the day in a business deal, everybody’s trying to get to the same point and having a successful project.  And figuring out a way to do it without animosity, without any issues is so important and makes things go very smoothly. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast for project managers by project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates and our engineer, Danny Brewer.  We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories, leadership lessons, and advice from industry experts from all around the world; and we love to bring you some support as you navigate your projects.  You can also claim free Professional Development Units from PMI by listening to our show.  Listen up at the end of the show for advice on how to do that. Now, Bill, we have an interesting conversation with John Holmes today. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  He’s from Atlas Turf.  Atlas Turf produced the grass for some of the world’s premier golf associations.  And I love the story that he was responsible for the turf that was used in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. BILL YATES:  Isn’t that amazing, yeah.  And he happens to be – their company is headquartered here in Georgia.  But he has delivered product and solutions all over the globe.  He’s had a lot of personal travel.  I’d like to see his passport and see some of the stamps in that. WENDY GROUNDS:  And he also has been in places like Sri Lanka, Mauritius, the Maldives, New Caledonia, Seychelles.  It’s all over the world into very interesting places he’s taking his grass. BILL YATES:  That’s true.  He delivers.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, John.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us today. JOHN HOLMES:  So glad to be here and able to share our unique story. Meet John WENDY GROUNDS:  Have you always worked with turf?  What was your career path? JOHN HOLMES:  I have a degree in turf grass management.  But my career started when I was a teenager working on the local golf course in our town.  And in doing so I discovered that you could actually go to college and get a degree in managing turf grass, and I did that and became a golf course superintendent, managing the turf grass on a golf course, almost 32 years ago. BILL YATES:  How about that.  So you’ve been working with grass for 30-something years.  And then how did you come to Atlas, you know, what was that transition? JOHN HOLMES:  My career as a golf course superintendent took me and my wife to Mexico and...

The podcast by Project Managers for Project Managers. What do you do when you inherit a problem project? Hear about a stalled project that was threatening the accreditation of a popular city zoo. Our guest, Megan Young, inherited this project with no knowledge of the requirements, and with no plan or clear scope. Hear her […] The post Episode 172 – Inheriting a Problem Project – Lessons from the Zoo  appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by Project Managers for Project Managers. What do you do when you inherit a problem project? Hear about a stalled project that was threatening the accreditation of a popular city zoo. Our guest, Megan Young, inherited this project with no knowledge of the requirements, and with no plan or clear scope. Hear her advice on prioritizing, budget planning, addressing scope creep, negotiating tips, and team motivation. Table of Contents 02:41 … Greenville City Projects03:33 … Getting PMP Certified05:39 … Valuable Project Manager Skills07:20 … Addressing a Stalled Zoo Project10:31 … Tackling the Challenges12:36 … Building Trust with Stakeholders15:11 … How to Prioritize17:10 … Software Installation Projects19:27 … Kevin and Kyle20:42 … Budget Planning24:20 … Negotiating Tips26:32 … Addressing Scope Creep28:15 … Keeping the Team Motivated30:26 … Dealing with team Conflict32:40 … Megan’s Motivation33:45 … Contact Megan34:28 … Closing MEGAN YOUNG: You can learn a lot by just showing up onsite and having a conversation with somebody.  People will talk to you when they’re comfortable in their space. And a lot of times that means just going out and standing beside them.  I mean, when I was in the Parks Department, sometimes it meant helping somebody put a bench together.  And they would talk to you in that process and you’d kind of hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.  But a lot of times it was the most valid of the truth that you were hearing. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for joining us today.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and joining me in the studio is Bill Yates.  We want to take a moment to specially say thanks to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We love hearing from you, and we always appreciate your positive ratings and reviews on whichever podcast listening app you use. Our guest today is Megan Young.  She currently serves as the Assistant Manager to the City Manager for the City of Greenville, South Carolina.  Prior to joining the City Manager’s Office, Megan was the Parks and Grounds Administrator for the City of Greenville.  Megan is a certified project management professional and certified park and recreation professional. During her time in the PRT department, Megan led the implementation of the Cityworks program as a work and asset management system.  She managed large and small-scale infrastructure projects and was integral in the successful reaccreditation of the Greenville Zoo in 2020.  And she’s going to tell us a bit about that project today. BILL YATES:  I’m excited about this.  We are going to talk about the zoo.  We’re going to talk about spider monkeys.  We’re going to talk about parks and recreation.  And I’ve got to go ahead and just let you know, too, this is near and dear to my heart because I went to Furman University, which is in Greenville, South Carolina.  Now, I graduated in 1980 [mumbling] something. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s a while back, yeah. BILL YATES:  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  And Greenville at that time was just not cool.  It is super cool now.  And a lot of it is because of Megan and the team there at the City of Greenville and what they’ve done.  They’ve got an amazing Liberty Bridge and Falls Park area.  There’s the Swamp Rabbit Trail which my wife and I have actually ridden bikes on and walked along.  It’s just beautiful.  So Megan’s going to talk to us about a number of parks and different projects that they’ve done.  But this is, again, it’s special to me because she’s talking about an area that is a rich part of my history. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, that’s really cool.  I’ve driven through Greenville.  I’ve never stopped there, but I think after this podcast I’m definitely going to take a stop next time I plan on driving through. BILL YATES:  Definitely. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Megan.  Welcome to our podcast. MEGAN YOUNG:  Hi,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Situated at the most heavily trafficked public space in the world, Times Square in New York is undergoing an extraordinary renovation and expansion project.  Hear how the iconic Palace Theatre was raised 30 feet to make room for commercial space below. The goal of this complex project […] The post Episode 171 – Raising the Palace Theater – The TSX Broadway Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Situated at the most heavily trafficked public space in the world, Times Square in New York is undergoing an extraordinary renovation and expansion project.  Hear how the iconic Palace Theatre was raised 30 feet to make room for commercial space below. The goal of this complex project was to preserve the historic theater box, which was built in 1913, and raise it to its new home on the third floor of TSX Broadway. Table of Contents 02:16 … Intro to the Project03:12 … Raising a Theater04:42 … The TSX Broadway Project06:56 … Seeing the Vision08:34 … Major Stakeholders10:24 … Retained Slab Project11:47 … Effective Collaboration14:26 … The Hydraulic Lifting18:58 … Project Timeline20:27 … Kevin and Kyle22:00 … Monitoring the Lift24:53 … A Coordinated Effort25:38 … Lessons Learned27:40 … Advice for Project Managers29:08 … Find out More30:39 … Closing ROBERT ISRAEL: But I think the most important thing that I have been successful at is planning.  If you’re a good project manager, you know how to plan.  And if you can think three steps ahead of where you need to be, you’re going to be a successful project manager.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for joining us.  I am Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  If you like what you hear, we’d love to hear from you.  You can leave us a comment on our website, Velociteach.com; on social media; or whichever podcast listening app you use.  If you have any questions about our podcasts or about project management certifications, we’d love to hear from you. Our guest today is Robert Israel.  He’s an executive vice president at L&L Holding Company.  Robert leads and directs all aspects of the TSX Broadway project development’s design and construction.  Previously, Robert was the cofounder of Solid Development Group.  He has also served as a project director for RFR Holding, and he has served in various management roles at CBRE.  But it’s his project that we are most excited to hear about.  And I’m going to let Bill tell you more about that. BILL YATES:  Oh, man.  We are so excited about this.  We are delighted to have Robert as our guest because he has been instrumental in this $2.5 billion TSX Broadway project.  And the piece that we want to focus on is the raising of the Palace Theatre.  So we’ll talk about all aspects of it, but especially this historic theater, it’s a 1,700-seat theater that was opened in 1913, and it was on the ground floor.  Well, Wendy, it’s not on the ground floor anymore.  This thing has been raised 30 feet.  We’re going to talk about how you do that in a very busy Times Square with a historic building and all of the complexity that went into that.  Robert was right in the middle of it.  He’s got some amazing tips and tricks and advice that he’ll share. WENDY GROUNDS:  And also it’s not just the raising of the theater, which is the main thing we talk about; but it’s all the other components that are going into this building in New York.  Hi, Robert.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for talking with us today. ROBERT ISRAEL:  Thanks for having me.  Appreciate you guys inviting me on. Intro to the Project WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re looking forward to hearing more about this project.  Just as an introduction, can you tell us a little bit about L&L Holding and how long you’ve been working for the company? ROBERT ISRAEL:  Sure.  I’ve been working at L&L Holding for just over five years.  I came onboard with L&L in 2017, just as we were sort of awarded the project, TSX Broadway.  And we spent two years in preconstruction, essentially, and started construction with TSX on the beginning of 2019.  But L&L overall, we own approximately 8 million square feet in New York City, mostly office/retail.  This is our first foray into the hospitality world, really.  And, you know,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The creative problem-solving process is far beyond simply generating ideas, and the project manager’s role is critical in the process. Dr. Amy Climer shares how to increase creativity to maximize innovation. Hear how to facilitate the clarify/ideate/develop stages of the creative problem-solving process to a successful implementation. […] The post Episode 170 – Integrating Creative Problem Solving and Project Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The creative problem-solving process is far beyond simply generating ideas, and the project manager’s role is critical in the process. Dr. Amy Climer shares how to increase creativity to maximize innovation. Hear how to facilitate the clarify/ideate/develop stages of the creative problem-solving process to a successful implementation. Table of Contents 02:43 … Meet Amy04:00 … “I’m Not Creative!”05:29 … Practice Creativity06:42 … Strengthen Problem Solving Skills07:46 … Solving the Right Problem11:30 … Be Willing to Change Your Mind12:26 … Facing Resistance15:59 … Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process17:38 … Creative Problem Solving and The PM22:05 … Kevin and Kyle23:25 … Divergent and Convergent Thinking27:49 … Initiating Ideas28:48 … Suspend Judgement29:30 … Seek Wild Ideas30:09 … Going For Quality31:51 … Convergent Thinking33:06 … Be Deliberate33:53 … Be Affirmative34:31 … Consider Novelty35:01 … Common Mistakes Made in the Process37:51 … Associations and Climer Cards41:27 … Get in Touch with Amy43:42 … Closing AMY CLIMER: ...an important skill of being more creative is being willing to change your mind.  And if you get so fixated on like this is the solution and you ignore all the data that might be coming in, or you don’t want to pay attention to this conversation, then you’re not open to this possibility.  So being open-minded to different perspectives, different solutions is a huge piece of being able to be more creative. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates Just a quick thanks to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We always love hearing from you.  We know you’re also looking for opportunities to acquire PDUs, your Professional Development Units, towards recertifications.  And you can still claim PDUs for all our podcast episodes.  Listen up at the end of the show for information on how you can claim those PDUs. Our guest today is Dr. Amy Climer, and we’re very excited to talk with her.  She teaches teams and organizations how to increase their creativity so they can maximize innovation.  She works with organizations such as the Mayo Clinic, Stanford University, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  She has a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University, and she’s developed the Deliberate Creative Team Scale to help teams understand how to increase their creativity.  Amy lives in Asheville, North Carolina, and she’s also the host of The Deliberate Creative Podcast, and we recommend you check that one out.  She shares practical device and strategies to help leaders build innovative teams. BILL YATES:  Wendy, we are so excited to have Dr. Climer on this episode because I think all project managers are looking for a process, a set of steps to go through problem solving.  A creative problem-solving process is what she’s going to walk through with us.  Problems just occur.  They’re going to happen probably every day on our project.  We’ll have some really full risk register, and then one of those risks will occur, and we’ll look at our plan, and we’ll say, “Hey, we thought that was going to happen, and it happened.  We’ll start following that plan.”  And then the plan fails.  And we’re like, okay, all hands meeting.  The team has to get together.  We’ve got another problem to solve.  We need a process to go about that, and Amy’s got great advice for us.  I’m excited about this. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Amy.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us. AMY CLIMER:  Thank you.  I’m very excited about our conversation. Meet Amy WENDY GROUNDS:  I know.  We’re looking forward to this.  This is a topic I’ve been wanting to talk about for some time.  So I’m glad we found you.  And I first want to find out how you got into this whole...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Knowledge Management is a key practice for top-performing teams. We can improve our projects by tapping into, and managing, project knowledge. Join us to learn more about managing project knowledge, knowledge sharing, and nurturing knowledge within an organization. Table of Contents 01:56 … A Definition of Knowledge02:59 […] The post Episode 169 – Knowledge Management – A Key Discipline of Top-performing Teams appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Knowledge Management is a key practice for top-performing teams. We can improve our projects by tapping into, and managing, project knowledge. Join us to learn more about managing project knowledge, knowledge sharing, and nurturing knowledge within an organization. Table of Contents 01:56 … A Definition of Knowledge02:59 … Difference between Knowledge and Wisdom04:53 … Tacit Knowledge - “Knowhow” and “Know What”05:43 … The Purpose of Managing Knowledge06:20 … Managing Project Knowledge08:10 … Overcoming Resistance to Knowledge Bias09:52 … Projects Run on Knowledge11:03 … Measuring Business Value12:27 … Drink Tea14:59 … Face-to-Face Communication17:09 … Nurturing Knowledge in an Organization19:27 … Kevin and Kyle21:08 … Rewarding Knowledge Sharing22:55 … Building Organizational Trust25:04 … Developing Knowledge-Oriented Team Culture27:11 … Recognizing the Value of Knowledge29:06 … Building Successful Knowledge Projects32:42 … Effectively Harnessing Experience36:22 … Contact Larry36:57 … Closing LARRY PRUSAK: There’s a lot of ways to instill trust.  Trust your children.  Trust your community and things like that.  It really pays off.  I mean, it’s not so much being altruistic.  It pays off.  Things work better when you trust each other.  Speaking as a social scientist, it lowers the transaction costs.  You don’t have to always be looking over your shoulder or sniffing out things.  It lowers the cost.  Oh, yeah, I trust him.  He’ll do what he said, or she’ll do what she said. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and here in the studio with me is Bill Yates. So we want to take a moment to say thank you to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We love hearing from you, and we always appreciate your positive ratings and reviews on whichever podcast listening app you use. Today we’re talking about a topic we’ve not addressed before, and we’re very excited to dig into it.  Our guest is Laurence Prusak, and Larry has been studying knowledge and learning for the past 30 years.  He has been a consultant in these areas for Mercer and a co-founder for Ernst & Young Center for Business Value.  He’s the founder and director of the IBM Institute for Knowledge Management and co-founder of the Babson College Working Knowledge Research Program.  He’s been a senior consultant for NASA, as well as teaching in over 40 universities.  He has also recently taught at Columbia University’s program on information and knowledge, and he has co-authored 11 books. BILL YATES:  Wendy, we got this recommendation from Stephen Townsend to reach out to Larry and talk with him.  One of the books that Larry recently worked on is called “The Smart Mission:  NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People, and Projects.”  So as we get into this topic, I think project managers will appreciate the depth of Larry’s knowledge on knowledge management. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Larry.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest today. LARRY PRUSAK:  You’re welcome. A Definition of Knowledge  WENDY GROUNDS:  So we’re going to be talking knowledge management, which is a new topic for us on our podcast.  And we’re very excited that we have you with us.  Before we begin, could you give us your definition of knowledge? LARRY PRUSAK:  It’s what a knowledgeable person knows.  Think about, if you go to a dentist, a dentist knows how to fix your teeth.  If he wasn’t knowledgeable, you wouldn’t be going to him.  We’re talking about working knowledge, the knowledge that allows people to do things.  There’s other sorts of knowledge.  There’s religious knowledge, aesthetic knowledge, all sorts of things.  But we’re talking about the knowledge that allows you to do something, and do it well.  Information is not knowledge.  Knowledge isn’t data.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Manage This podcast is celebrating two milestones: seven years and over one million listens! Bill Yates shares about his background in project management and the insights he has learned from our many distinguished guests. Listen in for some Manage This moments as we recap conversations with some […] The post Episode 168 –  Manage This Moments – Celebrating Milestones appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Manage This podcast is celebrating two milestones: seven years and over one million listens! Bill Yates shares about his background in project management and the insights he has learned from our many distinguished guests. Listen in for some Manage This moments as we recap conversations with some of our interesting guests, and we recollect some of the valuable lessons learned from project managers who are working on truly remarkable projects. Table of Contents 00:23 … Celebrating Manage This02:51 … Bill’s Thoughts on the Podcast03:38 … Bill’s Beginnings in Project Management04:59 … Value in Project Management05:48 … Velociteach06:51 … Behind the Scenes08:15 … Lessons Learned08:37 … Kory Kogon - Productivity10:00 … Doreen Linneman - Finding your Why11:03 … Kieran Duck - The Complex Project Toolkit11:39 … Elizabeth Harrin – Multiple Projects12:29 … Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez - Project Management Handbook13:07 … Henk Van Dalen - Be Bold14:28 … Phillipe Schoonejans - International Cooperation15:49 … Ian Crockford - Project Planning17:01 … Keith Ward - Resilience18:30 … Matt Cooke – Facing Challenges19:45 … Women in Project Management21:05 … Innovation in Project Management22:44 … Scott Miller – Listen First24:12 … Dan Ward – Psychological Safety26:08 … Scott Berkun – Stay Curious27:17 … Stefano Mastrogiacomo – Team Alignment28:49 … What’s Next?29:31 … Closing NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to talk as professionals in the field of project management.  We want to address your concerns, your needs, and to give you not only some tips on bettering your game, but to encourage you in it.  I’m your host, Nick Walker. WENDY GROUNDS:  Now, wasn’t that a surprise, hearing Nick Walker’s voice again. BILL YATES:  Loved that. Celebrating Manage This WENDY GROUNDS:  We are so grateful for what he brought to Manage This. He’s not in the studio with us, unfortunately.  And if you’re wondering why we’re having this throwback, today we’re celebrating over seven years of Manage This.  And we also have over one million listens to the podcast.  Nick was our excellent host for the first 100 episodes. BILL YATES:  Yeah, yeah.  We’ve got a lot to celebrate, and we have so many fun memories to go through, I mean all the podcasts that we’ve had, the first 100 with Nick, and you’ve stepped in and done such a marvelous job since then, Wendy.  It’s been wonderful having you in here, too.  And we’ve just heard so much great advice, learned so many interesting things.  We just want to thank our listeners for the recommendations.  They have connected us with authors, with interesting projects, with all kinds of ideas.  And we love it.  Keep those ideas coming. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  Yes, yeah.  Nick’s shoes were very hard to fill.  This was definitely outside of my comfort zone.  I was quite happy just doing the behind-the-scenes work.  But it has been fun.  It has really been probably the most fun I’ve had in a job. BILL YATES:  Well, it’s a delight having you in here.  And I love having somebody with a perspective that is as diverse as yours in terms of the industries that you’ve worked in.  And you’ve never been a project manager.  It’s been another hat that you’ve worn.  And so I think you bring some simplicity to some of the questions where I get myself a little tied up trying to think, how do I ask this question?  And you jump right to the heart of it, and I love that. WENDY GROUNDS:  I’ve certainly learned a lot about project management.  And we are grateful to Andy for starting this podcast.  What we’re going to do is pop back and forth and hear excerpts from previous episodes.  And the first one we’re going to start with is Andy.  We asked Andy a while back why he decided to start Manage This, so let’s take a listen. ANDY CROWE: ... project management is a really difficult job for a lot o...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear practical advice from Elizabeth Harrin on how to more effectively manage a significant project workload, and how to manage several projects at once. This episode is about saving time and working smarter! Table of Contents 02:07 … Meet Elizabeth03:44 … Inspiration for the Book06:56 … A […] The post Episode 167 – How To Manage Several Projects at Once appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear practical advice from Elizabeth Harrin on how to more effectively manage a significant project workload, and how to manage several projects at once. This episode is about saving time and working smarter! Table of Contents 02:07 … Meet Elizabeth03:44 … Inspiration for the Book06:56 … A Multi-Project Environment07:41 … Scheduling Challenges08:44 … Simplifying Scheduling10:55 … Managing Dependencies12:10 … Engaging Stakeholders13:46 … Sushi, Spaghetti, and Side Dish Workloads15:13 … 5 Major Concepts15:52 … Portfolio 18:39 … Planning19:32 … Kevin and Kyle21:03 … People Management23:39 … Time Limitations with Senior Execs25:45 … Better Connections27:01 … Productivity28:07 … Overcoming Procrastination28:57 … RAID31:31 … Positioning33:44 … The Five Email Rule34:44 … The Future of Project Management36:16 … Contact Elizabeth37:04 … Closing ELIZABETH HARRIN: ...And if we have organizations that support us, and the culture is there to understand the capacity for change, then we can fly.  We can do the things that our companies, our organizations need us to do because we do have the right skills to do it.  The challenge, the flipside of that is often we’re asked to do that without the resources, funding, and time to make it possible. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for joining us.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  If you like what you hear, we’d love to hear from you.  You can leave us a comment on our website, Velociteach.com; on social media; whichever podcast-listening app you use.  If you have questions about our podcasts or about project management certifications, we’re always here for you. Today we’re talking to someone we’ve spoken to before, and she’s well known in the circles of project management.  This is Elizabeth Harrin.  She’s an author, speaker, and a mentor who helps people manage projects.  She has lots of straight-talking, real-world advice.  Elizabeth is an APM fellow and the author of seven books, and she’s on a mission to make sure you can deliver better quality projects with more confidence and less stress. BILL YATES:  In this episode we’re going to talk about Elizabeth’s latest book.  It’s called “Managing Multiple Projects.”  In that book she offers advice on ways you can more effectively manage your project workload.  If you’re like me, you typically had more than one project that you were managing at a time.  Elizabeth tackles that.  She gives great advice.  Every chapter ends with key takeaways and action steps.  Another thing I really appreciate about her writing style is she invites a lot of practitioners, project managers to give advice, share tips, share struggles.  You’ll see those interwoven throughout each chapter.  Great book, great resource.  I’m excited to talk with Elizabeth about it today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Elizabeth, it’s so good to have you back, virtually.  And welcome to Manage This. ELIZABETH HARRIN:  Thank you.  Thanks for having me back.  It’s great to be here talking to you today. Meet Elizabeth WENDY GROUNDS:  So I’ve read your book, and it is excellent, very helpful resource.  And I was also looking back at when we last talked to you, and it was sometime I think in 2018.  And I wasn’t even on the podcast yet.  I think it was right before I joined Manage This.  So it’s been a while.  What have you been up to in the last four years? ELIZABETH HARRIN:  That was quite a long time ago; wasn’t it.  So what I’ve been doing since then, well, I was leading projects until the autumn of 2019, so just before we went into the pandemic.  In the worst of the pandemic I stopped working in a corporate project management role, and I took a couple of years away from that to spend some time writing, including that book; teaching, mentoring, that kind of thing, doing some freelance work.

The goal of cybersecurity is to protect the data and integrity of your computing from malicious digital attacks. The challenge for a project manager is to implement effective cybersecurity measures to secure yourself, your team, your clients, and your projects as attackers become more innovative. Our guest is Andy Sauer a cybersecurity leader who helps […] The post Episode 166 – Reduce Cybersecurity Risk for your Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The goal of cybersecurity is to protect the data and integrity of your computing from malicious digital attacks. The challenge for a project manager is to implement effective cybersecurity measures to secure yourself, your team, your clients, and your projects as attackers become more innovative. Our guest is Andy Sauer a cybersecurity leader who helps organizations build cybersecurity maturity. Table of Contents 01:47 … Meet Andy02:29 … Raising Awareness of Cybersecurity for PMs03:34 … A Case Study06:55 … Lessons Learned from a Cyber Attack09:23 … “Least Privilege Necessary” Model10:48 … Lack of Multifactor Authentication11:39 … Staying Ahead of Attackers13:35 … 10 Steps to Better Cybersecurity13:42 … Training for Phishing15:25 … Multifactor Authentication16:14 … Least Privilege Necessary17:34 … Apply Patches to Systems and Applications18:40 … Delete Old Accounts19:53 … Kevin & Kyle21:13 … Adopt Cloud Services22:15 … Building an Incident Response Plan25:16 … Establish Hardened System Baselines26:13 … Keep Your Backups Air Gapped27:21 … Store Security Logs and Watch for Unusual Behavior.30:18 … Security is Your Responsibility31:09 … External Cybersecurity32:25 … Concerning Emerging Technologies34:31 … Evolving Cybersecurity Threats36:32 … Get in Touch with Andy37:38 … Closing ANDY SAUER: ...it’s very easy to look at cybersecurity concerns and think, that is not my problem.  We have a security team.  We have an IT team.  But I promise you when the compromise happens, the folks in the IT and cybersecurity teams are often focused on the technical and getting the systems back up.  They’re not particularly concerned about your specific project and your workload. You have to take that responsibility. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for joining us today.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  If you like what you hear, we’d love to hear from you.  You can leave us a comment on our website Velociteach.com, on social media, or whichever podcast listening app you use. Today our guest is Andy Sauer.  Andy’s a cybersecurity leader who helps organizations build cybersecurity maturity.  Now, this was someone that Bill had been in touch with. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  This is how I came across Andy.  I heard him speaking to a group of CEOs.  And what struck me was, okay, not only does he know cybersecurity, but he’s having an impact on this group.  I watched the CEOs taking notes, and some were texting.  It was funny, they were apologizing to Andy after his presentation.  “Hey, I wasn’t ignoring you.  You said something that struck me, so I was texting members of our team to see if we had done that yet.”  You know, I felt like, okay, for project managers, this is something we need to hear.  It’s something we need to be reminded of and raise our awareness.  So Andy’s going to be a great resource for that. WENDY GROUNDS:  We talked to Don Hunt before on cybersecurity, and that was a few years ago. BILL YATES:  Yes, yeah. WENDY GROUNDS:  So I think it’s good that we retouch the topic again. BILL YATES:  Right. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Andy.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thanks for joining us. ANDY SAUER:  Hey, there.  Thanks for having me on. Meet Andy WENDY GROUNDS:  So tell us a little bit about your background in cybersecurity before we get into talking about this topic.  And something about your role at Sentinel Blue. ANDY SAUER:  Sure.  I’m the CISO, the Chief Information Security Officer, for a small company called Sentinel Blue.  I’ve been in IT and cybersecurity for about 13 years, with the last five years really being focused in on cybersecurity, rather than IT.  Sentinel Blue is a cybersecurity services firm that works with small and medium-sized businesses, particular in the U.S. defense industry.  And our main focus is really on building cybersecurity maturity for those businesses.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. This episode we share an environmental project story about CIRT, a startup company working on a solution to share recycling information to reduce waste. Kat Shayne and her team built a database to answer your recycling questions. Hear about the complex challenges encountered on this project. Table […] The post Episode 165 – CIRT: An Environmental Project to Reduce Waste appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. This episode we share an environmental project story about CIRT, a startup company working on a solution to share recycling information to reduce waste. Kat Shayne and her team built a database to answer your recycling questions. Hear about the complex challenges encountered on this project. Table of Contents 01:37 … Meet Kat04:37 … The Origin of CIRT08:17 … Accessing CIRT08:55 … Building a Database11:19 … What is GiGi?12:42 … Identifying What Can be Recycled13:59 … Keeping the Data Current15:40 … Skills or Passion?17:51 … Satisfying Stakeholders20:00 … Tackling Obstacles22:44 … Lessons Learned Building CIRT24:48 … Measuring the Impact of CIRT26:14 … I Wish I had Known!27:53 … Advice to Project Managers29:49 … Get in Touch with Kat31:12 … Closing Kat Shayne: ...making sure that the people that are in place are doing the things that are their strengths, and providing access to resources and tools that help them work on their weaknesses. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for joining us today.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  We like to bring you stories about projects.  And today we are bringing you a story about Katherine Shayne.  She worked in environmental sustainability focused on global materials management and marine plastic litter for the Jambeck Research Group and UGA New Materials Institute.  Kat has a passion for bridging science and technology with business and mitigation strategies in communities especially in terms of waste management and new materials. BILL YATES:  Wendy, have you ever been holding something in your hand, or you’re about to throw it in the trash, and you’re like, wait a minute, maybe I could recycle this. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, yes, many a time. BILL YATES:  So this is the question.  This is the problem that Kat and her team have been addressing.  At the University of Georgia Kat is the co-founder and president of Can I Recycle This.  It’s a startup company which is working on a solution to help people, people like me and you, governments, and businesses figure out what products or packaging are locally recyclable and how to get them to where they need to go. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Kat.  It’s great to have you on the podcast.  Thank you for joining us today. KAT SHAYNE:  Thanks for having me.  I’m really excited to be here. Meet Kat WENDY GROUNDS:  I want to hear a little bit about your background before we start.  You have a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Georgia. BILL YATES:  Go Dawgs. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah. KAT SHAYNE:  Go Dawgs. WENDY GROUNDS:  What sparked your interest in environmental sustainability?  How did it all begin? KAT SHAYNE:  Actually, I did not plan on becoming an engineer at all.  I was an English major when I started at UGA.  And I was going pre-law because I’d already looked up one of the highest-passing degrees for the LSAT was English.  So I started off in English.  I was really passionate about writing.  And I had a class that was an elective science class.  It was with Dr. Knox.  He’s a climatologist at UGA.  And he had me in his class, and he asked me to come in for office hours one day.  He was like, what is your major?  And I told him I wanted to do pre-law. I really had a passion for policy and law. And he says, “Well, you really have a knack for this,” because it was a climate course.  He said, you know, “Have you explored engineering, applied sciences?”  I said, “No, I didn’t even know UGA had engineering.”    So I went and checked it out, and at the same time I was trying to find a little bit more purpose in my degree, you know, what kind of law did I want to go into if I was going to do that. Because my significant other at the time had been diagnosed with cancer.  And he was 20, and he had colon cancer.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Two important interpersonal skills for project professionals to sharpen are negotiation and persuasion. Before you embark on your next stakeholder negotiation or try persuade an unyielding team member, take a listen to Carlene Szostak as she talks about successful negotiation and persuasion. Table of Contents 01:45 … […] The post Episode 164 – Negotiation and Persuasion- Strategies to Success appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Two important interpersonal skills for project professionals to sharpen are negotiation and persuasion. Before you embark on your next stakeholder negotiation or try persuade an unyielding team member, take a listen to Carlene Szostak as she talks about successful negotiation and persuasion. Table of Contents 01:45 … Meet Carlene02:38 … Types of Project Negotiations03:40 … The Traits of a Good Negotiator04:38 … Preparing for the Negotiation Process05:45 … Finding the Why07:29 … Listen Well10:26 … Enhance Your Negotiating Power12:43 … Dealing with Unethical Tactics14:59 … Reading Body Language16:12 … Negotiating for a Project Extension17:02 … Traps to Avoid in Negotiations18:48 … When Negotiation Stalls21:57 … Kevin and Kyle23:13 … Factors for Successful Persuasion24:40 … The Right Mindset for Persuasion26:37 … Dealing with a Confrontational Person28:46 … Persuasion vs. Manipulation30:46 … Tips to Persuade an Owner or Stakeholder32:31 … Challenges Facing PMs Today34:01 … Contact Carlene34:30 … Closing CARLENE SZOSTAK: ... Well, with technology and with the ability to reach people regardless of where they are in the organization, those walls have come down.  And people that are in the position of power want to hear from the people closest to the projects.  So therefore the permission has been granted.  All we have to do is step into it. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  And we’re so glad you joined us today.  If you like what you hear, we’d love to hear from you.  You can leave us a comment on our website, Velociteach.com; on social media; or whichever podcast listening app you use. Our guest today is Carlene Szostak.  She’s a business leader, she’s a consultant, author, and an educator.  She’s an established senior leader with a broad range of experience managing people, process, and technology.  So we’re going to talk about negotiation and persuasion. BILL YATES:  You know, Wendy, one of the things that we’re talking about is the importance of getting to know the other person that we’re negotiating with.  And one of the books that I’ve read on negotiation is by Chris Voss.  It’s “Never Split the Difference.”  In that he offers some questions that I think are helpful for me when I’m thinking about a negotiation, and what does the person on the other side of the table want?  Here are some of these questions.  This is just food for thought. “What about this is important to you?  How can I help to make this better for us?  How would you like for me to proceed?  What is it that brought us into this situation?  How can we solve this problem?  How am I supposed to do that, that thing that you’ve asking?”  These are just some questions that are food for thought for those that are trying to get in the mindset of that person on the other side of the table. Meet Carlene WENDY GROUNDS:  Carlene, welcome to Manage This. CARLENE SZOSTAK:  Thank you so much for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  Won’t you tell us how you got into project management? CARLENE SZOSTAK:  So my career started with the NFL.  Again, that had nothing to do with project management, but that experience segued me into working for a Fortune 50 company that had multiple moving parts.  And our senior leadership did not believe in project managers.  We hired the team, the team did the work, and that’s it.  And one very excited and future-looking leader on the C Suite came in and said, “Well, why don’t we just test the model?”  I had the opportunity in my region to actually get a project manager to work for me, and they opened our eyes on the things that we didn’t even consider we had to do or think about.  And ever since then I have been passionate about making sure that organizations have project management influence in anything that’s touched that makes a diffe...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. As a project professional, are you creating an inclusive, high-performing team that builds on each individual’s strengths? Hiren Shukla, the founder of Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence at Ernst & Young Global, talks to us about how to support neurodiversity on project team. Hiren shares the remarkable impact […] The post Episode 163 – Supporting Neurodiversity on Project Teams appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. As a project professional, are you creating an inclusive, high-performing team that builds on each individual’s strengths? Hiren Shukla, the founder of Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence at Ernst & Young Global, talks to us about how to support neurodiversity on project team. Hiren shares the remarkable impact of this innovation at EY as they are tapping into the significant skills of the neurodiverse community. Table of Contents 02:07 … Defining Neurodiversity03:40 … What Inspired Hiren?05:17 … Recruiting Neurodiverse Talent at EY07:30 … Training for All Team Members11:38 … Reconfiguring Hiring Processes13:14 … Creating a Stronger Team14:36 … Masking Neurodiversity17:41 … Awareness in Education20:59 … Psychological Safety24:51 … Disclosing Neurodiversity to an Employer27:58 … Improving Morale30:11 … Kevin and Kyle31:52 … Interview Process Accommodations36:13 … Source, Skill and Support42:04 … Find out More43:51 … Closing HIREN SHUKLA: And when one of our team members said to us, and we had hired her, and she said, “When I’m at work, I feel comfortable because I can take the mask off.  I can just be myself.”  Well, this was really powerful.  And we know when people feel comfortable; these are when the most innovative, transformative ideas and solutions come to bear.  And so literally this is creating and unlocking innovation capacity that already exists in our organization, in our communities. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  This is the podcast about project management.  If you like what you hear, we’d love to hear from you.  You can leave us a comment on our website, Velociteach.com, or on social media, or whichever podcast listening app you use.  That really helps us out. Today we’re talking with Hiren Shukla.  Hiren’s experience spans more than 20 years across accounting, strategy, automation, innovation, and change management.  He currently leads internal automation and innovation efforts at Ernst & Young and is the founder of the Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence at EY Global.  As a project professional, are you creating an inclusive team that builds on each other’s strengths to create the most successful high-performing project teams?  That’s something that we’re looking to answer today. BILL YATES:  That’s so true.  And Hiren, of course he works with E&Y, and possibly no company in the world is doing a better job at attracting neurodivergent talent to drive innovation than Ernst & Young.  Hiren is an expert in neurodiversity.  And as he describes, he didn’t think this was where he was headed in his career, but that’s where he ended up. WENDY GROUNDS:  And he’s very passionate, and we think he has some really good advice.  Whether you are neurotypical or neurodiverse, this is definitely a podcast for you.  Hi, Hiren.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us. HIREN SHUKLA:  I’m so excited to be here today, Wendy. Defining Neurodiversity WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re looking forward to digging in to talking about neurodiversity, but I just want to ask if you could start out by explaining what the term means, neurodiversity, and what that encompasses. HIREN SHUKLA:  Thank you for asking that.  I know definitions are really important.  And let me describe it this way.  Neurodiversity is like biodiversity.  It represents, though, the realm of cognitive differences in the world.  So neurodiversity effectively is all of us, and under that umbrella there’s really two main portions of society.  Probably 80-85% of the world are neurotypicals, individuals like myself.  We converge in our social thinking and communication style. About 15-20% of the world’s population would be considered neurodivergent or neurodistinct.  These terms are interchangeable.  These are individuals that, as you can hear, do not converge necessarily in social thinking ...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Why do delays on construction projects continue to occur? Hear about SmartPM Technologies, a real-time automated analytics platform, which analyzes complex construction schedule data via machine learning to uncover actionable insights so construction firms can reduce delays and improve project outcomes. Table of Contents 02:41 … Why […] The post Episode 162– SmartPM Technologies – Data-Driven Solutions for Project Outcomes appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Why do delays on construction projects continue to occur? Hear about SmartPM Technologies, a real-time automated analytics platform, which analyzes complex construction schedule data via machine learning to uncover actionable insights so construction firms can reduce delays and improve project outcomes. Table of Contents 02:41 … Why SmartPM?06:56 … Why do Construction Delays Occur?09:49 … SmartPM Primary Customer13:53 … How SmartPM Works15:18 … Scoring Model18:16 … The Owner’s Perspective23:28 … How SmartPM Identifies Risks28:04 … Kevin and Kyle29:26 … Only for Construction Projects30:35 … Mike’s Personal Motivation33:50 … Contact Mike34:42 … Introducing Dave Kirchheim a SmartPM User36:02 … SmartPM Experience37:31 … Data Input and Output39:27 … The SmartPM Impact on a Project40:44 … Most Helpful Features41:55 … Takeaway as a User43:51 … Closing MIKE PINK: But having something that can sit in the middle to produce good conversation that’s factually accurate, actually, you know, it needs to be factually accurate, produces actually better results.  You would think a lot of our owner customers feared it was going to start arguments.  But what they realized was when you throw something down in the middle of you that has an analysis that really supports your concern, they will take it seriously because they take you seriously.  But when you don’t have that, you really have opinion; right?  So that’s been the difference. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for listening.  If you like what you hear, you can leave us a comment on our website Velociteach.com, on social media, or whichever podcast listening app you use.  This is where we interview top experts and project managers to get their unique perspectives.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  Today we’re talking to Mike Pink.  Mike is the CEO of SmartPM Technologies, a construction schedule analytic software provider. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  And it’s interesting to note that before founding SmartPM, Mike worked as a consultant for 17 or more years at Deloitte and at KPMG.  He was helping commercial construction firms with forensic delay analysis.  That’s what led him to think about SmartPM.  So he became a leading expert in construction risk management and then started thinking about how do I use this information to help construction projects go better. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  So this is particularly for our construction project managers, but I think there’s a lot of lessons that Mike shares which are good for everyone.  In 2019, SmartPM launched its Schedule Optimization Platform, and this analyzes complex construction schedule data via machine learning.  And it helps to uncover actionable insight so construction firms can reduce delays and improve project outcomes. Also in this podcast we’re going to have a little chat with Dave Kirchheim.  He and his company have been using SmartPM, and so he’s going to give us his feedback from that. BILL YATES:  Yeah, we thought it’d be great.  Talk with the founder of the company, the one that really inspired the creation of the software; and then talk with a user, a customer, and see how they’re using it and how it’s changed their project management discipline. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Mike.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for being our guest. MIKE PINK:  Well, thank you for having me.  I’m excited to be here. Why SmartPM? WENDY GROUNDS:  You created the software called SmartPM.  Why did you create this platform? MIKE PINK:  Well, it’s a long story.  Try to make it quick.  I got out of college back in 2001.  I was an industrial engineer, and I got a job at KPMG in their construction solutions group, which is consulting. And  I didn’t really know what it was all about.  I just knew that it was an interesting opportunity.  It was in New York City,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Lessons learned from a space crop production project to develop sustainable fresh food systems, in support of long duration space missions beyond low Earth orbit. We’re exploring the world of astrobotany and the challenges of this unconventional project. Table of Contents 02:38 … Meet Ralph05:05 … Project […] The post Episode 161 – Space Crop Production – Supporting Long Duration Space Missions appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Lessons learned from a space crop production project to develop sustainable fresh food systems, in support of long duration space missions beyond low Earth orbit. We’re exploring the world of astrobotany and the challenges of this unconventional project. Table of Contents 02:38 … Meet Ralph05:05 … Project Management Role at NASA08:30 … Space Crop Production09:44 … Project Stakeholders11:35 … Tailoring the Pitch12:39 … Growing Plants in Space16:46 … Plant Growth Substrate19:16 … Regolith23:15 … Types of Plant Crops for Space27:42 … Kevin and Kyle29:09 … Understanding Both Sides of the Project33:34 … Further Testing36:15 … Project Simulation Funding37:59 … Making the Most of Opportunities40:51 … PM Lessons Learned43:26 … Find out More44:34 … Closing RALPH FRITSCHE: I think it’s an advantage not having too much of a foothold in any camp because what it does is you bring a bias with you that you have to work through.  Not having that bias gives you the ability to understand the passions that each side brings to the table and to try to balance those.  Because personalities are such that I might have an engineer who’s very knowledgeable and demonstrative, and they may override the plant scientist person.  And you have to be able to see that dynamic if it happens and try to balance that out.  So it’s really almost acting like an orchestra leader trying to understand when the right time to engage one group versus another. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for joining us today.  This is where we interview top experts and project managers to get their unique perspectives.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates, who likes to dig deep into complex issues that project managers face today.  If you like what you hear, we’d love to hear from you.  You can leave us a comment on our website, Velociteach.com, on social media, or whichever podcast listening app you use. Our guest today is Ralph Fritsche.  He is with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which we commonly call NASA; and he’s a space crop production and exploration food systems project manager.  And he’s leading the efforts to develop sustainable and reliable fresh food systems in support of long-duration space missions beyond low Earth orbit. BILL YATES:  This is so fascinating.  This conversation with Ralph is just something I’ve been looking forward to because, I mean, Wendy, you and I, neither one of us are really green thumbs.  We can kill stuff. WENDY GROUNDS:  No, no, I’m really bad.  I’ve been trying so hard. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  And here we’re going to talk with Ralph about growing stuff in space.  And it has to be edible, and it has to be the ultimate in terms of nutritious and tasty and sustainable and zero waste.  It’s like, ah, what a problem to solve, and what an interesting project to address. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s such an interesting project because we spoke to Philippe Schoonejans a few months ago, and he was telling us it can take over eight months to get to Mars.  So it’s not like you can stop midway and resupply and get your fruit and veggies.  So Ralph’s team is trying to develop sustainable fresh food systems for these astronauts. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  And Ralph’s had a 40-year career with NASA.  He’s done a little bit of everything, and he mentions a few of those in our conversation.  But talking about this latest project challenge for him is just mind-blowing. Meet Ralph WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Ralph.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad you’re joining us. RALPH FRITSCHE:  Thank you very much.  Pleasure to be here. WENDY GROUNDS:  Before we get talking about astrobotany, and I’m so geeked out about that, I want to find out a little bit about you.  Can you tell us about your career path?  Have you always been interested in space? RALPH FRITSCHE:  So,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Andy Crowe shares project management advice and reflects on 20 years of training project managers at Velociteach. Hear about his bold move to step away from a successful project management career to launch Velociteach, and what he learned along the way. Listen in for tips on how […] The post Episode 160 – Velociteach: Celebrating 20 Years of Project Management Training appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Andy Crowe shares project management advice and reflects on 20 years of training project managers at Velociteach. Hear about his bold move to step away from a successful project management career to launch Velociteach, and what he learned along the way. Listen in for tips on how to find balance if you’re overwhelmed, dealing with uncertainty, and managing changes. Table of Contents 01:20 … Behind the Book03:05 … Comparison to Other PMP Exam Textbooks05:05 … Defining Success05:48 … Lessons Learned Starting Velociteach07:14… Challenges that PMs are Facing Today11:07 … Kevin and Kyle12:45 … Most Successful Project13:31 … Project Manager Competencies15:33 … Acquiring the Technical Knowledge17:15 … Tools and Techniques18:52 … A Team Replaced or Project Cancelled?21:07 … The Overwhelmed Project Manager22:50 … Finding Balance25:19 … Managing Changes and Unpredictability29:07 … Best of Project Management30:15 … Closing ANDY CROWE: To me it’s such a joy to bring order into chaos.  It’s such a joy to deliver a solution, to make something, to build something.  I love that.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We are so glad you’re joining us.  If you like what you hear, please visit us at Velociteach.com, where you can leave a comment on our Manage This Podcast page.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and here in the studio is Bill Yates and Andy Crowe.  Bill, this is a very special day today; isn’t it. BILL YATES:  Yes, we’re celebrating 20 years, a 20-year birthday or... WENDY GROUNDS:  Love birthdays. BILL YATES:  ...anniversary for Velociteach.  That’s right, Velociteach started up in September of 2002.  And we just wanted to invite Andy into the studio just to pause and reflect on 20 years of Velociteach, and then ask him some personal questions; you know?  What makes a project manager successful?  What’s it like when your project gets canceled?  Tell us about starting a business.  So this will be a fun conversation, just to get inside the brain of Andy Crowe, CEO of Velociteach. WENDY GROUNDS:  And I think he has a lot of great advice for younger project managers or project managers who are struggling.  He has some really good advice.  So take a listen. Behind the Book Hi, Andy.  Welcome back to Manage This. ANDY CROWE:  Thank you.  I’m excited to be here. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re excited to talk with you today.  So Velociteach, it all started with a book.  And writing a book is a huge project.  Could you tell us a bit about your book, “The PMP Exam:  How to Pass on Your First Try,” and your motivation to write it? ANDY CROWE:  You know what, I was motivated because when I read other books I wasn’t happy with them.  And they didn’t explain things the way I did.  So, you know, certainly there were a lot of resources out there, and people definitely passed the PMP before this.  But it was something that I like to explain things.  I love to write.  I just write a lot regardless.  And so it was a good marriage of things.  As I was going through, I took all of my notes that I had used previously to study for the PMP and kind of put them to use and organized them.  And then it evolved over time. BILL YATES:  I’ve known you for a while, and I think that’s a  natural evolution for you.  That’s part of your DNA is you look at something, you go through something personally like the PMP Exam.  And you go, you know what, I think I would have done better if I’d had this, or if.  It makes sense to me that you would go through that, pass the PMP Exam, and then go, you know, I think I could write a book about this. ANDY CROWE:  Well, and also, you know, it was something that, as I’m going through trying to explain things, there were just things that I thought I would love to have stated that differently.  I would love to have explained this a different way.  And so, you know,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Who looks out for the owner’s interest to achieve project success while maximizing project value?  In this episode Herbert Marshall talks about differentiating project oversight from project management. We look at some best practices for project oversight from the perspective of an owner or client. Table of […] The post Episode 159 – Bridging the Gap between Project Management and Project Oversight appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Who looks out for the owner’s interest to achieve project success while maximizing project value?  In this episode Herbert Marshall talks about differentiating project oversight from project management. We look at some best practices for project oversight from the perspective of an owner or client. Table of Contents 01:44 … Nuclear Power Plant Project Role02:55 … Lessons Learned from Project05:00 … Defining Project Oversight06:09 … Project Oversight vs. Project Management Roles08:24 … Project Oversight Independence10:32 … Inspiration for the Project Oversight Guide13:40 … Oversight Advice16:36 … The Role of the Oversight Professional21:10 … When to Add an Oversight Professional24:30 … Project Oversight Examples28:30 … Get in Touch with Herb29:47 … Closing HERB MARSHALL:  So the project outcome as measured by an owner won’t exactly align with the success factors of the project outcome for the contractor, nor do the risks perfectly align.  And so that creates a natural tension between the two.  And if not done right, there ends up being winners and losers. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’re glad you’re joining us.  If you like what you hear, please visit us at Velociteach.com and leave us a comment on our Manage This Podcast page.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Bill.  So today we have an interesting guest; don’t we? BILL YATES:  Yes, we do.  Herb Marshall is our guest.  He’s a retired nuclear-navy officer and a former lead field assistant for the Department of Energy, Naval Reactors.  He’s got over 20 years of experience overseeing major capital projects, including construction, fabrication, logistics, overhaul, operations, maintenance, and vessel decommissioning and dismantlement. Herb brings a wealth of knowledge to us.  And we’re going to talk about something that I bet none of our listeners have really considered before, and the topic is project oversight.  So we’re going to distinguish or delineate project oversight from project management and talk about this gap that Herb has seen in the marketplace with projects, which is many times we don’t really have someone representing the owner.  So we’re going to talk about that with Herb. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, it’s going to be interesting.  And Herb wrote a book.  It’s called “The Project Oversight Guide.”  And we’re going to talk to him a bit more about that, as well.  Hi, Herb.  We’re so thrilled to have you join us today. HERB MARSHALL:  Thank you for having me. Nuclear Power Plant Project Role WENDY GROUNDS:  To start off with, let’s get a little bit about your background.  You were previously hired as the chief architect of the project oversight model for a billion-dollar decontamination and dismantlement of a U.S. commercial nuclear power plant.  Can you describe your role on that project? HERB MARSHALL:  Oh, sure.  Well, I was brought in when they were struggling in the beginning, and they decided we need some subject matter expertise if we’re going to oversee this contractor doing this decommissioning while we’re retaining the nuclear license.  So I began where you probably need to begin, which is designing the organizational structure, working with the leadership, writing the job descriptions for the oversight staff and management positions.  And then I worked with various department heads and wrote about 20 or so of the protocols and processes, developed the key performance indicators, the reporting structure, the project management manual, and developed and administered about 40 hours of training.  I also developed an Oversight Professional Certification Program and chaired the final certification oral boards for those would-be candidates. Lessons Learned from Project WENDY GROUNDS:  So what was your lessons learned from this experience?

The project management podcast by project managers for project managers brought to you by Velociteach PMP exam prep. Culture expert Colin D Ellis talks about in-office culture, remote culture, as well as hybrid culture, and how we can shift our mindset from where we work to how we work. Hear about managing team culture and […] The post Episode 158 – Keep it Together – Managing Team Culture appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The project management podcast by project managers for project managers brought to you by Velociteach PMP exam prep. Culture expert Colin D Ellis talks about in-office culture, remote culture, as well as hybrid culture, and how we can shift our mindset from where we work to how we work. Hear about managing team culture and creating a space for safety where everybody succeeds. Table of Contents 02:25 … Defining team Culture03:20 … Everyone has a Role in Culture04:38 … How a Leader can Influence Culture06:26 … Managing In-Office Team Culture11:02 … Why are People Reluctant to Return13:31 … Rebuilding Culture16:10 … Managing Remote Team Culture19:36 … Engaging Remote Team Members21:50 … Psychological Safety within Remote Teams24:07 … Connecting New Hires to the Culture27:37 … Managing Team Culture in Hybrid Environments30:06 … Even the Playing Field32:49 … Learn a New Skill Set34:54 … Getting Buy-In from Upper Management33:30 … Advice for Younger Project Managers37:58 … Get in Touch with Colin39:16 … Closing COLIN ELLIS:  So hybrid work is a different way of working.  And so it’s crucially important that managers fundamentally understand what the differences are, what the risks are, but also what the opportunities are so that they can do it properly.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and we’re talking with Colin D. Ellis.  And Colin has been a guest of ours in the past.  On Episode 89, Keys to Success and Being a Good Human, Colin joined us from Melbourne, Australia.  And he’s joining us again today.  Colin has more than 20 years’ experience building and leading teams in public and private sector organizations.  And he just loves helping people to be their best selves and bring that to work each day. We’re going to be talking to him about company culture.  There’s been so many changes in company culture over the last couple of years.  And so we’re going to address in-office culture, remote culture, as well as hybrid culture and how we can shift our mindset from where we work to how we work.  Colin and Bill are both joining us via Skype today. Hi, Colin.  Welcome back to Manage This.  It’s so good to have you back. COLIN ELLIS:  Thank you, Wendy.  It’s lovely to be back. WENDY GROUNDS:  What have you been doing in the interim, since we last spoke to you?  What’s happening in your life? COLIN ELLIS:  Oh, I mean, where do you even start?  It was like, things have been pretty normal, I haven’t really done anything.  Yeah, things have been just a little bit crazy.  I think like everybody else in the pandemic, especially those people who work for themselves, there was that period of uncertainty right at the start, like, oh.  What do we do about developing our staff?  Let’s just put everything on hold.  And that was, you know, the way it was for me.  We dealt with some pretty severe COVID issues back with our family in the U.K.  And we kind of got through that.  And then all of a sudden the work came roaring back. I think for someone like me, who does a lot of work in workplace culture and still keep my hand in in the project management world, I think what COVID did was really shine a light on either some of the things that were broken within cultures or else some of the things that just needed to be tweaked to make sure that people could keep delivering and keep being as productive as they can be. So, you know, what’s changed in the sense that I did more virtual work than I’ve ever done before, but I was well set up for it, so that was a relatively easy transition.  And just enjoying being back amongst people again. Defining Team Culture WENDY GROUNDS:  Well, we want to dig into talking about company culture, and you were the person we thought would be an expert to give us some great advice.  But before we head into talking about company culture, could you give us just a really good definition?

The podcast by project managers for project managers. As a project manager, do you have an obligation to support your team members’ development for the duration of your project assignment?  In this episode, Lisa DiTullio explains how to effectively coach team members and still get the work done. She describes how to create a learning, […] The post Episode 157 – The Project Coach – Boost Project Success appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. As a project manager, do you have an obligation to support your team members’ development for the duration of your project assignment?  In this episode, Lisa DiTullio explains how to effectively coach team members and still get the work done. She describes how to create a learning, collaborative environment for your team, which will benefit each individual and the project delivery. Table of Contents 02:05 … Meet Lisa03:26 … Defining Coaching05:16 … Changing Landscape for Project Managers07:33 … Traditional Approach to Managing Projects09:45 … How to Coach and Deliver Successful Projects12:35 … Coaching Project Fundamentals16:40 … Asking the Right Questions18:04 … How to Evolve as a Manager Coach20:06 … Listen More, Talk Less21:58 … Coaching Through the Life of a Project25:01 … Fitting in a New Team Member29:40 … Keep it Simple to be Successful30:47 … Get in Touch with Lisa31:55 … Closing LISA DITULLIO:  And if they challenge you, like, “Well, wait a minute, you know this, can’t you just tell me,” you have to be prepared to be able to go back and say, “But when I give you the permission and the opportunity to think about this on your own, you will never forget it.  You will own it.  It is yours.  And then you can build off of that, and you can continue to succeed.” WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our bimonthly program, where we like to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  And we’re so glad you’re joining us.  If you like what you hear, please visit us at Velociteach.com and leave us a comment on our website. I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  Our guest today is Lisa DiTullio.  Lisa is the principal of Project Chalk Talk.  She has over 25 years experience in establishing PMO and Portfolio Management models. She is also the author of several books and a regular contributor to industry blogs and various podcasts.  As past VP Portfolio and Program Management of Foundation Medicine, Lisa built the PMO from the ground up.  As past director of the PMO at Boston-based Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Lisa was a core member of the turnaround team for an organization that went from being placed in state-supervised receivership in 1999 to being the number one health plan in America in U.S. News & World Report many years in a row.  So we’re going to talk with Lisa about the project coach. BILL YATES:  Yeah, some of these questions are going to be along the lines of, okay, do project managers also have an obligation or a responsibility to support team members’ development?  We’ve got to deliver successful projects.  What about our team members and their development?  It’s an opportunity to support team members’ development through coaching for the duration of the project assignment.  But again, you’ve got to find that balance of getting things done.  So we’re going to ask Lisa how coaching can be done simply, without getting in the way of successful project delivery. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Lisa.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thanks for being our guest.  LISA DITULLIO:  Thank you so much for having me.  I’m thrilled to be here. Meet Lisa WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re excited to talk on this topic.  But before we get there, can you tell us about your current work? What are you doing right now, and how you got into project management? LISA DITULLIO:  I fell into the profession like many of us have, which is totally by accident.  I never grew up thinking I was going to be a project manager.  Didn’t even know what a project manager was.  And in typical form, most folks who are good at their day job get rewarded by being assigned a project.  And that’s exactly how it happened.  I had no background.  I had no training.  And I just knew that I had to deliver a lot of work within a certain timeline.  And I knew that the pressure was on,

How is Agile relevant beyond IT? Alan Zucker explains how agile roots are in the Lean manufacturing movement as he shares about the application of agile practices for non-technology projects. He talks about agile as a mindset, the Gemba Walk, House of Lean, transparency in teams, value stream mapping, and much more. Recently Alan launched […] The post Episode 156 – Agile Beyond IT appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

How is Agile relevant beyond IT? Alan Zucker explains how agile roots are in the Lean manufacturing movement as he shares about the application of agile practices for non-technology projects. He talks about agile as a mindset, the Gemba Walk, House of Lean, transparency in teams, value stream mapping, and much more. Recently Alan launched a new Velociteach InSite course: Agile Beyond IT, a hands-on application of agile practices for non-technology challenges. Table of Contents 01:59 … Agile Beyond IT03:09 … Blurring the Lines between Traditional and Agile06:04 … Fusion Cooking and Project Management07:21 … Agile as a Mindset not a Methodology10:19 … Self-Organizing and Self-Managing11:32 … Empowering Team Members12:36 … Iterative and Incremental15:12 … Iterative and Incremental in Non-IT Projects15:21 … The House of Lean17:43 … Transparency in Healthy Teams19:22 … The Gemba Walk22:53 … Agile Manifesto beyond IT24:59 … 12 Agile Principles beyond IT27:41 … Dignity28:49 … Value Stream Mapping in Non-IT31:39 … Advice for New Leaders32:57 … Get in Touch with Alan34:19 … Closing ALAN ZUCKER: Another is trusting the wisdom of the team, recognizing that you don’t need to come up with all the answers, or potentially even any of the answers; that your strength lies in bringing out the experience and knowledge of everybody else on the team. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  This is the podcast about project management.  We are excited to bring our guest to you today.  This is actually someone we’ve had before. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  Alan Zucker is joining us.  He’s a certified project management professional.  He’s an Agile Foundation certificate holder, a Scrum Master, a Scaled Agilist, as well as a keynote speaker. BILL YATES:  We have a course that we are launching.  This one is called “Agile Beyond IT.”  It’s a part of our self-paced training in InSite.  Alan created the “Fundamentals of Agile” course for us, and the feedback was always positive, and sometimes he’d get the comment, “I don’t work in technology, so how does this apply to me?”  Well, that’s something that he’s dealt with a lot in some of the consulting and other training that he’s done for organizations. For several years Alan’s helped clients use agile principles and practices in diverse non-technology fields, everything from construction to not-for-profits.  These experiences are the basis for this class.  And he pulls some of the concepts from the agile principles and says, “Okay, here’s the principle.  How can we apply this beyond IT?”  Very practical, great advice. Alan has got multiple agile certifications from PMI, the Scrum Alliance, Disciplined Agile, and Scaled Agile.  He’s created courses for us.  He instructs for us.  He is in the classroom.  In fact, as we wrap up this session today, he’s going to begin a four-day PMP prep class for us.  And we’re delighted to have him with us. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Alan.  Welcome to Manage This once again.  Thank you for joining us. ALAN ZUCKER:  Hi.  It’s great to see you guys again. Agile Beyond IT WENDY GROUNDS:  Now, we’ve just mentioned that you have completed a course for us, “Agile Beyond IT.”  And we’re very excited to publish this one.  It’s an excellent course.  Could you give us a little bit of a background for this and why you picked that name for the course? ALAN ZUCKER:  Sure.  So a few years ago I created a “Fundamentals of Agile” course for Velociteach.  And it’s been very popular.  But as we were looking at some of the comments that people left, people were saying, “Well, this was a really great course, but it was all about technology, and I’m in a non-technology area.  How can I use agile?”  So we had some conversations, and we put together a course for people that aren’t in technology.  And it just so happened that around the same time I was thinking,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How to flourish in your leadership role as your best self, inspire excellence in your team, and lead a highly fulfilled life.  “Arriving” is everything required to get into a position, but to stay successful, it is necessary to embrace the skills needed to “thrive” in that […] The post Episode 155 – Arrive and Thrive: Impactful Leadership Practices appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How to flourish in your leadership role as your best self, inspire excellence in your team, and lead a highly fulfilled life.  “Arriving” is everything required to get into a position, but to stay successful, it is necessary to embrace the skills needed to “thrive” in that position. Listen in for useful advice on how to Arrive and Thrive and succeed in your leadership role. Table of Contents 01:47 … Arrive and Thrive - The Book04:15 … Who Should Read this Book?04:38 … Co-authors and Collaborations05:54 … Skills to Thrive08:36 … The Harsh Inner Critic11:29 … The Self-Centering Practice15:19 … Thriving and Combating Systemic Barriers19:53 … Lead with Our Best Self22:37 … Cultivating Courage25:16 … Instill Courage in Others27:18 … Becoming More Self-Aware29:34 … Reflective Sense-Making31:44 … Susan’s Lessons Learned33:56 … Get in Touch with Susan34:57 … Closing SUSAN MACKENTY BRADY:  ... we can’t control and change other people.  It’s annoying, but it’s true.  People don’t like to be controlled.  But we can make choices about how we show up.  So what we want to do is we want to narrow the gap between the time we are triggered and the time we react, enough to take pause between stimulus and response.  That’s it.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This.  This is the podcast by project managers for project managers. I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  BILL YATES:  Yes.  Our guest is Susan Mackenty Brady.  She is the Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Chair for Women and Leadership at Simmons University, and the first Chief Executive Officer of the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership.  As a relationship expert, leadership well-being coach, author and speaker, our guest Susan educates leaders and executives globally on fostering self-awareness for optimal leadership. WENDY GROUNDS:  The reason we’re talking to Susan today is she has sent us a book called “Arrive and Thrive:  7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership,” which she has co-authored with Janet Foutty and Lynn Perry Wooten.  You know, women who arrive at the top should be able to thrive at the top.  There’s a lot of talk about how to get there.  But then once you get there, are you just surviving, or are you thriving in those positions as women in leadership?  And so we hope that this is going to be a really helpful book and a helpful conversation to women who are project managers and trying to figure out how to flourish in leadership roles today. BILL YATES: Yeah, I can attest.  There’s great value in this book, regardless of male or female. WENDY GROUNDS: Susan, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. SUSAN MACKENTY BRADY:  Thank you for having me. Arrive and Thrive - The Book WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re excited to talk about this book. To start off, won’t you tell us why you wrote this book? SUSAN MACKENTY BRADY:  You know, there’s two answers to that question.  You want both?  There’s first a real answer about how it came to be, which was because I am not an academic.  I have been in business and specifically in leadership development.  I’ve been a student and teacher of leadership since I can recall.  I’ve a Master’s in Behavioral Science and Leadership Education.  And I have to say, when I came to Simmons University and was awarded the endowed chair, it’s the Deloitte Ellen Gabriel Chair for Women in Leadership, my first question is what does one do to be worthy of an endowed chair in an academic environment?  Because I actually didn’t know that non-PhDs were awarded chairs.  Apparently it’s more common than we know. But my answer was whatever you want it to be. So it was actually around a talking circle with two senior partners from Deloitte and the current President of the University, who awarded me the chair.  And we’re all C-level.  We’ve run organizations.  We’ve run business units,

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Matt Cooke, a lead project manager with Texas-based T&T Salvage LLC, describes the bold plan to remove the Golden Ray wreck from the Georgia coastline. Hear about the many obstacles and challenges the team had to overcome in this extraordinary wreck removal project. Table of Contents 01:19 […] The post Episode 154 – A Project Story:  The Largest Wreck Removal in US History appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Matt Cooke, a lead project manager with Texas-based T&T Salvage LLC, describes the bold plan to remove the Golden Ray wreck from the Georgia coastline. Hear about the many obstacles and challenges the team had to overcome in this extraordinary wreck removal project. Table of Contents 01:19 … The Golden Ray Wreck03:30 … Meet Matt05:37 … T&T Salvage and the Golden Ray Project06:25 … Project Collaborations and Stakeholders08:38 … The Plan to Remove the Wreck10:13 … The Size of the Project11:19 … Project Timeline12:28 … The Cutting of the Wreck14:22 … Dealing With Obstacles14:41 … Safety15:35 … Ocean Tides16:36 … Weather and Environmental Protection17:27 … COVID19:19 … Risk Management Strategy22:02 … Keeping the Team Motivated23:36 … Forward Planning24:52 … Final Piece Removed26:23 … Final Destination27:28 … Reflecting on the Project29:20 … Find Out More31:11 … Closing Matt Cooke: I think my biggest job as the project manager was to keep looking ahead and trying to think about what’s next, what’s the next challenge we’re going to face, what’s the next task on our to-do list and trying to stay ahead of that because that’s where I needed to kind of keep ahead of our teams and try to make sure that then we were thinking a few steps down the road so that we weren’t coming up to those roadblocks unprepared.  WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  This is the podcast about project management.  We like to bring you stories about projects and the leadership lessons and the wise advice that you can hear from industry experts from all around the world who have carried out successful projects. And one of those stories is going to be brought to us today by our guest, Matt Cooke.  Matt is an integral part of the T&T Salvage Team, he provides engineering, project management, planning, cost analysis, and operational support.  He has been actively involved in large-scale salvage and emergency response operations in the U.S. and abroad.  He was on leadership of the T&T Salvage successful removal of the Golden Ray wreck.  And he was one of the two lead project managers on this project.  And Bill’s going to tell us a little bit about this fascinating project. The Golden Ray Wreck BILL YATES:  Yes.  The Golden Ray wreck, let’s talk about that.  That’s the largest wreck removal operation in United States history.  On September 8, 2019, the Golden Ray capsized within the Port of Brunswick’s harbor shortly after getting underway.  The ship departed the dock in Brunswick shortly after midnight and had traveled only 23 minutes when she started to list.  The serious listing caused the port to close immediately.  The good news is all 23 crewmen onboard survived, including the three engineers who were in the ship’s engine room at the time of the incident. Now, the vessel, the Golden Ray, was carrying 4,200 brand new Kia and Hyundai cars that had been manufactured in Mexico. WENDY GROUNDS:  And they didn’t survive. BILL YATES:  No, they did not survive.  If you want a water-damaged Kia, yeah.  The incident was mentioned as related to a sudden loss of stability.  So if you’re wondering, you know, how did this occur, it was a sudden loss of stability, possibly due to cargo stowage and incorrect water ballasting.  It was an NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board, report in August of 2021 that determined the cause of sinking to be a combination of factors, things like incorrect figures had been entered in the ship’s stability calculation program, which was used to determine the proper levels for ballast tanks. And there was no procedure to verify those calculations.  This left the ship unstable.  And as she made a sharp turn 23 minutes into her voyage, when exiting the channel, that’s when trouble came up.  To complicate things, when the ship heeled to port,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear about the three attributes of restraint: speed, thrift, and simplicity – and how these traits can add to project innovation. Dan Ward describes using a restrained approach of short schedules, tight budgets, small teams, and deep commitments to simplicity to deliver best-in-class technology that is operationally relevant. […] The post Episode 153 – Simplicity and Restraint: Reshaping Project Innovation   appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear about the three attributes of restraint: speed, thrift, and simplicity – and how these traits can add to project innovation. Dan Ward describes using a restrained approach of short schedules, tight budgets, small teams, and deep commitments to simplicity to deliver best-in-class technology that is operationally relevant. He highlights how unnecessary complexity adds complications which can reduce innovation. Table of Contents 01:40 … Dan’s Book LIFT02:46 … High-Speed, Low Cost Programs in the U.S. Air Force04:28 … MITRE Innovation Toolkit06:12 … When it’s Not All About The Bass08:25 … Project Success on a Shoestring Budget13:33 … Speed, Thrift, and Simplicity16:03 … Unnecessary Complexity Reduces Innovation22:00 … Innovation Requires Diversity25:06 … Stay on Track with Innovation28:03 … Status Reporting32:19 … Eating the Failure Cake36:09 … Get in Touch with Dan37:09 … Closing Dan Ward: ...it turns out we get better results, more innovative results, more impactful results, when we move in the direction of speed, thrift, and simplicity, rather than moving in the direction of spending more time, more money, making things more complicated.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  And we’re so glad you joined us today. We have a special guest.  His name is Dan Ward.  And he’s an innovation catalyst at the MITRE Corporation.  Dan previously served for more than 20 years as an acquisition officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he specialized in leading high-speed, low-cost technology development programs.  Dan retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  While he was on active duty he helped establish the Air Force Research Laboratory’s rapid innovation process. BILL YATES:  Dan Ward is also the author of three books.  We’ll talk about “LIFT” specifically in the podcast that he released in 2019; “The Simplicity Cycle,” 2015; and “F.I.R.E.” in 2014. WENDY GROUNDS:  In our conversation with Dan we have a particular theme of innovation and managing complexity. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  So Dan has researched, of course his career was dedicated to this as well, and he’s written books on this idea of innovation and applying innovation to various environments.  Certainly for project managers we can look at this, and we’re going to share some advice and learn some lessons from this man as we talk about innovation and how to apply it to our projects. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Dan.  Welcome to Manage This. DAN WARD:  Wendy, thanks so much for having me.  I’m looking forward to this chat. Dan’s Book LIFT WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, no, we are happy to have you.  And first thing we want to talk to you about is your books.  You’ve written a few books.  And your latest one is called “LIFT.”  Can you tell us a little bit about that? DAN WARD:  Yeah, absolutely.  So “LIFT” was such a fun book to write.  And it takes a close look at what I think is a really interesting part of history, the late 1800s, and then specifically the people who were trying to build airplanes in the decades immediately prior to the Wrights.  So all of these people failed.  None of their airplanes actually flew.  That wasn’t until 1903 when the Wrights had their first successful airplane. But these experiences, these experiments, and the way they handled their failures have a lot of really interesting applications for challenges people are working on today.  So in terms of like solving hard problems, managing intellectual property, collaboration, diversity, equity, and inclusion.  You know, we think we invented that.  No.  They were dealing with those types of issues in the late 1800s.  So really, anyone who’s trying to solve an unsolved problem or just even just a really hard problem, we can learn a lot from these aviation pioneers in the late 1800s.

The podcast by project managers for project managers.  Is your body language negatively impacting your project teams? Body language expert Jeff Baird shares some handy tips to incorporate into our non-verbal communication. Hear how we can tap into vast amounts of information from body language messages, and how to harness body language to come across […] The post Episode 152 – Body language – Unlocking the Silent Advantage appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers.  Is your body language negatively impacting your project teams? Body language expert Jeff Baird shares some handy tips to incorporate into our non-verbal communication. Hear how we can tap into vast amounts of information from body language messages, and how to harness body language to come across as confident and persuasive. Table of Contents 02:42 … Meet Jeff02:57 … Combining the IT Data World and Body Language06:38 … Our Ability to Influence People09:01 … What is our Brain Doing when We Meet Someone?12:02 … How Can We be Deliberate with Our Body Language?14:55 … Power Body Language17:34 … Nonverbal “Hacks” We Can Use21:59 … The “Head Tilt” and the “Smile”23:43 … Body Language and Virtual Meetings28:27 … Improving Phone Presence30:26 … The 3 “Shuns” of Workplace Breakdowns35:42 … Creating a Safe Environment37:50 … Detecting Lies43:33 … Contact Jeff43:50 … Closing JEFF BAIRD:  There’s not good or bad body language.  There’s just how it’s going to be perceived in the eyes of the other person.  And as a side note, there’s two sides to this coin, too.  There’s what we’re doing with our body language and how people are perceiving us and how willing they are to listen to us.  And then there’s all the nonverbal signals that they’re sending back to us, too, that can give us clues as to how they feel.  And so there’s not good or bad body language.  I just want to help people to be congruent so that when they say something their body language is going to match that because oftentimes what happens is if those are not congruent, we’ll tend to believe what we see in body language over what they’re telling us with their words. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  We’re so glad you’re joining us.  If you like what you hear, please visit us at Velociteach.com where you can leave a comment on our Manage This Podcast page.  We know you’re also looking for opportunities to acquire PDUs, your Professional Development Units, towards recertifications.  And you can still claim PDUs for all our podcast episodes.  If you take a listen at the end of the show, we’ll give you advice on how to do that. Our guest today is Jeff Baird.  He has been in data analytics for almost 20 years, but over the years he has found that facts and numbers aren’t always enough to be able to persuade and influence, and how we present ourselves and our message really matters.  He studied the science of body language to learn what makes people tick.  Jeff is a keynote speaker, a certified body language trainer – I found out that that was a thing – and a certified Big 5 Personalities trainer.  Jeff has also done a course with us. BILL YATES:  Yes.  Jeff partnered with us to build out a one-hour course in InSite, which is our mobile learning platform.  And the course is called “Attracting Top Talent:  First Contact.”  This is so pertinent today.  It’s difficult to find good people for our teams.  And there’s more emphasis on hiring and recruiting than ever.  Jeff just has terrific advice in this one-hour course about how to attract top talent.  What are the steps that we can take to be more successful as we’re recruiting and interviewing people?  And to be honest with you, too, you can flip it.  I think, from a standpoint of someone who’s looking for a job, this is a great thing to look into, as well.  This course will give you advice.  What is the employer looking for, and what should my expectations be?  So we’re delighted to be talking with him about this area of communication.  And I just think it’s exciting to have him join us, give us tips, and raise our awareness for this area of communication. Meet Jeff WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Jeff.  Welcome to Manage This. JEFF BAIRD:  Good morning. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re so glad that you’re here with us today.  It’s been a long time coming.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear how teams can use agile methods and orient them towards business outcomes, which deliver business agility and build resilience. In this episode ‘Maximizing Value: From PMO to Agile VMO’ – you’ll also hear ideas and strategies for transforming the Project Management Office into an Agile Value Management […] The post Episode 151 – Maximizing Value: From PMO to Agile VMO  appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear how teams can use agile methods and orient them towards business outcomes, which deliver business agility and build resilience. In this episode 'Maximizing Value: From PMO to Agile VMO' - you’ll also hear ideas and strategies for transforming the Project Management Office into an Agile Value Management Office.   Table of Contents 01:24 … Sanjiv’s Background Story02:41 … Current Trends with Enterprise Agile Transformations06:00 … Measuring Success07:33 … How to Tell When Groups are Struggling09:33 … Organizations Eliminating Project Management Function12:23 … The Value-Adding Role of the Project Manager14:59 … Lessons Learned and Retrospectives18:26 … Compare and Contrast Agile and Traditional20:37 … Defining the Agile VMO25:10 … Organizations Embracing Agile VMO26:43 … Resistance to Flexible Funding28:22 … Get in Touch with Sanjiv29:41 … Closing SANJIV AUGUSTINE: We need middle managers, including project managers, because close to 90% of successful organizational change initiatives are driven by middle management.  And that includes project managers.  So what we need to do is to find a way to more clearly define what people with that skill, that project management skill, add within the agile context. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  This podcast is about project management.  Join us to be motivated and inspired by project stories, leadership lessons, and wise advice from industry experts from all across the world. One of those leadership experts is who we’re talking to today.  Sanjiv Augustine is the founder and CEO of LitheSpeed LLC and the Agile Leadership Academy.  Sanjiv is the author of the books “From PMO to VMO,” “Managing Agile Projects,” and “Scaling Agile.”  He’s been an in-the-trenches practitioner.  He’s also managed many agile projects, and he has trained thousands of agile practitioners. BILL YATES:  Sanjiv is the chair of the Agile Alliance’s Agile Executive Forum and the founder and moderator of the Lean Startup in the Enterprise Meetup.  He was also a founding member of the Project Management Institute’s agile community of practice.  So not only is he a well-versed practitioner, but he’s had a lot of influence in shaping how many of these organizations have addressed and scaled agile. WENDY GROUNDS:  Sanjiv, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. SANJIV AUGUSTINE:  Thank you very much, Wendy.  I really appreciate being here with both Bill and you. Sanjiv’s Background Story WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re looking forward to tackling this topic and getting your expertise.  But before we get into that, can you tell us about your background working with organizations and those in the trenches who want to adopt agile practices, and just a little bit about what you do. SANJIV AUGUSTINE:  Thanks for this opportunity, once again.  And I want to start with about 20 years ago, believe it or not.  I’ve been in the industry for about 30 years.  But 20 years ago I started my agile journey.  This is with an organization that you might know.  It’s the Capital One Bank.  And the CIO at that time was looking for a way to cut their time to market by 50%.  And so he went to his CTO and said, “Please find a way to do this with agile methods.”  And in those days nobody was crazy enough to sign up for that. But we ended up partnering with the CTO of Capital One and ending up rolling out agile methods, more specifically scrum, in three countries, with 5,000 people.  So it was a massive enterprise adoption.  We made mistakes along the way, learned lots of great lessons along the way, and here we are 20 years later. BILL YATES:  Yeah, you were on the cutting edge 20 years ago.  That’s amazing that you guys were kind of in the lab of, okay, we think this works for scrum.

The podcast by project manager for project managers. How can you become a leader that people want to follow? Author Scott J. Miller, author of Management Mess to Leadership Success, has a spirited conversation with us about how to change the way you manage yourself, lead others, and achieve a high level of engagement with […] The post Episode 150 – Management Mess to Leadership Success with Scott J Miller appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project manager for project managers. How can you become a leader that people want to follow? Author Scott J. Miller, author of Management Mess to Leadership Success, has a spirited conversation with us about how to change the way you manage yourself, lead others, and achieve a high level of engagement with your project team. It’s never too late to fix our mess and develop leadership success. Table of Contents 00:45 … 150th Episode Velociteach Discount Offer03:33 … Background to the Book06:23 … Demonstrate Humility11:10 … Listen First18:14 … When Listening Sucks21:25 … Declare Your Intent25:20 … Carry Your Own Weather29:49 … Making Time for Relationships37:11 … Allow Others to be Smart40:55 … Self-Assessing42:51 … Contact Scott44:15 … Closing SCOTT MILLER:  People are not an organization’s most valuable asset.  People are not a project’s most valuable asset.  Not true.  It’s total bunk.  People are not a company or division’s or platform’s or a project’s most valuable asset.  It’s the relationships between those people.  That is every project, every organization’s most valuable asset.  WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  This podcast is about project management.  We call it the podcast by project managers for project managers. BILL YATES: Wendy, this episode of Manage This marks our 150th episode! Isn’t that amazing! WENDY GROUNDS: Yes! I’m so excited. We’ve just celebrated our sixth birthday. 150th Episode Velociteach Discount Offer BILL YATES: Yeah, and now 150 episodes, for Manage This. In honor of this milestone event, Velociteach is offering our podcast listeners an exclusive discount of 20% off. That applies to our live, instructor-led PMP and PMI-ACP exam prep boot camps as well as our self-paced eLearning courses on InSite. This offer will run all week to give our listeners the opportunity to take advantage of this deal. WENDY GROUNDS: Use the promo code POD150 before midnight EST on Sunday, April 10th to receive this special discount. This offer is only valid on new purchases, public enrollment classes, and individual courses or bundles on InSite. It’s not valid on private group classes or the PDU Passport, our all-access pass to every PDU course online. We hope you’ll take advantage of this offer and celebrate with us, our 150th episode. BILL YATES:  Absolutely.  We have a platform called InSite that offers mobile learning options, and we partnered with a number of industry experts to create these courses.  And we’ve got the three areas of the talent triangle covered from PMI’s perspective.  So you can just take a look at the different offerings that we have and pick up extra tips and learn how to be a better project manager through that. WENDY GROUNDS:  Another way to be a better project manager is listening to Scott Miller.  He’s our guest today.  Scott serves as FranklinCovey’s senior advisor on thought leadership, leading the strategy and development of the firm’s speakers bureau, as well as the publication of podcasts, webcasts, and best-selling books.  We’re so excited to talk to Scott.  He actually also has his own podcast called “On Leadership with Scott Miller.”  And he authors a leadership column for Inc.com. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Scott is going to be a tremendous guest.  We’ve spoken with Kory Kogon before from FranklinCovey, and Kory helped us connect with Scott.  Scott wrote a book called “Management Mess to Leadership Success.”  I mean, how fun is that going to be?  So one thing I want to point out about the book, it’s one piece that I found really interesting and user friendly was he breaks it into – calls it 30 days, but they’re really 30 mini-chapters.  And we just picked a few of those, and we’re going to go through those with Scott.  In some cases we’ve just got to get him to explain what he means because he’s got some pretty outrageous things that he shares in his...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Mastering written communication and focusing on the hidden science behind how our reading and writing influences our thoughts and actions. Hear some best practices when it comes to writing winning bids, pitfalls we should avoid, as well as common workplace communication errors. Table of Contents 02:02 … […] The post Episode 149 –The Write Way – Mastering Written Communication appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Mastering written communication and focusing on the hidden science behind how our reading and writing influences our thoughts and actions. Hear some best practices when it comes to writing winning bids, pitfalls we should avoid, as well as common workplace communication errors. Table of Contents 02:02 … Rob’s Background Story03:17 … Misfired Messages07:23 … Knowing When to Call a Time-out10:53 … Recognizing the Warning Signs12:56 … Effective Writing in Project Management15:45 … Fluency Heuristic17:01 … Overloading the Decision-Maker22:46 … An Attention-Grabbing Introduction26:57 … “Garden-Pathing”27:49 … Email Salutations29:18 … Compelling Subject Lines30:54 … Words of Advice34:01 … Contact Rob35:01 … Closing ROB ASHTON:  ...write as if you are writing for a human because you are.  You know, not for the position.  You don’t look at someone’s job title.  Think of them as a human being.  They are as human as you are, and they’re subject to the same mental shortcuts and the same irritations and the same cognitive biases. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We are so glad you’re joining us.  If you like what you hear, please visit us at Velociteach.com, where you can leave a comment on our Manage This Podcast page.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  Today we’re very excited about our guest.  We’ve never really talked about written communication.  Rob Ashton has a very interesting background.  He’s actually been in science and research.  And because of that he got into the process of reading and writing because of writing scientific reports and research papers.  But he has a very unique perspective on why so much of our written communication just doesn’t work. BILL YATES:  That’s true.  Now we’re in a remote workforce more so than ever.  So many of us are working virtually.  So what do you do?  You pop open Slack.  You pop open Skype.  And you pop open Teams.  And you just instant message with your team back and forth, back and forth.  Which many times that’s totally appropriate.  I think as Rob will get into, we have a number of different tools at our disposal.  You’ve got to pick the right tool for the right message, or you’re going to get into trouble. WENDY GROUNDS:  Right, right.  I’m excited to talk to Rob.  A little bit about him before we get there is he’s the founder of a global learning company called Emphasis, which specializes in written communication.  Some of his high-profile clients have been Big 4 accounting firms, big tech, big pharma.  He’s also done some work with the U.K. Prime Minister’s office at 10 Downing Street, and even the royal household at Buckingham Palace.  So we’re in good company. BILL YATES:  Yes.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Rob.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us today. ROB ASHTON:  Hey, it’s great to be here.  Thanks for inviting me. Rob’s Background Story WENDY GROUNDS:  Rob, before we get into our conversation on written communication, can you tell us how you got into this field and what your background is? ROB ASHTON:  I started off as a research scientist before a love of words led me into publishing.  So originally trained as an editor.  And I did that for a while, and I found that I guess I just got a little tired of applying the same techniques again and again to the words I was trying to knock into shape.  And I decided that instead of doing that, I would go and teach people to do it.  So I set up a training company to do that, and that was called Emphasis.  And that was 23 years ago. And then six years ago I decided that I would go back to my roots, and I would start to look at the science of this because there’s very little out there on the science of written communication, or at least in the business world.  There’s a ton of stuff out there in the academic world,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The number of projects initiated in all sectors has skyrocketed, yet why do project failure rates still remain alarmingly high? Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, author of the Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook: How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects, emphasizes the value of senior leaders investing in […] The post Episode 148 – How to Launch, Lead and Sponsor Successful Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The number of projects initiated in all sectors has skyrocketed, yet why do project failure rates still remain alarmingly high? Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, author of the Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook: How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects, emphasizes the value of senior leaders investing in the pursuit of better project management. Table of Contents 02:11 … The World Champion in Project Management03:53 … The Project Economy05:46 … Organizational Ambidexterity10:15 … Low Success Rate of Projects13:31 … Choosing Predictive or Adaptive Agile Methods16:05 … Introducing The Project Canvas18:44 … Three Dimensions of the Project Canvas20:07 … 1.Foundation21:05 … 2.People22:02 … 3.Creation23:20 … Senior Executives and Project Success26:15 … Challenge your Sponsors27:57 … Self-Assessment29:15 … Engagement Triple Constraint33:30 … Advice for Younger Project Managers35:32 … Contact Antonio37:33 … Closing ANTONIO NIETO-RODRIGUEZ:  Senior leaders are not there yet.  They’ve never invested in the importance of project management, building competencies.  Part of what we started here is that they did not appreciate it as a core topic.  They preferred to talk about strategy, innovation, and other things, and rather than project management implementation. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  Just a quick thanks to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We always love hearing from you.  We know you’re also looking for opportunities to acquire PDUs, your Professional Development Units, towards recertifications.  And you can still claim PDUs for all our podcast episodes.  Listen up at the end of the show for information on how you can claim those PDUs. Our guest today is Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez.  He is an author, practitioner, and consultant who teaches strategy and project implementation to senior leaders.  His research has been recognized by Thinkers50, with its prestigious Ideas into Practice award, and he is featured in the 2020 Global Gurus Top 30 List of Management Professionals.  Antonio has served as chairman of the Global Project Management Institute, and in that role he launched the Brightline initiative.  He is also the founder of Projects & Co, cofounder of the Strategy Implementation Institute, and a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches group. BILL YATES:  Antonio has written several books, as well.  The one that we’re going to focus on today is the new “Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook.”  You may hear Antonio or us refer to this as the HBR, the Harvard Business Review, in our comments.  And Antonio is joining us from Brussels. WENDY GROUNDS:  Antonio, welcome to Manage This.  We’ve looked forward to our conversation with you today, and so we’re so grateful to you for being with us. ANTONIO NIETO-RODRIGUEZ:  Thanks to you, Wendy.  I’m really happy to be here with you and look forward to this conversation. The World Champion in Project Management WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  Before we get started, I do have a quick question for you.  If you look back, when was the moment when you knew project management was your thing?  How did you get into project management?  And you’ve just done so much in the field of project management.  I think I saw in LinkedIn you’re the world champion in project management, and I love that.  So how did you become that? ANTONIO NIETO-RODRIGUEZ:  Well, it’s a pretty sad story, Wendy.  I recognized that I wanted to work and specialize in project management when I was fired.  I was fired in the sense that I had this big idea in a big consulting firm where I wanted to become partner, and I said, “Let’s develop project management advisory service because everybody’s struggling with projects.”  This is like 20 years.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How does the established project management approach fall short when managing complexity in projects? Kieran Duck wrote the book The Complex Project Toolkit that describes the use of design thinking to deliver your most challenging projects. Table of Contents 02:35 … The Complex Project Toolkit Book03:52 … […] The post Episode 147 – Managing Complexity – The Complex Project Toolkit appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How does the established project management approach fall short when managing complexity in projects? Kieran Duck wrote the book The Complex Project Toolkit that describes the use of design thinking to deliver your most challenging projects. Table of Contents 02:35 … The Complex Project Toolkit Book03:52 … Standard Project Management vs. Managing Complex Projects06:38 … Complicated Versus Complex07:19 … A Design-Driven Toolkit08:58 … Is Agile Not For Complex Projects?11:43 … Mindsets, Practices, and Skills13:27 … “Why” Before “What” in a Complex Project17:06 … Inspiring the Shift to a Complexity Mindset20:42 … Individuals Hold Themselves Accountable23:08 … Conversations25:13 … Sense-Making27:18 … Adaption29:50 … Words of Advice31:48 … Get in Touch with Kieran33:24 … Closing KIERAN DUCK: You know, in complexity, I go back to it’s all connected.  No one person knows the answer.  So pick a good one.  Create the context that works well for this team.  And if they’re having a horrible experience, change it. I really believe that these projects can injure people, won’t take your finger off, but it can really blow people up.  And so create the right context for doing well. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our bimonthly program where we like to talk about what matters to professional project managers.  And it’s our goal to give you some words of advice and to give you encouragement, where you can hear from other professionals and leaders in the field.  We’re glad you’re joining us.  If you like what you hear, please visit us at Velociteach.com and leave us a comment on our website. I am Wendy Grounds, and joining me in the studio is Bill Yates.  Our guest today is Kieran Duck.  Kieran is talking to us from Sydney.  He is an advisor and coach to senior leaders running complex projects and transforming organizations.  He has redesigned and rescued multibillion-dollar projects and led business transformations.  He’s also a global presenter on using design thinking to drive step changes in project and business performance.  He’s also recently authored a book called “The Complex Project Toolkit.” BILL YATES:  Yes.  The subtitle was “Using Design Thinking to Transform the Delivery of Your Hardest Projects.”  This is really intriguing to me.  You know, right from the cover he had me hooked.  And Kieran says, okay, look, I’ve seen this over and over and over in my career.  Maybe you guys can relate.  We have a way of managing standard projects, and it works well if your project is standard. But what if it’s complex?  What if there’s a level to this that just doesn’t fit that toolset?  And he gives the example of, you know, taking a hammer and trying to drive a screw into a board.  It’s ugly and doesn’t look very nice when you’re done with it.  So he makes the case for, okay, if you have a complex project, you need a different toolkit.  And then he describes the toolkit.  This is an intriguing conversation.  I think some people may even find it a little bit controversial. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes. BILL YATES:  Because they don’t want to give up their standard tools. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, yes.  And Kieran welcomes that.  If you do find anything you disagree with, you’re welcome to reach out to him.  He’d love to hear your opinions, as well.  Kieran, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. KIERAN DUCK:  Thanks for inviting me.  Great to be here. The Complex Project Toolkit Book WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re excited to talk to you.  I have enjoyed your book.  It’s an excellent book for project managers.  Can you just give us a little bit of background, and what sparked the book?  How did you come about writing this? KIERAN DUCK:  Yeah, that’s an interesting question.  I mean, over the years I’ve done a lot of work on project management, project rescues,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Listen in to an inspiring project story about eradicating water scarcity, while creating jobs for young people on the Water Access Rwanda project. Hear about solutions that intersect the impact on planet and profit, and the importance of listening to the community and local stakeholders. Table of […] The post Episode 146 – Project Spotlight – Water Access Rwanda appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Listen in to an inspiring project story about eradicating water scarcity, while creating jobs for young people on the Water Access Rwanda project. Hear about solutions that intersect the impact on planet and profit, and the importance of listening to the community and local stakeholders. Table of Contents 03:20 … Water Access Rwanda Project04:18 … Christelle’s Story08:59 … Importance of Sustainable Solutions15:10 … The INUMA Solution17:35 … AMAZI, VOMA, and UHIRA Solutions22:47 … Funding the Project26:29 … The Impact in the Community32:23 … Lessons Learned34:52 … Black Female-Founded Organizations36:10 … Get in Touch with Christelle38:14 … Closing CHRISTELLE KWIZERA: So I think one of the biggest lessons is there’s a lot passion and drive can do.  There’s a lot money can do.  But it really all comes down to the people you have.  And I learned that not very quickly, but within a year I kind of had figured out that if we’re going to scale and do more work, that I really need good people by my side.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and here in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  We like to bring you stories about projects.  Sometimes we find people who are doing incredible things and who are managing amazing projects.  And that is the person that we’re talking to today. I found Christelle Kwizera on PMI’s Future 50 2021 Honorees, and she has just a remarkable story of how she founded a project called Water Access Rwanda.  And it’s a company that works in response to the dangerous conditions that Rwandans face when they collect water from rivers and dams.  She’ll go into that in a lot of detail.  She really tells us her story. And she talks about how people would have to walk, I think it took an hour a day just to get water.  They would have to go to crocodile-infested and disease-ridden water to get their daily supply of water.  And it’s just remarkable what she has done.  She’s been awarded the Cisco Youth Leadership Award, the Global Citizen Prize.  She also came in third position at the inaugural Africa Business Heroes Awards by Jack Ma.  That’s just some of what she has accomplished. BILL YATES:  She’s so impressive.  And this is such a personal podcast for me.  Just talking about access to water is so important.  For years we’ve been involved with a group called Engage Burkina.  Burkina Faso has the same issue that Rwanda does of looking for solutions for those who need access to clean water.  And Engage Burkina has dug over 1,000 wells in just a short amount of time to help transform communities. We’re going to go deeper.  This isn’t just about digging wells.  We’ll find this out as we unpack the story with Christelle.  But she looked at, beyond wells, how do you sustain those wells?  What if something breaks?  What if people want something more than just well water?  So this will be a very interesting conversation.  And one thing we just have to remember, when Christelle had this challenge that she rose up and created an organization, she was a university student.  She was 19, 20 years old when this idea first sparked her imagination and got her involved with her home in Rwanda. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  And another thing, Christelle is talking to us from Kigali, Rwanda.  And sometimes the audio’s not quite that clear.  We would rather bring you her whole story than not.  And so if some of the audio is not quite clear, please remember that we do have a complete transcript of all that is said on the show.  Just go onto the website and download the transcript, and you can follow along with everything that’s been said. Hi, Christelle.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad you’re with us today. CHRISTELLE KWIZERA:  Hi, Wendy.  Thank you for having me. Water Access Rwanda Project WENDY GROUNDS:  We are so excited to hear about the work that you’re doing a...

The podcast by project manager for project managers. We take a look at company culture, transforming remote work to and improving workplace productivity and efficiency.  How to Work Better Together. Hear about a new software company, Hive, which claims to have the first-ever democratically built project management platform. Table of Contents 03:05 … Hive History04:07 […] The post Episode 145 – Work Better Together – Improving Workplace Productivity appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project manager for project managers. We take a look at company culture, transforming remote work to and improving workplace productivity and efficiency.  How to Work Better Together. Hear about a new software company, Hive, which claims to have the first-ever democratically built project management platform. Table of Contents 03:05 … Hive History04:07 … Core Hive Philosophy05:38 … Democratically Built Features07:17 … Launching Hive09:22 … Challenges Today for Project Managers11:01 … Addressing Recurring Meetings15:17 … Applying Hive17:21 … Team Size Suited to Hive19:56 … Hive Innovation21:57 … Company Culture24:12 … Transforming a Team to Remote Work29:18 … New Hive Features30:01 … Who Influenced John32:47 … Get in Touch with John33:17 … Closing JOHN FURNEAUX: A brilliantly run meeting is a work of art and very, very impressive to those around you.  And I would encourage all of us to put 100% into our soft skills and how we manage the projects and the people around us. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me in the studio is Bill Yates.  I just want to let you know that you can still claim your free PDUs by listening to this podcast.  We have instructions on our website where it shows you exactly how you can claim your PDUs at PMI.  We still get listeners who struggle with that, and so we just thought we’d make sure we mentioned it.  So we are very excited that it is now Happy Birthday to Manage This, and we’ve been broadcasting for six years. BILL YATES:  That’s amazing, isn’t it?  Every month we have two podcasts.  We’ve been doing that for six years now.  Incredible authors, speakers, tools, and then people in the trenches doing projects, leading projects in diverse environments.  And it’s been a pleasure to bring this information to the community and just share it and let people pick up on new perspectives and get more advice on just how to be a more effective project manager. WENDY GROUNDS:  And we’re very grateful to our guests... BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  ...who’ve made it possible.  We really appreciate all that they have brought to our podcast. BILL YATES:  Mm-hmm.  There’s no compensation.  We don’t pay them.  We just thank them and deeply appreciate the preparation and then their time in recording with us. WENDY GROUNDS:  And thank you to our listeners.  We value you, and we appreciate your support. BILL YATES:  That’s right.  Keep those ideas coming because that’s what spurs us on. WENDY GROUNDS:  Our guest today is John Furneaux.  John is the CEO and cofounder of Hive, which is the world’s first democratically built project management platform, used by many teams at places such as Comcast, Toyota, Starbucks, and many more.  A couple of times in the past we’ve brought you tools that are very useful or platforms that project managers can use.  And we just need to let you know we’re not getting any pay for this.  We’re not getting a free use of Hive.  It’s really... BILL YATES:  Right. WENDY GROUNDS:  ...the product comes across our eyes, and we think, gosh, this would be something interesting to tell you about.  And that’s why we’re here. BILL YATES:  Exactly.  As our listeners reach out to us with tools that are helpful or things that they want us to explore, just keep sending us those ideas because that’s where this one came from.  One of the things that appealed to me with Hive, too, is their mantra is “The first project management platform built for users, by users.”  And it kind of reminds me of our mantra of Manage This, “The podcast for project managers by project managers.”  So we’re going to talk about tactical aspects of this tool and how it can be used.  Then we’re going to back up and talk broadly about company culture, not just how Hive can influence that, but how John’s been influenced by different company cultures,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Jesse Fewell was part of the core team writing the PMBOK® Guide 7th Edition. Hear about the new PMBOK® Guide’s principles-based approach. What has changed, what has not changed, and how this influences project management today. Table of Contents 02:41 … Meet Jesse04:13 … Why Do We […] The post Episode 144 – PMBOK® Guide 7th Edition: A Principles-Based Approach appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Jesse Fewell was part of the core team writing the PMBOK® Guide 7th Edition. Hear about the new PMBOK® Guide’s principles-based approach. What has changed, what has not changed, and how this influences project management today. Table of Contents 02:41 … Meet Jesse04:13 … Why Do We Update the PMBOK® Guide?07:08 … Are There Changes to the Agile Practice Guide?09:07 … The 7th Edition Changes11:26 … A Revolution in the Profession13:46 … A Grassroots Movement to the Principles-Based Approach16:32 … Who is Excited about The 7th Edition PMBOK® Guide?19:07 … Standards Plus23:56 … The 7th Edition and Agile Project Management26:16 … The PM’s Role in Predictive vs. Adaptive Projects30:24 … 7th Edition PMBOK® Guide for a New Project Manager33:38 … Get in Touch with Jesse35:08 … Closing JESSE FEWELL:  ...the intent here is to guide the practitioner through the value we offer as project managers, domains; the principles that guide how we do our job; and then we look at the details.  Too many times in our profession we get it the other way around.  And we go straight to a risk register, and go straight to a work breakdown structure, and forget to ask would anybody benefit from that.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  We are so excited to talk to you today.  Our guest is Jesse Fewell, and we’ve had Jesse on before.  He’s got a lot of energy and a lot of good advice.  He founded several startups, and he’s contributed to three industry certifications:  PMI-ACP, CST, and CEC.  Jesse Fewell has mentored thousands of technology professionals across 14 countries to improve their teams and companies using agile methods.  Jesse was also part of the core team writing the 7th Edition PMBOK® Guide . BILL YATES:  Yeah, Jesse was putting in I can’t even imagine how many hours in coming out with a new edition, especially one like this that is a big shift.  And we’ll get into that shift.  One of the things that we’ll talk about with Jesse is the principles-based approach in this 7th Edition.  Just to help people get a sense for what we’re talking about, I’m just going to quickly list off those 12 principles.  So these are the 12 principles that are in the PMBOK® Guide 7th Edition that really drive decisions that project managers make, things like stewardship, the team, stakeholders, focusing on value, systems thinking, leadership tailoring, quality, complexity, risk, adaptability, and resiliency and change.  So that gives you a sense for the principles that help drive project managers in the roles that they fill.  We’ll talk more with Jesse about that.  That’s a key shift in the 7th Edition. WENDY GROUNDS:  And Bill, we also, if project managers are looking to pass their exam, we do offer some help, too, don’t we. BILL YATES:  Absolutely.  The PMP Exam is our specialty.  That’s really what inspired Andy to start Velociteach back in 2002.  He wanted to write a book that would help people pass an exam and achieve this goal of earning their PMP.  That is a true focus of our business, helping people pass and earn the PMP, and then helping people get better at their job. WENDY GROUNDS:  And you’re going to get some free PDUs from listening to this podcast.  Listen up at the end, and we’ll tell you how to do that. Meet Jesse Hi, Jesse.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re really glad that you’re talking with us today. JESSE FEWELL:  Oh, I always love hanging out with the Velociteach people. BILL YATES:  Love having you. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  It’s been a while since we’ve last talked with you.  What have you been up to in the meantime? JESSE FEWELL:  Oh, my goodness.  So we last chatted in the 2017 promotion of the PMBOK® 6th Edition.  And what I’ve been up to since then is I’ve been moving further and further into the world of agile leadership...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Great leaders are built from the inside out. Leadership training typically focuses on the externally visible behaviors of leadership; however, in this episode, we consider the parallel journey a leader should take internally to become an authentic leader. Darren Reinke describes how great leaders need to be […] The post Episode 143 – Leadership – From the Inside Out appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Great leaders are built from the inside out. Leadership training typically focuses on the externally visible behaviors of leadership; however, in this episode, we consider the parallel journey a leader should take internally to become an authentic leader. Darren Reinke describes how great leaders need to be introspective and develop self-awareness to become the great leaders that they aspire to be. Table of Contents 02:06 … Meet Darren04:31 … The Inspiration for the Book05:58 … Great Leaders from the Inside Out07:14 … Use Your Values to Anchor Your Decisions09:45 … Forge Unbreakable Bonds12:54 … Maintain and Regain Focus15:48 … Deciding What You Can and Can’t Control17:26 … Formative Experiences Influencing Leadership21:06 … Embrace Patience22:57 … Crushing Your Doubt25:35 … Reflect on the Positive26:41 … Positive Visualization28:35 … More Leadership Advice31:44 … A Savage Principles Field Guide33:06 … Get in touch with Darren34:14 … Closing DARREN REINKE:  ...you have to be willing to be introspective and look inside yourself because that’s where I think so much of the richness lies, and unlocking that allows you to be great.  And the third thing is being willing to put in the hard work to actually activate that sense of intention, activate that sense of self-awareness so that you can become that great leader that you aspire to be. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m your host, Wendy Grounds, and joining us is Bill Yates.  Remember you can still claim your Professional Development Units by listening to this podcast.  Listen up at the end of the show for more information on that. BILL YATES:  You know, Wendy, Velociteach has a lot of different ways to earn PDUs.  Some are free, like this podcast that we’ve been doing now, this is, what, Episode 143? WENDY GROUNDS:  Almost six years.  January it will be six years. BILL YATES:  Yeah, it’s amazing.  Also early in my career with Velociteach we started mobile learning, and we offer, gosh, tons of authors, maybe two dozen or more authors who have courses just to help project managers get better at their job.  Those are good for PDUs.  Then of course we have amazing instructors who lead classes that can also be used for PDUs.  So we offer them different ways, and we’re delighted to be able to bring in great authors like Darren Reinke to discuss his book and give somebody a chance to earn a PDU. WENDY GROUNDS:  Darren is founder of Group Sixty.  It’s an executive coaching and training company focused on building great leaders; and, as he says, building great leaders from the inside out.  He’s also the author of a book called “The Savage Leader,” and it’s a new book that provides a blueprint for becoming a leader through the adoption of 13 Savage Principles. BILL YATES:  Yeah, these 13 Savage Principles.  I wish we had time in the podcast to go through all of them.  But, hey, then you wouldn’t want to buy the book. WENDY GROUNDS:  Right.  We’re not going to give it all away. BILL YATES:  That’s right.  But we’ll touch on them.  And we’ve asked Darren to think about the ones that are most important to him and that he thinks would help the project manager the most.  He’s got tons of insight, tons of advice in the book.  I can’t wait to dig into it with him. Meet Darren WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Darren.  Welcome to Manage This. DARREN REINKE:  Great to be here. WENDY GROUNDS:  Before we get into talking leadership, I wanted to ask you a little bit about your forays into project management and your background in executive leadership.  Can you tell us how it’s kind of built up to where you got to the book? DARREN REINKE:  Absolutely.  So I’ll go back in time a little bit.  But growing up probably one of the very few fun facts about my life is my parents are both veterinarians, which that’s a whole ‘nother story.  And for me,

The Podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear how to approach complex modern projects by spending less time discussing the past and more time focused on the future. Eddie Obeng says we should: “take the learning back to the work place” by analyzing our past performance, and rapidly applying what we’ve learned to deliver […] The post Episode 142 – Looking Forward to Perfect Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear how to approach complex modern projects by spending less time discussing the past and more time focused on the future. Eddie Obeng says we should: “take the learning back to the work place” by analyzing our past performance, and rapidly applying what we’ve learned to deliver perfect projects. Listen in for practical advice about facing your fears, organizational culture, and dealing with the challenges of change management.  Table of Contents 01:25 … Meet Eddie02:00 … QUBE – Learning and Transformation04:30 … QUBE for the Project Manager07:05 … Qubots08:00 … Delivering Projects by Looking Ahead11:06 … How do We Intentionally Mess up Projects?13:39 … Choosing the Right Project leader15:18 … Four Things We Mess up18:09 … Organization’s Culture Affecting a Project21:36 … Subconsciously Sabotaging Our Projects23:08 … Sabotaging Projects by Remaining Silent24:28 … Reporting Your Doubts and Fears27:58 … Change Management32:31 … Get in Touch with Eddie33:42 … Closing EDDIE OBENG: I’m asking you to look forward through the windscreen as opposed to the habit of let’s make a guess of what’s through the windscreen, and drive and manage, coordinate through the rearview mirror.  Completely different mindset. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m your host, Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  Just a quick note.  If you’re looking to acquire PDUs, Professional Development Units, towards your recertifications, you can still claim those PDUs for all our podcast episodes.  Just listen up at the end of the show for information on how you can do that. So today we have a really interesting guest.  This is Professor Eddie Obeng.  Professor Obeng was born in Ghana but has lived most of his life in the U.K.  He’s a world-class educator and has a passion for helping project managers. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  I’m going to give a quick preview of some of my favorite pieces of the conversation we’re going to have.  Eddie talks about recognizing the project environment and then choosing the best leadership approach based on one of four types of projects.  I think people are going to find that very useful and helpful.  Another thing, very practical advice that Eddie gives is facing your fear.  We talk about that, pretty straightforward.  And the teaser there is it’s okay if we don’t have all the answers in the moment.  I think that’ll be quite helpful to those listeners who are like me. Meet Eddie WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Eddie.  Welcome.  We’re looking forward to talking with you today. EDDIE OBENG:  Hello.  Delighted to be here. WENDY GROUNDS:  I want to know who is Eddie Obeng.  Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? EDDIE OBENG:  Just to give you some background, I teach.  I’m an educator.  I teach businesses, I help them transform, I do this based on material that I research myself.  And I built a virtual business school with a different way to teach people to deal with the complexity of the world.  And I’m also an entrepreneur because I took that business school, and I’ve made it digital, and I’ve got lots of people in the team and so on.  So that’s probably me.  I’ve written books, couple of bestsellers and stuff. QUBE – Learning and Transformation BILL YATES:  So tell us more about QUBE.  It’s Q-U-B-E.  Now, tell us more about this other environment. EDDIE OBENG:  Yeah, so QUBE is my shortcut to learning and transformation.  From the point of view of the person who is experiencing QUBE, literally everything you need to be able to do, which you’re struggling to do right now.  So for example we are on Skype, but you’re scribbling your different bits of paper.  Maybe if we’re in the same room we could write on a whiteboard.  And it would stay there, and you could come back later, and if we had lots of room, people could have offices to move around in.  And when I’m teaching you.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The largest infrastructure project in the history of the Seattle Public Utilities is the Ship Canal Water Quality Project. Keith Ward talks about the lessons learned overseeing this 11-year initiative. Hear about estimating and revising a $570 million budget, and building strong relationships with multiple stakeholders and […] The post Episode 141 – Lessons Learned Digging a $570M Tunnel Under Seattle appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The largest infrastructure project in the history of the Seattle Public Utilities is the Ship Canal Water Quality Project. Keith Ward talks about the lessons learned overseeing this 11-year initiative. Hear about estimating and revising a $570 million budget, and building strong relationships with multiple stakeholders and project teams. Table of Contents 01:37 … Keith’s Current SPU Role02:26 … Ship Canal Water Quality Program06:47 … Using Tunnels Instead of Tanks08:37 … A Tunnel Boring Machine11:39 … MudHoney15:12 … Project Stakeholders18:08 … Challenges with Multiple Teams22:06 … Project Funding23:20 … Federal Consent Decree25:31 … Budget Estimating for a Megaproject28:59 … When Costs Change31:44 … Budget Setting Lessons Learned32:54 … Monte Carlo Analysis38:47 … Tracking a Lengthy Project39:53 … Final Words of Advice41:10 … Get in Contact with Keith43:44 … Closing KEITH WARD: ...because I want people to learn from our lessons learned here. There’s a lot.  I’ve learned a lot personally, and it’s been a really eye-opening experience.  And I want to clarify, this is a megaproject.  This isn’t a $2 million project; right?  This is in another category.  So, and I think that’s one of the lessons learned is when you move into this megaproject, like over a half billion, the degree of uncertainty is huge, and you need to account for that.  That’s one of the kind of I would say über lessons learned. I’ve learned a lot personally, and it’s been a really eye-opening experience.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  I want to say a big thank you to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We love hearing from you.  And it was actually from a listener that we have today’s guest.  Chris Stoll reached out, and he recommended our guest who we’re talking to today.  And we are very grateful to Chris, and we appreciate it when any of you reach out to us and send us ideas of guests. So our guest today is Keith Ward.  He is currently the project executive of the Seattle Ship Canal Water Quality Project, and he’s going to go into some detail on that. BILL YATES:  We’re going to talk about tunnel boring machines, federal consent decrees, and MudHoney.  Are you ready for this? WENDY GROUNDS:  I’m ready for MudHoney.  Hi, Keith.  Welcome, and thank you for joining us today. KEITH WARD:  So nice to be here.  Thanks, Wendy. Keith’s Current SPU Role WENDY GROUNDS:  We saw that you have been with the Seattle Public Utilities since 2002.  Can you tell us about the services they provide, and your role in the company? KEITH WARD:  Sure.  So Seattle Public Utilities is kind of four utilities in one.  And I’ll kind of use the term “SPU” sometimes.  I’ll bounce back and forth.  We deliver essential water and waste services to about 1.5 million people in the Greater Seattle area.  So really our four services are drinking water, drainage and wastewater, and solid waste services.  I’ve had a variety of roles, mostly in project delivery, at SPU since coming onboard 2002.  My current role is the project executive on the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, which is the largest infrastructure project in the history of the organization. Ship Canal Water Quality Program BILL YATES:  Now, that we want to get into.  This Ship Canal Water Quality program, why was this initiated?  What’s the problem that it’s trying to address? KEITH WARD:  Yeah.  It’s a problem that’s common to many kind of older cities.  We don’t think of Seattle as always an older city.  But a lot of our infrastructure was built over a hundred years ago.  So this project was initiated in 2014 to solve the problem of what we call “combined sewage overflow.”  So back a hundred years ago there was no treatment for sewage,

The podcast by project manager for project managers. “Why you work determines how well you work.” Finding our Why impacts how well we lead a project, and enables team members to stay focused and motivated to finish the project successfully. Listen in for valuable advice on resilience, motivation, and “growing your grit” to help project […] The post Episode 140 – What’s Your Why? Ignite Your Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project manager for project managers. “Why you work determines how well you work.” Finding our Why impacts how well we lead a project, and enables team members to stay focused and motivated to finish the project successfully. Listen in for valuable advice on resilience, motivation, and “growing your grit” to help project managers envision their potential and build stronger teams. Table of Contents 03:25 … Finding Your Why: A Look at Past Guests06:58 … Prepare To Roar Expeditions08:32 … The Riverbend Group09:18 … Embarking on a Major career Change11:08 … Doreen’s Story: Identifying Her Why12:48 … The Impact of Your Why14:01 … Relating the Why to Projects16:27 … Project Teams: Aligning Your Whys19:27 … Making it a Priority21:43 … Goals vs. Whys24:34 … Cultural Drivers Affecting our Choices30:35 … Resilience and Long Term Goals32:26 … Misconceptions about Motivation34:19 … Becoming Motivated36:39 … Key Factors of staying Motivated37:57 … Our Differences and Growing Grit39:34 … Are You at a Crossroads?42:40 … Get in Touch with Doreen44:01 … Closing DOREEN LINNEMAN: ...and because of that the world is just reeling with change, and change is happening all the time.  And as scary as that is, the beauty about that is people’s postures are open for change.  Normally as humans we resist change.  But people are expectant for change.  They have just been forced to do it.  It’s like, oh, what’s coming next?  And with that is a gift.  It’s a huge gift for all of us.  If we laser focus here on just being your professional legacy, very rarely do you get the opportunity to change it, or to change a trajectory.  Really the only time you get to do it is when you leave a company.  Right?  And you get to start over and build up reputation from scratch. What’s beautiful about the situation of moving past and through COVID is that, again, everybody is expectant to change.  And quite frankly, if you’re a leader who doesn’t change, I mean, shame on you.  How could you not go through what we’ve just gone through and not lead differently?  Right?  Your people want you to.  They’re ready for you to.  It’s just such a perfect opportunity to put a stake in the ground and be like, what do I want to be remembered for?  Who do I want to serve?  How do I want to be?  What is the legacy I’ll want to be?  And to start to make that shift.  And if it seems daunting, then you go back to those micro goals. ...but now is the time, because what you will not regret are making the changes. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I am Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  We’re so glad that you’re joining us today.  And if you enjoy this episode, please visit us at Velociteach.com.  You can leave a comment for us on our Manage This Podcast page.  We always like hearing from you. And remember you can still claim your free PDUs.   Our PDU claim page has the new instructions.  Make sure not to use the autofill, but type in “Velociteach” and the title when you are submitting your PDUs.  So I’m very excited.  Today we have a guest in the studio with us. BILL YATES:  Yes.      WENDY GROUNDS:  And we always love getting to personally meet our guests and not have to talk on Skype all the time. BILL YATES:  Right. WENDY GROUNDS:  Doreen Linneman is a keynote speaker, she focuses on management consulting, professional development team building.  She really takes leadership and professional development out of the boardroom and into nature, doesn’t she. BILL YATES:  Yes, she does.  That’s an understatement.  She’s got three companies that she started, and one’s called Prepare to Roar.  We’ll hear more about that.  But that involves taking leaders out of the boardroom, out of the conference rooms and  all the coffee and doughnuts, and putting them in nature and having them face some of their biggest fears, like these gorillas or sharks or different things like that....

The podcast by project managers for project managers.  Project managers or people managers? In this episode we talk about leadership development and the project manager’s role in creating self-sustaining and cohesive teams. Hear about steps for building high-performing teams that function independently and effectively, and how to create a healthy culture and strong team alignment. […] The post Episode 139 – Project Managers, People Managers appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers.  Project managers or people managers? In this episode we talk about leadership development and the project manager’s role in creating self-sustaining and cohesive teams. Hear about steps for building high-performing teams that function independently and effectively, and how to create a healthy culture and strong team alignment. Table of Contents 01:37 … Leadership Development Areas for Project Managers03:00 … Adapting Leadership to Evolving Teams07:40 … Behavioral Differences in High- and Low-Performing Teams09:26 … An Agile Approach10:05 … Healthy Culture in Hybrid Environment11:52 … Being Intentional about Equity and Inclusion13:27 … How do I Know They’re Doing Their Work?16:13 … Creating Project Team Alignment17:58 … What is Getting in Your Way?21:01 … How Do You Get People Aligned?24:00 … Reward and Recognition Systems27:13 … Providing Constructive Feedback29:22 … Strengthen Relationships with Senior Manager or Sponsors33:06 … Get in touch with Ken33:23 … Closing KEN WAGNER: ...the more information that people have about the bigger picture, the more they can connect their piece to the, not just to the overall mission, but also their piece of the overall outcome, the more they are to contribute in ways beyond their specific function. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio today with me is Bill Yates. I must apologize, there are a few gremlins in the audio for some reason.  So we apologize if the audio is not quite as clear.   Today we’re talking with Ken Wagner.  Ken is a senior principal for ALULA.  ALULA is a management consultancy.  And he’s talking to us from Jacksonville, Florida.  Ken has a passion for helping leaders be successful. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  Ken is an expert.  He’s even got his Ph.D. in Behavioral Science.  And we know project managers have to get things done through people.  And people are complex beings.  Right?  Some days I’m excited about working.  Some days I’m not as excited about it. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s a complex thing. BILL YATES:  Yes, yes.  So not only does Ken have expertise in an area that’s of keen interest to me and project managers, but he’s also worked across all industries.  He’s coached managers and C-Suite level executives in all different industries, and I know he’s going to be able to add a lot to our conversation about managing projects and managing people to get things done. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Ken.  Thanks for joining us, and welcome to Manage This. KEN WAGNER:  Well, good morning.  Thank you for having me. Leadership Development Areas for Project Managers WENDY GROUNDS:  We want to pick your brain on leadership and leading project teams today.  What leadership development areas are important for project managers? KEN WAGNER:  Ah.  Boy, that’s a great question.  You know, many project managers are certainly skilled at change technology and project technology.  But much of that job, as I see it, is about influence, and ultimately about positive influence skills.  And so when I think about the most effective project managers, I notice that those that give direction in objective terms, can clearly describe what they want people to accomplish, what they want them to do, tend to have more success.  Those who frequently do alignment checks, so they ask probing questions to make sure that people are hearing what they think they’re hearing, or understanding what they think they’re understanding, they provide lots of feedback – feedback not only on outcomes, but on what people are doing and how they’re doing it.  And they do that in ways that are timely, and they do that in ways that are actionable. And then the last skill that is often overlooked is that they tend to be good at positive reinforcement, meaning they attend to the things that they want more of, things that add the most value.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. If you’re recruiting new hires for your team, or if you’re in the market for new opportunities, listen in for Cate Murray’s well qualified advice. Hear recommendations on current job market trends, tips on how to attract and retain top talent, as well as how to attract […] The post Episode 138 – Trends in Top Talent – Navigating the Job Market appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. If you’re recruiting new hires for your team, or if you’re in the market for new opportunities, listen in for Cate Murray’s well qualified advice. Hear recommendations on current job market trends, tips on how to attract and retain top talent, as well as how to attract interest from possible employers, optimizing your resume, and developing a network engagement plan. Table of Contents 01:36 … Current Job Market Trends02:40 … The Interview Process03:19 … Prescreening Process04:16 … Project Management Skills and Technology Demands08:25 … Shifting Work Scenario Opportunities10:25 … Top Talent for Project Teams13:22 … Keep Candidates from Losing Interest15:06 … Traits of Top Performers17:17 … Retaining Top Talent19:47 … A Culture of Recognition20:10 … Training and Development20:43 … Effective Networking23:10 … LinkedIn Profiles26:09 … Give Your Résumé a Facelift28:05 … The Applicant Tracking System30:26 … Showcase your ROI31:00 … Contact Cate31:55 … Closing CATE MURRAY: ...you now have six seconds to get somebody’s interest on your résumé.  It actually dropped from around eight seconds to six seconds.  So people are making a split decision when they look at that first page if they want to move forward with you. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio today with me is Bill Yates.  We’re very excited today to introduce Cate Murray.  She is the director of PMO Solutions, and she’s responsible for managing nationally based talent acquisition strategies of the Apex Systems PMO Business Analysis and Agile Practice.  Cate is also a regular speaker at PMI Professional Development Day events and chapter meetings. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Wendy, I’m excited to have Cate talk about this topic with us because it just seems so timely.  The job market is hot.  One of the challenges that project managers are facing today more than ever is getting top talent. And then another opportunity, another angle of this we want to look at with Cate is, okay, what if I am a project manager, and I’m just looking for new opportunities?  You know, I can work from home, work from anywhere now, more than ever so in my entire career.  So what’s out there for me, and what can I do about it?  WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  One thing to note is Cate is going to reference a number of very helpful links in our conversation.  And we’re going to have those in our show notes.  You can take a look at the transcript to find all those links. Hi, Cate.  We’re so excited to have you with us today. CATE MURRAY:  Hi, thanks so much for having me.  I’m looking forward to it. Current Job Market Trends WENDY GROUNDS:  There’s a lot that we can talk about, and I’m hoping we get time to cover all the topics that we have today.  I was looking at your résumé.  You have over 16 years of experience in IT staffing and services.  What are some trends that you have seen across the industries with this competitive job market? CATE MURRAY:  Yes, it is definitely a talent market right now and extremely competitive.  I honestly don’t know the last time I have seen candidates that have had so many opportunities on their plate to choose from.  The one thing which I think everybody’s aware of that’s dramatically changed since COVID is of course the demand to work remotely, along with the increase of roles allowing it.  So this really does create significant challenges for those companies now requiring onsite work, or wanting their people back in the office, as less and less people are willing to be onsite in a full-time capacity.  And most can shop around to find a fully remote opportunity.  So that’s really the first piece. The Interview Process The second thing that we are seeing is a drawn-out interview process is a huge deterrent for candidates.  And we’re seeing companies that are requiring anything more than...

The story of a remarkable project to construct the tallest elevator test tower in the Western Hemisphere. Ben Norton explains the innovative slipform construction process which was employed to ensure the accelerated pace of the tower construction. Hear about how this project team overcame multiple obstacles and challenges to achieve project success. Table of Contents […] The post Episode 137 – Topping Out: Constructing an Innovative Elevator Test Tower appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The story of a remarkable project to construct the tallest elevator test tower in the Western Hemisphere. Ben Norton explains the innovative slipform construction process which was employed to ensure the accelerated pace of the tower construction. Hear about how this project team overcame multiple obstacles and challenges to achieve project success. Table of Contents 01:21 … Meet Ben02:48 … Project Vision and Purpose04:03 … The Battery in Atlanta05:38 … A Unique Construction Project06:27 … TK Elevator Headquarters08:22 … First Thoughts about the Job09:02 … Slipform Construction Process12:45 … Speed of Construction14:00 … Project Timeline15:24 … Scope, Time, and Cost16:34 … Challenges on the Project18:28 … Slipform and Steel Challenges19:30 … Weather Challenges20:51 … Pandemic Challenges24:46 … Biggest Surprises on the Project27:05 … In Retrospect29:50 … Social Connectivity30:46 … Advice for Project Managers32:16 … Get in Touch with Ben32:54 … Closing BEN NORTON: ...anybody getting into their career should just be ambitious and have a drive to learn as much as you can.  Always have humility and eagerness to learn and hunger to learn, but also be gracious and always a positive attitude, always respect their team.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  And we’re so glad you joined us today.  We have a really cool story to tell you.  I am Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  So today we’re going to be talking about the tallest elevator test tower in the Western hemisphere.  This is TK Elevator’s new North American headquarters at The Battery in Atlanta.  It’s a 420-foot-tall Innovation and Qualification Center.  This three-building headquarters complex which includes the tower will eventually be occupied by more than 900 employees.  And I’ve driven by this tower, and it is phenomenal.  It’s really big. BILL YATES:  Yeah, it’s so exciting.  You could see it going up.  And for those who are not familiar with TK Elevator, this company is one of the four largest elevator companies in the world.  They have 50,000 employees globally.  They do 8 billion in annual sales.  That’s euro.  So it’s a large company.  We’re delighted to discuss that with Ben today. Meet Ben WENDY GROUNDS:  Ben Norton is the Vice President and Division Manager for Brasfield & Gorrie, which is the general contractor for this construction project.  Ben, welcome to Manage This.  We’re excited to have you in the studio today. BEN NORTON:  Thank you for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  First of all I wanted to find out, how long have you been with Brasfield & Gorrie?  And just tell us some of the projects that you’ve worked on. BEN NORTON:  Sure.  So this January will make 20 years with Brasfield & Gorrie.  It’s gone by very fast.  Some of the projects that I’ve worked on:  the Georgia Aquarium, most recently completed the Predator exhibit, and the Sea Lion exhibit that was completed about five years ago.  The Emory Health Science Research Building.  Also Marriott and a SpringHill Suites down at the GICC, convention center down by the airport.  St. George Village in Roswell is a large retirement facility.  A lot of work at Agnes Scott through the years, and University of Georgia.  And also recently wrapped up Passion City Church.  So a lot of different market sectors there to talk about. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, yeah. BILL YATES:  Now, you mentioned University of Georgia.  But you actually went to Clemson University; is that correct? BEN NORTON:  That’s correct. BILL YATES:  Do you care for their football team, or you don’t really follow them?  They’re not very good; right? BEN NORTON:  Clemson’s or Georgia’s? BILL YATES:  Well played.  Yup.  All right.  We could dedicate a whole podcast just to college football and rivalries.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, yeah, but I’m going to move you along. BILL YATES:  Okay.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Do you want to learn about the PMP Exam changes? Louis Alderman and Bill Yates discuss the 2021 PMP Exam created by the Project Management Institute (PMI). We also hear from Samuel Mills, PMP, who recently passed the PMP Exam. He shares his exam experience with us. […] The post Episode 136 – A Deep Dive into the 2021 PMP Exam appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Do you want to learn about the PMP Exam changes? Louis Alderman and Bill Yates discuss the 2021 PMP Exam created by the Project Management Institute (PMI). We also hear from Samuel Mills, PMP, who recently passed the PMP Exam. He shares his exam experience with us. Table of Contents 02:58 … Why Change the PMP Exam?04:23 … The ECO and the PMP Exam Changes06:18 … What’s in the ECO?08:27 … ECO Content: 35 Tasks11:41 … Predictive, Agile, Hybrid13:36 … Why is Agile Added to the PMP Exam?15:29 … PMP Exam Specifics19:54 … Are There Many Calculations?20:47 … Pass/Fail and Format of the PMP Exam23:59 … “Immediate” Exam Feedback26:24 … The 7th Edition of the PMBOK Guide27:05 … Velociteach Approach to the PMP Exam Changes32:26 … Not Our First Rodeo33:35 … PMP Examinee: Samuel Mills34:15 … Online or Test Center36:00 … Application Process36:14 … Managing Time38:04 … Best Prep Tools and Practice Tests40:32 … Advice for Test Takers42:39 … Advice from Louis and Bill44:13 … Closing SAMUEL MILLS: ...and I found time to study. I would take my lunch break, and I would pop up my book, and then I would just go through the material and just practice that, and that was my lunch.  You know, I would eat and study, eat and study.  And just taking it a step forward got me to where I was ready for the exam.  And even when I was taking the exam, I was like, oh, you know, I’m not sure.  But I was able to pass.  If you’re struggling for time, you can find time.  You’ve just got to be creative with where you’re going to get that time. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We want to say thank you to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website and on social media.  We love hearing from you, and we always appreciate your positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or whichever podcast listening app you use.  You can also leave us a comment on our website, Velociteach.com.  We know you’re looking for opportunities to acquire Professional Development Units towards recertifications, and you can still claim PDUs for all our podcast episodes.  Listen up at the end of the show for information on how to claim your PDUs. We’re doing something a little different today.  We’re actually going to be talking about the PMP exam, and we’re going to be talking a little bit about Velociteach and our approach to this exam. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  The exam changed January 2nd, 2021.  We’ve got several months under our belt now.  We made a lot of updates prior to that exam change.  And we’ve been able to see how well our updates are working.  Primarily, are our students passing? WENDY GROUNDS:  Right.  We’re going to hear from a student, as well.  We have a student who has recently passed the exam.  He’s going to be giving us a little bit of insight into his exam process. BILL YATES:  For our listeners who are thinking about pursuing the PMP, this is a great episode for them.  They’re going to learn a lot about the current exam, and really looking deeply into it so they’ll know what to study, what kind of content to expect.  And then for those who have already earned their PMP, but are curious about changes to the PMP exam or to the certification itself, this will be interesting, as well. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  And we want to give a big welcome to Louis.  Louis Alderman manages the instructional design process at Velociteach.  He’s responsible for curriculum development of our live class offerings, as well as the development of our courses delivered on InSite.  Louis is the expert on all things PMP exam, and we are very grateful for his time. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Now, that’s a strong claim.  I tend to not classify myself as an “expert,” an ex being a has-been, and a spurt being a drip under pressure.  But I thank you for those accolades, and it’s more than my pleasure to be here today. Why Change the PMP Exam?

When assessing the impacts of tradeoffs, project managers must exercise responsibility in relation to schedule, budget, quality, and compliance decisions. Additionally, one cannot turn a blind eye towards duty of care of the safety of the end user. Dr. Te Wu provides a project management perspective on what factors led to the catastrophic events surrounding […] The post Episode 135 – Duty of Care – 737 Max 8 Lessons appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

When assessing the impacts of tradeoffs, project managers must exercise responsibility in relation to schedule, budget, quality, and compliance decisions. Additionally, one cannot turn a blind eye towards duty of care of the safety of the end user. Dr. Te Wu provides a project management perspective on what factors led to the catastrophic events surrounding the Boeing 737 Max 8 airline tragedies. Table of Contents 01:33 … The Boeing 737 Max 8 Events05:07 … Initial Investigations07:20 … Factors Leading to the Events10:16 … Prior Complaints12:58 … Technical Complexity and Increased Risk17:37 … Brewing a Perfect Storm20:38 … MCAS Software Issues24:35 … Lessons for the Project Manager27:15 … Intelligent Project Manager vs. Bold Project Manager29:58 … Duty of Care35:07 … Latest on the 737 Max 836:44 … Three Responsibilities for a Project Manager39:15 … Get in Touch with Te39:45 … Closing TE WU: ... if project managers could think about these three aspects – be realistic, be fact-driven, and be truthful about the data, at least to one’s self and team – and also be a little bit more holistic, we could solve so many problems upfront and head off the downstream challenges. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. I’m Wendy Grounds and here in the studio with me is Bill Yates. Today we’re talking with Professor Dr. Te Wu of Montclair State University.  He’s also a visiting professor at China Europe International Business School and the CEO of PMO Advisory. BILL YATES:  As a certified portfolio, program, project, and risk management professional, Te is a very active volunteer, including serving on PMI’s Portfolio and Risk Management core teams, and he’s a U.S. delegate on the ISO Technical Committee 258 for Project, Program, and Portfolio Management. WENDY GROUNDS:  Dr. Te Wu is also going to be speaking to us today about the Boeing 737 MAX 8 story.  He has done a lot of research on this project, based on an educational standpoint for project managers.  And he’s taken a lot of lessons from that, that we can learn.  And it’s a very interesting study that he’s done.  So we’re looking forward to digging a little deeper with him today. Hi, Te.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest today. TE WU:  It’s a pleasure to be here.  Thank you very much for inviting me. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 Events WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re going to jump right in.  And I want to ask if you can give us some details behind the story of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 events which occurred in 2018/2019? TE WU:  Sure.  Absolutely.  The first incident or tragedy happened with Indonesian Lion Air Flight 610.  That happened October 29th, 2018, and flying a very new Boeing 737 MAX plane.  It was a domestic flight from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang.  And it crashed about 13 minutes after taking off, crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 passengers and crew members.  This was the first major accident involving this new series of plane, the Boeing 737 MAX. And as you could imagine in an accident of this magnitude, it triggers a number of investigations, not only from Boeing, but from the Indonesian Air Authority.  There’s a committee called Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee, KNKT, as well as of course the United States FAA, Federal Aviation Administration.  And at the time Boeing promised full cooperation with the investigation.  But even domestically you could see – I have airline friends, for example, that quite a number of fingers were pointing.  One, it happened on foreign soil.  Two, they were questioned on the rigor of training at Indonesian Lion Air.  And in some ways there were a series of, I would say, cultural mishaps trying to point toward human error than toward the potential problem with the plane. And Boeing, to be fair, probably did do a good analysis, but perhaps not good enough.  The reason I say that is less than six months later the secon...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Creating an Olympic legacy: The project story about successfully ensuring the delivery of venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Olympic Games while overcoming huge constraints which impacted project planning.  Table of Contents 01:54 … Meet Ian03:04 … Planning Short-Term Needs and Long-Term Vision04:55 … Project Themes […] The post Episode 134 – Creating an Olympic Legacy: London 2012 appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Creating an Olympic legacy: The project story about successfully ensuring the delivery of venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Olympic Games while overcoming huge constraints which impacted project planning.  Table of Contents 01:54 … Meet Ian03:04 … Planning Short-Term Needs and Long-Term Vision04:55 … Project Themes and Project Objectives09:20 … Key Stakeholders11:38 … Responding to Feedback12:46 … Olympic Planning Process15:50 … Immovable Time Constraints18:05 … Delivering on Time18:49 … The Value in Testing22:37 … The Legacy Viewpoint24:08 … Budget Challenges27:12 … Disciplined Project Management29:25 … Project Teams32:16 … Team Building in Cultural Diversity33:38 … Surprises36:21 … Biggest Takeaways40:03 … “When Did it Hit You?”43:04 … Praise from the IOC44:20 … Get in Touch with Ian45:40 … Closing IAN CROCKFORD: It really is an opportunity to stage the greatest show on Earth.  And you’ve got to give it your best, haven’t you. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  Today we’re talking with Ian Crockford, and Ian is based outside London, near Heathrow Airport. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  So you may get to hear a plane or two... BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  ...going over.  He was the project executive at the Olympic Delivery Authority, the ODA.  And this was the public body responsible for ensuring the delivery of the infrastructure, the design, and the construction of buildings, transport, and the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games.  We’re busy with the 2021 Olympic Games right now, so we’re very excited about this episode. BILL YATES:  Yeah, it’s great timing.  One of the things you’ll pick up on a theme as you listen to this conversation with Ian, the venues that he was responsible for delivering.  Those venues were required to use materials and components that could be reused, relocated, or recycled to meet the Olympic Delivery Authority’s sustainability objectives.  That’s a huge constraint.  And it’ll be interesting, I think, for our listeners as we go through and have the conversation to hear how frequently and to what degree this impacted the planning that Ian and his team did. WENDY GROUNDS:  The London 2012 Olympic Games were an incredibly successful Olympic Games.  I know Ian is very proud of the work that they have done, and they have received high praise from the Olympic Committee for the work that they have done.  And they’ve served as an example to many other countries who’ve been hosting Olympic Games since then. BILL YATES:  Yeah, they’ve set the bar incredibly high. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Ian.  We’re so excited to talk with you today.  Thank you for being our guest. IAN CROCKFORD:  You’re welcome.  I’m looking forward to talking with you. Meet Ian WENDY GROUNDS:  First of all, I want to find out how you got to be part of this project.  What was the story that led to you becoming involved in this huge project? IAN CROCKFORD:  Well, that’s an interesting one.  I guess we’re back in 2005.  And as a new organization, the Olympic Delivery Authority was looking for people who could lead and manage the development of certain venues around the park.  I was approached then, and I guess in my CV was delivering the London Eye.  So I had actually had the benefit from the late ‘90s right through a rollercoaster, one of those 24/7 jobs, delivering the London Eye for the Millennium Eve. And that, you know, that teaches you not only about innovative projects and being a bit agile as a leader, as well as project delivery, but also great media interest that comes with these projects, and the need to publicly speak a lot.  And there’s all that other paraphernalia, dealing with politicians at high levels and the other stakeholders.  So I guess that played in my favor,

How do you plan for something you can’t predict? Strategist Lance Mortlock demonstrates how scenariolanning can help identify risks and expose vulnerabilities. Listen in for practical steps so that projectmanagers can be better prepared by strategically incorporating scenario planning into project planning. Table of Contents 02:04 … Writing the Book: Disaster Proof03:41 … What is […] The post Episode 133 – Scenario Planning – Disaster Proof your Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

How do you plan for something you can't predict? Strategist Lance Mortlock demonstrates how scenariolanning can help identify risks and expose vulnerabilities. Listen in for practical steps so that projectmanagers can be better prepared by strategically incorporating scenario planning into project planning. Table of Contents 02:04 … Writing the Book: Disaster Proof03:41 … What is Scenario Planning?07:09 … Examples of Scenario Planning Implementation11:37 … Essential Questions for Scenario Planning11:45 … Step 1: Defining Scope14:38 … Step 2: Explore Environment16:32 … PESTEL18:16 … Porter’s Five Forces21:25 … Step 3: Analyze Trends, Risks, and Uncertainties22:21 … Step 4: Build Scenarios and Signposts24:45 … Storytelling27:05 … Step 5: Confirm Scenarios and Stress Test29:41 … Step 6: Monitor Signposts and Execute Strategies31:40 … Applying AI in Scenario Planning35:04 … Connect with Lance36:27 … Closing LANCE MORTLOCK:  With storytelling, we talked earlier about how project managers take their discipline to the next level.  There’s the basics of what’s expected.  But the truly great project manager leaders again are using the different tools out there like scenarios, like the power of storytelling, to create a more compelling vision of what the future could look like. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  I just want to thank our listeners who have reached out to us and leave comments on our website or social media.  We always like hearing from you. We appreciate your positive ratings on Apple Podcast or whichever podcast listening app you use. So today we’re talking with Lance Mortlock.  Lance is a senior strategy partner with Ernst & Young. And he’s provided management consulting services on over 150 projects, to more than 60 clients in 11 countries.  The topic of our conversation today is based on his book, “Disaster Proof:  Scenario Planning for Post-Pandemic Future”.  And Bill and I both really enjoyed reading this book.  This was very interesting, talking about how you plan for something you can’t predict. BILL YATES:  Yeah, yeah, the uncertainty.  None of us project managers like uncertainty.  Yeah, Lance has written a brilliant book.  Okay, this is not basic project management stuff.  This is taking it to another level.  Lance’s explanation of scenario planning is spot-on.  The six steps he’s going to talk through with us are so practical and I think will resonate with the listeners.  These are some practical steps that we can use as we look at those tough questions that sponsors and customers come to us where they want us to look in the crystal ball and predict the future. WENDY GROUNDS:  Lance, welcome to Manage This.  We are so grateful to you for being our guest today. LANCE MORTLOCK:  Thanks for having me.  Looking forward to it. Writing the Book: Disaster Proof WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re talking about your book, “Disaster Proof:  Scenario Planning for Post-Pandemic Future”.  And my question is, did you already have this book in the works prior to 2020?  Did you write it as the pandemic emerged, or were you already on this project? LANCE MORTLOCK:  I have been writing for quite a bit in a more serious way and professionally for about 10 years. You know, ever since I joined Ernst & Young.  And I’ve been writing over the years about resilience, business resilience, around continuous improvement, different topics around strategy and integrated planning.  And really in, I guess, two years ago I started to think, well, I’ve done all this writing.  I’ve explored all these topics.  There’s a tremendous opportunity to kind of bring these topics together in an integrated way.  So I started to think about that and work on that two years ago. And then I would say a year ago, when we got hit with COVID, it really came to light for me that future thinking in organizations is ...

The construction industry is evolving in terms of women-led teams. Listen in for advice to women entering the industry. Jody Staruck worked on the YWCA Central Massachusetts $24 million renovation project. She talks about the requirements, scope and stakeholders of this project and the unique story behind their petition to win the bid for this […] The post Episode 132 – Women Led Construction Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The construction industry is evolving in terms of women-led teams. Listen in for advice to women entering the industry. Jody Staruck worked on the YWCA Central Massachusetts $24 million renovation project. She talks about the requirements, scope and stakeholders of this project and the unique story behind their petition to win the bid for this renovation. Table of Contents 01:41 … Meet Jody04:04 … The First Female Executive06:23 … Consigli Construction Growth08:38 … Maintaining a Strong Company Culture11:10 … YWCA Central Massachusetts Renovation Project13:44 … The YWCA Services to the Community14:50 … A Unique Bid Petition17:16 … Approach to Obstacles21:53 … The Unique Perspective of a Woman-Led Team24:34 … Overcoming Communication Barriers27:55 … Is the Construction Industry Changing?30:52 … Advice for Younger Women32:29 … Creating More Career Advancement Opportunities34:38 … Get in Touch with Jody35:36 … Closing JODY STARUK:  ...what I tell my younger teammates, male or female, is make a decision because at least then you’re in control.  Otherwise, the decision is being made for you.  And if you make the wrong decision, make another one to fix it.  So there’s always another option to fix it. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and here in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  We want to take a moment to say thank you to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website and on social media.  We love hearing from you, and I always appreciate your positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or whichever podcast listening app you use. One other thing is we know you’re looking for opportunities to acquire PDUs, your Professional Development Units, towards recertifications.  You can still claim PDUs for all of our podcast episodes.  Take a listen at the end of the show for information on how to claim your PDUs. When you think of an industry dominated by men, construction might be one of those that comes to mind.  Not so, Bill.  Women make up apparently only 10 to 11% of the construction industry’s workforce. BILL YATES:  Well, we are fortunate to have a conversation today with a real trailblazer in the industry.  In 2017, our guest, Jody Staruk, received Consigli’s highest honor, Builder of the Year, out of 300 eligible employees.  Now, Consigli is located –it’s in the northeast.  It’s mostly in the Boston area.  So Jody is the first woman recipient.  She’s also the first female project executive in Consigli’s 116-year history. Meet Jody WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Jody.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us today. JODY STARUK:  Thank you so much for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  We want to find out a lot of things from you today.  But I first want to know how did you get into the construction business?  It is rather an unusual choice.  Just tell us your background story a little bit. JODY STARUK:  Sure.  Well, it was actually by sheer luck.  I grew up in Maine.  I never saw a building be built in my entire life.  My mom was a math teacher.  So if I got less than an A in math I was grounded, which didn’t seem very fair because the worse I ever got was a B, but that’s still how it works.  So I was good at math by necessity, and I also enjoyed, you know, the sciences and stuff like that. And the only thing that led me down the road of engineering was a drafting class I took my senior year in high school.  And in Maine they have the University of Maine system, and UMaine Orono has a really good engineering school.  So I was going to go there because everybody goes to one of the UMaine schools.  And I applied to Worcester Polytechnic Institute just to say I applied to two schools.  I got into both, and I said, “All right, great, I’m going to go to UMaine.”  And my parents said, “Great, you’re going to live at home.”  And I said, “WPI it is.” BILL YATES:  So it made the decision. JODY STARUK:  Yeah,

Kory Kogon talks about the science behind extraordinary productivity. Hear how to get the right things done, both personally and professionally, and with quality.  Kory highlights three productivity challenges: decision management, attention management, and energy management, and she describes the 5 choices to implement to master these challenges. Table of Contents 00:25 … Meet Kory02:52 […] The post Episode 131 –Solutions for Extraordinary Productivity appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Kory Kogon talks about the science behind extraordinary productivity. Hear how to get the right things done, both personally and professionally, and with quality.  Kory highlights three productivity challenges: decision management, attention management, and energy management, and she describes the 5 choices to implement to master these challenges. Table of Contents 00:25 … Meet Kory02:52 … Extraordinary Productivity07:24 … The Productivity Paradox11:18 … Choice #1:Act on the Important. Don’t React to the Urgent13:06 … The Time Matrix16:37 … How to Model Productivity18:51 … Scope Creep and Intentionality24:43 … Choice #2: Go for the Extraordinary. Don’t Settle for Ordinary27:53 … Choice #3: Schedule the Big Rocks. Don’t Sort the Gravel31:14 … Best Way to Teach This to Your Team33:42 … Choice #4: Rule your Technology. Don’t let it Rule You37:59 … Choice #5: Fuel your Fire. Don’t Burn Out42:17 … Sleep on It43:45 … Connect with Kory44:27 … Closing KORY KOGON:  So those three challenges – decision management, attention management, and energy management – have risen to the top because, if you master those, you will end up with time management and go to sleep at night feeling accomplished. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me in the studio is Bill Yates.  Welcome, Bill. BILL YATES:  Good to be in here with you. Meet Kory WENDY GROUNDS:  Today we are talking to Kory Kogon.  Kory has over 25 years of business expertise.  She is FranklinCovey’s Vice President of Global Sales Enablement.  Kory has been featured on Inc.com and in its Productivity Playbook online series, on FastCompany.com, Forbes.com, and in Investor’s Business Daily.  She has also appeared on NBC’s Today with Hoda Kotb.  And we’re very privileged to have Kory with us today. BILL YATES:  Yes, we are.  And I’m so excited to talk with her about her book.  She’s a co-author of the #4 Wall Street Journal Bestseller, “The 5 Choices:  The Path to Extraordinary Productivity.”  She also wrote “Project Management Essentials for the Unofficial Project Manager” – we may have to have another conversation with her about that – and “The Presentation Advantage.”  This book at that we’re going to focus on, “The 5 Choices:  The Path to Extraordinary Productivity,” is so full of great advice.  And you know, one of the things I appreciate is she’s going to talk about the science behind some of this, too. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  Sometimes we struggle to get everything done that we need to do in a day.  And she’s just going to give us advice on how to choose what we need to do and what’s important.  And I think it’s going to be a great conversation.  Kory, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. KORY KOGON:  Well, thanks for having me.  I’m excited to be here with you. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re looking forward to getting a little deeper into this book that you’ve written.  But what we like to find out from authors is why did you write the book? KORY KOGON:  Well, you know, I am part of FranklinCovey, who is very well known, like, oh, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and within that “First Things First” and our whole background around principle-based time management, life management.  Over the years we’ve iterated based on pointing those principles at the relevancy of particularly the workplace.  And so a few years ago we again updated our work around those principles in relevancy.  And it was just an honor to be able to, with my colleagues, really take this work into the 21st Century – when people are busier than ever before, and a little crazed – and, under the conditions pre-pandemic, able to really help people accomplish the most important things in their life. Extraordinary Productivity BILL YATES:  There are so many principles that we’re going to get into that are in the book that resonate with me and,

Negotiating, recruiting, career planning, interviewing… rarely taught, crucial skills that are indispensable to career success. Listen in as Mark Herschberg, author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You, gives valuable career advice about pivoting and about the value of knowing your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) tactic […] The post Episode 130 – Accelerate your Career – Skills For Success appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Negotiating, recruiting, career planning, interviewing... rarely taught, crucial skills that are indispensable to career success. Listen in as Mark Herschberg, author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You, gives valuable career advice about pivoting and about the value of knowing your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) tactic to deliver significant negotiating power.   Table of Contents 01:40 … Meet Mark02:58 … Pivoting Your Career04:56 … Impact Of COVID on Career Progress06:27 … Post Pandemic Work Shift08:19 … Being Intentional with Relationships11:01 … How to be Better at Interviewing15:11 … What are Good Interview Questions?21:17 … Preparation for Negotiations23:48 … The BATNA Approach27:10 … How to Anchor your Negotiations31:37 … How to Contact Mark32:48 … Closing. MARK HERSCHBERG:  So you want to prepare ahead of time, think about what is it that you want to get out of this negotiation.  What’s your ideal outcome?  What’s your BATNA, your Best Alternative To Negotiate Agreement?  That’s the point at which you walk away.  You shouldn’t take anything less.  What are some possible scenarios that might come up?  What are some tradeoffs you might want to do?  And what might the other side be doing?  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Thank you for joining us today.  I am Wendy Grounds, and joining us on Skype is Bill Yates.  Today we’re talking to Mark Herschberg.  Mark was educated at MIT, and he’s spent his career launching and fixing new ventures at startups, Fortune 500s, and academia.  Mark helped create the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, MIT’s career success accelerator, where he’s taught for 20 years.  Bill, you’ve read Mark’s book, and you’re going to tell us a little bit about that. BILL YATES:  Yes.  The goal of his book is to be a career success accelerator, just like you mentioned.  And there is so much application to project management.  He’s got a chapter on communications, and the leadership chapter talks about how do we motivate team members, different ways to do that.  There’s some familiar topics here, things like Tuckman’s Ladder, the five different stages for project team development, looking at the 5 Whys technique, the Iron Triangle.  So he goes into some of these things that we’ll look at as project managers and go, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get that.  And then he goes deeper, and those are the topics that we want to talk to him about today, things like negotiation, interviewing, tips that I think project managers can really benefit from. Meet Mark WENDY GROUNDS:  Mark, welcome to Manage This. MARK HERSCHBERG:  Thanks for having me.  It’s a pleasure to be here today. WENDY GROUNDS:  I want to hear a little bit about your book.  You authored “The Career Toolkit:  Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You.”  What prompted you to write this book? MARK HERSCHBERG:  Years ago, when I first started hiring people, software engineers, project managers, I found when I had asked them a technical question, I’d get a technical answer.  But when I would ask a question like what makes someone a good teammate, what are the communication challenges we face, I would get blank stares.  And I realized we never teach this in our undergraduate curriculum.  So I had to start training up folks that I was trying to hire. At the same time, MIT was getting similar feedback from corporate America and began to put together their own program.  So I heard about this.  I was about a year ahead of them.  I said, “You know, I’ve been working on this.  Can I help?”  So I then got involved with MIT.  I helped develop this program.  I’ve been teaching for the past 20 years.  But of course these skills, it’s not just for MIT students.  It’s not just for students.  They are universal skills.  Again, corporate America said these are the skills we want to see,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. If your team alignment is off, this misalignment becomes amplified with remote teams. Hear about tools to manage the human side of your project as we take look at The Team Alignment Toolkit. Table of Contents 02:34 … Meet Stefano03:17 … Interest in Team Alignment06:45 … Impact […] The post Episode 129 – Tools to Boost Your Team Alignment appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. If your team alignment is off, this misalignment becomes amplified with remote teams. Hear about tools to manage the human side of your project as we take look at The Team Alignment Toolkit. Table of Contents 02:34 … Meet Stefano03:17 … Interest in Team Alignment06:45 … Impact of Pandemic on Team Alignment09:44 … Mastering Your Technology13:20 … Challenges to Remote Work17:34 … Effective Use of Online Communication Tools21:48 … Hybrid Teams are Here to Stay24:47 … Wrong Channel Selection27:53 … Team Alignment Toolkit29:01 … The Team Alignment Map32:08 … The Team Contract34:35 … The Fact Finder35:43 … The Non-Violent Requests Guide37:05 … The Respect Card39:44 … How to Get the Tools43:56 … Closing STEFANO MASTROGIACOMO:  And these two root reasons, mutual understanding and psychological safety, have been at the core of the creation of the tools that are, you know, “High-Impact Tools for Teams.”  Because these were the missing plugins in my own practice to deliver more successful projects.  I think we have amazing tools out there, both Agile, non-Agile, or typical Waterfall.  All tools are good, depending on the type of project we have.  But I was missing the human component embedded in the tools, you know, mixing both, because we’re humans, and language fails, and trust is not always at super levels.  And these are two essential requirements for succeeding as a team. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to talk about what really matters to you as a professional in the field of project management.  We aim to bring you top experts in the field, those who can speak to the challenges you face and draw on their own experience.  I’m your host, Wendy Grounds; and joining us on Skype is Bill Yates. I want to take a quick moment to say thanks to our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  We love hearing from you and always appreciate your positive ratings on Apple Podcasts, or whichever podcast listening app you use. Our guest today is Stefano Mastrogiacomo.  He is a management consultant, professor, and author.  He has been leading digital projects and advising project teams in international organizations for more than 20 years, while teaching and doing research at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.  His interdisciplinary work is anchored in project management, change management, psycholinguistics, evolutionary anthropology, and design thinking.  And he’s the designer of the Team Alignment Map, the Team Contract, the Fact Finder, and the other tools presented in his book. BILL YATES:  Wendy, the Team Alignment Toolkit that Stefano and his colleagues have come up with is really impressive.  It’s so practical.  This is applicable whether you’re using an adaptive approach, a predictive approach, it doesn’t matter – Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, whatever flavor of project management you’re using.  You have, at the core, you have people and a team that you need to keep healthy so that they can produce good work.  And his tool set gets into that. Meet Stefano WENDY GROUNDS:  Stefano, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us today. STEFANO MASTROGIACOMO:  Thank you for having me, and welcome to our listeners. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  So you’re Italian, and you’re working in Switzerland.  How did that come about? STEFANO MASTROGIACOMO:  No, I was born from Italian immigrants during the ‘60s in Switzerland, actually.  I was born in Switzerland.  However, my parents had always the dream to go back to Italy.  So when I was five years old we moved back to Italy.  I started my school there, did part of my education in Italy before returning to Switzerland and staying here.  So I think I have both cultural backgrounds now. Interest in Team Alignment BILL YATES:  One of the fun things that we were talking about ah...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear about an award winning project to repurpose a 125-year old train station into an aquarium. A project that includes designing destinations and creating animal habitats that tell lasting stories. Table of Contents 02:07 … Meet Emily03:23 … PGAV, Destinology and Building Memories05:23 … Emily’s Role at […] The post Episode 128 – Building Memories – Designing Destinations appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear about an award winning project to repurpose a 125-year old train station into an aquarium. A project that includes designing destinations and creating animal habitats that tell lasting stories. Table of Contents 02:07 … Meet Emily03:23 … PGAV, Destinology and Building Memories05:23 … Emily’s Role at PGAV07:35 … Researching a Project10:00 … Who Comes First in Designing Destinations?11:16 … A Persona, Goals, and a Storyline13:21 … Managing Challenging Sponsors14:57 … St Louis Aquarium17:54 … National Historic Landmark Constraints19:49 … Designing Destinations Process21:00 … Budget Impact on Scope and Schedule24:39 … Leadership Lessons26:50 … Relationship with Construction Partners28:24 … Overcoming Obstacles29:37 … Lessons Learned31:54 … Find Out More32:51 … Closing EMILY HOWARD: ...And our latest of course is St. Louis Aquarium and the entry experience there.  How that came about is I almost need to tell the story of the St. Louis Aquarium first, which we were challenged with putting an  aquarium into a building that was built over 125 years ago; ...  So that was a challenge in itself.  But what really came out of it was the story.  And how do we tell the story of the building, but then bring that into an aquarium, as well?  So how do you mesh those two? WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We hope you’ll continue to tell us what you like and to offer your suggestions.  You can leave us a comment on Google, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, whichever podcast listening app you use. I am Wendy Grounds, and joining me on Skype is Bill Yates.  Welcome, Bill. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy.  It’s great to be a part of this podcast today.  You know, I was thinking about the types of podcasts that we typically do.  I think they kind of fall into two categories.  There’s project management in theory, and project management in practice.  And with project management in theory, you know, we’ll have a guest, you’ll find some author or someone who has a different approach to risk management, for instance, and we’ll have that person talk to us about the tools, the techniques, the theory of project management. And then we also really enjoy the second type, which is project management in practice, where we want to talk to project managers who are out there, you know, they’re just like me and you.  They’re trying to get things done through projects.  And sometimes they go amazingly, and other times they don’t go as well.  There’s always lessons to learn.  And you’ve been doing a phenomenal job of finding interesting projects, too.  So the project management in practice typically is a pretty darn interesting project. WENDY GROUNDS:  I get very excited when we find someone who is working on an exciting project.  And they might not have the title Project Manager, but they are the project managers on that project.  They’re leading it.  They’re leading a team.  And they’re doing some incredible things. Meet Emily And that brings me to today’s guest.  We’re talking with Emily Howard.  And Emily has worked on an incredible project at the St. Louis Aquarium.  And she’s going to be telling us more about that today.  Emily attended the Master of Architecture program at Washington University.  In part of her program she studied in Barcelona, Spain and in Durban, South Africa.  And then she became part of the design team at PGAV Destinations in St. Louis.  She’s a leader of zoo and aquarium design at PGAV.  And she keeps busy traveling all over the world for her incredible projects. Emily, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for being our guest. EMILY HOWARD:  Thank you so much for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  We are excited to hear about your projects.  I loved hearing your passion when I researched you.  I found just how passionate you are about your job, and I’m excited to share that with our audience.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Join us as we take a look behind the scenes with Gabriel Sterling. He took on the role of project manager under the title of “Voting System Implementation Manager,” and worked to roll out the use of new voting machines for the 2020 Georgia state elections. Table […] The post Episode 127 – Gabriel Sterling – Georgia Voting System Implementation Manager appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Join us as we take a look behind the scenes with Gabriel Sterling. He took on the role of project manager under the title of “Voting System Implementation Manager,” and worked to roll out the use of new voting machines for the 2020 Georgia state elections. Table of Contents 01:37 … How Gabriel Got the Job03:12 … Request For Proposal Process04:45 … Procurement08:56 … Team Collaboration11:15 … Defining the Success of the Project17:31 … “What Kept You Up at Night?”20:01 … Conquering the Beast of Long Lines21:41 … Communication Methods with All Locations23:42 … Paying Attention to Stakeholders25:41 … A Risk Event31:15 … Transparency and Honesty33:59 … How to Stay Motivated36:33 … Lessons Learned38:05 … Biggest Surprises on the Project41:38 … Final Words of Advice42:50 … Closing GABRIEL STERLING: ... we did get in the details, but we didn’t get stuck on the details.  And never make the perfect the enemy of the good. I know this sounds cliché.  Strive for perfection; accept excellence in all your projects.  You can always make that goal. But if you are trying to get to perfection, and you get so focused on that that you lose focus on everything else, your project’s going to fail. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast for project managers by project managers.  I am Wendy Grounds.  Joining me by Skype today is Bill Yates, and we have a special appearance by Andy Crowe in the studio.  He’s in town for a little while and just wanted to be part of the podcast today.  So we’re excited to have him with us. And then we have our guest, Gabriel Sterling.  Gabriel Sterling is a politician and elections official for the state of Georgia.  He was the Chief Operating Officer in the office of Georgia’s Secretary of State, and in 2019 he took on the role of project manager and has worked as an independent contractor for the state of Georgia when they were implementing their new voting system.  And he had the title of Voting System Implementation Manager and worked to roll out the use of the new voting machines purchased from Dominion Voting Systems for the 2020 Georgia State Elections.  He was put in a very public, high-pressure situation which became a point of national interest as the elections continued.  And we want to hear his perspective.  Gabriel, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us, and we’re excited to hear your story today. GABRIEL STERLING:  Well, thanks for having me. How Gabriel Got the Job WENDY GROUNDS:  Project management stretches across all industries.  There’s so many different types of project managers that we’ve talked to on this podcast.  And you really stepped in the role of the Voting System Implementation Manager for the state of Georgia during our recent elections.  I want to know what prompted you to volunteer for this job. What made you take on this challenge? GABRIEL STERLING:  The word “volunteer” is very loosely used at that point by you there, Wendy.  Because what happened, when I came to the office, I was the Chief Operating Officer.  And I have experience on that.  I’ve stood up accounting departments, built out warehouses, put together manufacturing facilities.  So there’s various levels.  And one of my favorite things to ever do in a million years is to do a facility walk with somebody who knows how those systems work.  That’s where you can really get into the weeds of understanding how things happen. And I used to be a consultant, and one of the great things for any consultant is you look at everything with fresh eyes, and you look like a genius for the first three days you’re there because everybody else is used to seeing things the way they always have been.  But what happened in this particular case is I had been on a City Council in Sandy Springs, which is a city just north of Atlanta.  And we did some large projects, and I’ve been around a lot of bidding situations.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. As leaders we should bring clarity of purpose into our teams in times of crisis. Hear how to take action when things look overwhelming, stay grounded during crisis, and lead through tragedy. In times of crisis, it’s not the title you have but what you do. Table […] The post Episode 126 – Leading Through Tragedy, Finding Purpose appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. As leaders we should bring clarity of purpose into our teams in times of crisis. Hear how to take action when things look overwhelming, stay grounded during crisis, and lead through tragedy. In times of crisis, it’s not the title you have but what you do. Table of Contents 02:45 … Peter’s Early Career04:13 … A Forensic Investigator06:17 … Entering a Project as a Subject Matter Expert08:40 … International Assignment: Bali10:45 … Performing in a Hostile Environment15:58 … International Assignment: Thailand18:32 … Leading Through Tragedy21:59 … Four Stages of the Crisis Clock27:13 … When a Project Changes Your Perspective31:20 … Finding Purpose: Hands Across the Water34:11 … Measuring Success38:48 … Shared Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility42:56 … Food for the Soul44:19 … Find Out More45:04 … Closing PETER BAINES: The most important stage I would suggest is that third stage where our energy is so low.  That’s when we need the leaders.  That’s when we need to understand our real clarity of purpose, or why we do what we do, the importance.  And for leaders it’s when we should be bringing that into our teams. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast for project managers by project managers.  I am Wendy Grounds, and this is the part where I usually say, “In the studio with me is Bill Yates.”  However, Bill is not with us in the studio today.  But he is joining us from home.  Welcome, Bill. BILL YATES:  Thank you, Wendy.  Appreciate it. WENDY GROUNDS:  Today we’re talking to Peter Baines.  We came across Peter and discovered some of the work that he is doing, an incredible story.  He was a forensic investigator, and he worked in Bali in 2002 after the terrorist bombings, as well as in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.  He went to Thailand and worked there as a forensic investigator after those disasters.  And he’s going to talk more about that on the podcast. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Wendy, this is going to be an interesting conversation with Peter.  He has had unique experiences that kind of hit a theme that we’ve had some prior episodes on.  We had conversation with Dr. Chuck Casto about the Fukushima nuclear disaster.  We talked with Dave Gibson about the development of the MRAP team.  More recently we spoke with Matt Harper about the USS Cole bombing.  And we had a conversation with a fire chief, Mark Von Tillow, who’s been chasing wildfires. So there’s a common thread there of times of incredible crisis that Peter can speak to, and through that he’s got a lot of wisdom to share with us.  He can help give us perspective on our projects of what actions to take when things look overwhelming, how to stay grounded during crisis, and just how to lead through it.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, just a little more about Peter which we don’t cover in the podcast is he worked for Interpol in France, leading counterterrorism projects.  He also spent time advising the United Nations Office in Drug and Crime in Southeast Asia on leadership and counterterrorism.  And he will go on to tell us about a charity that he started called Hands Across the Water.  And we’re very excited to hear about the work that he’s been doing there.  Also he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his international humanitarian work in 2014, and in 2016 he received the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn awarded by the king of Thailand for his services to the kingdom of Thailand.  We really are so honored to have Peter with us today. Welcome, Peter.  Thank you so much for joining us on Manage This. PETER BAINES:  It’s so nice to join you.  Thank you for the invitation. Peter’s Early Career WENDY GROUNDS:  I want to go back and find out about your career, how you became a forensic investigator.  What led you into that field? PETER BAINES:  So I joined the New South Wales Police, and I was a serving police officer here for several years.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Are you learning project management from the school of hard knocks? Listen in for some pragmatic, practice-based insights into project leadership. Hear advice about psychological safety, building appreciation, organizational learning, risk analysis and much more. Tips to boost your project success and encourage self-managing, high-performing teams. Table […] The post Episode 125 – Leading Projects: Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Are you learning project management from the school of hard knocks? Listen in for some pragmatic, practice-based insights into project leadership. Hear advice about psychological safety, building appreciation, organizational learning, risk analysis and much more. Tips to boost your project success and encourage self-managing, high-performing teams. Table of Contents 01:18 … Meet Kiron04:53 … Psychological Safety07:15 … Soliciting Feedback09:25 … Building in Appreciation11:22 … An Appreciation Board13:32 … Accountability from Within14:31 … Embedded Continuous Improvement15:04 … Unconscious Yet Effective Delegation16:54 … Translating Lessons Learned into Organizational Learning18:12 … Information Radiators for Lessons Learned19:25 … Psychologically Safe Evidence Based Retrospectives21:50 … Leader Goes First22:57 … Retrospect on the Retrospectives24:00 … When Someone Leaves the Project25:45 … Building Bridges with Functional Managers27:02 … Risk Management27:57 … Risk Management as Insurance30:16 … Delphi Technique on Qualitative Risk Analysis31:54 … Words of Advice32:54 … Get in Touch with Kiron34:01 … Closing KIRON BONDALE: When I started my career in project management, I was obsessed with the process side of it, the practices, the tools, the techniques of project management.  I wanted to build the world’s greatest schedule.  I ignored the people.  And I forgot that it’s people that deliver project outcomes, not the processes, not the practices. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Listeners, remember if you’re claiming PDUs, check out our website for the instructions for the new procedure.  I am Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Good morning, Bill. BILL YATES:  Good morning to you. WENDY GROUNDS:  Today we’re very excited to have Kiron Bondale joining us by Skype.  Kiron is a senior consultant for World Class Productivity,and he’s worked in the project management domain for over 25 years.  He is also an active member of PMI and has served as a volunteer director on the board of PMI Lakeshore Chapter for six years.  And Bill, you’re going to tell us about his book. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  I really enjoyed Kiron’s book.  It’s called “Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice.”  He’s a prolific writer.  He’s been blogging for years.  And he’ll describe what inspired him to write this book.  But this book is really practical, filled with advice for project managers, very topical.  We’re going to poke into some of the examples, but I really encourage people to check it out.  Meet Kiron WENDY GROUNDS:  Kiron, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. KIRON BONDALE:  Thank you for giving me the opportunity.  I really appreciate it. WENDY GROUNDS:  I want to ask you first, why did you write the  book, and what was your thought behind this book? KIRON BONDALE:  Yes.  It really was prompted by a challenge my father had given me almost two decades ago now, where when I told him I was thinking about starting a blog, and he looked at me, and he kind of said, you know, blogs are for amateurs.  And this is in the early days, when there weren’t a whole lot of people in the blogosphere.  But he kind of said, you know, forget about these 400, 500-word things.  If you want to be serious, write a book. And my father and I, we disagreed on a variety of topics over the time we spent together.  But that kind of challenge stayed in the back of my head all of these years.  And when I got to roughly about 500 articles in the blog, I started thinking, you know, rather than having to create something from scratch, there’s enough good content there that it probably begs the question, could I not collate it, curate it, create a book from it?  And having some free time on my hands over the Christmas holidays last year,

Pioneering the development of human monoclonal antibodies as potential treatments for viral diseases, in 2019 the Crowe Lab did a simulated pandemic outbreak and developed a record breaking rapid antibody discovery platform. Dr. James E. Crowe, Director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center shares how in 2020, as they were getting ready to do another simulation, […] The post Episode 124 – A Vital Project – Pursuing Antibody Science in a Pandemic appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Pioneering the development of human monoclonal antibodies as potential treatments for viral diseases, in 2019 the Crowe Lab did a simulated pandemic outbreak and developed a record breaking rapid antibody discovery platform. Dr. James E. Crowe, Director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center shares how in 2020, as they were getting ready to do another simulation, right in the middle of their preparations COVID happened. Hear the fascinating story of how his team pivoted to launch a project with no reagents, no information, and no samples.  Table of Contents 01:37 … Meet James03:12 … What is an Antibody?04:17 … Monoclonal Antibodies06:44 … The Human Immunome Project09:25 … Secrets in our Bloodstream12:02 … COVID Response15:55 … Getting the Team to Pivot20:02 … Concerning Vaccine Hesitancy26:25 … Decision Analysis and Risks28:06 … Deciding on Intellectual Property34:02 … Formal Project Management in the Lab36:35 … After Action Reviews38:01 … Project Management Processes and Practices42:45 … Get in Touch with James43:50 … Closing JAMES CROWE: I like the complexity of it, and I like working with project managers because they like seeing the complexity.  And the bottom line is getting things done in a complex environment.  That’s getting stuff out the other end and not being discouraged by that, but enjoying the complexity. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast for project managers by project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds; and, as always, here in the studio with me is Bill Yates. Listeners remember if you’re claiming PDUs for our podcast, as well as for our courses, check out our website. Our PDU claim page has been updated with the new instructions.  We are so glad you’re joining us today.  We have a special guest.  This is Dr. James Crowe, and he’s a physician scientist at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  He’s the director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center and the Ann Scott Carell Chair.  He’s a Professor of Pediatrics and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. BILL YATES:  Dr. Crowe has pioneered development of human monoclonal antibodies as potential treatments for viral diseases.  He’s going to describe to us what that means.  I think we’ve all heard about antibodies lately.  But he can describe it from a science perspective.  And they’d done a lot of work on antibodies prior to the COVID pandemic.  But when the pandemic hit, his team pivoted, and we’ll talk with him about that.  In fact, the Crowe team won an award in December 2020.  They were recognized for their work on COVID antibody research, and that’s a fantastic award that recognizes the achievement that they’ve had in that field. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  So he gives some great project management advice in this podcast.  It’s really interesting to hear his perspective.  And also something we ask James is why we’re still debating the social good and the necessity of vaccines.  And he touches on that, as well.  So let’s talk to James.  Hi, Dr. Crowe.  Thank you so much for joining us today. Meet James JAMES CROWE:  Yeah, thanks for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re just so excited to talk with you today, to clarify some issues about vaccines and about immunization.  And I think you’re just the right person to talk to.  But I want to just go back a little bit and find out what is your mission as a scientist in the vaccine area?  How did you get started in this?  And what really is your goal? JAMES CROWE:  Well, I trained originally as a pediatrician, and ultimately worked in various places around the world.  I traveled in Papua New Guinea and Sub-Saharan Africa and various exotic places, thinking that I might spend my life trying to make the world a better a better place for children who are in challenging situations.  And when you’re there, you see infectious diseases as a big part of the challenge.  Ultimately I trained as an infectious disease specialist to try to work on prevention of disease, infectious diseases,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. For project managers who are ready to up their game with risk management, Prasad Kodukula clarifies Next-Generation Project Risk Management and talks us through six specific risk response tools that will help you manage risks more effectively. Table of Contents 02:03 … Meet Prasad03:19 … Next Generation […] The post Episode 123 – Next-Generation Project Risk Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. For project managers who are ready to up their game with risk management, Prasad Kodukula clarifies Next-Generation Project Risk Management and talks us through six specific risk response tools that will help you manage risks more effectively. Table of Contents 02:03 … Meet Prasad03:19 … Next Generation Project Risk Management09:12 … Tool 1: Ambiguity Risks12:49 … Tool 2: Emergent Risks14:07 … Dealing with Unknown Unknowns18:40 … Tool 3: Opportunities23:07 … Tool 4: Integration of Cost and Schedule Risks24:34 … Communicating Risks to Upper Management28:59 … Tool 5: Adaptive Technique – Iterative and Incremental methods32:02 … Tool 6: Risk Response Strategies35:14 … Get in Touch with Prasad35:44 … Closing Prasad Kodukula:  We’ve got to break down those silos so that we can communicate more freely, more quickly across different functions because when we are talking about resiliency, we want to make sure that we could put together a cross-functional team very quickly that could work cohesively together. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Listeners you can still claim your free PDUs.  The steps to submit a PDU for our podcast, as well as for our InSite courses to PMI, has changed.  Our PDU claim page has been updated with the new instructions.  Make sure not to use the autofill, but type in “Velociteach” and the title when you are submitting your PDUs.  We do apologize for the inconvenience. I am Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates.  Bill, today we’re talking with Prasad Kodukula.  He is a PMI Fellow, a PMI advisor, thought leader, coach, author, and entrepreneur with more than 35 years of experience. BILL YATES:  Yeah, I think people will quickly figure out Prasad is an overachiever. WENDY GROUNDS:  Absolutely. BILL YATES:  He’s taken three big awards with PMI:  the 2010 Distinguished Contribution Award, the 2016 Eric Jenett Project Management Excellence Award, the 2020 PMI Fellow Award.  So this guy is very well decorated. WENDY GROUNDS:  He is also a self-proclaimed global ambassador of project management.  He’s spoken on project management and innovation leadership in nearly 50 countries, and I enjoy talking to him about South Africa.  He goes there quite often.  Unfortunately, with COVID, he hasn’t been able to get there. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  But we were able to talk a little bit about South Africa, which was really cool. BILL YATES:  Talk about home. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  So Prasad is going to talk with us today about one of the topics that’s of keen interest to him and certainly to us.  He’s going to look at risk management and describe six next-generation tools for risk management. WENDY GROUNDS:  Prasad.  Thank you so much for joining us. PRASAD KODUKULA:  Hello, Wendy.  Thank you for having me. Meet Prasad WENDY GROUNDS:  Prasad, with a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, you obviously did not set out in your career intending to become a project manager.  How did you discover that this was the path for you? PRASAD KODUKULA:  Well, that’s an interesting question.  You are right, Wendy.  I did not start to make a project manager in my career.  And it happens with a lot of people.  It happened to me by accident.  So I call myself an “accidental project manager.”  So I started as an R&D engineer, and within two or three years they asked me to manage projects.  I didn’t know anything about it.  I said sure.  Sounded like a pretty good idea, sounded like a nice title to have, so I became a project manager by sheer accident. BILL YATES:  That’s hilarious because, you know, you think, okay, here’s Prasad, an accidental project manager, which you’ve won three amazing awards with PMI.  You’re a PMI Fellow, which is really the feather on the top of the cap.  That’s an amazing award.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Kupe Kupersmith, talks with us about creating healthy Agile teams. Trust, healthy conflict, commitment, and peer-to-peer accountability build healthy teams which produce winning results. When you have “One Team” that is focused and stable, you are closer to achieving that winning team performance. Table of Contents 01:03 […] The post Episode 122 – Power Your Agile Teams appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Kupe Kupersmith, talks with us about creating healthy Agile teams. Trust, healthy conflict, commitment, and peer-to-peer accountability build healthy teams which produce winning results. When you have “One Team” that is focused and stable, you are closer to achieving that winning team performance. Table of Contents 01:03 … Meet Kupe02:21 … Splitting a Large Team05:24 … Assessing How to Split Teams07:30 … Reactions to Team Splitting10:15 … Responsibility Diagramming14:27 … Adding Remote Complexity15:20 … The Five Dysfunctions of a Team16:31 … Lack of Trust18:18 … Steps to Build Trust20:45 … Healthy Conflict22:40 … Being Comfortable with Conflict26:16 … Commitment28:32 … Peer-to-Peer Accountability29:43 … ELMO32:41 … Producing Results34:57 … Get in Touch with Kupe35:36 … Closing KUPE KUPERSMITH: ...it’s about that team members feel that everybody has their back; that, if I do something wrong, someone’s going to swoop up and help me and be there, that I can be transparent and ask for help and feel comfortable that nobody’s going to throw me under the bus. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Just a little update about claiming your PDUs.  The steps to submit a PDU for our podcast as well as for our InSite courses to PMI has changed.  Our PDU claim page has been updated with the new instructions.  Make sure not to use the autofill, but type in Velociteach and the title when you are submitting your PDUs.  We do apologize for the inconvenience.  But thank you for listening, and please contact us if you need any additional assistance. I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates.  This is our opportunity to talk with you about issues that project managers are facing today.  And sometimes it’s working remotely, sometimes it’s working on teams, and sometimes it’s all of that together.  Our guest today is somebody we’ve had on before.  He is Kupe Kupersmith, and he was on Episode 62, where we talked about BAs and PMs, decision-making for superheroes. BILL YATES:  I’m excited about this topic.  I think at a macro level it’s all about healthy teams. Meet Kupe WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  Kupe is the coauthor of “Business Analysis for Dummies.”  He’s had quite an eclectic career path.  He has been an accountant, an improv comedian, IT consultant, business analyst, and a project manager.  He has collaborated with us on some courses.  One was the “Overview of Lean Business Analysis.”  And currently he’s working on a course on remote Agile delivery.  Kupe, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for being our guest today. KUPE KUPERSMITH:  Thanks for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  I have a quick question, before we get into our discussion.  It was 2018 when we had you last on the podcast.  So what have you been doing since then? KUPE KUPERSMITH:  Wow, has it been that long?  I feel like... WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s been that long. KUPE KUPERSMITH:  I feel like I was in your office; and then, poof, you asked me to do another one.  But I guess it’s been two years.  Well, prior to 2020 I was doing a lot of keynote speaking.  And we talked some about improv, I think, and the improv work I do, and how I talk about improv and how it helps people be better collaborators, communicators, team players.  So doing a lot of that.  I’m also an IT consultant, so I’m out there with companies kind of implementing Agile practices and other practices to have effective teams and get teams to deliver the great products that our customers want. Splitting a Large Team BILL YATES:  You’ve been partnering with us on courses, and there are so many nuggets.  I just wanted to have a conversation about being a healthy team or creating a healthy team.  One of those I thought was really unique, and you talked about when your team is too large.  I think in the example you gave you had 36 team members that were needed to get the job done...

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Projects are more successful when we play to the strengths of the team. Hear about a new technology platform for building high-performing and successful teams. Create a winning team culture by identifying the unique preference, proficiency, and personality that an individual brings to the table. Table of […] The post Episode 121 – Successful Teams = Successful Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Projects are more successful when we play to the strengths of the team. Hear about a new technology platform for building high-performing and successful teams. Create a winning team culture by identifying the unique preference, proficiency, and personality that an individual brings to the table. Table of Contents 00:05 … New PDU Claim Process00:54 … Meet Darrin02:53 … Cloverleaf: How it all Began04:56 … Consistent Team Performance09:19 … Choosing the Right Tool for a Successful Team12:10 … When to Pivot your Plan14:39 … What can Cloverleaf do for a Project Team?17:53 … Partnering with Other Assessment Tools19:49 … After the Assessment: Getting Stuff Done24:09 … Tools for Team Members27:06 … Application for Traditional or Agile Methodology27:57 … Keeping Remote Teams Motivated31:25 … Being Authentic32:32 … “Corporate Bravery”33:45 … Get in Touch with Darrin34:53 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  New PDU Claim Process Just a little update about claiming your PDUs. The steps to submit a PDU for our podcast, as well as for our InSite courses to PMI, has changed. Our PDU claim page has been updated with the new instructions. Make sure not to use the auto-fill but type in Velociteach and the title, when you are submitting your PDUs. We do apologize for the inconvenience but thank you for listening and please contact us if you need any additional assistance. I’m Wendy Grounds; and as always, here in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  Please make sure to visit our website, Velociteach.com, where you can subscribe to the show so you will never miss an episode.  While you’re at it, if you find value in the show, we’d appreciate a rating on iTunes or a comment on our website.  Or if you’d simply tell a friend, that would help us out, too.  Meet Darrin We like to share stories of interesting projects, and we like to talk with experts who are doing new and exciting things which can impact the world of project management.  And that brings me to today’s guest, Darrin Murriner.  He is the cofounder and CEO of Cloverleaf.me.  It’s a technology platform for building high-performing teams.  Prior to founding Cloverleaf, he managed large and complex teams at companies such as Arthur Andersen and Fifth Third Bank.  And he is the author of a book called “Corporate Bravery,” and he’s going to tell us a little bit more about that book later on.  But Bill, do you want to tell us a bit about Cloverleaf? BILL YATES:  Yeah.  We have had conversations and dedicated podcasts to talking about team building and talking about assessing strengths.  We’ll reference some of those later in the ‘cast, I’m sure.  But we know that successful teams lead to successful projects.  So any tools that we can put in the hands of our listeners that will make them better at equipping their teams and making them more effective, man, we’re excited about showing those. Someone brought to our attention this toolset called Cloverleaf.  And fortunately, we’ve got the CEO, Darrin, who’s going to talk with us about Cloverleaf.  It’s a teambuilding tool.  And you can take something like StrengthsFinder or Myers-Briggs or DISC or other assessments that you do on your team, and you have all this data, and then you need something to help you take those next steps.  So I think this conversation will give us some ideas. WENDY GROUNDS:  Right.  A thing to note, I just want to say to our listeners, is that we don’t receive any compensation for talking about Cloverleaf.  We just came across them.  Someone told us about them.  And we want to share that with our audience.  We’re not getting a free subscription to Cloverleaf for our team. BILL YATES:  We need to ask Darrin about that, yeah.  We’re not getting anything for this.  Again, this is just a toolset that we wanted to make people aware of. WENDY GROUNDS:  Right.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. How can practitioners incorporate sustainability and social value into their current practice? Karen Thompson and Nigel Williams are the co-creators of Responsible Project Management, an initiative that aims to accelerate achievement of sustainable development goals, encouraging responsibility in the context of projects and project management. PLEASE REFER […] The post Episode 120 – Taking Responsibility in Project Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. How can practitioners incorporate sustainability and social value into their current practice? Karen Thompson and Nigel Williams are the co-creators of Responsible Project Management, an initiative that aims to accelerate achievement of sustainable development goals, encouraging responsibility in the context of projects and project management. PLEASE REFER TO OUR ‘CLAIM PDUS’ PAGE TO NOTE THE CHANGES TO THE PDU CLAIM PROCESS. Table of Contents 02:12 … The History of Responsible Project Management06:42 … Comparing Responsible Management to Corporate Social Responsibility07:45 … Changing the Role of the Project Manager10:43 … Correctly Defining Sustainability12:24 … Who Might I be Hurting through This Work?16:38 … Questions to Ask as a Responsible Project Manager19:51 … When it’s Not about Success or Failure22:19 … How to Raise Awareness amongst Stakeholders24:48 … A Manifesto for Responsible Project Management29:40 … 2021 The Year of Responsible Project Management32:02 … Learn More about Responsible Project Management33:13 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates.  And we’d like to wish you a very happy New Year.  This is 2021, and we hope it’s going to be a good one. BILL YATES:  Oh, yes.  It’s got to be. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s got to be better.  We like to talk with experts who are doing new and exciting things in the world of project management.  And that brings us to today’s guests.  Dr. Karen Thompson is a senior academic at Bournemouth University Business School in the U.K.  She’s a project professional turned innovative educator.who has done a lot of research and education in managing projects sustainably. And we have Dr. Nigel Williams, the Reader in Project Management and research lead at the University of Portsmouth.  Karen and Nigel co-lead the Responsible Project Management Initiative, which is aimed to encourage sustainability and social responsibility in an ethical manner by project managers. BILL YATES:  Yeah, sustainability is a topic that we’ve hit on a few times.  And I know just recently we interviewed Scott Berkun, and we focused on his book, “How Design Makes the World.”  Berkun talked about four questions in that book, and the fourth question:  Who might be hurt by your work, now or in the future?  This conversation that we’re going to have today just goes right in line with that.  I think some projects produce amazing things, could be a product or a service.  But we don’t really think about the fallout. We had conversations with Henk about the ocean cleanup project; right?  Episode 106.  Orbital space debris.  We talked with Dr. Heather about that problem in Episode 75.  We all want our cell phones to work.  We want to have GPS.  But what happens when the satellite dies? Sustainability is something that we’re passionate about.  This kind of takes it to another level.  It’s challenging to me as a project manager to think about, okay, in my day-to-day work, how can I be considering these questions?  So I’m excited about this conversation. WENDY GROUNDS: Not so long ago we spoke to Kaitlyn Bunker about the Islands Energy Program.  And that was also an incredible program where they’re really thinking about what is the good that we are bringing in our projects. And with that, let’s get talking to Karen and Nigel. The History of Responsible Project Management Karen, could you tell us a little bit about the history of Responsible Project Management, how you started it? KAREN THOMPSON:  Yes, certainly.  Well, how it started was way back in 2017 I’d just finished my Ph.D.  And one of the things that I uncovered while doing that were all the claims that project management research – there were criticisms around it not being relevant enough to practice.  So in 2017 I held a sort of networking event where ...

The podcast for project managers by project managers. As the COVID pandemic began to unfold, staff at an Israeli hospital knew that clinical teams were going to be at high-risk and critically over-burdened.  The COVOD-19 Sprint project united doctors and developers to find creative technological solutions to the medical challenges of the pandemic. Table of […] The post Episode 119 – A Project Story: The COVID-19 Sprint appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. As the COVID pandemic began to unfold, staff at an Israeli hospital knew that clinical teams were going to be at high-risk and critically over-burdened.  The COVOD-19 Sprint project united doctors and developers to find creative technological solutions to the medical challenges of the pandemic. Table of Contents 02:19 … Meet Marina04:36 … The mission of the COVID Sprint07:30 … Volunteer Response09:45 … Marina’s Role in the COVID-19 Sprint10:14 … The Multiple Teams addressing the Challenges11:41 … Remote Collaboration13:32 … Information Sharing15:25 … Remote Leadership17:09 … Encouraging the Team19:08 … Technology Challenge for ICU Patients22:08 … Patient/Staff Protection: Portable Tent23:25 … Sharing Breakthroughs23:54 … COVID-19 Sprint Timeframe24:26 … Biggest Surprises26:03 … Lessons Learned28:51 … Hear more about the COVID-19 Sprint29:56 … Closing MARINA DARLOW: Nobody really knows what we’re doing.  We are all improvising.  We’re all doing it to the best of our ability.  And we’re all  putting everything we had.  So in this case you’re not alone in being uncertain.  And you’ll be just fine as long as you’re engaged.  People make mistakes.  We adjust, you know, like Agile methods.  You do the best you know.  And when you know better, you do better.  And you’re very much not unique in this.  All these amazing people that you work with, they operate kind of in the same mode. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  To our listeners, don’t forget to claim your free Professional Development Units when you finish listening to this podcast.  I am Wendy Grounds.  In the studio today with me is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  We have a very interesting project that we’re going to talk about. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s about a project that’s in Israel, which united doctors and developers to find some creative solutions to the COVID-19 challenges.  The hospital is the Israeli Hospital, Assuta Ashdod.  They knew that the clinical teams were going to be both at high risk, and they’re going to be severely overburdened when the COVID pandemic started to unfold.  And so they started the COVID-19 Sprint. BILL YATES:  Yeah. WENDY GROUNDS:  And our guest that we’re talking to today is Marina Darlow.  She was the technology projects manager and the operations coordinator of this sprint. BILL YATES:  Yes.  Marina is going to share a lot of information with us.  Just how much they accomplished, how quickly; and how they brought together talent from the medical field, from hardware, software, technology solutions that is pretty mind-blowing.  There’s some abbreviations that we need to cover, too.  So I think everybody’s familiar with AWS, so Amazon Web Services.  Amazon Web Services Israel, specifically.  There’s also mention of the IDF, the Israeli Defense Force.  They were a part of this initiative with the hospital.  And also Rafael, the Israeli defense organization, so that gets mentioned, as well. WENDY GROUNDS:  I’m really excited that we’re heading to Israel to talk about our project.  I have been trying to get many international projects, so this one is kind of exciting. BILL YATES:  We’ve been to space; let’s go to Israel. WENDY GROUNDS:  Marina, welcome to Manage This. MARINA DARLOW:  Thanks for having me. Meet Marina WENDY GROUNDS:  You are from Israel, and I’m very interested to hear your story, why you moved over to the U.S., and how you experienced that as a career change. MARINA DARLOW:  It’s been a while, actually.  We moved for my husband’s Ph.D., decided that the program he wants is only available at Brown.  And it was clearly an adjustment.  The culture is different.  I’m used to much more, was used to much more direct and abrasive, some say obnoxious, way of communicating.  So I had to temper down and learn to smooth the r...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. An episode about detecting imminent failure and dealing with project issues that could lead to failure. The project manager’s approach to supporting the team, addressing issues, and communicating resolutions is crucial for any project facing adversity. Table of Contents 01:56 … Meet Susan03:54 … Susan’s Project Story08:30 […] The post Episode 118 – Project Failure: When Should You Take the Blame? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. An episode about detecting imminent failure and dealing with project issues that could lead to failure. The project manager’s approach to supporting the team, addressing issues, and communicating resolutions is crucial for any project facing adversity. Table of Contents 01:56 … Meet Susan03:54 … Susan’s Project Story08:30 … When Nobody Speaks Up10:59 … Warning Signs15:55 … When is the Project Manager at Fault19:38 … Sequestering the Team22:25 … Maintaining Communication Channels26:40 … Root Cause Analysis28:30 … Documenting Lessons Learned31:06 … The Resolution of Susan’s Project34:05 … Get in Touch with Susan35:03 … Closing SUSAN IRWIN:  It’s not about ego.  It is about furthering the practice of project management, it is about making everybody great.  It is about working together as a unified team. Not just a project team, but a project manager team, to make each one of us great. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates.  So an interesting thing happened to us the other day. As we were preparing to record this podcast, two days ago, we had some equipment failure. BILL YATES:  Yes, we did. WENDY GROUNDS:  And that amounts to a project failure. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  Have you ever had a project fail, Bill? BILL YATES:  Yes, I certainly have.  I think most who are listening to this can relate.  I think it was quite ironic that we would have a project failure, even with our episode as we were going to record this. First time.  That’s too funny. WENDY GROUNDS:  Fortunately, Danny got us fixed up, and we’re ready to go today. BILL YATES:  You know, Wendy, it occurs to me this topic is one that is really rich.  And we offer an online course by Neal  Whitten on this topic of project failure.  It’s called “17 Top Reasons Why Projects Fail.”  Neal goes through those.  He introduces those 17, and then of course talks about how we can avoid them.  So another way we can go deeper in this topic. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re actually talking with someone who has experience in project failure.  Our guest is Susan Irwin, and she’s an adjunct professor at the University of Alabama, Collat School of Business. BILL YATES:  Wendy, this is going to be a pertinent conversation for our listeners.  And I’m excited to have Susan with us.  She has great information about both how to detect when failure is imminent with a project, and then advice.  So she gives four areas of advice for those that are dealing with project issues that could lead to failure.  So let’s get into it with Susan. Meet Susan WENDY GROUNDS:  Susan, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. SUSAN IRWIN:  Yes, thank you.  I’m so excited to be able to share my ideas. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re looking forward to hearing your story.  But I want to ask you about your career background.  Can you tell me how you got into project management? SUSAN IRWIN:  So I’ve been doing this for about 15 years.  And so like most project managers that have been doing it for this long, I actually stumbled into it by happenstance. I was a developer by trade.  I was really content on spending my life in the development side of the house.  A manager at the time saw something in me, and this was back when project management was first starting to come into industry.  You didn’t really see it much outside of the government sector.  He asked me if I wanted to step into this role as a project manager. I really was apprehensive about it because I didn’t really see at that time the value in project management.  I felt that project managers were more of the gatekeeper and less of the facilitator of getting work done. And so I begrudgingly did it, and I fell in love with it. So I went in, I did my PMP certification, and fell in love with it.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. The sales team and the project manager – how to improve that complex relationship.  Advice for the project teams who have to deliver what sales has sold and why sales professionals should be kept engaged in the project from start to finish. Table ofContents 01:56 … Meet […] The post Episode 117 – Project Manager: How to Get Along With The Sales Team appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. The sales team and the project manager - how to improve that complex relationship.  Advice for the project teams who have to deliver what sales has sold and why sales professionals should be kept engaged in the project from start to finish. Table of Contents 01:56 … Meet James 03:06 … BrandMuscle 04:17 … The Sales Guy’s Perspective 08:56 … The Pressure on the Sales Team 11:37 … How to Deliver what Sales has Sold 15:17 … Project Handoff 17:20 … Scrutinize the Contract 18:48 … Advice for the Sales Team 21:33 … The Project Kickoff 23:57 … Sales and Identifying Risks 25:13 … The Project Handoff 26:56 … Leadership Influencers 28:07 … Career Advice 29:42 … Connect with James 30:23 … Closing JAMES MORSE:  ...as you balance that relationship with sales, you naturally develop a trusting relationship between the project team and the sales team.  And that’s so helpful because then I trust the salesperson to deliver something correctly, and they trust me to actually deliver on that and make sure that that project gets in time, is in budget, is in scope, and it delivers a happy customer. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our opportunity to meet with you and talk about issues that project managers are facing today.  We hope you’ll continue to tell us what you like and offer your suggestions.  You can leave a comment on Google, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whatever podcast listening app you use.  You can also leave comments on the Velociteach.com website or on our social media pages.  I am Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Wendy, we’re going to have a fun conversation today.  We’ve got a great topic. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, we have.  And we have a great guest, too.  So his name is James Morse, and he serves as the Vice President and Head of Product for BrandMuscle.  He’ll tell us a little bit more about BrandMuscle coming up. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  And James is unique in that he served the project manager role and also the sales role, project manager first in his career and then later in sales, and so really what we’re going to talk about is the hatred between project managers and sales. WENDY GROUNDS:  I’d say a particularly strong dislike. BILL YATES:  Yeah, there’s so many project managers who have discovered that their sales team has made some promises or overcommitments that now the project manager and the team have to deliver.  So we’re going to talk about that. WENDY GROUNDS:  I think so, we’re going to boil it down to communication. BILL YATES:  Yes, we are. WENDY GROUNDS:  Let’s talk with James. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  James, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for being our guest today. JAMES MORSE:  Thanks for having me. Meet James WENDY GROUNDS:  Can you tell us how you started your career, and how you ended up in the role that you’re in today? JAMES MORSE:  Yeah, absolutely. So I think I’m very lucky to, right out of school, have gotten an opportunity within project management, which I think a lot of my peers didn’t necessarily do.  They started with other careers and kind of paced into that, so I really hit the ground running.  I was doing new client onboardings and implementations, which has really just been a lot of the breadth of my career when it comes to project management.  And then I’ve slowly just transitioned into different opportunities, typically in SaaS and software, which has taken me to where I am currently with BrandMuscle. So I’ve been with BrandMuscle for a little over seven years, similar background even within the organization.  I started with new client onboardings and implementations in the project lead role and just slowly grew within that to project manager, to senior project manager, leading our team of project managers within implementation,

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Dr. Kaitlyn Bunker, Ph.D., P.E. is a Principal with Rocky Mountain Institute’s Islands Energy Program. Kaitlyn leads a diverse team that partners with islands in the Caribbean to support and accelerate their clean energy transitions. Their projects result in many benefits, including the use of more local, […] The post Episode 116 – The Caribbean Islands Clean Energy Program appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Dr. Kaitlyn Bunker, Ph.D., P.E. is a Principal with Rocky Mountain Institute’s Islands Energy Program. Kaitlyn leads a diverse team that partners with islands in the Caribbean to support and accelerate their clean energy transitions. Their projects result in many benefits, including the use of more local, renewable energy sources and less imported fuel. Table of Contents 01:33 … Meet Kaitlyn 02:56 … The Rocky Mountain Institute 05:31 … Projects in the Caribbean Islands 08:20 … Program Partners 09:10 … Local Island Energy Resources 10:15 … Aligning Stakeholders, Local Communities and Project Priorities 13:11 … Project funding 14:28 … Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines and Knowledge Sharing 17:59 … Project Risks 20:10 … Leading a Very Diverse Team 22:27 … Leading Remotely 23:25 … The Resilience of Clean Energy 27:05 … Impact of Battery Technology 28:51 … Cultural and Communication Challenges 31:18 … Kaitlyn’s Lessons Learned and a Success Story 34:27 … Hear More about RMI 35:04 … Closing KAITLYN BUNKER:  So we really come in and do a lot of listening, meet with as many people as we can, understand different perspectives and try to bring that all together, and then pair that with our experience. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Please make sure to visit our website, Velociteach.com, where you can subscribe to the show so you’ll never miss an episode, or you can join us on Velociteach Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.  And if you know a friend who would like to hear our show, please tell them about Manage This. I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me today is Bill Yates.  Bill, so you know I’m always trying to find interesting projects. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  Projects that are all over the world, not necessarily in one spot, and so this one is all over the islands, the Caribbean islands.  Our guest is Kaitlyn Bunker, and she’s a principal with the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Island Energy Program, where she leads a team that partners with islands in the Caribbean to support their clean energy transitions. BILL YATES:  Yeah, and just to be clear, this is Ph.D. Kaitlyn Bunker, so Dr. Bunker, I just wanted to say that, Dr. Bunker.  She also leads modeling efforts related to small island microgrid opportunities.  So a microgrid, she’ll explain that further.  But it’s a new strategy for having power distributed across an island, especially in the cases of places like the islands in the Caribbean that are prone to hurricanes and other types of storms.  So a microgrid strategy is a very interesting strategy, and we’ll talk about her projects. Meet Kaitlyn WENDY GROUNDS:  Let’s meet Kaitlyn.  Kaitlyn, welcome to Manage This. KAITLYN BUNKER:  Thank you for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  Tell us about your career path, how you got to where you are today. KAITLYN BUNKER:  Sure, so I’m now a principal with the Islands Energy Program at Rocky Mountain Institute.  But my background is that I studied electrical engineering,  I went to school at Michigan Technological University and got really excited in the field of power and energy, and also control systems.  And so bringing those two topics together led me to the concept of microgrids, which are small electricity systems that have their own sources of electricity.  So they’re able to use that to serve local electricity needs in a small confined system.  But they also typically can connect to the larger electricity grid. So they’re able to operate in kind of those two modes.  And so that was really exciting for me, especially the concept of incorporating more renewable energy into microgrids and combining those concepts together. So I got really excited about that in school and decided I wanted to dig into that further.  So I stayed right at Michigan Tech for graduate school, completed my Ph.D.

Hear about human and robotic space exploration with Belgian nuclear physicist Philippe Schoonejans. He is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) team leader for the Sample Transfer Arm, one of the European contributions to the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return program. This mission will use robotic systems to return samples from the surface of Mars to Earth. […] The post Episode 115 – The European Space Agency: Human and Robotic Exploration appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Hear about human and robotic space exploration with Belgian nuclear physicist Philippe Schoonejans. He is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) team leader for the Sample Transfer Arm, one of the European contributions to the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return program. This mission will use robotic systems to return samples from the surface of Mars to Earth. ESA is composed of 28 member countries, and Philippe has cooperated extensively with NASA, Japan, Canada and Russia in his projects. He shares his complex projects and the many constraints facing international cooperation. Table of Contents 03:03 … Meet Philippe 05:03 … NASA and ESA 05:50 … Philippe’s Role at ESA 08:06 … Favorite Projects 09:36 … The European Robotic Arm 11:40 … Prototype Testing 14:30 … Current Projects 16:03 … Getting to Mars 19:43 … COVID-19 Impact 22:30 … Keeping Teams Motivated 26:28 … Collaboration with Other Agencies 28:52 … Vendor and Stakeholder Communication 34:54 … International Cooperation 38:34 … Communicating Complex Projects 40:26 … Words of Advice and Lessons Learned 44:06 … Closing PHILIPPE SCHOONEJANS:  ...we cherish the international cooperation.  We think it’s needed, and we know that we cannot do everything on our own, not even in Europe with our 28 countries, we cannot do everything.  So we do want to work together with everybody else, and with that also learn from what the others are doing. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio today is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Wendy, we’re going to go to space today.  Let’s do it. WENDY GROUNDS:  I know.  I am so excited about today’s guest.  We get to sit down with a project manager in human and robotic exploration at the European Space Agency.  And this is Philippe Schoonejans.  Philippe is in the Amsterdam area of the Netherlands.  And we’re very excited to have him with us today.  We’re particularly going to talk about the politically complex international environment that he works in with many stakeholders and many countries.  The European Space Agency I think he said has 28 member states. BILL YATES:  Yup. WENDY GROUNDS:  And they also work with other countries around the world, including NASA.  He’ll tell us a little bit more about that.  But some of the projects that Philippe has worked on, he’s been the project manager for the European Robotic Arm for the International Space Station, as well as working on a sample transfer arm.  He’s the project manager and team lead for that.  It’s for a Mars Sample Return Mission. BILL YATES:  Isn’t that fascinating?  And for our listeners, you’re going to hear a lot of abbreviations or acronyms, so ISS, ESA, International Space Station, European Space Agency, different things like that.  NASA.  But Mars, I mean, we have been trying to get to that red planet.  Since 1960 we’ve been attempting to put satellites orbiting around that planet.  And there’s been some success.  But the one thing that we’ve never done is bring anything back.  We’ve had pictures.  We’ve had digital data.  But we don’t have any actual rocks or samples.  And so this mission’s going on now. We do have, I think since 2003, the ESA has successfully put Rovers on Mars, and so they’re slowly moving across that little red planet and collecting data.  But one of the fascinating things is Philippe and his team, they’re working at bringing the rocks and the other things that they can collect back to Earth.  We haven’t done that yet. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s easy to get overwhelmed just by the vast scope of this project and the incredible things they’re doing.  But we’re going to find that Philippe has some really good information and really practical advice for project managers, particularly those who are working in an international community.  So let’s get right on and talk to Philippe. BILL YATES:  Yeah. WENDY GROUNDS:  Philippe, welcome to Manage This. 

In his new book, How Design Makes the World, Scott Berkun explores how good and bad design impact our daily lives. In this episode we examine the big questions Scott asks in the book: What are you trying to improve? Who are you trying to improve it for? How do you ensure you are successful? […] The post Episode 114 – Scott Berkun: How Design Makes the World appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

In his new book, How Design Makes the World, Scott Berkun explores how good and bad design impact our daily lives. In this episode we examine the big questions Scott asks in the book: What are you trying to improve? Who are you trying to improve it for? How do you ensure you are successful? And how do you avoid unintended harm? Table of Contents 01:09 … Meet Scott 04:23 … Scott’s New Book: How Design Makes the World 07:04 … Q1: What Are You Trying to Improve? 11:12 … Ideas Generation Rule: Yes, And 13:57 … Ideas Generation Rule: No Half-Assing 16:43 … Ideas Generation Rule: No Blocking Questions 18:42 … Ideas Generation Rule: Make the Other Guy Look Good 20:28 … Q2: Who Are You Trying to Improve It For? 25:21 … Q3: How Do You Ensure You Are Successful? 30:15 … How Do We Overcome Bias? 34:17 … Q4: How Do You Avoid Unintended Harm? 41:20 … Advice to Project Managers 43:07 … Get in Contact With Scott 44:00 … Closing SCOTT BERKUN:  So something as simple as idea generation, if you’re not in a roomful of people you trust, none of these methods or techniques are going to help you because no one’s going to feel safe enough to offer what they really think.  And often the problem is that these brainstorming meetings are done with 20 people, 15 people.  There’s no way, even in a healthy organization, the likelihood there’s that much trust among that many people, that someone’s going to feel confident raising their hand against something they know is probably really weird.  And that’s why often brainstorming and idea generation happens the best in smaller groups. BILL YATES:  Yeah, mm-hmm. SCOTT BERKUN:  Four people, five people. BILL YATES:  That’s a great point. SCOTT BERKUN:  Because even if they don’t know each other, in 10 minutes they can get a sense of each other and develop some trust.  And that’s often a problem with project management is that it’s done at this large scale, and the stakeholders and committee members, and we’re going to brainstorm.  But there’s 50 people in the room.  It’s like, no.  That’s a dog-and-pony show.  That’s not where the real brainstorm is going to happen. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates. So in today’s episode we get to sit down with a special guest, Scott Berkun. Meet Scott BILL YATES:  Scott Berkun is an author, and he has had a big influence on me.  He wrote a book called “Making Things Happen” that I got a hold of early in my project management career, and just loved it.  Just ate it up.  Since then he wrote a book that I really enjoyed also called “Confessions of a Public Speaker,” which I recommend to all our instructors when we bring them onboard. It’s so good, so funny, great advice, and the book that we’re going to focus on today he just wrote this year, in 2020, and it’s called “How Design Makes the World.” WENDY GROUNDS:  I actually had a look at one of his other books that’s called “The Year Without Pants.”  The topic, it intrigued me, the title should I say, and then I saw it was written about working remotely.  So if anybody has questions about that, I’d recommend that book. BILL YATES:  Okay, good. WENDY GROUNDS:  Scott, welcome to Manage This, thank you so much for being our guest. SCOTT BERKUN:  It is a pleasure to be here. WENDY GROUNDS:  Before we get into the nitty-gritty of your books and what Bill wants to talk about, I have a question. So you transitioned from project manager into becoming an author and a speaker.  Why and how?  How has it worked out, and why? SCOTT BERKUN:  Well, the how has worked out well, so I quit my job as a tech project manager guy in 2003, and it’s now 2020, and I’ve been doing this for 17 years.  I’ve written eight books.  And this is the only way I make a living.  So I’ve been very fortunate and lucky, it’s worked out great.  I mean, I’ve been successful enough,

Telling stories is a powerful means to teach, lead, and inspire. The best storytellers often employ their own life experiences. Sara Amiri MBA, PMP, shares her story working at Uber and Volkswagen and she explains how her passion to build unity, increase empathy, and raise awareness led to the Healthcare Heroes Project. Table of Contents […] The post Episode 113 – Healthcare Heroes – A Storytelling Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Telling stories is a powerful means to teach, lead, and inspire. The best storytellers often employ their own life experiences. Sara Amiri MBA, PMP, shares her story working at Uber and Volkswagen and she explains how her passion to build unity, increase empathy, and raise awareness led to the Healthcare Heroes Project. Table of Contents 00:53 … Meet Sara 04:13 … The American Moroccan Competencies Network 06:11 … Global Project Manager, Uber 10:50 … Layoff and New Opportunities 13:03 … Volkswagen Agile Transformation 13:56 … Remote Working Practices 17:43 … Healthcare Heroes Project 21:15 … Healthcare Heroes Website 25:08 … Healthcare Hero Stories 26:35 … Healthcare Heroes Project Obstacles 28:22 … Get Involved and Tell Your Story 31:41 … Closing SARA AMIRI: ...And we want to be part of this positive change, hopefully, after COVID where we have these stories, and we want the healthcare workers to be part of the conversation and the solution moving forward.  We need better healthcare everywhere in the world, no exception. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Episode 113 of Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hey, good morning, Bill.  I am very excited about our guest today.  Her name is Sara Amiri, and I discovered a website called Healthcare Heroes Project that she was part of, and so she’s going to tell us a little bit about that today. BILL YATES:  It is such an inspiring story, and she’s doing this while holding down a full-time job with a very big company with a lot of responsibility. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  She’s really busy, so let’s just get right into it and hear her story.  Sara, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for being our guest. Meet Sara SARA AMIRI:  Thank you, I’m so very pleased to be here, thank you very much for the invitation. WENDY GROUNDS:  Sure. So can you tell us about yourself and how you came to be a project manager. SARA AMIRI:  I actually came to be a project manager by pure luck, so I was originally a finance major, I thought my entire career would be investment, maybe corporate finance. That was really where I was headed, and I started working for a startup, and so they needed all sorts of project management. And so one of the managers at that time asked me if I wanted to become a project manager, and to be honest at that time I knew nothing about project management or what is a project manager. So I just kind of learned on the job, and it became really interesting because I realized really how much learning opportunities I had as a project manager.  So I started being really interested to the point where I went back to school, did my MBA in IT Management.  And then I took my PMP, and the rest was history.  So it was really pure luck and out of a need from the company that I was working for at that time, which was Blackstone Capital Management. WENDY GROUNDS:  There’s a project that you and I have both managed that became a project while we were doing it, and I would say that’s moving across the world. So I moved to the U.S. in 2000, and I moved with a one year old and a two year old and my husband, and that in itself was a project.  And I have many lessons learned.  So I want to hear your story, you’re from Morocco.  How did you end up here in the U.S.? SARA AMIRI:  So I moved from Casablanca, Morocco, really I wanted to get an education abroad, and you know at that time you want to just be away from your parents.  You kind of want to fly with your own wings.  So I had a couple of options, either a different city within Morocco, which I applied for. I applied to France, England, U.S.  And believe it or not, the U.S. answered pretty quickly.  It was a 48-hours turnaround of, hey, we’d love to talk to you.  Do you want to come visit the school, the university at that time?  And so maybe I went for the easier option, maybe.

Hear about the role of the project manager in successful innovation from John Carter, an inventor of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones who shares the original patent with Dr. Amar Bose. John shares the surprising discovery they made by talking to customers about critical features. Topics include the differences between a program manager and a […] The post Episode 112 – The Role of the Successful Project Manager in Innovation appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Hear about the role of the project manager in successful innovation from John Carter, an inventor of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones who shares the original patent with Dr. Amar Bose. John shares the surprising discovery they made by talking to customers about critical features. Topics include the differences between a program manager and a project manager, career progression for a PM, how to assess PM talent, managing project risk, establishing boundary conditions, small “a” Agile, and the characteristics of a successful PM. Table of Contents 00:32 … Meet John 03:43 … The Bose Headphone Project 06:14 … Listening to the Customer 10:00 … Taking Risks in Innovation Projects 13:45 … Courage to Bring Bad News 15:30 … Effect of COVID-19 on Innovation and Work 19:46 … Program Management vs. Project Management 22:21 … Career Progression from PM to Program Management 26:19 … Characteristics of a Successful PM 28:11 … Why is it Difficult to Hire a Successful PM? 30:38 … Small “a” Agile 35:55 … Establishing Boundary Conditions 40:48 … John’s Success Tips 43:31 … Get in Touch with John 44:14 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.   A word to our listeners.  If you have an interesting COVID-19 story, how your project has been impacted by the pandemic, we’d love to hear from you.  You can email me at [email protected]. I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is project manager Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS: We’re going to talk to someone today who is a true innovation veteran. Meet John BILL YATES:  Yeah, Wendy, I’m so excited to have John Carter join us.  He is very respected in the area of innovation and product development.  He is actually the co-inventor of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones . We’ll certainly jump into this Bose topic with him.  That’ll be a lot of fun to discuss. WENDY GROUNDS:  John is also the founder of TCGen, and he’s also been advisor to companies like Apple and Amazon with their  product development and innovation processes.  So I think he comes with a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge that he’ll be able to impart to us. BILL YATES:  Yes.  John has been a project manager.  He’s been a product manager, he’s been a manager of managers, he’s led his own company, and so I cannot wait for the advice he’s going to share with us. WENDY GROUNDS:  John, welcome to Manage This.  We’re so grateful to you for being with us today and being our guest. JOHN CARTER:  Well, thanks for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  Well, we want to start off by asking you about your career path, and particularly to do with the Bose headphones.  I think most people are really going to be interested in hearing about that.  So tell me a little bit about yourself. JOHN CARTER:  Well, thanks for asking.  And it’s really part of my passion.  It was true since I was a kid.  I’ve always been kind of a boy scientist and had a chemistry set and microscope,  telescope, I mean, whatever I could get my hands on.  I really, really enjoyed technology.  As I grew up, though, I found the importance of sound.  I really thought that that was something I wanted to know about.  It’s invisible.  It conveys meaning and emotion.  And as I learned more, it has incredible range as far as what it can be used for.  Obviously speech versus music is something that’s happening today.  With mobile phones and speech recognition it’s just the Wild West.  So I’ve always been interested in sound.  In college I designed a music synthesizer from scratch before its time. BILL YATES:  Of course you did. JOHN CARTER:  Yeah, right.  It kind of worked.  And when I was looking at graduate school, I looked at places that had audio programs.  And one of them was Stanford; the other was MIT.  And I knew that Dr. Bose taught at MIT, and I decided to go there.  I didn’t have a scholarship at the time.  I just packed

In times of uncertainty, project managers can be the pacesetters that keep organizations on the right path and bring balance into their projects. June Mustari discusses real-life issues in project management. Hear practical tips and advice to find the right balance of discipline and flexibility for successful project delivery.     Table of Contents 01:05 … […] The post Episode 111 – Setting the Pace – Bringing Balance into Project Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

In times of uncertainty, project managers can be the pacesetters that keep organizations on the right path and bring balance into their projects. June Mustari discusses real-life issues in project management. Hear practical tips and advice to find the right balance of discipline and flexibility for successful project delivery.     Table of Contents 01:05 … Meet June 02:36 … Telecom Career and TruNorth Consulting 05:47 … COVID-19 Impact and Bringing Balance 08:39 … Emotional Engagement 10:52 … Collaboration Tools 12:31 … Knowing the Technical Aspects of the Industry as a PM 14:20 … Past Project Story: Virtual Desktop Interface Migration 18:16 … Breakthrough Moments and Resistance on the Project 21:54 … Breaking the Rules 25:54 … Words of Advice and Encouragement 31:22 … Get in Touch with June 31:58 … Closing JUNE MUSTARI:  It’s all about trust.  And I think more than ever trust is our cornerstone in our business.  And when you can show up in a way that makes people feel secure, it’s our purpose.  WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates.  This is the show where we sometimes like to delve into the project stories of project managers who are in the trenches.  In today’s episode, we get to sit down with June Mustari.  Why don’t you tell us how you met June, Bill. BILL YATES:  Yeah, it was such a chance meeting.  June and I were sitting at the same round table at a breakout session, I think Steve Townsend was speaking, at PMI Global Conference 2019 in Philadelphia.  So I don’t know, there were just a handful of us sitting at a round table, and June had really good questions for Stephen.  And some of the things that June shared, I’m like, this is my kind of person.  So we talked during the session and just stayed connected after. JUNE MUSTARI:  Yeah. WENDY GROUNDS:  Well, June, thank you so much for being here today. JUNE MUSTARI:  Oh, it’s my pleasure.  I’m very happy to be here. Meet June WENDY GROUNDS:  I want to find out a little bit about your career background.  How did you get into project management? JUNE MUSTARI:  Yeah, when people ask me this, I like to say I didn’t get into project management; it got into me.  I really started my career just taking things on that took shape as projects – you know, the beginning, middle, and with an end goal, an outcome that was very clear.  I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was managing projects.  So then when I actually started to see that there were other people in my network who were formal project managers, I was like, oh, this is a thing, and I really like this thing. And so I decided to get a little educated in it, and I said I was going to take the PMP exam 10 years before I actually took it.  So people say, “I’m going to take the PMP exam.”  And I said that for so long.  But you don’t actually take it until you schedule it.  Like, that’s when it’s real.  So I did eventually get the PMP, and I appreciated the discipline of that.  I’m a rule follower, so like that was a dream for me.  And I passed on my 37th birthday.  So it was like, I got into my car, and I was like, yes.  That’s a little side note about me being a PM and getting started with that. So it just kind of took off from there.  Once I had that credential, I felt confidence.  I don’t think it’s about the credential.  I just think it’s about the confidence.  I took formal project management roles right after that, where it was like my title was Project Manager. TruNorth Consulting and Telecom BILL YATES:  And June, you’ve been in telecom for a long time; right?  Like I’ve done a lot of work with Verizon, and you were actually employed by Verizon for a long time, and you continue to kind of go down that industry path. JUNE MUSTARI:  Yeah, my M.O. is parachuting into situations, trying to solve problems, and then getting out; right?  So I had like four

Many project managers are currently having to pivot, shift, change plans, and start over due to the coronavirus pandemic. John Houser shares his story about wrapping up an adoption of a Scaled Agile Framework(SAFe)just as COVID-19 started to impact their operations at Spectrum Healthcare. Table of Contents 00:48 … Meet John 02:10 … Spectrum Healthcare […] The post Episode 110 – A Project Story – Pivot without Mercy appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Many project managers are currently having to pivot, shift, change plans, and start over due to the coronavirus pandemic. John Houser shares his story about wrapping up an adoption of a Scaled Agile Framework(SAFe)just as COVID-19 started to impact their operations at Spectrum Healthcare. Table of Contents 00:48 … Meet John 02:10 … Spectrum Healthcare Partners 03:05 … Scaled Agile Framework – SAFe 05:18 … Implementing SAFe at Spectrum 09:42 … COVID-19 Impact on SAFe Process 11:10 … Challenges the Team Faced 12:34 … Communication Tools 14:29 … Shifting Priorities – Pivot without Mercy 16:25 … Team’s Reaction to Pivoting 17:28 … How SAFe Helped to Manage Projects 18:57 … Conducting the System Demo 22:35 … Unexpected Projects due to COVID-19 24:54 … Keeping up Morale in Remote Working 26:08 … Twice Daily Stand-Up Team Meetings 27:58 … Biggest Surprise 28:28 … Leadership Tools on the Tool Belt 29:28 … Lessons Learned 32:42 … Closing JOHN HOUSER:  ...change is okay.  Don’t be worried about it.  You may not know all the answers, but with that support you’ll absolutely get there. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates. So particularly with COVID-19 still hovering around, many of you will have interesting stories about how your projects have been impacted, and we’d really like to hear from you.  If you have a noteworthy story, please email me at [email protected] and tell us about your COVID-19 project story. So that’s exactly what we’re bringing to you today; aren’t we, Bill. BILL YATES:  Yes, I can’t wait to hear from John Houser.  So many project managers are having to pivot, shift, crumble up plans, throw them away, and start over, and John is going to walk us through an example with his company.  I can’t wait to dig into the details. Meet John WENDY GROUNDS:  John Houser is the Director of Project Management at Spectrum Healthcare Partners, so he has over 25 years of project management experience.  John, welcome to Manage This, thank you so much for joining us today. JOHN HOUSER:  Glad to be here. WENDY GROUNDS:  We want to hear your story, how you came to be a project manager. JOHN HOUSER:  Sure, so I liked watching other people run projects, I think that’s where it happened, or where the light went off the first time, and how they were able to put things together, look at this as like a Rube Goldberg machine almost, where you’ve got these different people, these different tasks, these different objectives.  And somehow they’re able to weave it all together and create this beautiful-looking plan and then end up with a deliverable at the end, and so that’s what really intrigued me.  When I was younger I would do a lot of those machines, so how you put it all together is what really got me into it and got me exited. BILL YATES:  That’s pretty cool, so that it’s a little bit of engineering, and it’s a little bit of teamwork that just appealed to you.  I get that.  Same kind of thing, so I mean, that’s one of the beauties for this podcast for me has been seeing some of the just amazing things that project managers have done, you know, men and women have accomplished because they put together a team and went out and did it.  I never thought about that comparison to the machine, though, so that’s great. JOHN HOUSER:  Yeah, demented mind, misspent youth, I don’t know. Spectrum Healthcare Partners WENDY GROUNDS:  Can you tell us a little bit about Spectrum Healthcare Partners, the company that you work for? JOHN HOUSER:  Yeah, sure.  So Spectrum Healthcare Partners is primarily owned by physicians, physicians that got together from their practices and really wanted to get that economies of scale  that you get.  When you have your practice, you don’t need three of these type of people or four of those people.  More back office, and to really get that leverage or that buying po...

Susanne Madsen shares how mentoring and coaching are quite different, yet both emphasize a distinct approach to helping people realize their full potential, and how serving as a coach will make you a better project leader. Our work environment has changed significantly and abruptly; have you considered taking on a role as a coach or […] The post Episode 109 – Mentoring and Coaching – Supporting Professional Growth appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Susanne Madsen shares how mentoring and coaching are quite different, yet both emphasize a distinct approach to helping people realize their full potential, and how serving as a coach will make you a better project leader. Our work environment has changed significantly and abruptly; have you considered taking on a role as a coach or a mentor to encourage others to stay engaged and productive? Table of Contents 01:01 … Meet Susanne 01:44 … Coaching vs. Mentoring Definitions 03:05 … Are Project Managers Good Coaches? 04:08 … Who Should Mentor? 04:59 … Deciding on a Coach or a Mentor 06:25 … Good Coaching Skills 07:57 … Limitations of Internal Coaching 11:27 … Mistakes Made in the Role of a Coach 12:43 … Asking Good Questions 15:36 … Making Time to Reflect and Review 18:08 … Don’t Ask Why 19:49 … Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills 22:20 … Benefits of Becoming a Coach 24:54 … Can You Self-Coach? 26:15 … Choosing the Right Mentor 27:31 … Time Spent on the Relationship 28:52 … Who Sets Expectations? 29:33 … Benefits for the Mentor 31:03 … Organizational Coaching or Mentoring? 32:50 … Contact Susanne 33:47 … Closing SUSANNE MADSEN:  So when you study coaching, you become so much more conscious about your own beliefs, about how you come across.  And you just get better at building rapport and having conversations with others, empathizing with others, and not just talking about yourself all the time.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  If you like what you hear, please leave us a review on our website or wherever you listen to our podcast.  We always love hearing from you.  I am Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  Welcome, Bill. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy.  I’m excited about our conversation today.  This is going to be on a topic that I think a lot of project managers will benefit from.  I think there’s a lot of confusion, too, about coaching versus mentoring.  So we hope to really clarify for people, what’s the difference?  Are they the same?  And what advice do we have for both those who want to be a coach or receive coaching; be a mentor or receive mentoring. Meet Susanne   WENDY GROUNDS:  Right, right, so I was thinking, let’s do a podcast on coaching/mentoring. And the more I looked into it, the more we realized those are two very different things, and so we hope that our guest today can elaborate and give us some clarity. So her name is Susanne Madsen, and she’s a project leadership coach, trainer, and consultant, and we’re very excited to have Susanne with us in the studio today. BILL YATES:  It’s going to be outstanding, and so I’m going to be the one with the boring accent.  We have two wonderful accents, and then there’s me. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  Susanne was telling us she lives in the U.K., but she’s Danish.  So, yeah, pick up some of that accent.  It’s pretty cool. BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  Susanne, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us today. SUSANNE MADSEN:  Thank you for having me.  It’s a real honor. Coaching vs. Mentoring Definitions WENDY GROUNDS:  Coaching versus mentoring.  Could you give us a definition of both of them and just how they relate to projects? SUSANNE MADSEN:  Yes, and it’s good that we start with that because so many people use those two terms interchangeably. And I think we should say that there’s a lot of overlap, that both help us to relate to another person and help that other person move forward.  But we do that in different ways, whether we are coaching or mentoring. So coaching, as a coach, we like to say that we don’t give advice, and that’s one of the big differences between the two. When we coach somebody, we like to help somebody move forward by encouraging that person to find the answers for themselves, and there’s a number of ways we do that. With mentoring – and so I’m looking here at the black-and-white ...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Are you building a strengths-based project team? Projects are more successful when we play to the strengths of the team. Connie Plowman, co-authored a book Developing Strengths-Based Project Teams with Martha Buelt. In this episode, Connie defines the difference between a talent and a strength as she […] The post Episode 108 –Building a Strengths-Based Project Team appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Are you building a strengths-based project team? Projects are more successful when we play to the strengths of the team. Connie Plowman, co-authored a book Developing Strengths-Based Project Teams with Martha Buelt. In this episode, Connie defines the difference between a talent and a strength as she introduces the concept of a strengths-based project team. Table of Contents 00:35 … Meet Connie 02:15 … StrengthsFinder and Strengths-Based Project Teams 03:20 … Remote Coauthoring 04:15 … Difference between Talent and Strength 06:36 … A Strengths-Based Project Team 10:12 … Benefits to Becoming a Strengths-Based Project Team 11:48 … Being Aware of Weaknesses 13:25 … The Value of Strengths-Based Project Teams 16:45 … Talent Theme Mapping 20:01 … Responding to: “That’s Not My Strength” 22:48 … Getting Started as a Strengths-Based Project Team 24:42 … Maintaining the Strengths-Based Process in a Team 27:50 … Career Advice from Connie 29:32 … Thanks to Connie 30:45 … Closing CONNIE PLOWMAN: ...project teams, to be strength-based, intentionally apply and integrate their skills, experience, knowledge, their talents, their strengths, their project management tools and techniques, everything that you bring to the table you intentionally apply and integrate those for greater team success.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  This is our bimonthly meeting to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  And we have a professional here today; don’t we, Bill. Meet Connie BILL YATES:  Yes, we do.  I’ve known Connie Plowman for quite a while now.  Connie and I got to know each other when I was serving on the REP Advisory Group at the global level, and she was in a global-level position with PMI.  And she is a delight.  So I’ve been looking forward to having a conversation with her on Manage This.  And then she goes and writes a great book.  So we’ll have fun talking through that book.  When I first met Connie, she was the chief operating officer for another consulting and project management training company.  And she just had a wealth of experience.  And I’m really looking forward to this conversation. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to meeting her. BILL YATES:  She’s an award-winner as well, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes, I hear so. BILL YATES:  Yeah. WENDY GROUNDS:  Talk about that. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  So in 2016 Connie was awarded the PMI Eric Jenett Project Management Award of Excellence.  It’s named after one of PMI’s founders, and it’s one of the highest awards you can win with PMI.  I was delighted for her when she received that.  She’s been very involved.  She tends to retire and then find something else that she has to go do.  And right now I know she’s being a guest speaker and instructor with a local university.  She’s out in Portland, Oregon.  She’s serving as executive director for the CLIMB Center for Advancement at Portland Community College.  She just can’t step away. WENDY GROUNDS:  She’s having way too much fun to retire.  I like that. BILL YATES:  Yup. WENDY GROUNDS:  Connie, welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad that you could join us today. CONNIE PLOWMAN:  Thank you.  I’m thrilled to be in your virtual podcast studio.  It looks like my dining room.  Hey, wait a minute, it is my dining room. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re glad that we can see you virtually. CONNIE PLOWMAN:  Thank you.  It’s a pleasure to be here.  I’ve been wanting to do this for some time. StrengthsFinder and Strengths-Based Project Teams WENDY GROUNDS:  Connie, I want to start off by just asking you about this topic.  We’re talking about strength-based project teams.  How did you get interested in this? CONNIE PLOWMAN:  You know, that’s a really long question.  But

VELOCITEACH – Manage This – Episode 107 As businesses and project managers start to strategize about the post-crisis world, Mike Goss explains what makes business recovery a project. How can we respond to this crisis from a business standpoint, and how that can be a project? Table of Contents 01:58 … Meet Mike 03:08 … […] The post Episode 107 – Business Recovery as a Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

VELOCITEACH – Manage This – Episode 107 As businesses and project managers start to strategize about the post-crisis world, Mike Goss explains what makes business recovery a project. How can we respond to this crisis from a business standpoint, and how that can be a project? Table of Contents 01:58 … Meet Mike 03:08 … Everything in Life is a Project 03:49 … Responding to Crisis as a Project 05:00 … Redefine your Business: The Why and the Who 09:24 … Business Recovery as a Project 11:26 … Personal Experience with Business Recovery 13:33 … What Parts of a Business will Benefit? 16:05 … Building a WBS 18:45 … Facing Risks in Business Recovery 20:50 … Staying on Course 22:15 … A Project Plan for all Scenarios 23:49 … Overcoming Communication Challenges in Business Recovery 25:37 … A Plan for Businesses of all Sizes 26:06 … Strategizing in a Post Crisis World 27:23 … Advice for Resilience during Business Recovery 32:37 … Mike’s Course on Business Recovery 34:12 … Closing MIKE GOSS: If we had a scale of one to 10, yesterday you were at an eight.  Then COVID-19 show up.  Now you’re at a one.  Your objective is not to get back to eight.  Your object is to get back to 10, where you’ve never been before.  On your way, you’re going to build in the tools and the processes that make sure you never hit one again, no matter what happens.  That’s a project. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our opportunity to meet with you and talk about issues that project managers are facing today.  I am Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates. So today we’re talking in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, businesses are starting to think about the post-crisis situation.  For some organizations it’s really been near-term survival is what’s on the agenda. BILL YATES:  Right.  I agree, Wendy.  There are so many companies that are just fighting to stay in business right now.  I’m a part of a CEO roundtable, and just seeing the impact that this is having on people locally and globally is huge, I think.  I just saw some statistics today.  Now, just to let listeners know, this is May the 4th.  And so far 30 million people in the United States have filed for unemployment, just since the COVID-19 got really serious in March, up until today.  We’re here in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  So just for our state of Georgia, one in four workers have filed for unemployment. WENDY GROUNDS:  Unbelievable. BILL YATES:  So it’s huge.  And obviously our federal government is taking great steps to help fight through the economic impact of this as we all figure out what does the new normal look like.    So just thinking about what is business going to look like when we can get going again.  So I think it’s helpful for us to have this conversation, and we’re fortunate to have Mike Goss here to talk through some of this with us. Meet Mike WENDY GROUNDS:  He was telling us that his career has taken more twists and turns than most.  BILL YATES:  Yeah.  So he started out as a stereo equipment salesman. WENDY GROUNDS:  And a computer store owner. BILL YATES:  An elevator salesman. WENDY GROUNDS:  And then he became a software developer. BILL YATES:  Senior VP at a bank. WENDY GROUNDS:  And the author of “Breaking Through Walls,” a business novel about overcoming life’s obstacles. BILL YATES:  And then a college instructor. WENDY GROUNDS:  And then a radio personality. BILL YATES:  And of course he fit a military career in there, as well.  He’s a veteran in the U.S. Air Force, serving in Thailand during the Vietnam War. WENDY GROUNDS:  He has been on a podcast before with us, and he tells us more about that in his previous episode.  Since 2014, Mike has also taught PMP exam prep boot camps in Oregon, Washington, and South Carolina. BILL YATES:  Quite a diverse, I’d say, yeah, he is definitely shaking the tree.

Manage This by Velociteach The podcast by project managers for project managers. The Ocean Cleanup organization is tackling the largest clean-up project in history. Henk van Dalen shares his passion for the project as he describes the origin of The Ocean Cleanup organization and outlines this bold project to clean the vast amounts of waste from our oceans. Table of Contents 01:55 … Understanding the Problem 03:19 … How The Ocean Cleanup Began 05:31 … Henk’s Involvement in the Project 06:48 … Ocean Garbage Patches 08:26 … Facing Setbacks 11:21 … The Highs and Lows of Lessons Learned 14:48 … Lessons from Wilson 16:39 … Not Taking it Personally 20:57 … Plastic Size and Barrier Specifics 25:44 … Quantity of Systems Needed 28:00 … Safety for Other Vessels 30:49 … What Happens to the Collected Plastic? 32:07 … Tackling the Problem at the Source 33:50 … Cleaning up the Rivers 37:00 … Leadership Lessons 40:24 … Biggest Surprise on the Project 42:38 … Learn More about The Ocean Cleanup 44:28 … Closing HENK VAN DALEN:  ...the Garbage Patch out there is so big and persistent, that’s not going to away by itself.  It’s almost looking at your house, and you say, “I have a dirty house; but if I close the doors, then, you know, it’s going to be fine.”  You still need to clean it up, as well. So for us doing that part is essential, and we believe that the power and the impact that the Ocean Cleanup can make is really in technology.  Develop technology.  Be able to move quickly to address the problem that’s there already.  But also, you know, it’s us also getting the awareness out there that people start thinking by themselves what it is.  So if the Ocean Cleanup looked at, but what are we good at and where can we make an impact, it’s creating that awareness, backing it up by science and showing how big this problem is and cleaning up the mess that is already out there. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’re glad you’ve joined us for a conversation about what matters to you in the field of project management.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and here in the studio with me is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Wendy, we’ve got an interesting theme that you’ve hit on.  I love this.  We’ve talked about saving the rhinos.  We’ve talked about tracking orbital space debris.  We’ve looked at community gardens and food banks; sustainability.  And man, have we got a great conversation today. WENDY GROUNDS:  I am very excited about this one.  I have been following this project for a few years now and have been trying to find someone who will talk to us.  And we were very fortunate to find Henk van Dalen.  Henk is the Director Ocean Project of The Ocean Cleanup.  This is a project that is looking to clean up the ocean. BILL YATES:  That’s it, five trillion pieces of plastic that we want to remove from the ocean.  That’s a big project. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we’re very excited to hear Henk’s story. Understanding the Problem BILL YATES:  Henk, thank you so much for joining us today on Manage This, from your remote location. HENK VAN DALEN:  Thank you.  Thank you for having me, guys. BILL YATES:  One of the first things I want to do is just help our listeners understand the problem.  Can you define the problem for us? HENK VAN DALEN:  So within The Ocean Cleanup, we’re focusing to clean up the oceans, and that first of all means we need to close up the inflow of the oceans, taking the plastic out of the rivers, preventing it going in.  But there’s also the element of a lot of plastic being out there in the ocean itself, and that’s been accumulating there over decades.  And our focus primarily is now on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. So that is the area of the ocean located between Hawaii and California, and there is a plastic soup, you could say, floating around which is twice the size of Texas. So that is an immense amount of plastic,

Manage This by Velociteach The podcast by project managers for project managers. The Ocean Cleanup organization is tackling the largest clean-up project in history. Henk van Dalen shares his passion for the project as he describes the origin of The Ocean Cleanup organization and outlines this bold project to clean the vast amounts of waste […] The post Episode 106 – The Ocean Cleanup Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

VELOCITEACH Manage This The podcast by project managers for project managers. Dana Brownlee shares tools for managing up that challenging boss or stakeholder, while creating alignment and clear communication. Table of Contents 00:58 … Meet Dana 02:18 … The Inspiration for The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up 03:54 … Managing Up Research Study 07:02 … […] The post Episode 105 – Managing Up for Project Success appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

VELOCITEACH Manage This The podcast by project managers for project managers. Dana Brownlee shares tools for managing up that challenging boss or stakeholder, while creating alignment and clear communication. Table of Contents 00:58 … Meet Dana 02:18 … The Inspiration for The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up 03:54 … Managing Up Research Study 07:02 … It Begins with Self Awareness 08:20 … A Definition of Managing Up 10:05 … Managing Up Mistakes 11:30 … Six Difficult Boss Personality Types 14:32 … A Closer Look at the Clueless Chameleon 19:03 … A Closer Look at the Meddlesome Micromanager 22:40 … A Closer Look at the Tornado 25:22 … The Compliment, Document, and Pivot 27:37 … More Taming of the Tornado 29:32 … Self-Analysis for the Project Manager 31:28 … Get in Touch with Dana 32:24 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  Bill, I have a question for you today.  How often have you experienced a difficult stakeholder or a difficult boss?  What’s your experience? BILL YATES:  Oh, man.  This is such a loaded question.  You’re going to get me in trouble.  Andy... WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, we don’t have to talk any current. BILL YATES:  Okay, good, yeah.  I was going to say, Andy Crowe’s not in the room right now, but he will definitely listen to this.  So, got an outstanding manager now.  But yeah, I mean, this is just a part of life; right?  We have managers who – sometimes our boss, our manager is super supportive and great.  Other times there are challenges, and so fortunately we have Dana to talk with us about some of those challenges. Meet Dana WENDY GROUNDS: So our guest today is Dana Brownlee, she is a PMP, and she founded Professionalism Matters, which is an Atlanta-based corporate training company.  Her business expertise has been featured in Forbes.com, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, to name a few.  And Dana likes to give project managers tools they can use.  Dana, welcome to Manage This. DANA BROWNLEE:  Thanks so much for having me. WENDY GROUNDS:  Dana, won’t you first tell us just a bit about yourself and how you entered the project management field? DANA BROWNLEE:  Certainly.  Well, I started my company back in 2003.  I’m dating myself a little bit, can’t believe it’s been that long.  But I started in project management I guess in the early ‘90s.  And in fact I remember it was so long ago, I remember applying for my PMP in handwritten paper. BILL YATES:  Oh, okay. WENDY GROUNDS:  Wow. DANA BROWNLEE:  Like printing it off and writing it out and actually mailing it in, putting a stamp in, so I’m officially old.  But I worked in corporate for a number of years, and then I started my own training company, and I went out, and I teach training classes and give speaking events.  But I do think that I’ve always been wired kind of as a project manager, I dot my I’s; I cross my T’s. In fact, my husband laughed.  He said, you know, “This is definitely for you.  You’ve got a knack for telling other people what to do.”  So some of it is kind of in my blood.  But I love it. The Inspiration for The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up WENDY GROUNDS:  Dana has written an excellent book that Bill and I have both enjoyed reading.  It’s called “The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up:  Project Management Techniques from the Trenches.”  And in this book we read about different types of bosses and techniques that you can implement when working with these different types of managers.  Dana, what inspired you to write the book? DANA BROWNLEE:  Actually, my audiences inspired me to write the book.  I never intended to speak on this topic, to write on this topic, but let me tell you what started happening.  I give talks, and I provide training on a wide range of topics.  So I might be out speaking about communication skills,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The unpredictable nature of a crisis means that leaders have little time to prepare. Our guest Matt Harper, a retired 20 year Naval Officer, talks about crisis leadership lessons he learned onboard the USS Cole during a terrorist attack. Table of Contents 00:37 … Meet Matt 01:38 […] The post Episode 104 – Crisis Leadership – Lessons Onboard the USS Cole appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The unpredictable nature of a crisis means that leaders have little time to prepare. Our guest Matt Harper, a retired 20 year Naval Officer, talks about crisis leadership lessons he learned onboard the USS Cole during a terrorist attack. Table of Contents 00:37 … Meet Matt 01:38 … Matt’s Role on the USS Cole 03:55 … Background to the USS Cole Deployment 06:32 … Geographical Location of Yemen 07:58 … October 12th, 2000 10:02 … Reacting in Times of Crisis 12:24 … Events Following the Attack 14:36 … Responding Well or Responding Poorly in a Crisis 16:34 … Management vs. Leadership 20:15 … Crisis Leadership Lesson One: Understand Yourself 21:05 … Crisis Leadership Lesson Two: Be Comfortable with Uncertainty 22:40 … Crisis Leadership Lesson Three: Collaborate 24:01 … Crisis Leadership Lesson Four: Be Ready to do Anything 26:35 … Crisis Leadership Lesson Five: Lessons Learned 27:35 … Keeping Motivated in a Crisis 29:42 … Get up on the Balcony, Take a Different Perspective 33:11 … Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone 34:41 … Resolving the Problem 37:20 … Get in Touch with Matt 38:52 … Closing MATT HARPER: ...this is the hallmark of the good leader, of the good project manager that says, got it, that’s the way it’s supposed to be done, but we’re in a crisis deadline or whatever the case may be.  And this is how we need to do it now. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I am Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Hi.  Hi, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Bill.    Today we’re talking about what will we do in a time of crisis.  We have Matt Harper with us.  He is on Skype from Denver, Colorado. Meet Matt BILL YATES:  Yeah, Matt has had a twenty year career with the US Navy and we’ll get more into that. Specifically though, he had a unique experience and I’m looking forward to discussing with him and sharing with our audience. WENDY GROUNDS:  Matt is going to tell us about his experience on the USS Cole after a terrorist attack in Aden, Yemen, which happened in October 2000. He was decorated for his leadership after this attack and he’s applied that to coaching lessons in crisis leadership, and so I think he’s got a lot of good stuff he’s going to bring to us today. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Matt, we so appreciate your time.  Welcome to Manage This. MATT HARPER:  Well, thanks.  Thanks for having me.  Looking forward to it. BILL YATES:  Any time we can bring somebody into a conversation that has the knowledge, the training, and the experience that you do, we know our project manager listeners are going to appreciate it and learn from it.  Wendy and I were talking, we feel like the best way to tackle this topic is just start from the beginning.  Give us a sense for what happened with the USS Cole and what your role was, or what part you played in that. Matt’s Role on the USS Cole MATT HARPER:  Sure.  Well, thanks, thanks again for having me.  I would like to kind of start out, having a 20-year military background, I’m sure a lot of the people listening to the podcast will have military backgrounds. BILL YATES:  Right. MATT HARPER:  But for most people who do not, I would like to say that anybody who spends time in the military, what we do on a daily basis is really project management. BILL YATES: That’s true. MATT HARPER:  It’s something that we I think don’t do a very good job, we people in the military or prior military personnel, we don’t do a very good job really making it clear that that’s really what we do, probably 90 percent of our day, is really different types of projects that all interrelate to each other.  They’re all underfunded; they’re all under-resourced. BILL YATES:  Yes. MATT HARPER:  And that’s what we do on a daily basis.  So about my experience, I originally grew up in San Francisco.  I always knew I kind of wanted to be in the Navy,

The podcast for project managers by project managers. We’re taking a tour of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. This building was built to the Living Building Challenge 3.1 certification standards, the most advanced measure of sustainability possible in the current built environment. , before COVID19 quarantine restrictions.) Table of […] The post Episode 103 – Creating a Living Building – The Kendeda Building at Georgia Tech appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. We’re taking a tour of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. This building was built to the Living Building Challenge 3.1 certification standards, the most advanced measure of sustainability possible in the current built environment. , before COVID19 quarantine restrictions.) Table of Contents 01:45 … About The Kendeda Building 02:51 … John and Shan: Proud Parents 05:06 … Project Schedule 06:13 … The Kendeda Fund 07:49 … The Living Building Challenge: Version 3.1 10:48 … Red List Materials 12:27 … Ceiling Construction 14:46 … The Staircase Story 16:14 … Managing Triple Constraint Requirements 18:47 … Understanding the Project: John’s Story 20:16 … Team Selection Process 22:44 … A Heavily Populated Certified Living Building 24:23 … Continuing Education 26:07 … Podcasting in the Restroom 28:25 … Net Positive Water Consumption in the Bathroom 29:45 … Turning Waste into an Asset 31:07 … Podcasting in the Basement 35:58 … Project Surprises 39:15 … The Cost of Sustainable Design 40:50 … Looking Back on the project 44:34 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS:   Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers, for project managers. I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is Bill Yates.  And Bill, we’re doing something very different today, it’s a first for Manage This. BILL YATES:   This is a very different episode. Wendy you’ve connected with leaders of another fascinating project, and this time we’re gonna go to the source, we’re gonna see it. So this one’s all about sustainability, and we’re going to look at a living building. Now, recently I took a tour of the Ford Rouge Factory where Ford Motor Company makes F150s, those pick-up trucks, and they build those under a huge space, and they have a roof that’s a living roof. WENDY GROUNDS:   Ahh okay. BILL YATES:   It’s 450 thousand square feet. So they’re able to capture the water, they have drought-resistant ground cover on top that collects and filters the water that they use in their manufacturing process. It’s one of the largest living roofs in the world, and WENDY GROUNDS:  Very cool BILL YATES:   I’ve seen it. WENDY GROUNDS:   Ah very nice BILL YATES:  So I can’t wait to check out this living building. WENDY GROUNDS:   I hadn’t heard about that one, so I’m excited to to where we’re going today. So the Georgia Institute of Technology constructed The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, and they call it a living-learning laboratory, and the two guests we’re talking to today are both working in The Kendeda Building. The first one is John DuCongé. John is a senior project manager in the design and construction department at Georgia Tech. Currently, John serves as a senior project manager on The Kendeda building. Our other guest is Shan Arora. He’s the director of The Kendeda building. BILL YATES:   Yes, so let’s take a tour of this living building here that is on the campus of Georgia Tech, and check it out. About The Kendeda Building BILL YATES:  We are on the Georgia Tech campus.  We are in a gorgeous building, and I can’t wait to dig into more about it, and John, so you’re the project manager on this. Give us a sense, help the audience understand what we’re looking at here, so tell us some of the specs on this building. JOHN DUCONGÉ:  Okay, this is a 37,000-square-foot building.  It’s a classroom building and auditorium, we also have class labs in the building.  And it’s fully functional as an academic center on campus that’s featuring a lot of sustainable design initiatives that, you know, we as a campus have been trying to achieve, and so this is taking us to a new level of sustainable design. Having a Living Building Challenge project on campus is really an accomplishment for us.  We’re thankful to the Kendeda Fund for sponsoring this project.  It is a combination of different types of construction,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. We’re facing new challenges that are changing the way that we work. Listen in as we address the specific challenge of working remotely. Table of Contents 00:43 … Coronavirus Impact – Keep Calm and Manage This 02:23 … Working Remotely and Managing Yourself 03:57 … Establishing a […] The post Episode 102 – Working Remotely – Not a Crisis appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. We’re facing new challenges that are changing the way that we work. Listen in as we address the specific challenge of working remotely. Table of Contents 00:43 … Coronavirus Impact – Keep Calm and Manage This 02:23 … Working Remotely and Managing Yourself 03:57 … Establishing a Rhythm 07:40 … Dealing With Interruptions at Home 11:45 … Sticking to a Schedule when Working Remotely 15:53 … Interruptions and Communication Methods with your Team 16:51 … Turning on Video Cameras 19:33 … Making Time to be Proactive 21:27 … Turning it Off at the End of the Day 25:39 … Experiment with Collaboration Tools 27:58 … Can I trust my Team to be Accountable? 31:57 … Facing New Challenges with Grace 34:35 … Connect with Crystal 35:20 … Closing CRYSTAL KDAKIA:  It’s already a tough time.  So really using this as a time to bond together.  Times of crisis are great to emphasize a positive company culture.  So, and I think that goes both ways.  Both frontline employees, team managers, and team leaders need to have a lot of grace in all those categories because everyone is adjusting to a new normal. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy. WENDY GROUNDS:  Every two weeks we get together to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager, and this week there’s a lot that we want to talk about. Coronavirus Impact – Keep Calm and Manage This BILL YATES:  Yeah, these are very unusual times, not like anything that I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime.  The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has hit, and it’s affected everyone on Planet Earth.  It’s changing the way that we work.  And we thought, what a great time for us to address the challenge that is new to us as project leaders.  We wanted to talk about specifically how to work remotely. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  I’m sure a lot of people are worried and anxious.  Someone wise I heard saying this on Sunday is we can’t allow uncertainty to dictate how we are going to react.  You know, we can’t change what we can’t control.  But there are things we can control, and that’s what our guest is going to speak about today. BILL YATES:  Yeah, that’s great.  I think it goes right along with our tagline of “Keep Calm and Manage This.” WENDY GROUNDS:  Absolutely. BILL YATES:  We’ve got a lot of challenges to keep calm, so we’re all wondering how do we manage this. Fortunately, we have a past guest of our podcast, Crystal Kadakia, who’s going to join us today.  She’s had a lot of experience working remotely, she’s also written a lot about the ups and downs of working remotely, some of the challenges and some of the benefits of it.  And she is all about creating a better workspace.  So we are delighted to have Crystal join us today.  Crystal, thank you so much for joining us. CRYSTAL KADAKIA:  Thanks for having me.  Thanks for – it’s nice to be back. BILL YATES:  Well, it’s a spur of the moment thing, but the times call for it. CRYSTAL KADAKIA:  I think that it’s very timely, and also just something that I’ve been really wanting to share more and more about.  So I’m really glad that we’re getting a chance to talk about it. Working Remotely and Managing Yourself WENDY GROUNDS:  Crystal, you wrote a blog which recently we’ve published on the website:  “Does Coronavirus Have a Silver Lining?  A Guide for the Newly Remote Manager.”  And we’ve kind of highlighted some things in this blog that we want to talk about, can we start off with managing ourselves, what it looks like when you’re working remotely and how to manage yourself? CRYSTAL KADAKIA:  Yeah, sure.  So the first thing about all this is you have to take care of yourself first, if you’re managing a team remotely, and you don’t have your own work environment together,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear advice on how to achieve constructive crucial conversations, and how to ‘rethink’ a story that is driving a negative emotion. CARRIE WOODS: People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.  And when they know that you care, they will start responding.  And […] The post Episode 101 – Crucial Conversations – When you Need Results appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Hear advice on how to achieve constructive crucial conversations, and how to ‘rethink’ a story that is driving a negative emotion. CARRIE WOODS: People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.  And when they know that you care, they will start responding.  And they will feel safe enough to show you their true meaning. Table of Contents 00:58 … Meet Carrie 02:15 … Getting into Crucial Conversations 04:14 … Crucial Conversation Definition 05:32 … Warning Signs of a Crucial Conversation 07:00 … Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication 08:32 … Achieving a Constructive Crucial Conversation 10:30 … Facts and Stories 15:00 … Using the Right Strategy in a Crucial Conversation 20:58 … Getting to the Root and Performing “CPR” 25:23 … Accountability and Changing Behavior 27:42 … Softening the blow in a Crucial Conversation 32:11 … Creating Safe Environments 33:02 … Moving from Conversation to Results 35:32 … Get in Touch with Carrie 36:50 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello I am Wendy Grounds and welcome to the Manage This podcast, this is the show by project managers for project managers! And so with me in the studio is a familiar voice, Bill Yates.... BILL YATES:  Hi, Wendy.  Good to be here. So you may notice that Nick Walker is not in the room, he was here for the first 100 episodes.  And Nick was actually, he acquired so much knowledge as a project manager, he’s taken a new gig as a project – just kidding.  He has retired, and he has moved closer to family so he can be with his grandkids, and he and his wife can spoil them. WENDY GROUNDS:  I think he actually mentioned he was project managing a wedding coming up. BILL YATES:  That’s true. WENDY GROUNDS:  So, yeah, he’s using those skills. BILL YATES:  Yes, that’s absolutely true. Meet Carrie WENDY GROUNDS:  You know Bill, we’ve all had those difficult conversations, those conversations where the stakes are high and everyone has a different opinion and then emotions get involved. Well, on this episode, we’re talking about just those conversations. Crucial ones and our guest Carrie Woods is going to describe to us how facts and stories drive our emotions and also how we can move from those crucial conversations to getting results.  Carrie is an author, speaker, master trainer, and executive coach as well as a Certified Platinum Level VitalSmarts Trainer in Crucial Conversations.  Carrie, welcome to Manage This, we’re so glad you could join us today. CARRIE WOODS:  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  It is absolutely fantastic to be here today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Well, we’re happy to have you. So could you just tell us, what brought you into this line of work, and what makes you passionate about it? CARRIE WOODS:  Absolutely, so about 14 years ago I transitioned from the corporate world into being a full-time writer, of all things. And with that, as my client base grew, I moved into instructional design, and from instructional design moved into facilitating the content that I was developing for various organizations, and so today we work with companies like Amazon, Volkswagen, Lincoln Electric, helping develop leaders at all levels to be more effective. Getting into Crucial Conversations BILL YATES:  Well, so one of the things we’re excited about is this whole topic of Crucial Conversations, and it comes from a book, a very popular book, something that a lot of life coaches and others put to work.  And I’m excited about seeing how we can relate this to the world of project managers.  How did you first get into this Crucial Conversations?  Did you read the book?  Did somebody recommend it?  Or how did you become a master trainer with this? CARRIE WOODS:  Oh, my goodness, so several years ago, actually, the book was recommended to me, and as I shared – so we work with all kinds of companies. And what we found, especially with  my background as a writer,

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. As we celebrate 100 episodes we thank our listeners who have joined us for the journey. In this podcast Nick expands on some lessons he has learned about project management from his time on Velociteach’s Manage This. Table of Contents 00:06 … Celebrating 100 Episodes 03:29 … […] The post Episode 100 – 100 Down, More to Come appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. As we celebrate 100 episodes we thank our listeners who have joined us for the journey. In this podcast Nick expands on some lessons he has learned about project management from his time on Velociteach’s Manage This. Table of Contents 00:06 … Celebrating 100 Episodes 03:29 … Nick’s New Adventure 07:00 … Reviewing Past Conversations 08:33 … Conducting Effective Meetings 10:13 … Virtual Team Communication 14:38 … Being Transparent and Maximizing Potential 17:59 … The Essential Components 19:27 … Importance of Integrity 22:45 … Building Blocks of a Project 24:24 … Dealing with Stress 25:34 … Cybersecurity: Creating Awareness 28:44 … Story from a Vietnam Veteran 31:55 … Learning Superior Processes 35:12 … Stimulate Progress and Maintain Excellence 39:00 … Great Leaders Bring Calm to Chaos 43:14 … Nick Signing Off Celebrating 100 Episodes NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We are so proud and so excited to mark our 100th episode.  Everybody’s here to celebrate:  Andy Crowe and Bill Yates, producer Wendy Grounds, engineer Andie Leeds.  And we’re so glad you have joined us for the celebration, too, but also for joining us and supporting us in our Manage This journey over the past several years. Andy, I’m going to ask you, go back in time, tell us the story behind the podcast.  What was your vision for the podcast then, and has that changed over the years? ANDY CROWE:  Well, Nick, that’s an interesting question.  You know, if you go back in time, I used to be on the project management speaking circuit quite a lot. And so one of the things that always happened is people would come up and say, “I’ve been listening to these CDs”  we used to produce CDs, now they’re digital downloads.  But Bill Yates and Louis Alderman and I were on there, and people would come up and say, you know what, “I’ve been driving around in the car, I’ve been listening to that.”  One person said that when their child misbehaved in the car, that they would actually make them listen to 30 minutes of that. NICK WALKER:  Oh, cruel and unusual punishment. ANDY CROWE:  It was a really funny interchange. BILL YATES:  I’ll get feedback on that one. ANDY CROWE:  One of the things that I figured out during that series of conversations, though, is people would always come up afterward. And so they didn’t want to talk about what I had spoken on that evening at the project management meeting, they wanted to talk about the audio series that we did. And I told Bill, I said, you know, there’s a few things.  Number one, project management is a really difficult job for a lot of people because you’re effecting change, and the world resists change.  So you have people trying to create something that doesn’t exist, to make something different, and this gives us a chance just to have a conversation with people.  Every couple of weeks we get a chance to talk, and it is, it is a conversation, so I like to think of it that way. You know, so we get feedback from listeners, and we try and incorporate that into where we’re going.  But that was the whole goal is just to engage people, and part of it to say, look, we know it’s a tough job.  There are easier ways to make a living than being a project manager.  And at the same time people who do that for a living, a lot of times it’s more of a calling than a profession. So it’s something that you, you know, you can’t imagine doing anything else, it’s a chance for us to engage with people, and that’s the whole goal.  You know, we don’t monetize this podcast, we don’t sell ads, we don’t ask for donations, we’re doing it because we love this profession, too. BILL YATES:  It’s a way for us to connect with our tribe.  When I think about some of the podcasts that have meant the most to me, it’s when people are going through some of the same struggles that I have as a project manager.  Nick,

The podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. As organizations are going through transformation, there’s plenty of internal and external pressure to adapt, PMI’s Stephen Townsend talks about the changes and challenges for project managers, future trends in the marketplace, and how the role is evolving. Table of Contents 00:26 … Meet Stephen 02:02 … […] The post Episode 99 – Future Trends in Project Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. As organizations are going through transformation, there’s plenty of internal and external pressure to adapt, PMI’s Stephen Townsend talks about the changes and challenges for project managers, future trends in the marketplace, and how the role is evolving. Table of Contents 00:26 … Meet Stephen 02:02 … Cooks vs Chefs 08:53 … Enhancing your Toolkit 10:41 … Conflict and Adaptation 13:14 … Future Trend: Soft Skills to Accelerate Innovation 21:12 … Building New Skills and Capabilities 25:31 … Global Executive Council Talent Management Survey 29:56 … How Organizations can Help PMs Increase Value 35:54 … Challenges as Opportunities to Change your Perspective 42:13 … A Revolution of Project Management 44:48 … Connect with Stephen 46:02 … Closing STEPHEN TOWNSEND: ...one of the key things I would say to individuals is, if you’re completing PDUs just to tick the box, you’re wasting an opportunity.  You’re wasting your opportunity, and you’re wasting your organization’s opportunity because this is really your investment in ensuring that you remain competitive in today’s environment, not only within your organization, but also competitive with your peers who are project leaders. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our opportunity to meet with you and talk about what real life is like in the shoes of a professional project manager.  I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the guy who is always on the lookout for interesting and talented people we can bring on our program.  And Bill, it looks like your talent scout eyes have snagged another big fish. Meet Stephen BILL YATES:  Yeah, I’m delighted that Stephen Townsend is going to give us the time on the podcast.  He is a very busy man.  I’ve known him, goes pretty far back, probably 2011 when I served on the Advisory Group for the PMI REP communities, when I really got to know Stephen.  And then had the opportunity to sit in on one of his talks, a couple of his talks actually, at the fall Global Conference back in fall of 2019 and just was reminded of the depth of his knowledge and the experience that he has.  Stephen’s out there in the marketplace.  He meets with so many companies to talk with them about their project management practices and where they’re going, what trends they see.  So great to have him on with us today. NICK WALKER:  Well, before we meet him, let’s learn a little bit more about him.  Stephen Townsend has worked with PMI since 1999, and currently he is PMI’s Director for Network Programs.  In this capacity he leads special program initiatives for the Institute.  One of those is serving on the U.K.’s Project X Research Consortium Steering Committee, supporting the benefits realization management research stream.  He’s also involved in exploring how organizations are enhancing and reinventing their value delivery capabilities.  For U.S. federal government agencies he produces materials to help them implement requirements associated with the Program Management Improvement Accountability Act.  He also leads the PMBOK Guide’s Seventh Edition transformation work stream.  Stephen, welcome to Manage This. STEPHEN TOWNSEND:  Thank you.  Good to be with you all today. Cooks vs. Chefs NICK WALKER:  We want to talk with you about some of the changes and challenges you see coming down the pike for future project managers.  But first, I’d like for us to talk about an analogy that Bill says you made at the PMI Global Congress last fall.  And any listeners with a background in the restaurant industry are going to get this right away.  You said that some project managers are cooks, and others are chefs, and also that we need both.  So could you explain that analogy? STEPHEN TOWNSEND:  Yeah.  So just to put it in the context of the conversation that we had at the PMI Global Conference, we presented a slide

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. Are you suffering from burnout and low productivity? Sarah Hoban talks about identifying workplace stressors that lead to burnout, and how boosting your productivity can be an antidote to burnout. Hear how to recognize the symptoms of burnout and how to delegate effectively. Table of Contents 01:47 […] The post Episode 98 – Productivity vs. Burnout appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. Are you suffering from burnout and low productivity? Sarah Hoban talks about identifying workplace stressors that lead to burnout, and how boosting your productivity can be an antidote to burnout. Hear how to recognize the symptoms of burnout and how to delegate effectively. Table of Contents 01:47 … Meet Sarah 02:45 … Burnout 04:20 … Symptoms of Burnout 06:02 … Recognizing Burnout in your Team 08:09 … Unchecked Burnout 09:58 … Identifying Workplace Stressors 11:03 … Recovering from Burnout 13:00 … Knowing the Why 16:09 … Productivity as an Antidote 17:40 … Delegating Effectively 21:05 … Daily and Weekly Reviews 24:56 … Annual Review 26:02 … Time to Disconnect 28:08 … Staying Creative 30:07 … Preventing Burnout in Team Members 31:37 … Overcoming the 80/20 Delegation Rule 34:46 … Best Advice 35:54 … Get in Touch with Sarah 36:58 … Closing SARAH HOBAN: ...productivity isn’t a zero-sum game.  You’re not productive or you’re not.  And it’s not about being perfect in your productivity, if that makes sense.  It’s really about taking gradual steps to improve every day.  It’s not like you are productive or you’re not, and if you’re not, you’re a failure.  It’s how can I make one small change to be a little bit better than I was yesterday?  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s a chance for us to get inside the minds of some of the people who make project management happen, those who are doing the job, and sometimes training others to do it, and do it well. I’m your host, Nick Walker, here to tell you that some of the guests we feature on this podcast are with us because of the feedback you have given.  So we hope you’ll keep the comments coming on your podcast listening app, or Velociteach.com, or on social media. Alongside me, as always, is Bill Yates.  And Bill, this time we’re going to talk about a subject that, frankly, might be a little scary for some, and one that some of us probably just wish didn’t exist at all. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  It’s a reality check.  We’re going to talk about burnout. NICK WALKER:  Excellent. BILL YATES:  I heard Sarah speak at PMI Global Conference 2019.  And I found her speech and presentation very refreshing, very relatable.  She began by talking about burnout, and then went into, okay, how do I avoid that, and how do I become more productive?  But it was stuff that we need to hear as project managers.  So I look forward to this conversation. NICK WALKER:  Yeah.  The fact is, most of us are in a continuous effort to get more done with the time that we have.  And that can cause stress.  And while stress may actually encourage creativity and improve productivity, excessive stress in the workplace can have the opposite effect and cause burnout. Meet Sarah Our guest, Sarah Hoban, is with us to speak about that.  She’s a PMP Certified Project Manager and Strategy Consultant with 11 years of experience at Booz Allen Hamilton, directing complex multimillion-dollar projects and leading diverse global teams.  Her career is focused on incorporating project management techniques to improve organizational business processes.  She has a master’s in International Relations and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University and a graduate certificate from Georgetown University.  She hosts the weekly blog and podcast titled “The Stealthy Project Manager.”  She’s Skyping with us from Washington, D.C. today.  Sarah, welcome to Manage This. Let’s talk about what might be an ugly word for some.  It’s a subject that you’re all too familiar with:  burnout.  Tell me why you’re all too familiar with it. Burnout SARAH HOBAN:  Yeah.  It was actually something that I experienced, I think like many project managers have probably experienced at some point.  There was a period of time where I was working on a project, and I think there were a

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Project Managing Community Gardens. Hear all about an innovative project to increase access to locally grown food and build healthier communities, by empowering local growers, prioritizing local food, and saving food-producing land in a fast-growing city. Table of Contents 01:37 … Meet Britni 02:22 … Food Well […] The post Episode 97 –Food Well Alliance: Growing Together appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Project Managing Community Gardens. Hear all about an innovative project to increase access to locally grown food and build healthier communities, by empowering local growers, prioritizing local food, and saving food-producing land in a fast-growing city. Table of Contents 01:37 … Meet Britni 02:22 … Food Well Alliance 04:18 … Connecting with a Passion 05:33 … Preparing for a PM Role 07:02 … Stakeholders 07:59 … Plant Eat Repeat Project 09:01 … Aluma Farm Project 13:57 … Communication with Stakeholders 15:03 … Working with City Governments 16:06 … Problem Statement Strategy 18:09 … Facing Obstacles 20:03 … Compost Issues 22:44 … Getting a Community Garden Started 24:55 … Resources Offered to Growers 26:58 … Face to Face with End Users 29:20 … Where to get Produce 29:42 … Advice for New PM’s 30:41 … Lessons Learned 31:43 … Closing BRITNI BURKHARDSMEIER:  I think my advice would be the importance of building your project management toolbox, so learning what are those best practices, whether it’s techniques of communication, how to interact with partners externally or internally.  What are those tools you need, you know, your templates for budget and timeline and meeting notes?  But then in addition to that also still being able to stay fluid and adaptable and recognizing that you may have to change things up because every project is slightly different.  Every partner on that project is slightly different.  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’ve been listening to what you’ve been telling us about what subjects you’re interested in and what kinds of guests you’d like to hear from, and so we thank you for your input. Please keep the comments about our podcast coming.  So you can leave a comment on Google, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whichever podcast listening app you use.  You can also leave comments on the Velociteach.com website or on our social media pages, it’s your feedback that brings the kind of guest we have on our program today.  And Bill Yates, I need to tell you, I’m not sure who suggested we have a podcast about food, but I’m certainly glad they did. BILL YATES:  It’s making me hungry just thinking about that.  Looking forward to getting into that.  So Britni is going to describe some projects that she’s worked with that are really unique, the stakeholders are unique, the problems to solve are unique.  And I think, regardless of the type of project we have, we can all learn from Britni. Meet Britni NICK WALKER:  So, let’s meet our guest, she’s Britni Burkhardsmeier, a project and impact manager at the Atlanta non-profit Food Well Alliance, a collaborative network of local growers, community leaders, and city leaders, working to build thriving community gardens and farms across Metro Atlanta.  The goal is to increase access to locally grown food in order to build healthier communities.  Britni holds a master’s in public health from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, with a concentration in global nutrition.  Prior to attending graduate school, Britni worked as program coordinator on the emergency health and nutrition team at Save the Children U.S. in Washington, D.C.  Britni, welcome to Manage This. BRITNI BURKHARDSMEIER:  Thank you for having me. Food Well Alliance NICK WALKER:  Let’s get started by just learning a little bit more about the Food Well Alliance. So how did that organization get started? BRITNI BURKHARDSMEIER:  So we started in 2015 with funding from our founding benefactor, the James M. Cox Foundation.  And we really got started because it was a vision between the Cox Foundation and Bill Bolling, the founder of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.  And so together they saw an opportunity to connect members of Atlanta’s local food movement to collectively build healthier communities. NICK WALKER:  And what about you?  I mean,

“Project management is my favorite process, project managers are my favorite people, and there is not much I’d rather do than talk with project managers about project management!” Margo Love Table of Contents 01:26 … Meet Margo 04:31 … The One Process Margo has Not Performed 06:45 … The Customer on Internal and External Projects […] The post Episode 96 – Stump the PM! appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

“Project management is my favorite process, project managers are my favorite people, and there is not much I’d rather do than talk with project managers about project management!” Margo Love Table of Contents 01:26 … Meet Margo 04:31 … The One Process Margo has Not Performed 06:45 … The Customer on Internal and External Projects 09:32 … Margo’s Pick from the PMBOK Guide’s 33 Project Documents 13:33 … Requirements Traceability Matrix 16:43 … RACI Chart 21:19 … Work Breakdown Structure 25:08 … A Project Charter 29:47 … Rolling Wave Planning 33:52 … Lessons Learned 38:10 … Final Words of Wisdom 40:52 … Closing MARGO LOVE: The other thing is get training.  I can’t say enough how important I think it is for people who are managing projects to recognize that this is a professional undertaking.  And you would not ask a dentist to go into the dentist’s office and just look in your mouth and figure out what to do.  I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out.  You’re smart.  You know, you brush your teeth, so go help.  But we ask our project managers to do that all the time. You know, you’re a great programmer, you’re great with people.  They’ll say, “Oh, you’re great with people.  We need you to manage this project.”  Well, fine, but being great with people doesn’t mean that you know how to manage a project.  And I think training is invaluable in that regard. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’re setting aside this time to talk about what’s important to you as a professional project manager.  Our guests include some of the best in the field, those who live and breathe project management and want to share their passion. I’m your host, Nick Walker, alongside resident expert Bill Yates.  And Bill, this time around we’re talking with someone who really does epitomize that passion. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  Margo is a delight.  She is a wonderful trainer.  She was born for facilitation and training, and so it comes from her heart and passion for project management and for people. Meet Margo NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s learn a little bit more about her.  Margo Love became a fellow of the Life Management Institute in 1987, achieved her PMP (Project Management Professional) certification in 2000, and earned her Six Sigma Black Belt in 2001, making her a certified project management and process improvement nerd.  She also has over 30 years’ experience managing projects and project managers in information technology for the life insurance and utility industries.  So Margo is Skyping us from a very rainy Greenville, South Carolina today.  Margo, welcome to Manage This. MARGO LOVE:  Thank you.  I am delighted to be here. NICK WALKER:  I love this quotation from you.  You say “Project management is my favorite process.  Project managers are my favorite people.  And there is not much I’d rather do than talk with project managers about project management.”  So can you tell us a little bit about your experience and how it’s brought about that kind of affection for the profession and the people in it? MARGO LOVE:  I’d be glad to.  And in fact, it’s funny to hear you say – to read my words because, when I managed my first project, I hated it and I was terrible at it.  My background is in programming, software programming.  And I had been a programmer for about two years, I guess, when my company asked me to manage a project. I was so impressed with myself, and told my mother I was managing a project, and I had no clue what I was doin, I was terrible at it, I hated it.  Everybody hated me.  And so I was done with that for the rest of my life. And about 10 years later, maybe 15, our company went through a traumatic project.  Then coming out of that, the new CIO asked me if I would head up a project management organization, which was just hilarious.  And I said, “You don’t understand that I don’t do that.”  But he talked me into it.  He said,

Hear how to support your team’s success when transitioning to Agile. The adaptation of the Aikido principle of Shu Ha Ri, as well as more info on Disciplined Agile. Table of Contents 00:58 … Meet Alan 02:07 … Defining Agile 04:20 … Shu Ha Ri 08:26 … Non Traditional and Non Profit uses of Agile. […] The post Episode 95 – Making Sense of Agile, Shu Ha Ri, and Disciplined Agile appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Hear how to support your team’s success when transitioning to Agile. The adaptation of the Aikido principle of Shu Ha Ri, as well as more info on Disciplined Agile. Table of Contents 00:58 … Meet Alan 02:07 … Defining Agile 04:20 … Shu Ha Ri 08:26 … Non Traditional and Non Profit uses of Agile. 14:43 … Challenges with Transitioning to Agile 17:41 … Disciplined Agile Train the Trainer Seminar 21:48 … Choosing your WoW 23:14 … D.A. and Lean 26:01 … Value Stream Mapping 27:33 … Fundamentals of Agile InSite Course 29:51 … Closing Alan Zucker: ...as long as you are stepping in and making those decisions, the team won’t.  So you really need to focus on stepping back and giving the team that space to make those decisions and allowing them to stub their toes and skin their elbows. So that they will become successful over time. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’re back with another episode, bringing the kind of information you’ve been asking for.  We hope you’ll keep the requests and comments coming in.  You can always comment right there on your listening app, or on Velociteach.com, or on social media.  We love hearing from you. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who guide our discussion, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And this time around we’re featuring a member of the Velociteach family.  And like most of the folks around here, Andy, he has credentials a mile long. Meet Alan ANDY CROWE:  He does indeed, Nick.  And we have Alan Zucker on the show today.  And Alan and I go back a good ways.  He and I interacted back before he worked for Velociteach.  We had a relationship.  Somebody I have deep respect for, and I’m really looking forward to today’s podcast. NICK WALKER:  Before we hear from Alan, I want to tell you a little bit more about him.  He’s a certified project management professional, an ITIL Foundation certificate holder, a Scrum master, a scale Agilist, and an Agile certified practitioner.  Alan Zucker is a keynote speaker, and he has more than 25 years of experience as a leader in Fortune 100 companies.  In 2016 he founded Project Management Essentials to provide training and advisory services.  He recently completed a new course for Velociteach titled “Fundamentals of Agile.” Alan, welcome to Manage This.  We want to talk Agile today. And before we really get into it, can you tell me a little bit about what Agile is, particularly for my benefit and for the benefit of those who maybe are coming from a predictive or waterfall background. Defining Agile ALAN ZUCKER:  Sure, Nick.  Well, first of all, Andy, thanks so much, it’s great to be on the podcast again. So Agile is a way of managing projects and it goes back formally about 20 years. And it started out as a way of developing software using incremental and iterative development techniques. So what we try to do with Agile is try to develop our projects and deliver our projects in smaller pieces. And then learn from what we’ve delivered in order to make things better with each of the successive increments. BILL YATES:  Those are some of the keys; right?  Small batches, quick iterations, quick turnaround, get it in the hands of the customer, deliver value quickly.  Those are some of the keys. ANDY CROWE:  Value, value, value. BILL YATES:  Yeah, value, value. ALAN ZUCKER:  And so I think one of the other really big pieces of Agile is that it changes the way we work, and it really focuses on having empowered teams and people really engaged, both from a customer’s perspective, as well as from the technology team perspective. In our traditional projects, particularly our waterfall projects, there’s a big separation between the customers, the business, the development team, the testing team, and on an Agile project we try to get everybody to collaborate together more effectively. So, it’s really interesting,

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Hiring the best is a significant undertaking. Our guests Don Lang and Laura Butcher offer excellent advice on how to approach filling a critical position, and choosing a candidate who is a right fit for your organization. Table of Contents 00:48 … Meet Don and Laura 02:03 […] The post Episode 94 – Hiring the Best appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Hiring the best is a significant undertaking. Our guests Don Lang and Laura Butcher offer excellent advice on how to approach filling a critical position, and choosing a candidate who is a right fit for your organization. Table of Contents 00:48 … Meet Don and Laura 02:03 … Understanding the Whole Person 03:21 … Job Description vs Job Specification 07:00 … Measurable Job Specs 08:12 … Candidate Specification 11:03 … Deal Breakers 11:55 … Talent Brand 13:35 … Being Transparent and the Cost of a Bad Hire 19:23 … Planning for the Interview 21:08 … Building Rapport 23:12 … Laying out the Interview Plan 24:40 … Non-Verbal Cues 25:48 … Note Taking 28:46 … Roles of Multiple Interviewers 32:12 … When No Candidates are a 100% Match 35:10 … Assessing Capability 37:04 … “Hire The Best” Insite Course 38:23 … Closing DON LANG: Oftentimes companies will spend more time investing in a new piece of software or a photocopy machine in terms of doing research and scouring prices and so forth.  And they’ll do a couple of quick interviews and think you’ve made the right decision.  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to discuss what’s important to you and to all professional project managers.  We try to talk with the best of the best, drawing on their experience and seeing what has worked for them. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the true voice of experience, Bill Yates.  And today, Bill, we have another full house here in the studio. Meet Don and Laura BILL YATES:  Yes, we do.  It’s great to have Laura and Don in the room with us.  And I cannot wait to dig into this topic because they are experts when it comes to hiring the best. NICK WALKER:  So let’s talk about hiring.  As we all know in today’s economy, hiring the best people is more critical than ever.  It costs a lot to find and interview candidates and to train new employees.  No one can afford to lose time and money from a bad hiring choice.  Employees are an investment, and we want a good return on that investment.  That’s why Don Lang and Laura Butcher are here with us.  They are the founders of Blue Key Partners, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations develop their leadership talent through learning and executive coaching. Don and Laura wrote a course titled “Hire the Best” for Velociteach’s InSite Mobile Learning Platform.  Laura has a background as an HR leader, supporting hiring and talent decisions across multiple industries; and Don has experience as an assessor of talent and in helping leaders apply skills and techniques to get the right person in the right job at the right time.  Don, welcome to Manage This.  Laura, great to see you again.  Welcome back. LAURA BUTCHER:  Thank you. DON LANG:  Thank you. Understanding the Whole Person NICK WALKER:  Let’s just start with the basics; all right?  First, getting to know a job candidate.  To what extent is it important to learn more than just the person’s job skills? DON LANG:  Well, it’s certainly important to understand the whole person because that’s who shows up at work.  Oftentimes in an effort to try and get the best person we focus on some technical competency, some experience, some skills, at the exclusion of really understanding how is this person going to fit in the organization? And I was reminded of that the other day when I was talking to a hiring manager who hired a construction estimator.  Lots of great experience in estimating significant construction projects.  But when they got to work, immediately they started looking at different ways of changing the work environment in their office.  They wanted to move to a different floor because it was too noisy where the other estimators were.  They wanted a microwave brought in.  They wanted someone to help do some of the tasks that typically the other estimators would...

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. In the 1900’s, a fungal pathogen which causes chestnut tree blight destroyed 90% of nearly 4 billion American chestnut trees. In this episode Dr. Bill Powell shares his vision and research processes which bring hope to this majestic tree. Table of Contents 01:10 … Meet Dr. Powell […] The post Episode 93 – The American Chestnut Tree Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. In the 1900’s, a fungal pathogen which causes chestnut tree blight destroyed 90% of nearly 4 billion American chestnut trees. In this episode Dr. Bill Powell shares his vision and research processes which bring hope to this majestic tree. Table of Contents 01:10 … Meet Dr. Powell 02:57 … What Happened to the American Chestnut Tree 05:27 … The American Chestnut Foundation and Backcross Breeding Program 08:47 … Hypovirulence and Finding a Solution 10:03 … The Solution Process 11:20 … Blight Tolerant Samples 11:56 … The Regulatory Process 13:10 … Dr. Powell’s Career Vision 15:09 … Overcoming Challenges 16:33 … A Prepared Ecosystem 18:21 … American Chestnut Tree Project risks 19:36 … Responding to Critics 21:59 … Identifying Genetic Loci and using Oxalate Oxidase 23:40 … American Chestnut Tree Restoration Project Team 24:50 … Keeping Communications in Sync 25:38 … Project Funding 27:12 … Lessons Learned 28:14 … How to get Involved in the American Chestnut Tree Project 29:00 … Preparing the Next Generation 30:17 … About the Chestnut 32:18 … Learn More about the American Chestnut Foundation 33:24 … Closing BILL POWELL: Our grandparents knew the chestnut tree.  We did not.  But our grandchildren will know it again. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to talk about how people like you are managing projects both big and small.  Our guests include speakers, authors, and trainers, but also those who are right there in the trenches, getting the stuff of project management done on a daily basis. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And before we get to today’s guest, we are thrilled to acknowledge the return of one of the founding fathers of this podcast, Andy Crowe, back from, well, I guess the project of a lifetime.  Welcome back. ANDY CROWE:  Thank you so much, yeah, we’ve taken a short break. The boat, which is named Gratitude, is in Grenada right now. So we’ve sailed it from Florida, all the way down through the Caribbean, down to Grenada, which is really close to South America, and are waiting out hurricane season there. NICK WALKER:  Well, we’re going to talk with you more in detail about your adventure in the next podcast but... ANDY CROWE:  Great. Meet Dr. Powell NICK WALKER:  So let’s meet our guest, Professor William A. Powell is the director of the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Program.  Dr. Powell received his Ph.D. in 1986 at Utah State University, studying ways to bring back the American chestnut tree, a tree that became functionally extinct after being devastated by a fungus from Asia.  Approximately 90 percent of the nearly four billion trees were killed by blight. In 1989 he became a faculty member at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse, New York.  There he began collaborating with his colleague, Dr. Charles Maynard, and the American Chestnut Foundation, researching methods to develop a tree resistant to the blight.  He’s worked for the last three decades to reintroduce the American chestnut to the wild, and their efforts are succeeding.  Dr. Powell, so great to have you with us, welcome to Manage This. DR. BILL POWELL:  Thank you. NICK WALKER:  So let’s start off the conversation by learning more about your career path and how you became passionate about the American chestnut tree. DR. BILL POWELL:  So like most people, when I was younger, I actually hadn’t heard about the American chestnut, you know, it’s been gone for a while.  But when I went to graduate school I was very fortunate to get into Dr Neal Van Alfen’s lab, and there we worked on the fungus that causes chestnut blight.  And that’s where I kind of learned the chestnut story, and it’s a fascinating story because the American chestnut was once one of the most common trees in the east...

The podcast for project managers by project managers. The NTSB: hear about managing projects for the National Transportation Safety Board. Our guest Michele Beckjord is the Supervisory Investigator in Charge and Project Manager for the NTSB Office of Highway Safety. Michele explains the investigative process and describes some positive changes from NTSB projects. Table of […] The post Episode 92 – Reporting Projects and the NTSB appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. The NTSB: hear about managing projects for the National Transportation Safety Board. Our guest Michele Beckjord is the Supervisory Investigator in Charge and Project Manager for the NTSB Office of Highway Safety. Michele explains the investigative process and describes some positive changes from NTSB projects. Table of Contents 00:52…The NTSB02:48…Meet Michele05:16…The Supervisory Investigator in Charge05:16…NTSB Project Manager Role08:02…Disaster Response Teams09:50…Incident Response Criteria12:14…NTSB Most Wanted List13:46…Sharing Lessons Learned16:00…Following Up NTSB Recommendations 17:34…Some NTSB Projects19:09…Avoiding Emotional Burnout22:58…Stages of the NTSB Investigation Process28:17…Growing into the Job32:01…Getting Accurate Information33:18…Positive Changes from NTSB Investigations36:40…Find Out More about NTSB Projects37:47…Closing MICHELE BECKJORD: You’re never an expert in a project you’re handed.  You’re the project manager.  It’s not your job to be the expert in that particular area.  It’s your job to get that project managed to its completion point.  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to try to get to the heart of what you face every day as a professional project manager.  And we do that by talking with people who are right there with you, facing their own challenges and finding their own solutions. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is Bill Yates, who thankfully is the one who keeps us on track around here.  And Bill, we often hear in the news stories of accidents involving aircraft, railways, ships at sea, vehicles on highways.  Our guest is someone right there in the thick of all those stories. The National Transportation Safety Board. BILL YATES:  She is.  And we’re going to talk about the National Transportation Safety Board and have a conversation with Michele.  And just I’m fascinated in seeing how does a project manager manage the situations that she deals with, with the high impact that it has, the high visibility, and just the high stakes of these types of projects. NICK WALKER:  Yeah.  Let’s get into this just by talking a little bit about the National Transportation Safety Board.  The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating every civil aviation accident in the U.S., and other significant accidents on land and sea.  It also issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents.  Listen to this number:  14,900.  That’s how many safety recommendations the NTSB has made in its 52 years of existence.  And more than 80 percent of them are implemented. Meet Michele We’re looking at kind of a different approach to project management today with our guest, Michele Beckjord.  Michele is the Supervisory Investigator in Charge for the NTSB Office of Highway Safety.  She has a B.A. in Criminal Justice from American University and a Master of Forensic Science from George Washington University.  She has worked for the National Transportation Safety Board since 1995 and has served as a senior survival factors investigator and senior project manager.  Ms. Beckjord has led investigations of major highway crashes involving school buses, motor coach fires, and bridge collapses.  As a project manager, she’s also taken the lead role in managing major investigative hearings, safety forums, and workshops. Michele, thank you so much for joining us on Manage This.  And we want to start by just hearing more about your position as the Supervisory Investigator in Charge and Project Manager for the NTSB Office of Highway Safety.  What does that entail? The Supervisory Investigator in Charge.  MICHELE BECKJORD:  Well, I’ll start with the Supervisory Investigator in Charge.  We call it an IIC for short.  What the ICC does is lead a team of investigators.  And each of our investigators have a different backg...

The podcast for project managers by project managers. From choosing the best strategy and establishing ground rules, to finally implementing an agreed plan, our guest Neal Whitten describes a thorough and effective approach to managing conflict. Table of Contents 01:54 … Meet Neal 02:44 … Defining Conflict 03:42 … Indicators of Conflict 05:30 … Sources […] The post Episode 91 – Caught in the Crossfire – Conflict Management for the PM appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. From choosing the best strategy and establishing ground rules, to finally implementing an agreed plan, our guest Neal Whitten describes a thorough and effective approach to managing conflict. Table of Contents 01:54 … Meet Neal 02:44 … Defining Conflict 03:42 … Indicators of Conflict 05:30 … Sources of Conflict 08:06 … Conflict Resolution Strategy – Thomas Kilmann Model 08:46 … Competing Strategy 09:10 … Collaborating Strategy 09:37 … Compromising Strategy 10:15 … Avoiding Strategy 12:40 … Accommodating Strategy 12:55 … Choosing a Strategy 14:23 … 7 Steps to Conflict Management 16:08 … Step 1: Choose the Strategy 16:17 … Step 2: Establish Ground Rules 16:48 … Step 3: Define the Conflict 18:02 … Step 4: Explore Solutions 18:17 … Step 5: Select best Solution 18:11 … Step 6: Agree to Implementation Plan 18:55 … Step 7: Implement and Verify 19:00 … Collaboration 20:09 … PM’s Role in Conflict Management 21:34 … A Benefit of Conflict 22:36 … Overcoming Emotions and Egos 25:04 … Face to Face is Best 26:53 … Instill Confidence in a Team 29:47 … Conflict Mangement with a Boss 32:11 … How to Escalate 32:59 … “I Will Not…” Post Conflict Statements 34:28 … Get in Touch with Neal 35:17 … Closing The podcast for project managers by project managers. Conflict management advice for the project manager on resolution strategies and how to implement a conflict management plan. NEAL WHITTEN: We need each other more than ever.  There’s so much data, so much information there, you cannot be an expert on everything anymore.  We need to work and collaborate with one another.  So that’s part of the theme through conflict resolution. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to talk as professionals in the field of project management.  We want to address your concerns, your needs, and to give you, not only some tips on bettering your game, but to encourage you in it.  We feature guests who have developed their skills and want to help you develop yours. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and before we get to our guest, I’d just like to personally thank our listeners for the comments we’ve received about our podcasts.  This is how we know if we’re succeeding, how we know if we’re really helping you, so please continue to leave your comments on Google, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whichever podcast listening app you use.  You can also leave us a message on our website, Velociteach.com, or on social media, we want to hear from you. And right now I want to hear from Bill Yates because our guest today is somebody that you have known for a while.  And he’s going to be speaking to something that is, well, I guess inevitable in any project manager’s line of work. BILL YATES:  Conflict is going to happen, when you have two or more people working on something, you’re going to naturally have conflict, and I’m delighted to have Neal Whitten speak into that.  When he and I were talking several months ago about what topic should we address next for project managers, we landed on conflict management.  And I got excited about that right off the top because this is just a part of life, especially in projects.  We have conflict at home, we have it in school, we have it in every phase of life, but absolutely in the workplace.  So addressing that with Neal is going to be a great conversation. Meet Neal NICK WALKER:  And of course we’ve had Neal on before.  But let me reintroduce him to our listeners.  President of the Neal Whitten Group, Neal Whitten, PMP, is a course author and contributor to Velociteach InSite’s elearning courses and has also been a contributing editor of PMI’s PM Network Magazine for over 15 years.  Neal previously worked for 23 years at IBM, in both project leader and management positions.  Neal is a popular speaker, trainer, consultant, mentor,

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Many of our projects face uncertainty and complexity; we’re talking with Carole Osterweil about the importance of understanding how the brain works to clear the “fog”. Table of Contents 02:10 … Meet Carole and Visible Dynamics 05:08 … Project Delivery, Uncertainty and Neuroscience 08:08 … Walking in […] The post Episode 90 – Facing Uncertainty – A Leader’s Guide to Walking in Fog appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Many of our projects face uncertainty and complexity; we’re talking with Carole Osterweil about the importance of understanding how the brain works to clear the “fog”. Table of Contents 02:10 … Meet Carole and Visible Dynamics 05:08 … Project Delivery, Uncertainty and Neuroscience 08:08 … Walking in Fog 10:38 … Painting by Numbers 11:39 … Project 2020 12:53 … Understanding the Fog 13:41 … Understanding How the Brain Works 17:23 … Wiring of the Brain and Keeping track of Projects 21:29 … Creating a Circle of Safety 25:00 … Motivating Creativity and Collaboration 28:01 … Dealing with Fog in Your Team 30:13 … Bringing the Thinking Brain Online 32:36 … Facing Uncertainty 34:27 … Projects Where the Goalposts are Shifting 35:19 … Get in Touch with Carole 36:15 … Closing CAROLE OSTERWEIL: And if we can create a psychologically safe environment, then everyone’s thinking brains are online, and the team works really, really well together. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’ve set aside this time for you as a professional in the field of project management.  Our goal is to get to the heart of what you really need, providing ideas and encouragement.  We talk with some of the most creative and successful people in the field, finding out what has worked for them, and even sometimes learning from their mistakes. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  We’ll get to our guest in just a moment, but let me just take this opportunity to thank you, our listeners, for your feedback on our podcasts.  We appreciate your comments on Google, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and many other podcast-listening apps.  If you have a suggestion or just want to tell us how the podcasts have worked for you, please don’t hesitate to comment.  You can also leave us a message on our website, Velociteach.com, or on social media.  It’s a great help, as we continue to bring what we think are helpful conversations your way.  We want to know what works for you and what can help us improve. And what works for me is having our ever-present Bill Yates.  You’ve been involved in project management for, what, how many years? BILL YATES:  We’re looking at decades.  There’s a list.  Let’s move on. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, I guess we don’t have to, yeah; we don’t have to talk about it.  BILL YATES:  Got a lot of gray hair here.  Let’s just leave it at that. NICK WALKER: Let’s talk about this one.  But I’m sure that over the course of your career you’ve led projects that are unpredictable, with goal posts seeming to shift all the time.  And that’s what we want to talk about this time around. BILL YATES:  Yes.  Carole, our guest, has written a book, and we’ll talk more about it.  But the book is so clarifying on this idea of uncertainty.  So many of our projects have uncertainty.  There’s complexity.  There are unknowns.  Could be an undefined scope.  Could be we’re using some kind of solution we’ve never used before.  There’s something in there that introduces our new favorite three-letter word, a “fog.”  So we’re going to talk about fog with Carole. Meet Carole and Visible Dynamics NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet Carole.  Carole Osterweil is the author of “Project Delivery, Uncertainty and Neuroscience:  A Leader’s Guide to Walking in Fog.”  Carole is an adjunct at Ashridge, part of Hult International Business School just outside of London.  And she runs Visible Dynamics, a boutique consulting and coaching practice.  As a troubleshooter and coach to executives and project delivery teams, Carole’s current projects include work with Cranfield University and PA Consulting to increase the U.K. government’s senior project and program management capability.  So she knows firsthand what leading projects in the midst of turmoil is all about.  Did anyone say “Brexit”? Carole, to start off, could you tell us a little bit about

Table of Contents 01:49 … Meet Colin 06:18 … Key to Achieving Project Success 09:53 … Know Yourself, a Key to Success 12:31 … EQ vs IQ 14:40 … Project Manager vs Project Leader 16:19 … Focus on Relationships 19:44 … Characteristics of a Great Project Leader 23:15 … Value of Team Culture 26:28 … […] The post Episode 89 – Keys to Success and Being a Good Human appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents 01:49 … Meet Colin 06:18 … Key to Achieving Project Success 09:53 … Know Yourself, a Key to Success 12:31 … EQ vs IQ 14:40 … Project Manager vs Project Leader 16:19 … Focus on Relationships 19:44 … Characteristics of a Great Project Leader 23:15 … Value of Team Culture 26:28 … The Challenge of Pleasant Cultures 27:22 … Building the Culture upfront 29:08 … Focusing on Culture While Focusing on Deadlines 31:08 … Utilizing Personality Tests 32:49 … Team Support when Times are Tough 34:53 … How to Use Humor as a Key to Success 37:06 … Importance of Being Honest 39:10 … Get in Touch with Colin 39:59 … Closing COLIN ELLIS: also remember, that you need to be a role model for other human beings.  And when you’re being the best of you, you will always bring out the best in other people. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to talk about what really matters to you as a professional in the field of project management.  We sort of pride ourselves on finding the top experts in the field, those who can speak to the challenges you face and draw on their own experiences. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and before we get to our guest today, we’re going to ask our listeners a favor.  We’d like to know your experience with these podcasts.  Would you be willing to share your feedback?  Just leave a review on Google, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or whichever podcast listening app you use.  You can also leave us a comment on our website, Velociteach.com, or on social media.  We want to know what works best for you, and what can help us improve. And one of the folks here who is always calling us to a higher standard, of course, is Bill Yates.  And Bill, we’re going to tackle a question on this podcast.  And that question is what makes a great leader?  And it’s possible we’re going to find some answers that maybe we’ve never heard before. BILL YATES:  I think so.  We’ve got an author of a book, and this is not just one of those theoretical books.  If I were to think about one word to summarize this book, the word would be “practical.”  Project managers are going to find this conversation, and certainly the book if they go and purchase it, very practical, hands-on advice. Meet Colin NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest.  Colin D Ellis moved through the ranks from project manager to program manager to PMO to heading up large project departments, and sponsoring projects in both the private sector and government.  He did this in three countries:  the U.K., New Zealand, and currently in Melbourne, Australia.  He is an award-winning speaker and best-selling author, and he helps organizations around the world to build delivery cultures that apparently everyone wants to be part of.  Speaking to us all the way from Australia – we’re up early, he’s up late – Colin, welcome to Manage This. COLIN ELLIS:  Thank you, Nick.  Great to be here. NICK WALKER:  Want to start off just hearing a little bit about your background, your professional career.  Tell me how you got started on all this. COLIN ELLIS:  Oh, that’s a great question, Nick.  So, yeah, 2:24 stutters I’ll just cover it in the next 40 minutes.  I left school pretty early, didn’t really know what I wanted to do, Nick.  And I think often when I talk to project managers a lot of us are in the same boat.  It took me you know, probably about 10 years to get my first project management job.  I worked my way through banking, from a front-counter cashier-type role, where I really learned to enjoy working with people.  My last role before project management was working for a newspaper in telesales.  And I really loved the interaction with people.  I really loved creating and being part of teams.  And so they asked me to be a project manager for Year 2000, back when the world was going to end. BILL YATES:  Y2K. COLIN ELLIS:  We remember those days; right?

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Advice on leading a multigenerational team to create productive, modern, cross-generational workplaces, and redefining what culture looks like in the digital age. Bridge the gap between productivity and building relationships that keep team members fulfilled at work. Table of Contents 01:51 … Meet Crystal 04:48 … Defining […] The post Episode 88 – Building a Cross-Generational Workplace appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Advice on leading a multigenerational team to create productive, modern, cross-generational workplaces, and redefining what culture looks like in the digital age. Bridge the gap between productivity and building relationships that keep team members fulfilled at work. Table of Contents 01:51 … Meet Crystal 04:48 … Defining Generational Groups 07:01 … Digital Coma vs Digitally Powered 09:26 … Mutigenerational Workplace Challenges 12:52 … Generational Preconceived Notions 16:03 … YOLO and FOMO 18:46 … Maximizing Potential of Project Team Members 23:19 … Individual Growth and Development in the Digital Age 26:05 … Capturing Creativity in a Multigenerational Workplace 29:18 … Value of Uninterrupted Time 31:15 … Current Projects 34:26 … Meetings and Distractions in the Digital Age 36:31 … Generational Responses to Feedback 41:38 … Constructive Feedback as a Teaching Moment 45:10 … Contact Crystal 46:02 … Closing CRYSTAL KADAKIA:  ...the new intelligence is self-awareness.  We can talk about book smarts.  We can talk about street smarts.  But where are you on the journey of knowing your triggers and knowing what causes you to react and how are you shaping your relationships because of that? NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our effort to get to the heart of what professional project managers are thinking about, concerned about, and sometimes struggling about.  It’s a challenging field.  It’s a broad field, one that has a tendency to stretch even the most seasoned professionals.  And so we talk with a variety of guests about how they’ve managed to deal with the challenges they’ve faced.  I’m your host, Nick Walker, and I’m joined by the one who has actually lived out some of those challenges, Bill Yates.  And Bill, today we’re going to talk about the challenge of intergenerational project teams. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  And I can’t wait to get into this with Crystal.  She has such a perspective on a challenge I think all leaders, especially project managers, face, which is we’ve got things we have to get done.  We have project deadlines and goals.  We have people doing the work.  How do we make those people happy?  How do we keep them fulfilled at work? NICK WALKER:  Well, before we introduce our guest, I’m going to do a little confession here; okay?  I’m going to roughly give my age away. BILL YATES:  Okay. NICK WALKER:  I am what most people would call a “baby boomer.” BILL YATES:  Okay. NICK WALKER:  My parents were in what’s called the “silent generation.”  People slightly younger than me are Gen X.  And my kids are Generation Y, also known as “millennials.”  If you were born between 1980 and 1995, you are a member of that generation.  Anyone born after that is Gen Z.  And our guest is all about helping us understand the generations and engaging effectively with them. Meet Crystal Crystal Kadakia is an organization development consultant, a two-time TEDx speaker, a Power 30 Under 30 award recipient, and the bestselling author of “The Millennial Myth.”  Her consulting clients have included General Mills, Southern Company, Monster.com, and Wells Fargo.  Crystal, thank you for joining us here on Manage This. CRYSTAL KADAKIA:  Great to be here. NICK WALKER:  I’d like to get into some of those myths about millennials in a moment.  But first, let’s just talk about your motivation behind getting into this line of work.  What was that? CRYSTAL KADAKIA:  So my line of work.  First of all, there’s the whole question of what is it that I actually do?  Which I think is a really important question because we live in a really ambiguous time.  There is a lot of creative stuff going on, a lot of strategy stuff going on, and it’s really about what are we all doing to move forward in this really ambiguous time. So the line of work I’m in,

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Ethics seeks to answer two questions: what should I do, and who should I be? Hear expert ethical advice from The Ethics Guy, Bruce Weinstein. Table of Contents 00:54 … Meet Bruce 01:34 … Ethics and an Ethicist 03:15 … Becoming an Ethicist 05:53 … It Takes […] The post Episode 87 – Being Ethical Takes Courage appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Ethics seeks to answer two questions: what should I do, and who should I be? Hear expert ethical advice from The Ethics Guy, Bruce Weinstein. Table of Contents 00:54 … Meet Bruce 01:34 … Ethics and an Ethicist 03:15 … Becoming an Ethicist 05:53 … It Takes Courage to be Ethical 07:10 … Emotional Intelligence vs. Ethical Intelligence 08:43 … Five Ethical Intelligence Principles 09:05 … 1. Do No Harm 09:58 … 2. Make Things Better 12:11 … 3. Respect Others 12:30 … 4. Be Fair 12:49 … 5. Be Caring 14:55 … Fearsome foursome Topics to Avoid 17:51 … An Unethical Assignment 20:46 … Telling the Truth the Ethical Way 23:57 … Building Trust 25:33 … Withholding Information 27:51 … Ethical Response to Anger 31:55 … Get in Touch with The Ethics Guy 33:59 … Closing BRUCE WEINSTEIN: “There are essentially two questions that ethics seeks to answer:  what should I do, and who should I be?”  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to talk about what really matters to you as a professional project manager.  We seek out people who are right there in the thick of all kinds of projects to see what motivates them, what challenges them, and also how they manage those challenges. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the one who is constantly challenging me to be my best, Bill Yates.  And Bill, this time around we’re going to talk about the difference between right and wrong, am I right? BILL YATES:  You’re right.  You’re always right.  And fortunately we’ve got an answer man in the room with us.  So all of our questions, all of our ethical questions that we ever have about any project or project team situation, he’s going to answer. NICK WALKER:  Every one. BILL YATES:  Every one. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  Okay.  I can’t wait. BILL YATES:  This one could run long. Meet Bruce NICK WALKER:  So our guest is Bruce Weinstein, known as “The Ethics Guy” he shows organizations around the world how ethical leadership is the key to sustained success.  Bruce has a Ph.D. in philosophy, with a concentration in bioethics.  He’s an ethics and leadership speaker and trainer.  He’s also appeared more than 200 times on national and international news programs, and he writes a leadership column for Forbes.com. His books include “Ethical Intelligence: Five Principles for Untangling Your Toughest Problems at Work and Beyond”, “The Good Ones: Ten Crucial Qualities of High-Character Employees”, and, for tweens and teens, “Is It Still Cheating if I Don’t Get Caught?”  Ethics and an Ethicist BILL YATES:  Bruce, one of the first things I’ve got to ask you is this fancy word “ethicist.”  So give us a definition for an ethicist, and then how did you decide you wanted to become one? BRUCE WEINSTEIN:  Well, an ethicist is someone who teaches ethics for a living. And so that strange word that no one can pronounce or spell is the reason why I decided to call myself “The Ethics Guy” and trademark it because that’s something that everyone can say. And I think it conveys a sense of, you know, ethics is really for everyone, and so it shouldn’t be solely the domain of academics. BILL YATES:  Okay, so one of the definitions I saw for ethics, and this may have been in your book, was to identify right conduct and good behavior.  Is that a good working definition? BRUCE WEINSTEIN:  So, there are essentially two questions that ethics seeks to answer:  what should I do, and who should I be? And the first focuses on conduct or behavior, and it appeals to the principles that I’ll be talking about here today, the principles of ethical intelligence.  And it’s almost like solving a puzzle, what should I do here, in this case, with these facts, at this time? The second question goes deeper.  To ask "who should I be" talks about the qualities of character that we should develop over the course of a lifetim...

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Hear about Connected Conservation’s pilot plan in a private game reserve in South Africa. Doc Watson tells us about the project and the impact it has to track and apprehend poachers and save endangered animals. Table of Contents 01:00 … Meet Doc 01:38 … Rhino Poaching Problem […] The post Episode 86 – Saving Rhinos with Connected Conservation appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Hear about Connected Conservation’s pilot plan in a private game reserve in South Africa. Doc Watson tells us about the project and the impact it has to track and apprehend poachers and save endangered animals. Table of Contents 01:00 … Meet Doc 01:38 … Rhino Poaching Problem 03:08 … Doc’s Passion for Conservation 04:06 … Dimension Data 06:06 … Tour de France Innovations 09:15 … Connected Conservation Beginnings 12:40 … A Proactive Solution 14:27 … Tracking Humans 17:54 … Connected Conservation Stakeholders 18:43 … Opposition to the Project 20:20 … Risk Assessment and Recruiting 22:40 … Keys to Project Success 25:11 … Why the Horns? 27:08 … Looking Back 30:06 … How can You Help? 31:50 … Find Out More about Connected Conservation. 33:09 … Closing DOC WATSON: I think there was almost a calling, if I could call it like that, where I could marry technology to conservation and have a look at saving species.  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet with you in mind, you who are living and working in the field of professional project management.  What we do is try to get inside the brains of those who are involved in all sorts of projects, big and small; see what has brought them success and how they foster success in others. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and here along with Bill Yates.  We’re going to be talking about, among other things, a project that brought together some of the greatest minds in technology to save a species. BILL YATES:  Yeah, this is so fascinating to me, Nick, because Doc is going to talk to us about wedding technology with a really serious issue, a very serious passion point for him.  And to hear him explain it, this is going to be great. Meet Doc NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest.  He’s Doc Watson.  For 32 years he’s been part of Dimension Data, a South African tech company.  Between 1998 and 2002 he was on the company’s board of directors and was responsible for developing the group’s global networking services operations, and all operations in the U.K. and Europe.  In 2015 he launched a groundbreaking project called Connected Conservation, which uses technology to help eradicate the poaching of endangered species.  Doc Watson, welcome to Manage This. DOC WATSON:  Thank you very much indeed.  Thank you. Rhino Poaching Problem NICK WALKER:  Before we get into the specifics of this project that we want to talk about, can we just talk about how big the problem of poaching is?  I mean, the figures are staggering.  Almost 6,000 rhinos have been killed by poachers since 2008.  At one point they were being killed at a rate of one every eight hours, a rate that, if it persists, means the extinction of the species in six years.  Why does this tragedy tug so fiercely at your heartstrings? DOC WATSON:  Okay.  So I come from the computer world.  My passion is wildlife and conservation.  To give you your specifics, rhinos are still being killed one every eight hours, which is three per day.  And if it continues at the rate that it’s going, about 2025 we will have no rhinos left in this world, and certainly in South Africa.  And so I think from my point of view, being passionate about it, I think there was almost a calling, if I could call it like that, where I could marry technology to conservation and have a look at saving species.  And I’m sure you’ll be aware that there are 7,000 species around the world that are endangered currently.  This is just looking initially at Africa, where we want to save, not only rhino, but also the elephant, pangolin – which is a scaly anteater – as well as lion.  And those are all highly endangered animals currently in Africa. Doc’s Passion for Conservation BILL YATES:  Doc, this passion of yours goes way back; right?  I think I’ve heard you speak and say that you travel the world just to understand endang...

Hear about Oceaneering’s Project Management Center of Excellence and a deep-water pipeline repair operation, off the shores of West Africa, including the planning and repair process, the challenges, and the lessons learned along the way.  Table of Contents 01:08 … Oceaneering 01:47 … Meet Joe 03:04 … The Pipeline Project 03:57 … “ROV” 04:22 … […] The post Episode 85 – Oceaneering and the PMCoE appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Hear about Oceaneering’s Project Management Center of Excellence and a deep-water pipeline repair operation, off the shores of West Africa, including the planning and repair process, the challenges, and the lessons learned along the way.  Table of Contents 01:08 … Oceaneering 01:47 … Meet Joe 03:04 … The Pipeline Project 03:57 … “ROV” 04:22 … Pipeline Failure 05:28 … Project Stakeholders 06:53 … Project Design Process 09:26 … Project Planning Process 10:55 … Project Timeline 11:29 … Project Obstacles 12:58 … Tools and Procedures 14:26 … Mockups 15:15 … Weather Factors 16:42 … Lessons Learned 18:00 … Meet Brian 18:40 … PMCoE 19:27 … PM Role vs CoE Role 20:28 … Identifying Stakeholders 22:31 … Communication Management Plan 24:34 … CoE Support Portal 26:07 … Which Companies should have a CoE? 28:01 … Lessons Learned establishing a CoE 31:02 … New Oceaneering Projects 34:06 … Oceaneering Contact info 35:09 … Andy’s Book Reviewed 36:14 … Closing BRIAN LOOS:  ...a balanced set of initiatives is important when you’re driving change.  Quite often the change involves cultural change, and that can be a journey rather than a sprint. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. So this is our time to talk about the things that matter most to you as a professional project manager.  Our guests are involved in all types of projects, big and small, but what they have in common is this, they’ve all experienced what you’ve experienced – challenges, roadblocks, and victories. We talk with the movers and shakers in the industry.  And alongside me is one with some pretty fancy moves himself, Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  I don’t know about that.  You don’t want to see me on the dance floor.  That’s an ugly thing.  Man, I’m so excited about this podcast today.  This hits on a topic, and we’ll get into it more, but this reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Clive Cussler, so he’s written a series of books that involve underwater exploration. NICK WALKER:  Yeah. BILL YATES:  And a superhero named Dirk Pitt, so we’re going to talk to a couple guys that remind me of Dirk Pitt. Oceaneering NICK WALKER:  Real-life superheroes, yeah.  All right.  And their names are Brian Loos and Joe Campbell.  Oceaneering International, Incorporated, which began in the 1960s as a small regional diving company in the Gulf of Mexico, then grew to become a global provider of engineered products and services. So Oceaneering International deals with all the services associated with the lifecycle of an offshore oilfield, from drilling to decommissioning.  They operate the world’s premier fleet of work-class ROVs, or remotely operated vehicles, and they are also a frontrunner in offshore oilfield maintenance services and subsea hardware. Meet Joe So let’s first meet Joe Campbell, he’s the senior project manager with Oceaneering’s Subsea Project Group.  He has 30 years of subsea construction and maintenance experience in diving and ROV projects.  Joe has worked with Oceaneering for six years, working on projects in Azerbaijan, Trinidad, Equatorial Guinea, and Mauritania.  Now, I know that Bill wants to talk with you more about the Project Management Center of Excellence. But before we get into that, let’s hear a little bit more about Oceaneering. I see that one of your company slogans on the website is “We solve the unsolvable.”  I love that. So you’ve recently been involved in a pretty complex and challenging project. A subsea deepwater pipeline repair operation off the shores of West Africa.  Was that for all intents and purposes the type of project that some people might think of as unsolvable? JOE CAMPBELL:  Well, that’s a good question. For us it’s not unsolvable because this is something we do every day. We have the pipeline clamps that we manufacture for Oceaneering. So we have the project management group that installs them, puts them in, we manage the vessels.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. In this episode we’re talking with Dr. Don Hunt, an expert in cybercrime and cyber security, to get advice on how to implement effective cyber security measures. Table of Contents 01:02 … Meet Don 02:35 … Cyber Security, Cyberattacks and Cybercrime 04:31 … At-Risk Systems for Project […] The post Episode 84 – Cyber Security – Are You Playing it Safe? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. In this episode we’re talking with Dr. Don Hunt, an expert in cybercrime and cyber security, to get advice on how to implement effective cyber security measures. Table of Contents 01:02 … Meet Don 02:35 … Cyber Security, Cyberattacks and Cybercrime 04:31 … At-Risk Systems for Project Managers 06:51 … File Sharing 10:14 … Dropbox 11:59 … A Weak Link – Coke Story 14:25 … Virtual Private Network 16:50 … 2 Factor Authentications 20:00 … Password Policies 22:36 … Password Manager 24:29 … Creating a Cyber Security Culture of Awareness 27:53 … Phishing in Cybercrime 31:17 … Ransomware 35:25 … Cybercrime Recovery 36:49 … Future of Cybercrime 40:21 … Personal Cyber Security Actions 42:29 … Get More Info 44:11 … Closing DON HUNT:  Every time you touch that Internet, every time you click that button, you’re vulnerable. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our time to meet and get to the heart of what’s important to you as a professional project manager.  We talk to the people who don’t just observe what is happening, but actually make things happen; people who have been right there in the thick of projects great and small and are willing to share what they’ve learned with us. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the one who makes this podcast happen, Bill Yates.  And Bill, today we’re going to talk with someone involved in something that has either already affected many of us, or perhaps eventually will. BILL YATES:  Cyber security is in the news for all the wrong reasons. NICK WALKER:  Yes. BILL YATES:  Just about every day.  And I’m thrilled to have Don here to help give us some advice. Meet Don NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest.  Dr. Don Hunt is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University.  A former global head of fraud and cybercrime analytics for one of the largest digital payments processors in the world, Dr. Hunt directs his primary research toward understanding, preventing, and offering policy solutions for computer-based crime.  He focuses on phishing, social engineering, and ransomware attacks. Dr. Hunt is an integral part of the newly formed Evidence-Based Cyber Security initiative at Georgia State.  As a doctoral student, he was awarded the Bureau of Justice Statistics Graduate Fellowship in 2015, which came with a $95,000 grant for his research in crime and digital payments.  In addition to his work in the U.S., he regularly performs research with colleagues in the U.K., the Netherlands, Israel, and Italy.  Don, thank you so much for joining us here on Manage This. DON HUNT:  Thanks.  It’s good to be here. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  We probably all know of businesses or individuals who have been the victims of cyber attackers.  They try to gain access to or destroy sensitive information, extort money, or interrupt normal business processes.  And just when it seems we’ve got a handle on it, the hackers become more innovative.  That’s got to be frustrating, particularly for folks like you. DON HUNT:  It’s completely frustrating.  It’s the entire focus of what I do. NICK WALKER:  Just trying to stay ahead of them. DON HUNT:  Just trying to stay ahead of them, or just stay with them. Cyber Security, Cyberattacks and Cybercrime NICK WALKER:  So when we talk about cyberattacks, what kinds of attacks are we talking about? DON HUNT:  Oh, gosh.  There are so many ways.  And here becomes one of the problems with trying to prevent cyber is that we really don’t even have a handle on the definition of it. NICK WALKER:  Wow. DON HUNT:  So if you look at the FBI – and they have a specific website that you can go to – over the years, probably the last 15 years, they’ve changed that definition of cybercrime at least three or four times.  So the idea of what is cybercrime; what’s not cy...

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. How to deal with the emotional brain, to recognize it, acknowledge it, and then shift to the rational brain in crisis decision-making. Table of Contents 01:02 … Meet Ruth 01:43 … Competing Risks Scenario 04:31 … Consider the Options 06:59 … Scenario Solution 09:06 … Emotional and […] The post Episode 83 – Crisis Decision-Making: Climb a Tree, Run, or Stand Still appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. How to deal with the emotional brain, to recognize it, acknowledge it, and then shift to the rational brain in crisis decision-making. Table of Contents 01:02 … Meet Ruth 01:43 … Competing Risks Scenario 04:31 … Consider the Options 06:59 … Scenario Solution 09:06 … Emotional and Rational Brain 10:09 … Responding to Disasters 13:37 … Balancing Emotional vs. Rational Brain 15:01 … 4 Questions to Ask in Crisis Decision-Making 16:06 … Suffering with Resistance 17:49 … What are the Facts? 19:02 … What Does it Mean? 20:33 … What Do We Want to Happen? 22:15 … How Do We Make the Least Bad Option Happen? 24:11 … Coordinating with Other people 27:59 … Crisis project – Fukushima Disaster 31:45 … Get in Touch with Ruth RUTH HOUSE:  That ability to deal with the emotional brain, to recognize it, acknowledge it, and then shift to the rational brain to make decisions is absolutely critical. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we get together to talk about what might be on your mind as a professional project manager.  We’re always on the lookout for better ways to advise and challenge you, and so we’re always on the lookout for guests who can convey that with real stories from their own experience. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the guy with more experience than one man should be allowed to have, Bill Yates. And Bill, today we’re talking about making decisions in crisis situations and also learning how we can improve our skills at decision-making in those emergencies. BILL YATES:  Project managers all face crisis moments, unfortunately, it happens too frequently, so I’m excited about having Ruth here today to help us think through better ways to handle those moments. Meet Ruth NICK WALKER:  Yeah, we’ve got a guest who’s been with us before. So Dr Ruth Middleton House is on the core faculty of Organizational Development and Leadership at Fielding Graduate  University and is president of Middleton-House and Company.  Ruth specializes in troubleshooting high-risk, high-conflict, high-visibility projects.  She’s also written several books, including “The Human Side of Project Management,” and is a frequent contributor to the Georgia Engineer.  In 2019 Ruth was named one of the Top 100 Influential Women in Georgia by Engineering Georgia magazine.  Dr. Middleton House, it is great to have you back with us here on Manage This. RUTH HOUSE:  I’m just delighted to be here.  Thank you, Nick.  Bill, good to see you again. BILL YATES:  Good to see you. Competing Risks Scenario NICK WALKER:  Now, the process of making decisions in the midst of conflict and urgency, as we mentioned, is quite common among project managers, but also by human resource professionals, healthcare workers, first responders, and many others.  For all these professions, it seems that it’s especially difficult when we’re facing competing risks, and there’s no clear right answer. RUTH HOUSE:  That’s right.  I’d actually like to get started with a kind of cross between a video game and a game show and then ask you, Bill and Nick, to tell me what you would do under these circumstances. NICK WALKER:  Uh-oh.  Okay. BILL YATES:  Are you ready for this? NICK WALKER:  So we’re the contestants on the game show. RUTH HOUSE:  You’re the contestants, and the game show is “Are You Smarter Than a 100,000 Year Old?” BILL YATES:  Okay.  That’s a lot of experience that one’s going to have.  Hmm. RUTH HOUSE:  That’s right.  Here we are.  So you’re looking out on an African plain, you’re trying to make sense of a collage of colors and shapes that you see in front of you.  Winding towards you is a river full of hungry-looking crocodiles. RUTH HOUSE:  To your left is a herd of elephants; on your near right, lionesses that look hungry and restless. BILL YATES:  Okay.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. “Driller Mike”, a tunnel boring machine drilling a 5 mile tunnel underneath Atlanta. Table of Contents 01:19 … The Project Story 02:38 … Meet Ade 06:28 … Project Objective 09:44 … CMAR 12:28 … Meet Bob 15:42 … Driller Mike 18:27 … Decision-Making Criteria 20:46 … The […] The post Episode 82 – Atlanta Watershed Project and Driller Mike appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. "Driller Mike", a tunnel boring machine drilling a 5 mile tunnel underneath Atlanta. Table of Contents 01:19 … The Project Story 02:38 … Meet Ade 06:28 … Project Objective 09:44 … CMAR 12:28 … Meet Bob 15:42 … Driller Mike 18:27 … Decision-Making Criteria 20:46 … The Unexpected Risks 23:12 … Encountering Opposition 24:21 … Lessons Learned 25:13 … Current Project Status 27:50 … CMAR Lessons Learned 31:23 … Collaboration Tip 31:46 … Project Success 34:58 … Closing BOB HUIE: So the city kind of told everybody at the beginning we don’t have a lot of time to do this, so we can’t be fighting with each other and not getting along and doing things like that. We needed to find a way to work together for a common goal, and that was a substantial lesson that everybody had to learn.  And then once we learned it and put it into effect, it had a tremendous positive impact on the success of the project to date. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to meet and discuss the things that really matter to you as a professional project manager.  We take seriously the adage that wisdom is found in a multitude of advisors, and so we seek out experts in a variety of vocations who can give us insight based on their real-life experiences. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the one who guides these conversations, Bill Yates, and Bill, we talk about all sizes and scopes of projects on this podcast, and today we’re talking about another really big one. BILL YATES:  Yeah, this one’s deep, a very deep project, we’ll talk more about that, but I can’t wait. The Project Story NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s talk about this deep project just a little bit.  The City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management provides water to 1.2 million users each day.  So the department is in the middle of establishing a 400-foot-deep reservoir that will hold 2.4 billion gallons of water, the reservoir will be in the former Bellwood Quarry northwest of downtown Atlanta.  The Quarry is to be filled through a five-mile-long tunnel that will connect it to the Chattahoochee River, the city’s primary water source.  To bore the tunnel, a tunnel boring machine, or TBM, was constructed and installed for the two-year-long tunnel project, a TBM. (Driller Mike) BILL YATES:  TBM.  NICK WALKER:  And there’s another acronym that we want to talk about. BILL YATES:  Yeah. NICK WALKER:  And you’ll probably hear this come up a lot.  That’s CMAR. BILL YATES:  Right. NICK WALKER:  C-M-A-R. BILL YATES:  So CMAR, that’s a – really it’s a procurement term, it’s a contract type, and it stands for Construction Manager at-Risk.  Once the agreement was reached between the City of Atlanta and that major provider – Bob will talk about that.  So you may hear the owner, City of Atlanta, refer to the project manager of the team as the CMAR.  So you met your CMAR that way. Meet Ade NICK WALKER:  Good.  Well, we’ve got a couple of guests in the studio here.  So let me first introduce Ade Abon, Senior Watershed Director for the City of Atlanta, Department of Watershed Management, he is the director for the Capital Projects Management Division. Ade has 34 years of experience, 19 of which have been for the City of Atlanta in the planning, design, construction management, and also program management for wastewater collection and water distribution systems, Ade, welcome to Manage This. ADE ABON:  Thank you very much. NICK WALKER:  I’d like to start off by just maybe finding out a little bit more about you.  What was your career path to the position that you’re now in? ADE ABON:  Yeah, so I’ve got a very long career path, and I will try and do my best to lay it all out.  Yeah, I – born, raised in Nigeria.  I worked for a couple of years on a road construction project. NICK WALKER:  In Nigeria.

Table of Contents 01:36 … Meet Jen 03:37 … Liquid Planner History 04:36 … “Pain is the Mother of Invention” 06:50 … Supporting the Project Manager Customer 07:45 … Customer Base 09:05 … Best case/Worst Case – Estimating Tool 15:04 … Critical Path 16:13 … Top Innovations 17:09 … Solutions to PM Challenges 19:19 … […] The post Episode 81 – PM Software – Get More Done appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents 01:36 … Meet Jen 03:37 … Liquid Planner History 04:36 … “Pain is the Mother of Invention” 06:50 … Supporting the Project Manager Customer 07:45 … Customer Base 09:05 … Best case/Worst Case - Estimating Tool 15:04 … Critical Path 16:13 … Top Innovations 17:09 … Solutions to PM Challenges 19:19 … Agile/Scrum and Waterfall Approaches 20:47 … Estimates vs Actuals 24:29 … Communication among Users 26:11 … Software Versions 27:07 … Looking Forward 29:44 … Connect with LiquidPlanner 30:18 … Closing JEN MORRISEY:  The workplace, rather, is rapidly evolving, as is the PM role, and I think project managers today face so many challenges as well as opportunities. But with working with so many of our customers, many of which are PMs, of course, I think the core challenge is that they’re asked to do more with less resources.  So now more than ever they need to use their resources in the most optimal way. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to discuss the things that matter to you as a professional project manager.  We want to bring out the best in you, and we do that by picking the brains of some of the best in the business, sharing in their successes, and sometimes learning from their failures. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the one who guides us in this journey, Bill Yates.  And Bill, today we’re going to get into the nuts and bolts of some project management tools to hopefully make us more productive and make our lives a little easier. BILL YATES:  Yeah, I’m excited about this conversation.  Nick, the reality is every project manager has a favorite scheduling tool.  Project management scheduling is a big deal.  It’s very important because it’s so out there.  When you create a schedule, everybody sees it, and they kind of judge you by it. NICK WALKER:  Yeah. BILL YATES:  So we’ve reached out to a number of companies just to have conversations about their software.  LiquidPlanner is the first to respond, so we’re going to talk with them today. Meet Jen NICK WALKER:  Yeah, so we’re going to talk with Jen Morrisey, the Vice President of Products at LiquidPlanner. This is a cloud-based project management platform.  She’s passionate about designing and building innovative products that help teams do the work that matters most. She’s been a key member of the LiquidPlanner team since joining in 2009.  From her prior background in project management consulting, Jen brings a clear understanding of the project management space and understands customer needs firsthand. Jen, thank you so much for joining us here on Manage This. For starters, for the benefit of our listeners unfamiliar with LiquidPlanner, can you give us a brief description of what it is? JEN MORRISEY:  Absolutely, LiquidPlanner is a project management solution. It’s the only solution on the market that is priority based, And that is built to really pull in factors of reality to build accurate schedules for our customers. NICK WALKER:  And how did you get involved in this? JEN MORRISEY:  So I first got started in human resources, and I never thought that I would go into tech. I started out of school at Starbucks Corporate and realized that project management was a calling for me. I went into project management consulting and project controls consulting, and so I spent a lot of time on client sites and saw that project management solutions out there just weren’t adding the value that I thought that they should.  My clients really struggled to keep their plans up to date and to adapt to change that was inevitable in the marketplace. And so ultimately I heard about Charles Seybold and Jason Carlson developing this new different way to manage projects. And I reached out to get coffee, and one coffee date turned into nine-plus years at LiquidPlanner. BILL YATES:  So Starbucks Coffee, LiquidPlanner,

Project Management – Leadership Lessons Learned from a Fire Chief Table of Contents 01:09 … Meet Mark 03:32 … Whittier Fire Incident 07:48 … Incident Command Types 10:11 … Managing Incidents 11:40 … Incident/Project Scope 12:53 … Peer Communication 14:11 … Keeping Motivated 15:30 … Leadership Transition 18:10 … Building trust 20:01 … Delegation 22:48 […] The post Episode 80 – In Case of Fire – Handle with Courage appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Project Management - Leadership Lessons Learned from a Fire Chief Table of Contents 01:09 … Meet Mark 03:32 … Whittier Fire Incident 07:48 … Incident Command Types 10:11 … Managing Incidents 11:40 … Incident/Project Scope 12:53 … Peer Communication 14:11 … Keeping Motivated 15:30 … Leadership Transition 18:10 … Building trust 20:01 … Delegation 22:48 … Public Communication 27:15 … Resources 28:36 … Lessons Learned 30:39 … Career Highlights 32:29 … Closing MARK VON TILLOW:  But for me, as the leader or as the project manager, you’ve got to know your people, and you’ve got to know all 56 of them in my case. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. So this is our bimonthly meeting to talk about what really matters to you as a professional project manager, it’s our goal to give you some words of advice and encouragement by hearing the experiences of other professionals and leaders in the field. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the one who holds down the fort here, Bill Yates.  So Bill, today’s podcast is a direct result of a request from a listener. By Request! BILL YATES:  Yeah, how about that?  We heard from Amy.  I think she’s in Washington State. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, she reached out to us and asked specifically that we have a guest on our program, someone involved in public safety, particularly when it comes to managing wildfires. BILL YATES:  Right, right.  And we were delighted.  Wendy did some research, and she contacted Mark, it came together with Mark, so we’re delighted to have Mark on as our guest and talk through this in detail. Meet Mark NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet him; all right?  U.S. Forest Service Retired Division Chief Mark von Tillow started his career in fighting wildfires in 1986 on the Tahoe National Forest, he’s been a team member working engines, hotshots, and helicopters, and also he was the incident commander for California Team 3 for many years. Mark has extensive fire experience as well as some all-hazard responses such as in Hurricane Rita in Texas, the space shuttle Discovery recovery mission, as well. He was the Commander in 2017’s Whittier Fire in Santa Barbara County, California, and also in the Thomas Fire later that year.  He also commanded the fighting of the Soberanes Fires along the Big Sur coast, one of the costliest wildfire operations in U.S. history. Mark has a passion for this work and wants to pay it forward, and Mark, we welcome you to Manage This. MARK VON TILLOW:  Good morning.  Thanks for having me. NICK WALKER:  Now, I’ve got to ask you, first off, we have just come off one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in California’s history.  Fresh in our minds, of course, is the fire that destroyed the town of Paradise in Northern California, the Camp Fire.  This is obviously a career that takes a special breed of human, what led you to this career choice? MARK VON TILLOW:  So this may seem like a different way to start this conversation, but really it had to do with my father passing away when I was 12. He had a heart attack in front of me, and this was pre-911 days, when you just pick up the phone and dial 911 now.  But I had to run around the block to get to my grandfather’s house to tell him what had happened. He came back, and it just seemed like a long delay for emergency personnel to get there.  That was really my first exposure to that, and I thought, you know, I’d like to be that person someday trying to help somebody, so that’s really where it started. Fast-forward along through high school, graduate, go to work for a company called Hewlett-Packard, but I was also volunteering at a fire station, and that really seemed to resonate with me more.  So I worked nights at Hewlett-Packard, and I worked days doing the fire station and then found out about this Wildland Firefighting thing and decided to apply, and almost forgot that I applied when they called and said,...

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. Table of Contents 01:06 … Meet Kendall 03:27 … PM4Change 04:31 … Finding the Gap 08:05 … PMDOS Event Procedure 11:39 … Organization Support 12:19 … Benefits to the PM 14:48 … Networking 17:33 … Meet Selena 18:16 … Local Launch PMDOS 21:34 … Student Mentoring 24:05 […] The post Episode 79 – PM Designed Volunteering appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. Table of Contents 01:06 … Meet Kendall 03:27 … PM4Change 04:31 … Finding the Gap 08:05 … PMDOS Event Procedure 11:39 … Organization Support 12:19 … Benefits to the PM 14:48 … Networking 17:33 … Meet Selena 18:16 … Local Launch PMDOS 21:34 … Student Mentoring 24:05 … PMI Atlanta Chapter PMDOS 24:54 … Lessons Learned 28:25 … Success Story 30:32 … PM Point of View Podcast 31:53 … Closing KENDALL LOTT:  We have skills.  The skills are needed.  The talents are useful, but talents don’t count, you can’t let them be fallow.  You have to use them. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to discuss what really matters to you as a professional project manager.  It’s a time we set aside to offer some expertise and advice from some of our fellow professionals in the field.  We let them tell their stories in the hopes that you’ll be encouraged and challenged in your own sphere of influence. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is our chief influencer, Bill Yates,  and Bill, I’m looking forward to hearing what our guests have to say about a subject that’s become increasingly on my radar, and that is volunteering.  Which, as you and I have talked about, addresses a common problem. BILL YATES:  Right.  The common problem, not-for-profits often have a compelling vision but those leaders need help planning and executing.  So I’m really interested to see what our guests have to say about that. Meet Kendall NICK WALKER:  So we have two guests to help us in the studio today who are going to talk about an organization that provides opportunities for project management professionals to participate in community volunteering. Our first guest is J. Kendall Lott.  Kendall is the CEO/President of M Powered Strategies, Inc. A change management consulting firm in Washington, DC. Supporting organizations in public service.  He’s the executive director of the Project Management Day of Service, the Chairman of the Board of the PM for Change nonprofit organization. And the host and producer of the PM Point of View podcast.  Kendall, thanks so much for joining us here on Manage This today. KENDALL LOTT:  Glad to be here. NICK WALKER: So tell us a little bit about yourself to get us started here. And why volunteering is such a passion for you. KENDALL LOTT:  Huh.  That is a super good question, I think what brought me here that’s related to that is I am a returned Peace Corps volunteer, back in the ‘80s. So I got started in public service through the graces of the federal government. I greatly appreciate the taxpayers that make that program possible, I think it’s good for the country, and it’s good for me.  It was a chance to get kind of involved, and I really enjoyed it. One of my other pieces later was when I wanted to become a project manager and realized there was a whole institute around it, with chapters, I needed to kind of get out and get to meet people. But I did it for a very personal reason, I think that’s where we get a lot of volunteers, you’ve got to have your own hook for something right, and I realized I needed to meet people. So I showed up at the Washington, DC Chapter, PMIWDC, my home chapter, and they had, frankly, they had a disaster at their registration desk.  So me being Kendall, I showed up and said, what, this is like the biggest chapter, and this is all these project managers, and they can’t run a registration desk?  And I raised my voice. So we know what happened then, they’re like, congratulations, you just volunteered to solve that, and I got to participate and learn to keep my mouth shut.  No, I learned to help out, and I really enjoyed engaging with other professionals.  So that was a bit of a twist on the volunteer environment right, and I volunteered for the chapter for about 15 years and ended up on the board and eventually became the vice chair,

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers Table of Contents 01:14 … Velociteach Beginnings 04:22 … Lessons Learned Stories 07:47 … “Bad news Does Not Get Better With Time” 11:59 … AI 14:49 … Getting Past the Storming Phase 18:22 … When and How to Conduct Meetings 22:50 … Monitoring Projects 27:13 … How […] The post Episode 78 – Answers, Advice, and Anecdotes appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers Table of Contents 01:14 … Velociteach Beginnings 04:22 … Lessons Learned Stories 07:47 … “Bad news Does Not Get Better With Time” 11:59 … AI 14:49 … Getting Past the Storming Phase 18:22 … When and How to Conduct Meetings 22:50 … Monitoring Projects 27:13 … How to Properly Close Tasks 29:12 … The Future of Project Management 33:17 … Closing BILL YATES:  But I saw the opportunity to, again, join a really – a growing enterprise that would really put a thumbprint on project management, be able to really influence an industry.  And that was exciting to me. ANDY CROWE:  A shameless plug.  I think that’s the best thing for me about this career is that we’ve been able to help people. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is the time we’ve set aside to discuss with you the subject of project management and touch on some of the issues that are important to you as a professional project manager. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who make this podcast happen, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And so guys, now, in a previous podcast we talked with the two of you about some of the specific questions our listeners have.  It was a great discussion, and today we want to continue in that same vein, trying to get to the heart of what our listeners are chiefly concerned about. But before we dive into some of these questions, can I just ask each of you a little bit about your background, I’m curious, Andy, how did Velociteach come about?  I know you’re the founder of this organization.  How did this get started? Velociteach Beginnings ANDY CROWE:  Well, it started – our birthday is September 30th, 2002.  But how it got started was kind of fun, I was a director of projects for a publicly traded company here in Atlanta. And I was traveling nonstop, and so it was one of those things that I decided, okay, I’m going to need to – I had a young family at the time.  Children were small.  And I said, “I need a break.” And so I left that job, and that was an insane career move because I made too much money to quit, and I left and started Velociteach shortly after that. So a lot of it was just processing with my wife, look, I love to write, I love project management, and I enjoy the classroom, and it really brought those things together that it was a good marriage of those skills. And you know we’ve talked before about Jim Collins’s Hedgehog Concept, which is – Bill, remind me.  It’s what you can make money at, what you’re passionate about... BILL YATES:  What you can be best in the world at. ANDY CROWE:  What you can be world class.  And so it kind of fit that, I felt like, you know what, I do have a passion about project management, it’s a profession that’s going places now.  So there were some economic opportunities, and I felt like there were things that we wanted to build a world-class organization, so that was the goal. NICK WALKER:  Bill Yates, how did you get into this organization?  How did you become a part? BILL YATES:  Yeah, well, you can hear it from Andy.  I mean, he’s got passion, and he’s got direction and a vision which was really compelling to me.  So, we started talking, I think in 2004, and I left my job to join Velociteach in 2005, my experience had been with utilities, tax software, tax and compliance software for utilities – gas, electric, and telcos – and had been doing that really for 18 years with different organizations. Went from a small company to one of 90,000 at EDS, then we bought our company or bought our product from EDS, so we went to a company of eight.   So I think we were around 20 back in 2004 when I started talking with Andy.  But I saw the opportunity to, again, join a really – a growing enterprise that would really put a thumbprint on project management, be able to really influence an industry.  And that was exciting to me.

Project planning meetings for PM’s Table of Contents 01:24 … Meet Rich 03:58 … Bad Meeting Victims 07:21 … Research 08:44 … Large and in Charge 11:28 … Sponsor Involvement 15:59 … Pre-Meeting Steps 18:56 … Kick-Off Meeting Time Line 20:35 … Risk Register 25:32 … Meeting Goblins 32:46 … Virtual Meetings 35:15 … Naysayers […] The post Episode 77 – Project Kickoff – Heading in the Right Direction appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Project planning meetings for PM's Table of Contents 01:24 … Meet Rich 03:58 … Bad Meeting Victims 07:21 … Research 08:44 … Large and in Charge 11:28 … Sponsor Involvement 15:59 … Pre-Meeting Steps 18:56 … Kick-Off Meeting Time Line 20:35 … Risk Register 25:32 … Meeting Goblins 32:46 … Virtual Meetings 35:15 … Naysayers 37:40 … Final Remarks RICH MALTZMAN:  I think you need to just step back and say, “I’m a project manager.  I’m going to project manage this meeting.”  Seriously, a lot of the same skills that you are applying to your project, you just need to step back and realize that this is a project itself. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to discuss the things that matter to you as a professional project manager.  We’re here for you, to encourage you, to give you some ideas you can use, and to help you get to your best and maintain it. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the one who is instrumental in helping us be at our best, Bill Yates.  And Bill, before we get to our guest, we should remind our listeners where our other partner in crime is right now, Andy Crowe. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Andy Crowe is not in the room.  He is in the water.  He is on a boat, he is.. NICK WALKER:  Not in the water. BILL YATES:  Yeah, that’s true.  Good point, yeah.  Hopefully he’s on top of the water in his sailing vessel.  So we don’t know exactly where he is, but he’s not here.  If people want to remember, we actually had an episode dedicated to that where we talked with Andy and Karen, Episode 74, for all the details. NICK WALKER:  And of course we’ll be checking back in with Andy from time to time and probably even talk with him on one of our future podcasts. Meet Rich But right now we’ve got a great guest with us today, Rich Maltzman, PMP, recently retired from a 40-year career in the telecom industry, the last 30 years focusing on project management.  He’s currently a senior lecturer at Boston University, developing and teaching classes in project management, and qualitative and quantitative decision-making.  Rich is the cofounder of EarthPM, LLC, a company devoted to integrating sustainability thinking into the project management world.  He has authored or coauthored several books, including “Green Project Management,” which won PMI’s Cleland Award for Literature; “Project Workflow Management:  A Business Process Approach”; and “Bridging the PM Competency Gap.”  His latest book is titled “How to Facilitate Productive Project Planning Meetings.”  And that’s much of what we want to focus on today.  Rich, thank you for being with us here on Manage This. RICH MALTZMAN:   It’s great to be here. NICK WALKER:  Before we get into the subject of what makes successful planning meetings, let’s find out a little bit more about you.  Now, you spent 40 years in the telecom industry.  How did that prepare you for your work today? RICH MALTZMAN:  Well, being in industry gets you familiar with all of the kinds of situations.  And I should back up and explain that only 30 years of that was in project management. NICK WALKER:  Only. BILL YATES:  Oh, okay. RICH MALTZMAN:  So a good portion of it was in engineering, and some was in project management, but all of that experience involves meeting with a vast amount of people and a wide variety of different people.  So I’d say that that experience prepared me for, amongst other things, being able to talk, I hope somewhat intelligently, about how meetings can be improved. NICK WALKER:  And you’re a lecturer at Boston University.  How did that come about? RICH MALTZMAN:  Well, if you look at my background, even way, way back in the beginning of my career, which ashamedly goes back to the ‘70s, I was doing training back at that time.  And I found I really liked that part of the job.  So even back in the ‘80s I was doing some teaching at local community colleges.  And I found that that was exceedingly rewardi...

The podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers – Stakeholder Engagement Table of Contents 00:53 … Meet Laura 04:21 … Learning and Development 05:18 … Working Internationally 11:44 … Representing H.Q. Remotely 15:56 … Culture Differences 17:11 … Inheriting a Position 22:30 … Stakeholder Engagement 24:56 … Reading a Room 28:21 … Empathy and Humility […] The post Episode 76 – Successful Stakeholder Engagement appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers - Stakeholder Engagement Table of Contents 00:53 … Meet Laura 04:21 … Learning and Development 05:18 … Working Internationally 11:44 … Representing H.Q. Remotely 15:56 … Culture Differences 17:11 … Inheriting a Position 22:30 … Stakeholder Engagement 24:56 … Reading a Room 28:21 … Empathy and Humility 30:47 … Building Trust 33:27 … Mistakes to Avoid 36:38 … Closing LAURA BUTCHER:  I think, because now my work is largely about serving clients and building relationships with clients who are my customers in my work now, I think stakeholder engagement is so essential. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our time to meet and talk about what really matters to you in the field of project management.  Our desire is to give you some perspective, some ideas, some real-life examples of what success looks like and how to get there. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who guide our discussion, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And today we get to talk with someone who truly has a global perspective as a project manager. Meet Laura Laura Butcher is an organization and leadership development consultant.  She began in human resources at GE Appliances and GE Aircraft Engines; then at NationsBank, where she led teams following the NationsBank/Bank America merger.  After that, she made the move to London as Delta Air Lines Director of Human Resources in Europe.  Laura is the co-founder and principal of Blue Key Partners, a consulting practice focused in the areas of learning and leadership development, including executive assessment and coaching,  Laura, thanks so much for being here with us on Manage This. LAURA BUTCHER:  Thank you for inviting me. NICK WALKER:  We want to talk with you about working with global customers and engaging with stakeholders around the world.  But first of all, can we just take some time to get to know you a little bit better?  Tell us a little bit about yourself and what your first experiences were like with GE as you traveled internationally. LAURA BUTCHER:  So my background in corporate America was with GE, Bank of America, and Delta Air Lines for about 15 years. ANDY CROWE:  Small companies. BILL YATES:  Yeah. LAURA BUTCHER:  And then began my consulting practice about 12 years ago, largely in the areas of organization development, leadership development.  But my early experiences were in the human resources function, where I became very passionate about learning and development.  I had experiences supporting many global joint venture partners with GE Appliances and GE Aircraft Engines.  I did some work with GE Crotonville, which is the corporate leadership training institute in Crotonville, New York, where I was part of an adjunct faculty to take some of the GE Work-Out and Change Acceleration Program training to our colleagues in Asia and Europe.  So I was bitten with the bug of working internationally in my early days with GE. NICK WALKER:  What kind of prompted you?  What was it that bit you about working internationally? LAURA BUTCHER:  I think I always enjoyed the experience of seeing new places, experiencing new things, eating new cuisines, seeing sights and the history of places.  But I think beyond that I began to really appreciate working with people who see the world differently from myself.  So I think that’s what I found particularly engaging about it.  So oftentimes the work that we’re doing in human resources or in training and development is complex anyway because we’re dealing with human behavior.  But when you add the dimension of culture differences on top of that, it can be quite interesting work, and fulfilling. NICK WALKER:  What countries did you deal with when you were with GE? LAURA BUTCHER:  Well, we had joint venture partners in Asia.  So we were establishing a joint venture site with a Korean fi...

  The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. Table of Contents 00:59 … Meet Heather 02:46 … Orbital Space Debris 04:10 … LEO and GEO 04:41 … Policy Standards 06:14 … Regulating/Interagency Debris Coordination Committee 08:24 … Assessing and Mitigation 10:24 … Coordinating with Multiple Teams 11:38 … OSD Observatory on Ascension Island 15:53 […] The post Episode 75 – The Orbital Space Debris Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

  The Podcast for Project Managers by Project Managers. Table of Contents 00:59 … Meet Heather 02:46 … Orbital Space Debris 04:10 … LEO and GEO 04:41 … Policy Standards 06:14 … Regulating/Interagency Debris Coordination Committee 08:24 … Assessing and Mitigation 10:24 … Coordinating with Multiple Teams 11:38 … OSD Observatory on Ascension Island 15:53 … Effective Communication 18:26 … Is There an End to this Project? 24:09 … Career Advice 25:57 … Measuring Success 27:31 … Learn More 29:03 … The Bill and Nick Wrap Up HEATHER COWARDIN:  But we need to figure out a way to kind of control its growth and make sure that all space users can utilize the space environment.  And that’s the best we can do right now. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet right here and have a conversation about what matters to you in the field of project management.  We talk with real people, doing real jobs, and find out what makes them successful and what keeps them motivated. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the chief motivators, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Bill, for those who have ever said that the sky is the limit with what we do around here, well, they may need to rethink that perspective a little. BILL YATES:  Yeah, they’re in for a treat today.  Heather is going to talk to us about the orbital space debris issue that I didn’t even know existed.  This is going to be exciting stuff. Meet Heather NICK WALKER:  We all know how much we rely on satellites in orbit around the Earth.  These provide us with services such as navigation, meteorology, climate research, telecommunication, and human space exploration.  Unfortunately, with increasing space activities, a new and sort of unexpected hazard has started to emerge:  space debris. Dr. Heather M. Cowardin serves as the section manager and project manager for the Orbital Debris Research Section under the Science and Exploration Department of the JETS Contract with NASA Johnson Space Center.  She also leads the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office Research and Development Task Group. Dr. Cowardin, it’s an honor to have you with us here on Manage This.  Can we start out just getting to know you a little bit better?  How did you get to where you are today? HEATHER COWARDIN:  Well, I guess let’s go all the way back a couple of decades and talk about my childhood dream.  I wanted to be Batman, a garbage collector, or an astronaut.  And here we are, a couple decades later, and I feel like I’ve hit at least two of those three points.  I’m a superhero trying to protect space assets in space from garbage.  So not doing too bad. NICK WALKER:  Excellent. HEATHER COWARDIN:  So I guess where I kind of got to from there is I went to space camp in seventh grade after I won a fellowship from the Society of Women Engineers.  I was going to school at University of Houston, got an internship that turned into a full-time job, that turned into basically being a lead, into a deputy manager, into a full-on manager, to here we are now.  So been at NASA a good 15 years. NICK WALKER:  So you’re concentrating on space debris.  I think this is something that maybe escapes the radar of a lot of people. HEATHER COWARDIN:  Aha.  See what you did there. Orbital Space Debris NICK WALKER:  Yeah.  What is orbital space debris? HEATHER COWARDIN:  Right.  So it’s any manmade object that no longer serves a useful purpose.  So what does that mean?  Spent upper stages.  Mission-related debris.  Carriers for multiple payloads.  Even something as small as paint flakes, those can be very damaging. NICK WALKER:  How much of it is there? HEATHER COWARDIN:  There’s about 19,000 objects in space right now that are greater than 10 centimeters.  That threshold is basically the limit of where our sensors can track debris.  But in general there’s probably a good 23,

Project Planning for Project Managers. Table of Contents 01:04 … Meet Karen Crowe 02:36 … Project Planning and Integration 07:40 … Project Spike 09:13 … Project Scope 12:00 … Cost Management 13:08 … Learning New Practices 15:13 … Gratitude 16:16 … Project Resources 17:33 … Risk Analysis 21:11 … Stakeholders 25:00 … Communication 26:51 … […] The post Episode 74 – Andy and Karen on Gratitude appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Project Planning for Project Managers. Table of Contents 01:04 … Meet Karen Crowe 02:36 … Project Planning and Integration 07:40 … Project Spike 09:13 … Project Scope 12:00 … Cost Management 13:08 … Learning New Practices 15:13 … Gratitude 16:16 … Project Resources 17:33 … Risk Analysis 21:11 … Stakeholders 25:00 … Communication 26:51 … WBS and Project Conclusion 31:25 … Follow the Journey KAREN CROWE:  I think any time you are organizing, thinking ahead, categorizing, you’re managing a project.  This is definitely – I would say this qualifies. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’re glad you’ve joined us for a conversation about what matters to you in the field of project management.  It’s a podcast where we routinely talk with experts, trainers, mentors, people who have been where you are now and where you’re headed. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who guide our conversation, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And guys, I’m excited about this podcast for a couple reasons.  It’s a chance to get to know our own people a little bit better, both professionally and personally.  But it’s also a chance to hear about managing a project like none we’ve ever talked about before here on this podcast.  And to help us, we have an extra special guest in the studio today.  So Bill, why don’t you tell us a little bit about who’s with Andy today. Meet Karen Crowe BILL YATES:  Yeah, we have Karen Crowe in the office today, in our podcast booth.  It is so good to have you here.  This is clearly a case of the better half of the Andy and Karen marriage is here.  Andy is like me in that he out-kicked his coverage.  And I think today our guests have a chance to understand a bit more about that.  Welcome, Karen. KAREN CROWE:  Thank you, Bill. BILL YATES:  We’re excited to hear more about the project.  But first, Karen, I think for those who are not as familiar with Velociteach, you were involved with the company before I started, right from the start.  And just share with our listeners a little bit about that. KAREN CROWE:  When Andy and I started Velociteach, well, it was a little overwhelming.  We knew, like we had a solid plan.  Andy had spreadsheets; and, I mean, you know, he’s a project manager, so he had the plan.  But there was just me and him to carry it out.  The main thing that I have been involved in and continue to be involved in was creating the workbooks for the live training classes, specifically the mind maps.  That’s my... BILL YATES:  Yeah, there are some listeners right now that are going, “Oh, my gosh, I love her.”  Others are going to, “The mind maps, they drove me crazy.” KAREN CROWE:  I hate them.  You either love them or hate them, that’s true. BILL YATES:  Yeah, yeah, but it’s such a great memorization device that we use.  And you’re really – you’re the mother of that.  You really are. KAREN CROWE:  And I feel very – they are my baby.  I feel protective of them. Project Planning and Integration NICK WALKER:  So Andy and Karen, the reason we’re all together here is that both of you are headed on what amounts to not only an adventure, but also sort of a project management challenge like none you’ve ever encountered – a long-term sabbatical aboard the sailing vessel Gratitude.  It’s a project that has obviously involved untold hours of planning and preparation.  But before we get into this, Andy, why?  What’s the reason for all this? ANDY CROWE:  I think because it’s there, Nick.  You know what, this is something that started out as a question.  We’re not retiring.  But it started out as a question:  Is this something we could do and enjoy in retirement?  And I think after we explored and answered that question, the next question began to be, well, why wait till retirement? BILL YATES:  What triggered this for you both?  I know, you know, I see Andy a good bit in the office.  I know he started getting this desire to be on the water.

Table of Contents 01:08 … Meet Jamie Champagne 04:11 … Effective Elicitation 07:40 … “Talk Story” 12:35 … Asking Good Questions 16:19 … How to Get Feedback 21:00 … How to Take Negative Feedback 23:55 … Stakeholder/Sponsor Resistance 28:05 … Leveraging Elicitation Skills 32:38 … Get in Touch with Jamie Effective Elicitation and the PM […] The post Episode 73 – Effective Elicitation Skills for the PM appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents 01:08 … Meet Jamie Champagne 04:11 … Effective Elicitation 07:40 … “Talk Story” 12:35 … Asking Good Questions 16:19 … How to Get Feedback 21:00 … How to Take Negative Feedback 23:55 … Stakeholder/Sponsor Resistance 28:05 … Leveraging Elicitation Skills 32:38 … Get in Touch with Jamie Effective Elicitation and the PM JAMIE CHAMPAGNE:  I have no shame with business analysts ever being called a "miracle worker."  We're happy to help. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every other week time to meet and discuss what project management is all about.  Our purpose is to get to the heart of what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We've asked you what you want to hear about and the kinds of guests you'd like to hear from, and today's podcast is a response to those requests. I'm your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the guys who are the ones who make it all happen, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And it's appropriate that we talk about eliciting feedback from our listeners because today we're going to talk specifically about elicitation. ANDY CROWE:  Okay, Nick.  That's one of the bigger words.  What is that?  Five syllables, right, that we're getting into.  So that may be a record for a topic for us.  But it's going to be really interesting to see where this goes in terms of how to ask questions, how to elicit responses, and how to get quality responses back. Meet Jamie Champagne NICK WALKER:  Well, we're going to elicit some responses from our guest today.  Our guest today is Jamie Champagne.  As a business analyst, speaker, and trainer, she teaches others how to improve their analysis skill sets and how to be more accomplished professionals.  She calls herself an "overly passionate BA."  And through her company, Champagne Collaborations, Jamie joins forces with organizations around the world, training teams to be wildly successful.  When she's not collaborating with her business partners, you can find her collaborating with her friends and family on the Hawaiian waters on a surfboard.  In fact, she's joining us via Skype from beautiful Hawaii.  And Jamie, welcome to Manage This. JAMIE CHAMPAGNE:  Good morning.  Welcome.  Thank you for having me.  I'm very excited to be here today. NICK WALKER:  Now, we want to start off by just knowing you a little bit better.  Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your business, where you are right now? JAMIE CHAMPAGNE:  Sure.  I love the title of an overly passionate business analyst and project manager because that's what I do live for.  I am located all the way here in Hawaii; and, yes, we do work.  We don't sit on the beach all day long.  We actually help get some good change projects completed all the way through.  And so I find myself spending a lot of time doing mentoring and coaching project teams on helping be successful, as well as doing a lot of training and speaking about what is business analysis, project management; how do they work together; and really leveraging skills to really be effective.  That's I think our biggest goal is everyone wants to do a good job, and people are looking for ways to do that.  And I'm fortunate enough to get to work with some really great people, mentoring and coaching. ANDY CROWE:  Jamie, it's interesting how project management and business analysis have come much closer together.  And it used to be that there were processes to project management.  And then the BA went off and did their magic and just brought back this treasure trove of information.  But now they've started to develop the processes around that and made terrific progress there, as well.  So it's really matured in the past few years. JAMIE CHAMPAGNE:  Oh, absolutely.  I think the highlight is not just here's an activity, but those skill sets; and that we've relied so much on project managers to do everything and then go, oh,

Table of Contents 00:46 … Meet Jane 03:40 … Gender Gap in IT 09:11 … Transitioning to Non-Profit 18:07 … Dealing with Diverse Cultures 21:08 … Communicating Project Status 24:02 … From CARE USA to World Vision 27:02 … Collaboration Tools and Techniques 28:19 … The Not-For-Profit Work Environment 31:34 … Back to Corporate 33:37 […] The post Episode 72 – Practicing Cultural Intelligence as a PM appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents 00:46 … Meet Jane 03:40 … Gender Gap in IT 09:11 … Transitioning to Non-Profit 18:07 … Dealing with Diverse Cultures 21:08 … Communicating Project Status 24:02 … From CARE USA to World Vision 27:02 … Collaboration Tools and Techniques 28:19 … The Not-For-Profit Work Environment 31:34 … Back to Corporate 33:37 … Increasing Cultural Diversity Advice 35:47 … Cultural Awareness Testing 37:39 … Closing   NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our time devoted to you, the professional project manager.  Our goal is to encourage you and perhaps to challenge you, to give you a peek into the way other PMs are doing the stuff and creating successes. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who make this all happen, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we’re going to explore a subject that we really haven’t dealt with in depth before, something we call “cultural intelligence.” ANDY CROWE:  This is a fascinating topic, Nick.  We’re going to start peeling back some of the elements that really matter to project managers and organizations in general. Meet Jane NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest to talk about that.  After establishing a successful IT consulting career in the corporate world, Jane Canniff invested a decade leading global development projects and programs for World Vision International and CARE USA.  A leader in project and program management, Jane is currently the owner of Tango Consulting LLC.  Jane, thanks so much for joining us here on Manage This. JANE CANNIFF:  Thank you very much for having me, Nick. NICK WALKER:  One of the top challenges that many projects managers list as their greatest hurdle is this thing called “cross-cultural management.”  Now, nationality is one cultural difference that we talk about.  But there are many others:  gender, ethnicity, age group, even professional and organizational culture.  They’re all part of a person’s cultural identity.  Now, you’ve had the experience of working in various multicultural environments.  Can you describe what some of those were like? JANE CANNIFF:  Yes, I can.  And I would want to start this conversation by saying I don’t see myself as an expert in cross-cultural environments and how to work successfully in them.  As someone who has journeyed through those environments, I have my own experiences – and of course those come through my own filters – and can offer those experiences and lessons learned to others.  As we discussed prior to the podcast, everyone’s journey is different, and everyone’s experience in that is different.  And so I would want our discussion simply to prompt questions and to encourage people to engage in dialogue. So with that being said, the experiences that I’ve had, first as a woman entering the IT workforce; and then later as a project manager managing teams of people who were not like me and/or who could be older than me, as well; and then moving from the for-profit IT consulting environment into the global development environment posed even a massive set of cultural shifts and changes, everything from the fact that I used “development” to refer to software, and they used “development”... ANDY CROWE:  Right, to raising funds, yeah. JANE CANNIFF:  To raising funds and/or to the programs that they execute on the ground to achieve their end goals.  So while we may all be using the same word, each one of us could be thinking something completely different. Gender Gap in I.T. NICK WALKER:  Let’s talk first about the gender gap sometimes that we see in the IT world.  You mentioned that.  Were you like the only one, or one of very few? JANE CANNIFF:  Yes.  I was one of very few.  And I also recognize that there were a number of people who paved the way for me because there were a lot of women who were in more what I would term “data processing” roles,

The Podcast for Project Mangers Table of Contents 00:50 … Meet Mike 03:12 … Active vs Passive PM 09:14 … Micromanaging Teams 11:14 … Managing Multiple Projects 12:59 … PM Tools and Processes 17:21 … Setting Expectations 21:40 … Communicating Solutions 23:24 … Keeping Projects on Task 27:16 … Know When to Pull the Plug […] The post Episode 71 – Managing Multiple Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Mangers Table of Contents 00:50 … Meet Mike 03:12 … Active vs Passive PM 09:14 … Micromanaging Teams 11:14 … Managing Multiple Projects 12:59 … PM Tools and Processes 17:21 … Setting Expectations 21:40 … Communicating Solutions 23:24 … Keeping Projects on Task 27:16 … Know When to Pull the Plug 30:24 … Closing MIKE PONDISCIO:  Absolutely.  For an active project manager, you really want to be one or two steps ahead of your team.  In other words, bowling analogy:  You need to clear the lane, set up the pins so that your team can knock them down. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we get together for the express purpose of talking about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We interview guests who can speak from experience.  We share in their successes and learn lessons from their challenges. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, this time around I think we’re going to be able to speak to where a lot of our listeners, perhaps even the majority of them, live every day. ANDY CROWE:  You know, Nick, a lot of project managers are managing multiple smaller projects.  It can get chaotic.  It can be frenetic.  And there’s a lot to learn there.  So I’m looking forward to this episode. Meet Mike NICK WALKER:  Well, our guest today is Michael Pondiscio, who has 20 years of experience in project management.  Since 2013, Mike has been a solutions consultant and product manager at Avtex Solutions.  He’s a seasoned project manager who delivers creative solutions to tough technical challenges, and he does it on time and within budget.  Listen to this list of his current expertise:  engagement management, delivery management, bulletproof management, business analysis, consulting, process mapping, and RFP response management.  Mike, welcome to Manage This. MIKE PONDISCIO:  Well, thank you very much for having me.  I’m excited to be here and share what I can. NICK WALKER:  Well, that’s a long list of things that you’re involved in.  Obviously, you’ve been doing this at least for a little while.  Tell us how you got into this business. MIKE PONDISCIO:  I started out in this business working in a small telecommunications company.  And as you would find in a small company, everybody has multiple roles.  So one of my roles was engineering, and the other role was project management.  And naturally I moved to the project management role because, as I was watching the projects be delivered, I realized that I could do a better job of it. So I said, “Let me go ahead and start helping these people out.”  And I sort of, just by natural propensity, ended up going down the project management path, but still managed to do some of the technical experience work as well – engineering, solution engineering, and going out with sales teams.  But that’s how I really started out was getting into telecommunications, starting in a smaller company, and then just growing with the field as it became Voice over IP solutions. ANDY CROWE:  I believe that going out with a sales team, being a presales engineer, is like the greatest job in the world because you don’t actually really have to deliver it.  You just kind of make a bunch of promises. MIKE PONDISCIO:  Yeah, you just promise it. ANDY CROWE:  I hook ‘em, you get to fry ‘em; right? Active vs Passive PM NICK WALKER:  Is that what we mean by “active project management” rather than “passive project management”? ANDY CROWE:  Probably not. NICK WALKER:  Well, that’s an important thing, though.  Obviously you were an active participant from the get-go.  How does that compare with maybe others who take a more passive approach? MIKE PONDISCIO:  Well, there’s very much a difference between an active and passive project manager.  And those are my terms, of course.

The Podcast by Project Managers for Project Managers. Table of Contents 00:53 … Meet Jennifer 01:56 … Difference between Introverted and Extroverted Leaders 07:36 … Introvert Superpowers 09:52 … Competing with the Extrovert 11:11 … Taking on Extrovert Roles 13:36 … Introverts Leading a Team 17:05 … Assessments 18:45 … Empowering the Introvert 21:20 … […] The post Episode 70 – Project Management and the Introvert appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast by Project Managers for Project Managers. Table of Contents 00:53 … Meet Jennifer 01:56 … Difference between Introverted and Extroverted Leaders 07:36 … Introvert Superpowers 09:52 … Competing with the Extrovert 11:11 … Taking on Extrovert Roles 13:36 … Introverts Leading a Team 17:05 … Assessments 18:45 … Empowering the Introvert 21:20 … Extroverts Leading Introverts 22:54 … Four P Process 27:16 … Brainwriting and Meeting Strategies 29:03 … Ambiverts 30:28 … Closing   JENNIFER KAHNWEILER:  We need to really talk about these in our teams and our work spaces.  When I research, my research now is about organizations that are introvert friendly.  And one of the characteristics I’m finding is that it’s out in the open, just like any other element of diversity we have to talk about.  And when we do, it becomes not a really big deal. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet in an effort to get to the heart of what matters to you as a professional project manager.  And the way we do that is by getting inside the brains of the best in the business, people who specialize in helping others either get started or rise to the next level. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who are leaders in this effort, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And today, Andy, we’re going to examine what role introverts play in the field of project management. ANDY CROWE:  This is a topic that we’ve discussed a lot around the office.  Lot of people have been reading a book circulating around, and we’re excited to have the author here today. Meet Jennifer NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet her.  Jennifer Kahnweiler is known as the champion for introverts.  She’s a PhD, certified speaking professional, and an author and global speaker.  Her bestselling books, “The Introverted Leader,” “Quiet Influence,” and “The Genius of Opposites” have been translated into 16 languages.  Jennifer has consulted with hundreds of organizations, including Freddie Mac, TEDx, GE, NASA, and the CDC.  She has conducted leadership programs from Singapore to Spain.  Her work has been featured in Forbes, Time magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.  Jennifer serves on several boards and is a mentor to many professional women.  Dr. Kahnweiler thanks so much for being with us here on Manage This. JENNIFER KAHNWEILER:  Oh, it’s my absolute pleasure, Nick, thank you. NICK WALKER:  Now, I’d like to get things started with a quotation from your blog.  You say, “The most effective leaders are not prone to project their ideas onto the team, but listen first to what ideas emerge.  The best leaders also engage with people and are truly present with them, gaining their trust and respect.”  Is that your description of the introverted leader? JENNIFER KAHNWEILER:  I think that’s a good start in thinking about what an introverted leader does so well.  And they are present.  When you ask people, Nick, who was your best manager, whether project manager or other type, oftentimes they will describe somebody with those exact qualities that you read.  And that’s what really intrigued me about looking at further research about really what makes those people tick. Difference between Introverted and Extroverted Leaders NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s talk a little bit about the differences between the introverted leader and the extroverted leader.  What are some of the traits we’d find in each? JENNIFER KAHNWEILER:  Well, I think it’s very similar to when we think about extroverts and introverts.  Extroverts get their energy from other people, from the world outside, from the stimuli going on around them.  Introverts, on the other hand, are reflective and get their energy from the source within.  And over the years, in studying this, I’ve collected so much anecdotal data. And I think the simplest way to think about it and consider whether or not you’re an introvert or extrovert,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Table of Contents 01:00 … Meet Andy and Bill 04:07 … The Evolution of the PM 06:40 … Managing Stakeholders 12:42 … Common Challenges in Consulting Projects 19:24 … Technology Development and Non-IT Workgroups 23:10 … Is Agile Truly Being Used? 26:22 … Recommendations for New PMs/PMO […] The post Episode 69 – Answering Your Project Management Questions appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Table of Contents 01:00 … Meet Andy and Bill 04:07 … The Evolution of the PM 06:40 … Managing Stakeholders 12:42 … Common Challenges in Consulting Projects 19:24 … Technology Development and Non-IT Workgroups 23:10 … Is Agile Truly Being Used? 26:22 … Recommendations for New PMs/PMO Role in Agile 31:20 … Starting out in Project Management 33:02 … Wrap Up ANDY CROWE:  But I would start out not focused on the letters after my name, not focused on the alphabet soup, but focused on the fundamentals of project management and learning it. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our time to talk with you about what really matters to you as a professional project manager.  We want to encourage you, to challenge you, to give you some new ideas and perhaps a fresh way of looking at the profession. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who make this podcast happen, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, today we’re actually going to hone in on some questions that we’ve gotten from our listeners. ANDY CROWE:  I like that.  We’ve gotten some good feedback from our listener community.  And I’m looking forward to diving into that. Meet Andy and Bill NICK WALKER:  I think it would probably be a good idea, though, to maybe learn a little bit more about you two guys.  I mean, we’ve gone for so long talking to different guests, learning about them.  But who is Andy Crowe and Bill Yates?  Andy, you are an author, a speaker.  You’ve done so many things.  How did you get into this? ANDY CROWE:  And I’m also an existentialist, so that’s a really interesting question that you’re asking.  Who am I?  Why am I here? You know, Nick, I have been doing this a while.  I’ve been managing projects really since the late ‘80s; but technically, formally, with the title since the early ‘90s.  And seen a lot of changes come through.  You know, when I started, it’s funny because I was there, you know, for the birth of Microsoft Project, and we all thought this was amazing.  And that turned out to be a really interesting thing for project managers because it could reformulate a schedule.  It could do things like that.  But it didn’t make people better project managers.  Just like handing Microsoft Word to a writer is not going to make them a better writer; handing a good microphone and an amp to a speaker isn’t going to make them a better speaker or a better communicator. And so, you know, when I started with this, the tools that were coming along were useful, but they also just enabled a lot of bad practices.  So I put my career and my energy into learning project management, learning how it should be done, probably learning enough to be really dangerous because then I had a hundred different ways to do something that probably just needed a simple solution. I’ve written a few books on project management.  I’ve written a couple of test-oriented resources for the PMP Exam, “How to Pass on Your First Try,” and the PMI-ACP, which is the Agile Certified Practitioner exam, “How to Pass on Your First Try.”  And then “Alpha Project Managers,” which is my favorite of the three.  It’s not the one that’s been the most commercially successful of the three, but it was the most fun to really get in and research the practices.  It’s called “What the Top 2% Know That Everyone Else Does Not.”  And it looks at the practices that make some project managers successful and maybe sets them apart from their peers. NICK WALKER:  We’re looking forward to tackling some of the questions using your background and expertise in getting into some of these things that our listeners have asked us.  But let’s meet Bill Yates. BILL YATES:  Yeah. NICK WALKER:  Bill, we’ve heard your voice.  We’ve sort of gotten to know you a little bit through the podcast, but tell me a little bit about your background. BILL YATES:  So who is this guy; right?

Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. Table of Contents 00:50 … Meet Tricia Molloy 01:59 … Our need for goals. 03:00 … How to identify goals? 05:04 … Obstacles/Distractions to goal setting. 09:30 … Stress – good or bad? 12:50 … Energy management. 15:15 … Vision Boards and RAS. 16:53 … […] The post Episode 68 – My Vision Board Made Me Do It. appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. Table of Contents 00:50 … Meet Tricia Molloy 01:59 … Our need for goals. 03:00 … How to identify goals? 05:04 … Obstacles/Distractions to goal setting. 09:30 … Stress – good or bad? 12:50 … Energy management. 15:15 … Vision Boards and RAS. 16:53 … Creating and using Vision Boards. 25:25 … Vision Board for a Project team. 28:28 … Wrap Up TRICIA MOLLOY:  We live in a world where there’s so many distractions.  And in order for us to focus, it really makes sense to think about what goals are most important to us in order to get that done.  So, I’m a big believer in thinking about what goals are important, and writing those goals down, and having a plan. ANDY CROWE:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Normally you’d be hearing the voice of Nick Walker right now; but Nick also has a job chasing storms, and Nick is involved right now in some weather activity.  And so this is Andy Crowe.  And I am playing kind of host here, along with Bill Yates.  We have a very special guest in the studio today.  Bill, tell us about our guest. Meet Tricia Molloy BILL YATES:  Yes, we do.  Our guest today is Tricia Molloy.  Tricia’s an author and speaker who presents programs on reducing stress, achieving goals, and improving work-life balance, all things that we can improve on, for sure.  Tricia consults with a number of organizations, for example, Marriott, Kellogg, The Home Depot, Deloitte, and the Network of Executive Women.  She facilitates vision board workshops.  We’ll have a lot more to say about that.  And she’s worked with employees at the CDC, Verizon, and Ernst & Young.  Tricia, welcome to Manage This. TRICIA MOLLOY:  Thank you. ANDY CROWE:  Tricia, one of the things that we’re very excited to talk to you about are these vision boards.  But I feel like we need to set the stage first and talk a bit about goals. TRICIA MOLLOY:  Yes. Our Need for Goals. ANDY CROWE:  So thinking about goals – and this is certainly something that project managers have to focus on a lot; right?  We have a lot of goals.  But why do we have goals in work and in other aspects of life?  We have to set goals to get things done personally.  What is it about us?  What is our need for goals? TRICIA MOLLOY:  Yeah, we live in a world where there’s so many distractions.  And in order for us to focus, it really makes sense to think about what goals are most important to us in order to get that done.  So I’m a big believer in thinking about what goals are important and writing those goals down and having a plan. ANDY CROWE:  I like that.  You know, Stephen Covey in his “7 Habits for Highly Successful People” book talked about beginning with the end in mind. BILL YATES:  Right. ANDY CROWE:  And so a lot of times it’s useful to kind of envision an outcome.  And it doesn’t always turn out the way we plan, I guess, but it’s a useful exercise, huh. How to Identify Goals BILL YATES:  That’s for sure.  Now, Tricia, I know you’ve worked with a number of organizations and with individuals who struggle in this area, and you have the chance to really coach them and help them identify goals.  Let’s say you’re meeting with me, and you’re talking through my need for goals, and you’ve kind of sold me on the idea.  How do you help me identify goals? TRICIA MOLLOY:  Oh, that’s a great question.  Sometimes you think first about what you don’t want in your life. BILL YATES:  Okay. TRICIA MOLLOY:  And then those goals just naturally evolve from there.  So that’s one way to do it.  Another way is to think about what you want the final outcome to be.  And then of course there are steps before that.  And each of those steps inevitably becomes a goal. BILL YATES:  Okay.  That’s good. ANDY CROWE:  Is this intuitive to most people?  Do they know how to set goals?  Do they walk in with misconceptions?  What do you think? TRICIA MOLLOY:  Huh.

The Podcast for Project Managers Evolution of the Business Analyst   Table of Contents: 0:47 … Meet Laura 1:49 … Evolution of BA functions 3:00 … Value of BA on a project 6:00 … BA past vs present 8:38 … Types of BA projects today 9:48 … BA and Agile projects 11:50 … Roles of […] The post Episode 67 – Evolution of the Business Analyst appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast for Project Managers Evolution of the Business Analyst   Table of Contents: 0:47 … Meet Laura 1:49 … Evolution of BA functions 3:00 … Value of BA on a project 6:00 … BA past vs present 8:38 … Types of BA projects today 9:48 … BA and Agile projects 11:50 … Roles of the BA on a project 13:41 … Unique challenges for the BA 16:10 … Customer advocate role 18:21 … New skills required today 19:46 … PM transitioning to BA 21:32 … BA processes 23:48 … New skill topics 25:22 … BA training options   NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our time to meet and talk about the things that matter to you as a professional project manager.  Our guests include some of the masters in the field, professionals who have proven themselves and enjoy helping others reach their goals. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who are experts in their own right, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, today we’re going to be talking about the role of the business analyst, and we’ve got the person who literally wrote the book on the subject.   ANDY CROWE:  This is going to be good.  You know, this isn’t the first time we’ve touched on business analysis.  But it intersects so tightly with project management that I don’t know that we can get enough of it.   NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest.  She’s a trainer, course developer, and speaker.  Laura Paton has been a business analyst practitioner for over 32 years, with experience across various industries in both project management and BA roles.  As a consultant in the International Institute of Business Analysis and the Project Management Institute, Laura is also the chair and author for PMI’s “Guide to Business Analysis,” the PMI’s “Business Analysis for Practitioners:  A Practice Guide,” and “A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge.”  She’s the founder of BA Academy, a consulting/training company based in Orlando, Florida.  Laura is passionate about helping organizations and individuals mature and improve their BA skills and practices.  She is with us from Orlando via Skype.  Laura, welcome to Manage This.   LAURA PATON:  Thank you for having me.   Evolution of BA functions   NICK WALKER:  Well, as I mentioned before, we want to talk with you today about business analysis, and specifically the changing role of the business analyst.  How have the primary functions of the BA evolved over the last few years?   LAURA PATON:  I think there’s been quite a bit of an evolution.  Where my mind would go first with that question is thinking about Agile.  I know early on our project teams, when Agile started to become more mainstream outside of software companies, as you know from the framework, “business analyst” is not a role that’s specifically defined.  So many, many years ago BAs started to feel a little bit nervous, didn’t know really where they placed value, whether they would be called to work in these teams. That whole mindset has completely shifted.  And what I mean by that is, whether organizations went forth without the BA, or teams ended up failing on their projects for not focusing enough on business analysis, teams are looking to have BAs engaged from the beginning.  So that has been one area we have seen where BAs are now asked to play a role on an Agile team which in the past, like I said, there was that inconsistency about whether there was a position for them.   Value of BA on a project   ANDY CROWE:  Laura, this is Andy.  I’ve got a question for you.  It was years into my career as a project manager before I worked with a dedicated BA on the team.  So I had never worked with a business analyst.  Explain to our listeners what that value is, what a business analyst will do on a project, kind of how that works.   LAURA PATON:  Sure.  And that’s a really great question because that just shows the evolution of the role, as well.

The Podcast For Project Managers. Table of Contents 00:35 … Meet Steve Kraus 01:27 … Defining Agile / Waterfall 04:38 … How to know which one is working for you? 05:40 … Is Agile right for me? 06:35 … Are PM careers still in demand? 10:00 … In demand skill sets 14:10 … A scrum […] The post Episode 66 – Is Agile Right For me? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

The Podcast For Project Managers. Table of Contents 00:35 … Meet Steve Kraus 01:27 … Defining Agile / Waterfall 04:38 … How to know which one is working for you? 05:40 … Is Agile right for me? 06:35 … Are PM careers still in demand? 10:00 … In demand skill sets 14:10 … A scrum master story 19:00 … Where are you more comfortable? 23:29 … Getting the skills to make the transition 25:55 … Move on, Move up, or Move in? 28:09 … Wrap Up NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to discuss what you have told us matters to you as a professional project manager.  It’s our chance to meet with some of the experts in the field, get inside their heads, and see what has worked for them.  It’s a place to share ideas and philosophies, all with the purpose of improving our own game. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who make this podcast happen, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we’re fortunate enough to have an Agile expert in the house. ANDY CROWE:  And this is going to be a really interesting slice that we’re taking on Agile.  We’re going to be looking at it a little bit differently than traditionally. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our nontraditional guest; all right?  As a Certified Scrum Master and Certified Scaled Agile Coach, Steve Kraus has more than 15 years’ experience assisting organizations in transitioning to the Agile mindset.  As the CIO of a mid-sized company, he led the conversion of their Waterfall-based software construction efforts to an Agile approach.  He served as a senior consultant at Deloitte Consulting, as well as a senior principal with Daugherty Business Solutions.  He’s currently engaged at a major local insurance company, assisting them with Agile training, coaching, and planning, as they begin their Agile journey.  Steve, it’s a privilege to have you with us. STEVE KRAUS:  Thanks. NICK WALKER:  Now, we should probably start off by defining our terms just a little bit.  Waterfall?  Agile?  Let’s get into that just a little bit.  What is Agile, and what is the difference between that and Waterfall? STEVE KRAUS:  Right.  So since the pyramids were built, people have been applying kind of traditional project management approaches; right?  So kind of the classic PMI, PMP certification.  The iron triangle, you know, scope, cost, resources, quality.  How do you make those tradeoffs; right?  And then how do you manage a project using a very structured approach to completion?  That’s kind of classic what people call Waterfall; right? Agile, you know, a lot of folks got together probably in 2002 in a hotel room, literally, and said this ain’t working for us.  We’re seeing a lot of projects that are running over.  Almost all of them.  Many projects fail.  So a lot of money wasted.  And they said, you know, is there – and by the way, one thing we saw a lot of and they saw a lot of was IT kind of getting a black eye.  So I’m an IT person.  I’m not in construction. BILL YATES:  Right. STEVE KRAUS:  I’m not building a Mercedes Benz.  I’m building software.  So IT almost got a bad reputation.  It’s like projects always run over.  Projects never do what they’re supposed to do.  The end result of the project isn’t really all that useful or that much value.  And so Agile kind of said, let’s flip that whole thing on its head.  It’s about value delivery.  The goal is not to finish on-time, on-budget.  The goal is to deliver something of value.  It may not be the entire thing we originally aimed at.  So scope is flexible; right?  Resources are flexible. The second thing Agile kind of brought into the picture was saying, you know, those traditional approaches of let’s design it, let’s build it, let’s test it, right, and then a big bang delivery at the end; right?  No, let’s deliver little pieces of value, and then even change direction based on those pieces.  So love that.  Hate that.

Table of Contents 01:00 …Meet Bill and Matt 01:45 …Home Depot Backyard 09:30 … Arthur Blank 11:43 …Mercedes Benz Stadium 12:30 …LEED Platinum Rating 16:11 …Stadium Planning 22:22 …Bill’s Career Advice 28:22 …Dealing With Stress 37:07 …Surprises Along the Way/Communication 40:07 …In Retrospect/Know Your Managers 44:45 …Wrap Up BILL DARDEN:  That was a neat moment.  […] The post Episode 65 – Touchdown – The Mercedes Benz Stadium and The Home Depot Backyard appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents 01:00 …Meet Bill and Matt 01:45 …Home Depot Backyard 09:30 … Arthur Blank 11:43 …Mercedes Benz Stadium 12:30 …LEED Platinum Rating 16:11 …Stadium Planning 22:22 …Bill’s Career Advice 28:22 …Dealing With Stress 37:07 …Surprises Along the Way/Communication 40:07 …In Retrospect/Know Your Managers 44:45 …Wrap Up BILL DARDEN:  That was a neat moment.  I’ll admit emotions got me that day I walked in.  The fans were let in, if you recall, just to walk around.  And the documentary crew was following.  And I had my family with me.  It just hit me for the first time that all I saw was smiling faces. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we like to meet and talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We draw on the opinions and experiences of experts in the field.  We see what’s worked for them and talk about lessons learned on the job.  We want to help you up your game and your team’s game. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who have made it their mission to improve your game, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we’ve got a full house today.  Two experts. ANDY CROWE:  It is packed in the studio, and the amount of expertise is starting to overflow. NICK WALKER:  All right.  Well, let’s don’t let it overwhelm us; okay?  Let’s meet these two guys here.  First, we’ve got one Bill in the room all the time, but let’s meet the other Bill in the room today.  Bill Darden is the President and CEO of Darden & Company LLC, a full-service project management firm.  Its focus is on the development, design, construction, and tenant improvements for a variety of real estate projects.  Darden’s recent big project was the construction of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the home of the Atlanta Falcons. Also with us is Matt Dale, Vice President of Darden & Company, working especially on the construction of the Home Depot Backyard.  Guys, thanks so much for being with us. MATT DALE:  Thank you for having us. BILL DARDEN:  Thank you. NICK WALKER:  Now, there are a lot of things we want to cover on this podcast in a short time that we have.  Let’s talk first about this latest project, the Home Depot Backyard.  We’re talking about 11 acres of green space adjacent to the stadium for gathering and tailgating.  Matt, let’s start with you.  What’s the vision for this space? MATT DALE:  Yeah, so since starting on the project of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and joining the team back in 2013, even early renderings and early planning included a green space and a community asset where the Backyard is currently being constructed.  So Arthur’s original vision was not only to have a collegiate atmosphere of just camaraderie and tailgating where the Backyard will now stand, but more importantly was to have a community asset and several amenities that the Westside could utilize on nonevent days.  And that’s 300 days a year where they’ll be able to go over there, have yoga, playgrounds, picnics, farmers’ markets, arts festivals, you name it.  They’ve got a whole team all working together to try to create a vision.  And that has always been Arthur’s vision is giving back to the Westside. BILL YATES:  So have you already contracted with different groups besides those on game day? MATT DALE:  On almost a daily basis we have a tour of a different group, be it a concert, a yoga group, a nonprofit, anything that’s a charity fundraiser.  It’s constant. ANDY CROWE:  It’s like Piedmont Park West. MATT DALE:  That’s right, yeah. BILL YATES:  Who is going to manage that?  Like who do you hand this over to once you guys have completed the project? MATT DALE:  Very similar to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, we’ll hand it over to AMB Sports & Entertainment.  And they operate the Backyard, while Georgia World Congress Center owns the land.

Table of Contents Wayne Intro………………………………………………..…..…..00:39 The Challenges of Remote Leadership……………….……01:38 The Human Dynamic………………………………….……..….03:26 Leading Remotely is Leading differently…………..…..…05:02 Advantages of Remote Teams……………..….….………..…08:02 Organizations Struggling with Remote Teams? ……….10:37 Tools: Richness vs. Scope of Media…………………..…..…12:59 3 Dimensional vs 2 Dimensional Communication……..22:41 Use Technology to Build Relationships………..…….……25:21 Where to find Wayne………………………………………..……31:08 NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, […] The post Episode 64 – Virtual Teams: Are You in a Long Distance Relationship? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents Wayne Intro………………………………………………..…..…..00:39 The Challenges of Remote Leadership………….......…...01:38 The Human Dynamic………………………………….……..….03:26 Leading Remotely is Leading differently……….....…..…05:02 Advantages of Remote Teams………….....….….………..…08:02 Organizations Struggling with Remote Teams? ….......10:37 Tools: Richness vs. Scope of Media…………......…..…..…12:59 3 Dimensional vs 2 Dimensional Communication….....22:41 Use Technology to Build Relationships………..…....…...25:21 Where to find Wayne…………………………………….....……31:08 NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to sit down and talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We get inside the heads of people who are doing the job and doing it well.  We talk with them about leadership, we talk about methods, and we talk about what works and what doesn’t work, all with the purpose of learning and improving our game. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are the two guys who never stop learning, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, I’m anxious to hear what we can learn from our guest today. ANDY CROWE:  You know, I definitely think there are things we can learn today.  We’re going to be diving into remote leadership, long-distance leadership, remote teams, that kind of thing.  And it’s going to be very informative.  I can feel it. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest.  Wayne Turmel is the cofounder of the Remote Leadership Institute and the author of many books, including Association for Talent Development’s “10 Steps to Successful Virtual Presentations.”  He also coauthored a book with Kevin Eikenberry, “The Long-Distance Leader:  Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership.”  Wayne and Kevin cofounded the Remote Leadership Institute to help remote leaders succeed in a virtual workplace.  And Wayne, I think it’s appropriate that we are speaking to you remotely today from Chicago.  Thank you so much for being here with us on Manage This. WAYNE TURMEL:  I’m delighted to be here, guys.  This is going to be fun. NICK WALKER:  Now, you state in your book that today, according to the Project Management Institute, 90 percent of project teams have at least one member, usually more, who aren’t colocated with the rest of the team.  Remote leading, that’s got to be a challenge.  What are some of the challenges of it? WAYNE TURMEL:  Sure.  Well, you know, you’re more likely to find pandas mating in the wild than a project manager that has all their people in one place anymore.  So it’s absolutely – this is now a fundamental skill, right, that we need to get our mitts around.  On one level, not much has changed.  I mean, if you look at the job of the PM, what’s the job; right?  We need to help figure out scope.  We need to assign resources.  We need to coach periodically.  All the stuff that we need to do.  Nothing’s changed.  I mean, Peter Drucker said the greatest project job of all time was building the pyramids, and we’ve just been trying to live up to that ever since. BILL YATES:  Right. WAYNE TURMEL:  The difference, of course, is the guy who built the pyramids was at the pyramids.  He wasn’t trying to flog people by email.  So if we think about what we have to do, in many ways it’s not that different.  What has changed radically is how we do it.  We’re now forced to communicate through technology, which fundamentally changes the way people interact.  It changes the human dynamic.  And I know a lot of PMs get real nervous when we talk about human dynamic, right, because it’s all about process.  But the fact of the matter is that communicating through technology is radically different than the way we were born and raised to communicate.  And some people adapt naturally, and others need to be very mindful of how we do that. ANDY CROWE:  You know, Wayne, it’s interesting because I think for a long time,

Table of Contents 1. Meet Stephen 2. The Telos Corporation 3. Addressing adversity with excellence 4. Cut and Run vs Building trust 5. Get the 1st call when news is bad 6. Intellectual and Emotional courage 7. Creating Desire 8. Communicating respect 9. Get in touch with Stephen Time 00:46 02:28 02:49 06:15 09:00 13:50 […] The post Episode 63 – When Trouble Hits, Will Your Team Call You? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents 1. Meet Stephen 2. The Telos Corporation 3. Addressing adversity with excellence 4. Cut and Run vs Building trust 5. Get the 1st call when news is bad 6. Intellectual and Emotional courage 7. Creating Desire 8. Communicating respect 9. Get in touch with Stephen Time 00:46 02:28 02:49 06:15 09:00 13:50 17:37 24:25 27:09   NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to discuss what matters to you in the field of project management.  We talk with the movers and shakers, those who have been through the wringer, PMs just like you, about their successes and their failures, too. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the guys with a long string of successes behind them, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Bill, we have somebody with us via Skype from Tampa, Florida, someone who has been a leader in just multiple capacities. BILL YATES:  Yes.  Steve, we are so excited to have you as our guest.  You’ve got experiences recently in the private sector.  But for 28 years you served our country.  We thank you for that, and I’ll let Nick describe more of that.  But welcome to the show. STEVE CORCORAN:  Thank you. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, let’s meet Steve.  Well, Steve Corcoran retired from the United States Marine Corps after 28 years of active service.  In that time he was recognized for distinguished service in combat and peacetime.  Steve is now the Chief of Cyber Strategy for the Telos Corporation, successfully taking his leadership knowledge from the Marine Corps, and also from the National Outdoor Leadership School, into a corporate environment.  He mentors other veterans transitioning into the civilian workforce and sits on the Board of Directors for Warriors at Ease.  Steve, thanks so much for joining us here on Manage This. STEVE CORCORAN:  Thank you for having me. NICK WALKER:  I am intrigued that you’ve made that transition from a career in the military to a career in the corporate world, and that you actually help others in that transition, as well.  Was that an easy transition for you?  Did it come naturally? STEVE CORCORAN:  Well, you know, I was very fortunate.  You know, United States Marine Corps is what I considered a bubble of excellence.  And when I made my transition, I left the United States Marine Corps, I just lifted up another bubble of excellence and walked into that, which was the Telos Corporation.  And that for me was a very, very easy transition.  And I didn’t realize that, you know, until quite a few years.  I’ve been with them for six years.  And they’re absolutely a phenomenal organization on many different levels.  But the reason why I’m staying with them is because of the leadership that is there and the lessons that they’ve taught me.  And what I’ve been able to do is take those lessons and impart them to veterans and to other individuals that are transitioning in. BILL YATES:  Let me ask a quick question.  What does that company do?  What do you do?  What do you do, and what does the company do at Telos? STEVE CORCORAN:  Telos is a top 25 internationally ranked cybersecurity company, and we primarily work in cybersecurity, standard cybersecurity.  We work in mobility and also identity management. BILL YATES:  Excellent.  Steve, when we were talking before, one of the things that you said you realized after you had transitioned from a long military career was you realized, okay, wow.  I benefited from years and years of leadership excellence.  I had excellent leaders I worked with.  I had excellent training.  I had excellent preparation.  And then when you moved into the private sector you were fortunate enough to find that again.  And two of the key words that you’ve said that really stick to me is what made that clear to you was how the organization handled adversity and uncertainty.  So tell us, in your transition,

Table of Contents Kupe intro……………………………………………………..00:46 The BA and PM coexistence…………………………..05:45 The greatest value a BA can deliver……………….10:00 Helping others make decisions………………………11:22 Lean BA & Course………………………………………….14:10 Learning from Amazon 70% Rule……………………18:32 Agile………………………………………………………………20:09 Decision Responsibility Matrix….……………………21:40 Role of culture in an organization…………………..24:10 Taking a hit and the outcome……………………….26:00 Where to find Kupe………………………………………30:40 KUPE KUPERSMITH:  The moral of […] The post Episode 62 – BAs and PMs: Decision Making for Superheroes appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Table of Contents Kupe intro……………………………………………………..00:46 The BA and PM coexistence…………………………..05:45 The greatest value a BA can deliver……………….10:00 Helping others make decisions………………………11:22 Lean BA & Course………………………………………….14:10 Learning from Amazon 70% Rule……………………18:32 Agile………………………………………………………………20:09 Decision Responsibility Matrix....……………………21:40 Role of culture in an organization…………………..24:10 Taking a hit and the outcome……………………….26:00 Where to find Kupe………………………………………30:40 KUPE KUPERSMITH:  The moral of the story is you’ve got to keep your eyes open for opportunities and say yes when they come about. NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This!, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Twice a month we get together to talk about the world of project management, and what matters to you is part of that world.  We talk with experts, veterans in the field, and those who are finding creative ways to take the profession to the next level. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the guys you might say are at a level of their own, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, I cannot wait to see what today’s guest holds for us. ANDY CROWE:  This is going to be a good one.  You know, Kupe is kind of famous around the office here, and so a lot of people know him.  He’s got a good reputation.  And I’m really eager to get into this new topic for us of business analysis. NICK WALKER:  Well, we should mention that we recently took a survey of our listeners, and one of the topics they requested was the subject of business analysis.  So today’s podcast is a result of those requests.  So let’s meet him. Kupe Kupersmith is an accountant, an IT consultant, a writer, speaker, coach, trainer, and improv comedian.  He helps individuals and businesses achieve their goals through focusing on professional skills, business analysis, project management, and leadership skills.  Kupe is the author of “Business Analysis for Dummies” and is known throughout the industry as someone who can make you laugh while learning.  He has stated that one of his life’s goals is to meet everyone.  Kupe, we’re bringing you just a little bit closer to that goal here today.  It’s great to have you here on Manage This. KUPE KUPERSMITH:  And I’m excited to be here. NICK WALKER:  Now, I think we need to talk about that unique combination first of business coach and improv comedian.  How did that come about? KUPE KUPERSMITH:  Yeah, I think it all started – well, I think I’ll start with the end in mind.  The moral of the story is you’ve got to keep your eyes open for opportunities and say yes when they come about.  So I was 17 years old, didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, and was going to college and didn’t know what major to pick.  And my dad said:  “Jonathan, you love math.  Why don’t you become an accountant?  Everybody needs an accountant.  You’ll have a good job, benefits.”  I was like, “Okay, Dad, I’ll become an accountant.” So I went to school for an accounting degree.  I got my degree.  Was pretty bored along the way but thought, you know what, I graduated.  Now I’ve got to use this degree.  And sometimes, I hate to admit it, but what do all good accountants try to do in the end?  They try to get their CPA exam.  So I’m two years into my career, sit for the CPA exam, and I still think I’m on record as being the best failure of the CPA exam. BILL YATES:  That’s an honor. KUPE KUPERSMITH:  I knew that was kind of like the tipping point for me of, okay, well, you know, I wasn’t too excited about this career.  Maybe I need to look into something else.  And I had this creative itch.  So I kind of looked into becoming a comedian.  I was actually, you know, in the early ‘90s there was a lot of standup comedy in Atlanta.  So I went to a show, and it was like, I think I can do that.  Well, I failed at standup comedy as well as I did the CPA exam.  But... ANDY CROWE:  A debit and a credit walk into a bar...

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to talk about the things that matter to you as a professional project manager.  And it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a PM veteran or someone simply exploring what the field is all about.  We’re […] The post Episode 61 – Artificial Intelligence: Supercharging Project Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to talk about the things that matter to you as a professional project manager.  And it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a PM veteran or someone simply exploring what the field is all about.  We’re here to offer some ideas, some perspective, and draw on the experiences of others who have been down that road and have realized success. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two who are still on that road, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. ANDY CROWE:  Thanks, Nick.  We’ve had so much interest in the topic of artificial intelligence within project management, and we’ve got somebody here who knows a lot about AI who’s going to be processing that with us. NICK WALKER:  Our guest here in the studio is Chris Benson.  He’s an artificial intelligence machine learning strategist, a solution architect, and a keynote speaker who specializes in deep learning.  That’s the computation technology that is driving the artificial intelligence revolution. Chris is the co-host of the Practical AI podcast, produced by Changelog Media, designed to make artificial intelligence practical, productive, and accessible to everyone.  He’s the founder and organizer of the Atlanta Deep Learning Meetup, one of the largest AI communities in the world, with nearly 2,000 members.  Chris, it’s great to have you here on our podcast. CHRIS BENSON:  Thank you very much.  Happy to be here. NICK WALKER:  Could we start off by just defining for our listeners what artificial intelligence is? CHRIS BENSON:  So artificial intelligence means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  In my view it’s really a marketing word more than it is anything else because over the years the definition of artificial intelligence has changed and evolved.  So what you might have thought of in the 1980s is vastly different from what it is in 2018.  So before I define it, I want to point out I was in a group of artificial intelligence experts that Adobe was hosting about six weeks ago.  And in doing that, they asked us all that same question; and all 10 of us gave 10 different answers. ANDY CROWE:  Well, and the joke is, if you ask two economists for a definition, you get three answers. CHRIS BENSON:  Absolutely. ANDY CROWE:  Same idea, huh. CHRIS BENSON:  Yup.  So it was very much that.  So I wanted to note that.  Take what I say with a grain of salt. ANDY CROWE:  What do you think it is, yeah. CHRIS BENSON:  So what I think it is, is a narrow definition.  I would consider that in 2018 artificial intelligence is synonymous with deep learning, which is the application of deep neural networks. ANDY CROWE:  Interesting.  Well, learning is certainly a part of AI that I think that’s almost a universal component that goes across most definitions.  Most definitions talk about the ability to imitate intelligence and things like that, imitate human intellect.  But that ability to learn and grow as a neural network is an interesting part of it.  So how do machines learn? CHRIS BENSON:  So there’s different techniques.  And those all broadly fall under the definition of machine learning.  The thing that separates deep learning, which is how I’m defining AI, from the rest is that it can take an enormous number of inputs – we call them “features” in data science – and process them in a highly nonlinear manner and give inferences, which are essentially probabilistic predictions on what the answer might be. For instance, to make it real:  If you have machine vision, and you are putting a cat in front of the camera, and it will come back and identify that it thinks it’s a cat.  It might come back 97 percent.  But the difference is these technologies aren’t going to come back with 100 percent.  They’re probabilistic technologies.  But they can make these identifications using a model that is many orders of magnitude ...

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s our chance to meet with you and discuss what really matters in the world of project management, whether you’re new to the field or have been doing it for decades.  We want to encourage you and challenge you, to cheer […] The post Episode 60 – Intentional Teambuilding: Are You Producing Winning Teams? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s our chance to meet with you and discuss what really matters in the world of project management, whether you’re new to the field or have been doing it for decades.  We want to encourage you and challenge you, to cheer you on and help you avoid some of the pitfalls that can come along the way.  We talk to the experts, people who have gone before us, so we can benefit from their experiences and their successes. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the guys who make it all happen here, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. ANDY CROWE:  Nick, it’s great to be here today, and I’m really excited about this ‘cast. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  Spoiler alert, it’s very possible that we’re going to laugh some today.  Our guest is Sean Glaze, an author, speaker, and teambuilding facilitator who is all about inspiring groups to have fun laughing together so they can have more success working together.  He’s the author of three books:  “The Unexpected Leader,” “Rapid Teamwork,” and “The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates.” Sean has been a successful basketball coach, an educator for more than 20 years, and in that time has gained some valuable insights into how to develop winning teams.  He’s the founder of Great Results Teambuilding, which he uses to share those lessons all over the country, through entertaining speaking engagements and teambuilding events.  Sean, thanks for joining us here on Manage This. SEAN GLAZE:  Appreciate it, Nick.  Looking forward to being here and sharing some great information with your audience. NICK WALKER:  Sean, I’m always fascinated how skills developed in one area can transfer over into others.  For example, when did you realize that the lessons you’ve learned from years of coaching basketball could translate well to business leaders? SEAN GLAZE:  That is a tremendous question.  And honestly, it was probably about eight years into my coaching career when I realized I wasn’t as good a coach as I thought.  I had spent most of that first decade as a coach, like many project leaders, like many team leaders regardless of industry, focused on strategy.  And for basketball, that’s X’s and O’s, and that’s skill development and strategy.  And you realize after you go through a couple of seasons where you know you’ve not gotten as much out of your talent as you should have that there’s something missing.  And what I had neglected for nearly a decade was culture. And everybody has probably heard culture eats strategy for breakfast, but as a young coach I had never heard that.  But I certainly lived it.  And so the eye-opening mirror moment for me was recognizing, at the end of a really tough losing season, I’m going to have to change if I want my team to change.  And leading teams as a project manager, as a coach, you realize that strategy is what you want to do.  Culture determines how well your people are going to do it.  And so the relationships and connections that I then began to focus on made us far more successful in the future.  And I realized that what I had done with my team could hopefully help other leaders with their teams, regardless of athletics or business or others. ANDY CROWE:  You know, as I listen to this, Sean, I’m thinking, strategy you could change over a long weekend.  But culture is a slow turning ship a lot of times to turn that around.  And especially if you’ve got a toxic culture or a problematic culture, to reframe that in a positive way takes a lot of time and tremendous energy. SEAN GLAZE:  Absolutely.  And that’s something I think first as a leader you need to know what it is you want.  Because if I don’t have clarity about what I want my culture to be and what actually constitutes culture, I can’t deliver that or influence that on my team.  So a lot of my growth as a leader was me educating myself.  And hopefully those are some things that I’ll be able to share toda...

“I always like to say that common sense and respect get you about 90 percent there to avoid sexual harassment claims.” – Sarah Lamar NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet and talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  Whether […] The post Episode 59 – Sexual Harassment and #MeToo: Advice to Project Managers appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

"I always like to say that common sense and respect get you about 90 percent there to avoid sexual harassment claims." - Sarah Lamar NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet and talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  Whether you’re a newcomer to the field or a seasoned professional, we offer opinions, advice, and real-life experiences from those who are right there in the trenches right now and those who have been there before. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two who have been there before and lived to tell about it, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And today, Andy, we’re going to lay down the law when it comes to business and corporate environments. ANDY CROWE:  You know what, Nick, we’re really fortunate to have an expert in an area that’s on a lot of people’s minds these days. NICK WALKER:  Our guest is Sarah Lamar, a partner with the Savannah law firm of HunterMaclean, where she practices in the area of employment law.  Sarah has experience in state and federal courts in the areas of discrimination, harassment, wage-hour questions, breach of contract, and tort claims.  She also conducts in-house training for employers and advises clients on a variety of employment law issues, including immigration and affirmative action. She received her B.A. degree from Yale University and her law degree from Emory University.  Sarah is currently the co-chair of the State of Georgia Society for Human Resource Management: Government Affairs Committee; and a past chair of Alpha International, a global legal networking organization.  Sarah, it is a privilege to have you here with us on Manage This. SARAH LAMAR:  Well, thank you.  I’m thrilled to be here. NICK WALKER:  Now, there are so many topics that we hope to get into, and we could get into right off the bat.  But maybe this would be a good place to start.  We’ve seen over the past year so many publicized cases of sexual harassment and discrimination as more individuals come forward with complaints.  Is this a problem that is becoming more widespread, or is it just simply the reporting and the prosecution of it that’s increased? SARAH LAMAR:  Well, that’s a good question.  I think that for the most part this is an issue that has just been more widely reported, and the awareness of harassment has increased over the last, really, only since about October 15th, which was when the #MeToo movement went viral.  And in fact it had been a movement.  It was a thing before October 15th.  The movement #MeToo was started in ‘06 by an activist trying to address sexual harassment and abuse.  But when the actress Alyssa Milano tweeted on October 15th words to the effect of, “If you’ve been harassed or abused, tweet back #MeToo,” that’s when it really took off and went viral.  And that tweet was about a complaint regarding Harvey Weinstein that had been reported in the media. NICK WALKER:  Do you think there are still some people who don’t really understand what sexual harassment is?  I mean, is there a working definition we can go with? SARAH LAMAR:  Well, yes.  There’s a working legal definition.  And I’ll spare you the legal geekdom on all of that.  But the essence of it is that someone is subject to unwelcome harassment, unwelcome behavior based on sex, that creates a severe and pervasive change in their working environment.  And then there has to be a way for the employer to become liable.  That’s the definition that comes from federal civil rights law.  There are some other definitions that come into play with criminal law or other claims.  But that’s the fundamental definition.  Were you subjected to unwelcome conduct that severely and pervasively interfered with your working environment?  And essentially was the employer involved, or did they know about it? NICK WALKER:  Now, this is something obviously that project managers need to be aware of.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week time to meet and discuss what matters to you as a professional in the field of project management.  We talk about trends in the profession.  We share opinions and perspectives.  And we pick the brains of some […] The post Episode 58 – Scrum and Working with Humans appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week time to meet and discuss what matters to you as a professional in the field of project management.  We talk about trends in the profession.  We share opinions and perspectives.  And we pick the brains of some of the best in the business, getting to the heart of what motivates them and what makes them successful. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me is the one who is never hesitant to share his opinion, Andy Crowe.  Bill Yates is on vacation; so Andy, it’s all on you today. ANDY CROWE:  And I’ve got an opinion about Bill choosing to take a vacation, but yeah. NICK WALKER:  Uh-huh.  Well, today we are privileged to talk with someone who has built her reputation on bringing out the best in people.  Kim Brainard is a trainer, a coach, a facilitator, and consultant.  It is her passion to help organizations and individuals develop a vision for their potential growth and development.  Through her company, Agile Brain, she utilizes creative tactics and street-style coaching that brings out the best in people.  Kim has over eight years of Agile experience, and 15 years of experience in IT project planning, implementation, and execution.  She is a certified Scrum professional and an active participant in the Scrum Alliance community Kim is also the founder of Santa Pays It Forward, a nonprofit organization committed to giving back to elderly men and women who are without family and in need.  She implements the Scrum framework and Agile principles to make the organization successful.  Kim joins us from the Washington, D.C. area.  And Kim, thank you so much for being here on Manage This. KIM BRAINARD:  Andy and Nick, thank you so much for having me.  Happy Monday. NICK WALKER:  Over the years, Kim, you have become what some people have called the “People Whisperer,” connecting with people on an intimate, individual level.  What is it about your techniques that have earned you that name? KIM BRAINARD:  So it’s very interesting.  In fact, I just had a meeting last week with someone I had interviewed for a position with a client.  And one of the things they said was, “Well, we felt maybe you would never act that way or be that way in front of a client.”  And I said, “Oh, I’m sorry, which way is that?”  And they said, “Well, you were a little goofy, and it almost just seemed like I was sitting down with you, and we were just having a good time.  Would you really act that way at a client site?”  I said, “Absolutely.” That’s why I say I’m a little unconventional, because it’s about humanizing work.  Sometimes we get dressed up in our three-piece suits and our heels, and we go out, especially in the D.C. area, and we speak one way, but we mean the other.  And what I mean about meaning the other is humanizing what we do and say.  And so we all get dressed and go in to work, but let’s not forget to be human.  And so my approach to things is let’s sit down and form relationships and build relationships.  Let’s get to know one another so we can have a sense of trust.  And so that’s what it’s – it’s just whispering, “Let’s be human to one another.” ANDY CROWE:  You know, Kim, I started my career when I was in college, co-oping with IBM.  And that was a really amazing experience.  But it’s funny because I did not at that point get the importance of being human.  It almost felt like everybody there was on their “A” game all the time, that they were so incredibly professional.  And again, this is in the ’80s, and things have changed with IBM.  IBM’s an amazingly resilient and adaptive organization, so they aren’t the same as they were then.  But I was intimidated to no end.  And I never wanted to bring anything personal into that office.  I was all work, all the time. KIM BRAINARD:  Oh, yeah. NICK WALKER:  It seems like this is almost a paradigm shift maybe for some organizations.  Is it?

MIKE GOSS:  I believe that everything in life in one way or another is a project.  So if that’s true, how do I increase my chances of it being successful, and who can I help with it? NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we […] The post Episode 57 – The Ups and the Downs: From Elevators to Aircraft appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

MIKE GOSS:  I believe that everything in life in one way or another is a project.  So if that’s true, how do I increase my chances of it being successful, and who can I help with it? NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we get together to talk about the ins and outs of project management and what matters to you as a professional in the field.  We’ll talk with some of the leaders in project management to find out what motivates them, what drives them to succeed, and to get some encouragement and inspiration from them. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two main motivators around here, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Bill, today we have with us via Skype someone who has made it a life goal to inspire people. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  And Mike, I’m excited about having you on this ‘cast because you’ve been entertaining our operations team for weeks and weeks and weeks.  I can always tell when they’re on the phone with you, so I’m looking forward to this. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet Mike.  He has held sales and leadership positions with four multinational companies, several small and mid-size businesses, and three of his own businesses.  He’s an accomplished sales trainer, a project management trainer, contract project manager, speaker, and author.  And one of Mike’s lifetime goals is to reach 10 million people with a message of hope and inspiration.  Today he’ll get a little closer to that goal right here in our studio.  Mike, via Skype from Portland, Oregon, it’s great to have you with us here on Manage This. MIKE GOSS:  Well, I’m honored to be here.  I'm glad I was invited because this – Velociteach, Andy Crowe, Bill Yates – this is the big-time.  I got invited to the big-time.  Hallelujah. NICK WALKER:  Well, you know, that goal of reaching 10 million people might seem unusual to a lot of people.  Why did you set that particular goal? MIKE GOSS:  A few years ago I had open heart surgery.  I had chest pains and didn’t tell my wife.  And when she finally found out, things happened, and suddenly I’m having a five-way heart bypass.  When I woke up, I checked around, and I said, “I’m still alive.”  I wiggled my toes.  They're still working.  I tried my fingers.  They're still working.  I couldn’t talk because they had these huge things down my throat.  But I thought, you know, I must be here for a reason.  God must still not be done with me. So I set a goal to see how many people I could enrich.  And if you’re going to make a goal, you might as well make a big one.  I didn’t set out to enrich 10 people.  I set out to enrich 10 million in one way or another.  And when I speak or when I create a course or when I’m teaching boot camps, it’s all about making the other person better off.  I want to be able to say I did something; I made my mark by helping others. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s go way back.  Way back, I guess, even when the first little seeds of your career began to be planted.  You had the nickname of “Otis” in junior high school and in high school.  Tell us why. MIKE GOSS:  I lived in Pendleton, which had a total of four elevators – Pendleton, Oregon.  But I was always fascinated by the box moving up and down with people or materials in it, the counterweight behind it, all the mechanical and electronic things that had to happen to make it work.  I was fascinated with it, and I always talked about it.  My friends got very tired of listening to it.  I made scale model elevators and entered them in science fair projects.  It just went on and on.  And eventually I got to work for my dream company, Otis Elevator. NICK WALKER:  As a matter of fact, I understand one of your usernames is ElevatorFan.  Would that be true of you? MIKE GOSS:  Well, yes.  When I was setting up my account in Skype it said, “What handle do you want?”  And I, well, thinking Otis, somebody took Otis.  So I said ElevatorFan.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to discuss what matters to you in the wide and diverse field of project management.  It’s our chance to reflect on our purpose; to take stock in how we’re doing; and, when needed, challenge ourselves […] The post Episode 56 – Creating a Culture: The “Why” in Strategy appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to discuss what matters to you in the wide and diverse field of project management.  It’s our chance to reflect on our purpose; to take stock in how we’re doing; and, when needed, challenge ourselves to step it up.  We talk with project managers about real-life situations.  We pick their brains to discover their ideas and motivations and find out what has worked for them. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two main brains of the outfit, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And today, Andy, we’re talking with the guy who literally wrote the book on measuring strategic gold. ANDY CROWE:  Nick, I have been looking forward to this all week, just to get into the topic of strategy, to look at it; and to also look at it from a project management standpoint. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s get right to it.  Joining us via Skype is David Barrett, a professional speaker, a regular blogger, a podcast host, an education advisor, and author of five books.  His career includes the creation and directing of a conference business; a training company; a software development firm; a speakers bureau; and, most recently, a TED-style event series for project professionals across North America.  He specializes in helping people and organizations manage the uncertainty by creating healthy projects and strategies.  David Barrett, thanks so much for joining us today here on Manage This. DAVID BARRETT:  I’m thrilled to be here, gentlemen.  Great to join you. NICK WALKER:  You’ve recently coauthored a new book, coming out just in a few days, titled “Seven Elements of Strategy Execution.”  David, what prompted this book?  How did it come about? DAVID BARRETT:  Well, 25, almost 30 years later into this business, and things have changed a lot.  It’s no longer build it on time, on scope, on budget for all of us project managers.  The day is now here where we’re being asked to step it up, to be more involved in the organization, to add value, and to be more than just the tickbox project manager that many of us grew up to know.  So this whole piece of strategy is, in my mind, a natural evolution on many different fronts.  I think it’s now to everyone’s benefit, to everyone’s favor to start understanding why we’re doing the work we’re doing. And this portfolio of work that we’re managing and working on is huge.  It’s mission critical.  It’s driving the business.  And so the day has come that we’re being asked, and we should be asking, why are we doing this?  How does it fit into the strategic plan?  So this is the connection of the work of all of us, of this wonderful community of project managers worldwide, to the “why.”  In my opinion, just to that one word.  Why are we doing this?  How does this fit into the bigger picture?  And that’s a strategic plan. ANDY CROWE:  I’ve heard it said before, David, that a man with a “why” can defeat a man with a “what” any day. DAVID BARRETT:  Absolutely.  The “what” is important.  The “what” is important to know, to see that vision down at the end of the road.  But just to drive us down to some object is not going to work.  It never has.  It never will.  But to give us purpose to build, which gives us passion for what we are doing, it’s so important today.  You know, we’re no longer staying with these organizations for many days, for our lives.  We have options.  So on both fronts it’s important that we’re connected. BILL YATES:  That’s true.  David, I’ve seen this with PMI, as well.  They’ve really, as they look at the performance that leads to exceptional project managers, those who are able to recognize the why, to see that context and understand how strategy influences their day-to-day decisions, they bring more value to their organization.  I think even of the Talent Triangle when PMI rolled that out.  Strategy is really, you know, it’s named a little bit differently.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we meet in an effort to get to the heart of what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We do that by talking with some of the leaders in the field, sharing their successes and sometimes […] The post Episode 55 – Project Management: Leading Teams On and Off the Field appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we meet in an effort to get to the heart of what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We do that by talking with some of the leaders in the field, sharing their successes and sometimes their failures.  And we dig deep to find out what motivates them to be at their best. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who are always at their best, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, our guest in the studio today will be familiar to football fans, but he’s actually moved on to a different field. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, and we’ve got a lot of energy in this small podcast studio today, though.  We’re kind of bursting at the seams.  It’s a good thing. NICK WALKER:  But you know it’s not every day that we can refer to a former NFL star as “Doctor.” TOMMY JACKSON:  Ah, that’s what I’m told, that’s what I’m told. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, but Dr. Tommy Jackson was a defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs.  He now serves as the Director of Advising for University College at Kennesaw State University.  Jackson holds five university degrees.  Count ‘em:  a Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, a Master of Education, and a Doctorate in Philosophy and Adult Education with Higher Education Administration. TOMMY JACKSON:  A lot of “tions,” right. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, yeah. ANDY CROWE:  That’s a long business card, my friend. BILL YATES:  It’s typical for a football player. NICK WALKER:  Of course, yeah, exactly. TOMMY JACKSON:  That’s why you just put “T.J.” on the card.  It makes it so much easier. NICK WALKER:  Well, you know, as a student at Auburn University, Dr. Jackson received an All-SEC honor both in football and in academics.  As a television sports analyst, he’s been nominated for an Emmy Award.  And in between his work in education he was also the program director for the at-risk student program within the city school system in Opelika, Alabama, his hometown.  Dr. Tommy Jackson, it’s a pleasure to have you with us here on Manage This. TOMMY JACKSON:  I am so glad to be here. Thank you for having me. Truly, truly. NICK WALKER:  You had a stellar career in football, both at Auburn University and for two NFL teams.  And in that career you developed, should I say, a reputation for destroying your opponents on the field.  But also you have a passion for building people up. TOMMY JACKSON:  Yeah. NICK WALKER:  And helping them succeed in life.  How do you sort of reconcile those two extremes? TOMMY JACKSON:  You know, because it’s very funny, you have to basically have the same mentality for both, whether you know that or not; right?  And people are like, wait, what do you mean?  Hold on, I’m going to explain it. No, working with people is something that takes a lot of – it takes having a passion for it.  And that’s something I’ve always had, whether it was playing football, whether it was working with students, you have to have a great passion for it because in order for you to be successful at anything, you have to have a high degree of passion, and you have to have a high degree of education.  And that doesn’t necessarily mean degrees from that standpoint.  But it’s like having an understanding of what you’re doing.  That’s what really – that’s what buys your credibility.  People are able to say, “Ah, he’s done it.  He’ll do it.”  And these are just things I’ve done over life. So, yeah, I enjoy football that way.  I was always in the classroom.  I was always looking at video.  I was always studying my opponent.  And it’s the same thing you do when you work at a university or you work in the private sector.  You’re going to study.  You’re going to study your opponents.  You’re going to study everything you do. BILL YATES:  Can we call you Tommy?

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We take time every couple of weeks to get together and talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  It’s one of the ways we try to keep the fires burning, keep you motivated, and keep you at […] The post Episode 54-Overcoming Uncertainty in Consolidations appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We take time every couple of weeks to get together and talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  It’s one of the ways we try to keep the fires burning, keep you motivated, and keep you at your best.  And one of the ways we do that is by talking with people who are out there doing the stuff of project management, people who don’t just watch things happen, but make things happen. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who are always making something happen, and it’s usually good stuff, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, our guest in the studio brings a wealth of knowledge in the fields of technology and education today. ANDY CROWE:  Nick, one of the best things about this job is we get to interact with some really bright people.  And I think we’ve taken that up a notch today. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, no doubt about that.  Dr. Elke Leeds is the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs responsible for technology-enhanced learning at Kennesaw State University, north of Atlanta, the third largest university in the state of Georgia.  Before taking on that duty, she played a key role in developing the first online degree program at Kennesaw State.  She holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems and is actively engaged in research relating to student retention, engagement strategies, and teaching competencies.  Dr. Leeds, thanks for joining us here on Manage This. ELKE LEEDS: Oh, Nick, my pleasure. NICK WALKER:  Well, first let’s talk a little bit about Kennesaw State University because it doesn’t have the maybe national reputation on the national stage of the... ANDY CROWE:  Easy, Nick, you’re talking about my alma mater here. NICK WALKER:  Oh, is that right?  Oh, okay. ELKE LEEDS:  Let’s go with “not yet,” or maybe it’s got more of a... NICK WALKER:  Yet, not yet. BILL YATES:  They’re not on ESPN as much. NICK WALKER:  That’s right, exactly.  I mean, football fans... ELKE LEEDS:  ESPN3.  We’re on ESPN3. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, and we won our conference in football this year.  So, yeah, let’s... BILL YATES:  Okay, okay. NICK WALKER:  All right, okay.  Sorry.  All right, sorry.  Okay.  Didn’t mean to offend here.  But granted, okay, football fans nationwide, they know the University of Georgia, the football powerhouse traditionally at Georgia Tech.  But Kennesaw State University in terms of number of students is just right up there. ELKE LEEDS:  Nick, we’ve got over 36,000 students right now.  We’ve grown, in the last 15 years since I’ve been there, from 15 to 36-plus thousand students, 10 academic degree-granting colleges, national prominence in business and cybersecurity, engineering, nursing.  The institution is just amazing.  And we’ve actually just learned we have one of the highest conversion rates from applicants to acceptances.  When students apply to Kennesaw State, they are intent on coming here. NICK WALKER:  So it’s grown, obviously.  I mean, people here in the area have seen the growth right before their very eyes.  But it’s also grown in terms of a merger with another local university, and you were a big part of that. ELKE LEEDS:  Yup.  Kennesaw State is what we, I guess back in 2013, when – and we call it a “consolidation.”  I think the system really didn’t want to think of it as a merger.  They wanted to think about two institutions coming together to form a new university.  And that’s Southern Polytechnic State University, which is about 10 miles south of Kennesaw off of I‑75, and Kennesaw State University.  So it really took two incredibly fine institutions and made them one much larger, much more prominent, and much more impactful institution. NICK WALKER:  And in your position, obviously, you were right in the thick of that from the very beginning. ELKE LEEDS:  I was right in the thick of that.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week meeting to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  Our aim is not just to help you survive, but also help you grow in your talent and your influence.  We talk to those […] The post Episode 53 – Get Lean – Eliminating Waste from Our Projects appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week meeting to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  Our aim is not just to help you survive, but also help you grow in your talent and your influence.  We talk to those who have been through the wringer and come out on top, people who want to share their successes and their failures with you. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two success stories, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we welcome back to Manage This a friend and a colleague. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, Alan Zucker.  I’m excited he’s back here.  The last time we were talking about Agile specifically, and this time we’re diving into something kind of interesting that’s near and dear to my heart. NICK WALKER:  Well, for those who don’t know him, Alan Zucker holds numerous certifications.  He’s a certified Project Management Professional, is an ITIL Foundation certificate holder, a Scrum Master, a scale Agilest, and an Agile Certified Practitioner.  He has more than 25 years of experience as a leader in Fortune 100 companies.  He’s delivered thousands of successful projects for them and managed multimillion dollar programs with hundreds of resources.  In 2016 he founded Project Management Essentials to provide training and advisory services.  He is frequently called on as a keynote speaker and is also an adjunct instructor at Northern Virginia Community College. Alan, welcome back to Manage This. ALAN ZUCKER:  It’s really a pleasure to be here. NICK WALKER:  There’s something I believe most of us share, and that is the fact that we’re busy; we’re active; we’re constantly creating something.  But unlike a product that we can hold in our hand, what we create is less tangible.  It’s hard to see.  Kind of reminds me, in contrast, of my first real job.  When I was a teenager I worked in the mailroom of a local community newspaper.  Our product was obvious.  You could see it; feel it; read it.  It rubbed off on you in more ways than one. But not every paper was fit to send out.  Some of them were smudged.  Some of them were torn, wrinkled.  And at the end of the day we gathered up the waste and tossed it.  Like our product, our waste was easy to identify.  We knew exactly how many papers came off the press, exactly how many we had to throw away.  But how do you measure waste in this intangible world of project management? ALAN ZUCKER:  You know, it’s really interesting.  There’s a big movement afoot, which is the Lean movement.  You know, when Lean came to us from manufacturing, particularly from Toyota... ANDY CROWE:  Toyota. ALAN ZUCKER:  Yeah, Toyota Lean Manufacturing Model.  And when you’re talking about cars, waste is clear.  Waste is inventory.  Waste is transport.  Waste is the scrap that they throw away at the end of the day.  When we’re talking about knowledge work, it’s really harder to see waste and to manage waste.  And a lot of times when people talk about waste in knowledge work they try to use the analogy, say, of manufacturing.  They talk about transport and inventory and scrap, and it really doesn’t carry over that well. And so when we talk about waste in knowledge work, there’s eight or nine different forms of waste.  And it’s things such as extra features.  It’s work that’s started that’s never finished because you start work; you put forth effort; but until that’s a final product in your boss’s hands – it’s either software that you’ve developed, it’s that presentation, it’s that report – it doesn’t provide any value. Heroics is another big form of waste, and we see that in a lot of cultures where you’ve got that hero culture, and you’ve got one person that’s the hero, and that’s the go-to person.  And we all love the hero.  In a lot of cultures we love the hero.  But what you’ve got is you’ve got one hero, and you’ve got the rest of the team that’s not working.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet up to talk about what really matters to you as a professional project manager.  We’re dedicated to helping you grow, to help you get better at your job.  And we do that in several ways.  We […] The post Episode 52- The PMP Exam: 6th Edition Changes, What to Expect, and Tips to Pass appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet up to talk about what really matters to you as a professional project manager.  We’re dedicated to helping you grow, to help you get better at your job.  And we do that in several ways.  We interview guests who are managing challenging projects in the real world, and we learn from their real-life experiences.  We share tips and tools and trends from authors and experts in the field of project management and program management.  We want to help you reach that next step. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who have enough real-life experience that we could spend hours picking their brains, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we’re always on the lookout to help project managers improve, and we’re devoting today’s podcast to the subject of certifications. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, the credential, the PMP Exam.  And you know what, Nick, it’s fun because this really does impact people’s lives in some significant and measurable ways. NICK WALKER:  Now, the Project Management Institute released a Sixth Edition of the PMBOK Guide in September of 2017.  The PMP Exam changes on March 26, 2018.  So today we’re going to focus on two main topics:  an update on the changes found in the Sixth Edition, and some practical advice and tips for those who want to pass the exam. And to do that, to help us out today we have another expert joining us, Louis Alderman.  He has a lot of letters after his name:  MBA, PMP, PMI-ACP, and CSM.  He’s the Manager of Curriculum Development at Velociteach.  Louis, thanks so much for joining us today. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Thank you, Nick.  It’s a pleasure to be here. NICK WALKER:  Now, before we dive in, I’m just wondering if you can talk a little bit more about your role at Velociteach. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Well, you mentioned my title is Manager of Curriculum Development.  My role is to do anything and everything that it takes to accomplish that that is not illegal or immoral. NICK WALKER:  Good, good. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  My background is engineering and project management, and I’ve enjoyed bringing all of those skills and abilities to Velociteach.  I’ve been here since 2005 developing curriculum.  And it’s a lot of fun. NICK WALKER:  Well, we’re so glad you’re with us today.  And so let’s dive right in.  Let’s talk about the new and much bigger PMBOK Guide.  Bill? ANDY CROWE:  Holding it in my hands here right now, Nick. BILL YATES:  It’s big. NICK WALKER:  Okay, guys.  How much bigger are we talking about? ANDY CROWE:  It’s bigger.  It’s significantly bigger.  It’s about 30 percent bigger.  So the Fifth Edition, just page count, had 589 pages.  The Sixth Edition, a whopping 756 pages.  And Louis did some analysis on the inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  I did, Andy.  You know, officially there are 665 instances of inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs.  But some of those tools are groups of tools.  If you include all of the sub-tools in those categories, the total actually goes up to a whopping 1,444. BILL YATES:  Whoa. ANDY CROWE:  It is whopping, and I don’t think you can really do an honest analysis without counting them that way.  I mean, we’ve looked at it and sliced it and diced it a number of ways.  Fourteen hundred and forty-four, it’s incredible. BILL YATES:  You know, a quick example of that, like you look at data analysis, that’s one of the top levels.  But then underneath that you’ve got all these other types of analysis. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Okay.  Let me be the engineer here.  Twenty-seven different types of analysis in that category. ANDY CROWE:  Twenty-seven types.  So that’s how you get to 1,444. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  It really mushrooms. BILL YATES:  Man, that’s a lot. NICK WALKER:  So let’s get started.  We’ve got a long way to go, 1,444 items to talk about.  Let’s take them one by one.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we meet to discuss the things that matter to professional project managers and those who aspire to the position.  The reason we’re here is not only to encourage and challenge you, but to show what others are doing […] The post Episode 51 -From Across the Pond, Elizabeth Harrin on Project Collaboration & Tech Trends appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we meet to discuss the things that matter to professional project managers and those who aspire to the position.  The reason we’re here is not only to encourage and challenge you, but to show what others are doing in the field so you can find some takeaways to apply to your own situation.  We do that by getting inside the heads of some of the people who are making a difference in project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who have been making a difference in the field for some time, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, today we are crossing the pond to get a British perspective on project management. ANDY CROWE:  But you know what, Nick, it’s a really timely topic, as well, because we’re talking about collaboration, collaboration tools.  And I think in a lot of ways it just illustrates the fact that we’re talking to someone thousands of miles away in real-time.  And it kind of underscores the point, doesn’t it. NICK WALKER:  It is mindboggling, when you think about it.  We’re Skyping today with Elizabeth Harrin.  She’s the award-winning blogger behind GirlsGuidetoPM.com.  She has over 15 years’ experience in leading IT, business change, and process improvement projects in the U.K. and in France.  Today she works in healthcare and also runs her own company providing copywriting services to project-related businesses.  Elizabeth is the author of four books:  “Communicating Change,” “Shortcuts to Success:  Project Management in the Real World,” “Collaboration Tools for Project Managers,” and “Customer-Centric Project Management.”  Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining us on Manage This. ELIZABETH HARRIN:  Well, thank you very much for having me on your podcast today.  It does feel like I’m in the room with you, even though we’re miles away. NICK WALKER:  Well, I wonder if you could help our listeners get to know you just a little bit better.  Can you quickly give us a rundown of your experience as a project manager? ELIZABETH HARRIN:  I’ve done lots of different things in my role as a project manager over the years.  But I think that’s helped because I started out as a project manager.  I know lots of people come to the job later in life, or later in their careers, having found that their expertise lends itself to moving into that kind of role.  Whereas for me, I was lucky enough to identify that project management was a real job quite early on after I’d left university and was able to choose that as a career path.  So I’m one of the few people who perhaps are not accidental project managers who started out on this pathway.  So I suppose my experience has really grown from that and from a love of what it can offer me in my job. NICK WALKER:  We’re so glad that you recognize that project management is a real job.  That’s great. ELIZABETH HARRIN:  Well, who told you that when you were at school?  People told me I could be a vet or an astronaut or, you know, the Prime Minister.  But nobody said, oh, you could be a project manager.  It’s not one of the career options that I even knew existed before I went to work in business and saw that there were teams of people managing projects.  And I thought, yeah, I can do that. NICK WALKER:  So as a project manager, what industries and subject matters were your projects touching? ELIZABETH HARRIN:  Well, I started out in financial services, so I worked mainly on internal communications projects, doing things like Intranets and supporting more experienced project managers on some of the projects that they were running with financial and IT elements, working in IT.  Most of my career has been in IT, but delivering business change.  So I’m a big believer in the fact there’s no real thing as IT projects.  We deliver – we use IT as a way to serve the business.  Business projects within IT elements is mainly what I’ve be...

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet and discuss what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We get into the nitty-gritty, the real stuff of the job.  And we do it by talking with some of the greatest minds in […] The post Episode 50-Agile – A Mindset, Not a Methodology appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet and discuss what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We get into the nitty-gritty, the real stuff of the job.  And we do it by talking with some of the greatest minds in the business, people who have seen it all and lived to tell about it. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who will be the first to tell you that yes, you can live to tell about it:  Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Bill, we here at Manage This have reached a milestone and lived to tell about it.  We’re celebrating our 50th podcast today, and there’s no sign of stopping. BILL YATES:  Isn’t it amazing?  Fifty.  To go back and look at the conversations that we’ve had, it’s just amazing that we’ve piled up 50 of them. ANDY CROWE:  When you’re married, you have a golden anniversary at 50.  So maybe we should think about that. NICK WALKER:  We’re golden, yeah. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah. NICK WALKER:  Well, to help us celebrate, we have in the studio today someone close to the heart of the Velociteach organization, and with good reason.  Alan Zucker has more than 25 years of experience as a leader in Fortune 100 companies.  He has delivered thousands of successful projects for them and managed multimillion dollar programs with hundreds of resources.  In 2016 he founded Project Management Essentials to provide training and advisory services.  He holds numerous certifications.  He’s a certified project management professional, is an ITIL Foundation certificate holder, a Scrum Master, a scale Agilist, and an Agile-certified practitioner.  He’s frequently called on as a keynote speaker and is also an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College. Alan, welcome to Manage This.  Now, you are knee-deep in a world that for many is probably still a little foreign.  I’m talking about the world of Agile practices.  And I need to confess right off the bat that this world is not just outside my playing field, but it’s on a different planet from my playing field.  What is it about Agile that makes it so different? ALAN ZUCKER:  You know, I think the really interesting thing about Agile is, if you step back, it’s sort of how we learned to play as kids.  You know, when we were kids, you’d go to the beach, and you’d make a sand castle.  You wouldn’t, like, yeah, maybe draw a couple lines in the sand and say “This is where we’re going to be,” and “This is where we’re going to digging.”  We didn’t have detailed plans.  And you just start building.  It’s like, yeah, I like that.  Let’s build a little bit more over here and a little bit over there. And that’s sort of the way Agile is.  And I think there’s a real natural rhythm to Agile.  And I think that particularly, when you look at traditional project management Waterfall, it became very rigid and became very highly structured, and it really wasn’t effective in terms of particularly developing software, which was really most of my background. NICK WALKER:  So if Agile is the way you describe trying to get into a kid’s mind, it seems like it might be intuitive.  Have we sort of learned to not be like a kid anymore?  Have we grown up too much? ALAN ZUCKER:  You know, I think so.  I mean, I go back, and I think about my own experience.  I came to project management – I have a master’s degree in economics.  And my first job out of school I was developing a model for a company, developed it in Lotus 123 Release A, a million years ago. ANDY CROWE:  Wow, we’re going back. ALAN ZUCKER:  I’m older than Bill. BILL YATES:  Barely. ALAN ZUCKER:  And, you know, the way Bill did, I was working with a guy.  I was an economist.  I was working with a guy who was a senior economist.  And I’d build a little bit, and I’d show it to him, and I’d build a little bit, and we’d fix it, and we’d test it, and I’d learn new functionality,

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we meet to address the issues that matter to you as a professional project manager.  We have something for everyone, whether you’ve been in the field 30 years or 30 days.  This is where the rubber meets the […] The post Episode 49-Risk Management: How Do You Identify and Handle Risk? appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we meet to address the issues that matter to you as a professional project manager.  We have something for everyone, whether you’ve been in the field 30 years or 30 days.  This is where the rubber meets the road.  This is our way of helping you be more productive, more creative in the world of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two of the most creative and productive guys I know, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we have in the studio today not only an expert with some pretty impressive credentials, but also a member of our team. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, he’s an expert, and he’s one of our favorite people here.  Bob Mahler’s joining us, and I can’t wait. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet him.  Bob Mahler has more than 20 years of project management experience, beginning as a Green Beret in the Army, serving in Egypt, Kenya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.  Later he managed projects in the telecommunications field with Nextel, Nextel Partners, and Sprint Nextel.  He worked on disaster recovery projects during hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma; in response to California’s wildfires; and the Virginia Tech shootings, as well as other federal law enforcement projects and with the Department of Homeland Security.  He is the Director of Business Development and an instructor with Velociteach, preparing project managers for the PMP exam.  Bob, it’s a privilege to have you here with us on Manage This. BOB MAHLER:  And it’s a privilege to be here.  Thank you for that rousing and somewhat fanciful introduction. NICK WALKER:  Well, first of all, we want to thank you for your service to our country and the armed forces.  I’m curious to know how your experience as a Green Beret kind of prepared you for your other roles to come later. BOB MAHLER:  That’s an interesting question.  First of all, you’re very welcome.  I served because it’s amazing what you can do when you’re a young 20 year old, and you have no idea that you shouldn’t be doing it.  One of the things about being in Special Forces for me was that, while in the regular Army, you’re very task focused; and then when you wander off to be more than you have already been, as you do in Special Forces, you become very people focused, relationship focused.  And so that was an easy transition while performing small projects there into the civilian space. NICK WALKER:  And sometimes people focused into very difficult situations that you’ve been involved in.  I mean, recovery from hurricanes and from wildfires?  That must be a little bit difficult. BOB MAHLER:  Well, the one difficult commonality I find in all of my projects are people.  Without people, all of my projects would probably run very smoothly. ANDY CROWE:  Right.  This would be a good gig if it weren’t for the stakeholders; right? BOB MAHLER:  Absolutely correct. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s talk a little bit about this because already I’m impressed with you because Bill has informed me that, not only were you a contributor to the PMBOK Guide, but you were – Bill, what’s the wording again? BILL YATES:  A “significant contributor.” NICK WALKER:  A significant contributor. BILL YATES:  And I’m looking, I mean, this is page 652 of the Sixth Edition PMBOK Guide.  So I’m not making this stuff up.  He’s a significant contributor. NICK WALKER:  It says so. BOB MAHLER:  Did they spell my name correctly? BILL YATES:  They spelled it correctly, yes. BOB MAHLER:  Then I just have significantly done something.  I wouldn’t get too – I wouldn’t start singing my praises as far as being a significant contributor because, when they put the word out for volunteers for risk subject matter experts, a total number of four actually responded.  And I think they were just happy to get that many. ANDY CROWE:  And Bob, this is something like those situations where ...

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we like to come together and talk about what matters to you, whether you’re an experienced expert in the field or a newcomer to project management.  This is our opportunity to take a bold and objective look at […] The post Episode 48-Emotional Intelligence: The Key to Keep Your Project Running Smoothly appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we like to come together and talk about what matters to you, whether you’re an experienced expert in the field or a newcomer to project management.  This is our opportunity to take a bold and objective look at where we are in this industry and the role we play in it. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the guys who have the experience.  They are the in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, it is always a treat to have someone in the studio who’s a coach, a motivator, a mentor, someone who’s out there calling on us to be our best. ANDY CROWE:  It is, Nick.  And this topic is overdue for us.  We’ve needed to address this for a good while, and I think it’s very timely. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest.  Monique Russell is an executive consultant helping leaders and teams communicate effectively at work.  As a part of Clear Communication Solutions LLC, she’s consulted on marketing and communication strategies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other national associations, as well as corporate organizations.  She is a teacher, having taught communications and public speaking at the university level.  A proponent of lifestyle leadership, she hosts an annual Forbes recommended leadership conference, Leadership Alpharetta.  Originally from the beautiful islands of the Bahamas, she loves the ocean, and we’re told she’s quite fond of sushi.  Monique, thank you so much for being with us here on Manage This. MONIQUE RUSSELL:  It is a pleasure, an honor to be here with you today.  Thank you for having me. NICK WALKER:  Well, first off, we’d like to get to know you a little bit better.  Can you tell us about your experience as an executive coach? MONIQUE RUSSELL:  Well, I will say let’s go all the way back to the beautiful islands of the Bahamas. NICK WALKER:  Okay, that sounds good to me. MONIQUE RUSSELL:  I always knew that I was interested in public speaking, and I started early in performing arts, started acting, and moved through high school debating.  And I just loved it so much that I knew I wanted to get on TV.  That was my number one goal.  So I ended up leaving the warm, sunny island and going all the way to St. Cloud, Minnesota. NICK WALKER:  Oh, what a contrast. MONIQUE RUSSELL:  You know about St. Cloud, Minnesota weather; right? NICK WALKER:  It’s cold. MONIQUE RUSSELL:  Yes.  So anyway, I studied journalism, and I continued on to marketing and advertising; and I got out, and I hustled, hustled, hustled, trying to get my way in the door, and I couldn’t get my way in the door.  So I started off in executive support.  And I didn’t know it then, but that was my training ground for what I’m doing today.  I had no idea that what I did then was what I would be doing or connected to what I’m doing today. NICK WALKER:  Well, we are so glad you’re with us because I know a lot of people in project management positions tend to be very logical and analytical.  They have a tendency to not get caught up in feelings and emotions on the job.  But you are an expert in the field of emotional intelligence, or EI, where feelings do matter.  And I’m sure there’s a lot of project managers listening to this going, “Yes, I need that.”  So how does EI impact the role of the project manager? MONIQUE RUSSELL:  Wow.  You know, EI is like – it’s like your warning sign, if you will.  So I want you to think about your gas light in your car.  And when that gas light comes on, and that check engine light comes on, it’s like that warning sign that says, hey, something’s coming down the pipe.  You need to take action.  So you can ignore it, but sooner or later you’re going to end up on the side of the road.  Right? BILL YATES:  Right. MONIQUE RUSSELL:  So EI is like our warning sign.  It’s our indication that, okay, something’s happening.

  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our time to meet and talk about what’s important to you in the fast-paced, sometimes puzzling, but always compelling world of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two of the most compelling individuals […] The post Episode 47- The Most Mysterious Star in the Universe with Tabetha Boyajian appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our time to meet and talk about what’s important to you in the fast-paced, sometimes puzzling, but always compelling world of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two of the most compelling individuals I know, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, it looks like we have another first here on Manage This.  This is our first guest to actually have a star named after her. ANDY CROWE:  This is going to be fascinating to dig into today, Nick.  And I’m looking forward to it, not just from the project standpoint, but also just out of pure curiosity about this.  This is really going to be interesting. NICK WALKER:  Well, Tabetha Boyajian is joining us via Skype from Louisiana State University, where she’s a professor and astronomer.  She has a degree from the College of Charleston and a Ph.D. from Georgia State University.  She studied the sizes of nearby stars similar to the sun using Georgia State’s CHARA array, located at Mount Wilson Observatory in Southern California.  She was awarded a Hubble Fellowship designed to encourage promising scientists in their independent research.  She was the lead author of the 2015 paper titled “Where’s the Flux?” which investigated the highly unusual light curve of the star known as Tabby’s Star, named in her honor.  Tabetha, it’s a privilege to have you with us here on Manage This. TABETHA BOYAJIAN:  Oh, thank you.  It’s nice to talk to y’all. NICK WALKER:  Now, before we get into the details of your project, I should say that I recognize the official name of Tabby’s Star is KIC 8462852.  But do you mind if we just continue to call it Tabby’s Star? TABETHA BOYAJIAN:  Yeah, that’s certainly fine.  It doesn’t really roll off your tongue when you say KIC 8462852; right? NICK WALKER:  It really doesn’t.  But so cool to have a star named after you.  How did that come about? TABETHA BOYAJIAN:  It was probably by accident, I suppose.  The star got, well, the story of it went a little viral.  And a colleague of mine was talking to a reporter; and, instead of saying “KIC 8462852,” he said “Tabby’s Star.”  And that reporter put it into print, and then it just kind of caught on after that. NICK WALKER:  Well, if stars can be celebrities, this one surely qualifies because it’s been sort of the center of this mystery in science circles.  It seems that every so often the past few months the star has become dimmer, a lot dimmer, sometimes for days at a time.  Can you give us some background on the star and the current project surrounding it? TABETHA BOYAJIAN:  Yeah, well, it all started with the NASA Kepler Mission.  So this was a mission launched in 2009 to find planets around stars.  And what it did is it stared at a single piece of sky for four years straight, taking brightness measurements of over 100,000 stars in that one tiny field.  And it was looking for the chance alignment of a planet to be crossing in front of a star.  So we would see it periodically dim the starlight that we were observing.  And it did that, and it did that very, very well.  And that’s how this star was identified, because this star was one of the 100,000 or so that it looked at.  And instead of seeing a periodic small drop in the star’s brightness with time, this star had very irregular drops in its brightness. NICK WALKER:  So I know that there have been a lot of theories that have come out about why this is happening, some of them a little maybe farfetched. ANDY CROWE:  Oh, come on, Nick.  Farfetched?  Alien megastructures?  Dyson Spheres?  That’s not farfetched. NICK WALKER:  Okay, you said it, you said it. ANDY CROWE:  Or dust clouds, or comets, yeah.  There’s a lot of possibility here. BILL YATES:  A dimmer switch. ANDY CROWE:  It’s a big universe, and that’s the point. BILL YATES:  It is, it is.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s our every-other-week opportunity to talk about what matters to you, whether your project is a multiyear, multimillion dollar venture, or a short-term undertaking with a small budget.  We want to give you some principles that will work for you wherever […] The post Episode 46 – Building a Major-League Baseball Park with Chris Britton appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s our every-other-week opportunity to talk about what matters to you, whether your project is a multiyear, multimillion dollar venture, or a short-term undertaking with a small budget.  We want to give you some principles that will work for you wherever you find yourself on the spectrum.  And we do that by talking to people who, like you, find themselves taking the lead on projects big and small. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are a couple of guys who are always thinking big, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, today we’re going to get an insider’s view on a project that has already made a mark on America’s pastime.  We’re talking baseball. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, this is an interesting one for me, Nick.  It’s always interesting to see, get insight into a project that’s different than anything I’ve ever managed.  And so I’m thankful to have our guest, Chris Britton, today.  And, by the way, Happy Thanksgiving to our listeners. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet him.  Chris Britton is Division Manager at Brasfield and Gorrie, one of the largest privately held construction firms in the nation.  The company has built its reputation on a variety of types of projects, from commercial to educational, aerospace to governmental.  It’s a company that prides itself on giving back to the community.  Among the projects they’ve been involved in are the Georgia Aquarium Dolphin Expansion and Sea Lion Exhibit, the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience, and the Emory Sports Medicine Complex.  One of its most recent projects was the two-and-a-half-year-long construction of the new home for the Atlanta Braves baseball team, SunTrust Park.  Chris, it’s a pleasure to have you here on Manage This. CHRIS BRITTON:  It’s great to be here. NICK WALKER:  Well, let me run through a few statistics on SunTrust Park; okay?  I’m sure you’re familiar with all these:  over one million square feet, 41,500 seats, 4,000 club seats, 32 premium suites totaling 144,000 square feet, three club lounges, four seating decks with 90-foot overhangs, 10 escalators, 14 elevators, and that’s not the half of it.  This was, in many observers’ eyes, at least a five-year project, maybe more.  It was finished in 29 months. CHRIS BRITTON:  That’s correct. NICK WALKER:  How did that happen? CHRIS BRITTON:  It happens in 29 months with a lot of planning; right?  So early on in the process Mike Plant, the Atlanta Braves, they hired Populous as the Architect.  Populous has a number of consultants that are part of their project team.  We were brought onboard as the construction manager, and we’re actually – it wasn’t just Brasfield and Gorrie.  We formed a four-way joint venture which was American Builders 2017, which is Brasfield and Gorrie, Mortenson, Barton Malow, and New South.  We brought four different companies together to be able to build the job.  We got involved early on in the design process. ANDY CROWE:  I want to ask you there, you brought four companies together.  But what was your company’s role?  What was Brasfield and Gorrie’s role in managing or working with those other companies? CHRIS BRITTON:  Yeah, we were the managing partner, so we were in charge of the joint venture. ANDY CROWE:  I guess that’s a fun place to be.  I’m a big fan of the model of one head to pat and one butt to kick.  So you were the one head, and the other end of the equation, as well. CHRIS BRITTON:  That’s right, that’s right.  So back to the question.  So we got involved early on in the design process of the project.  And Populous, they actually had a pretty big challenge ahead of them because they had a very short period of time to be able to design the project.  And as soon as they started putting those conceptual designs together, we had to start putting costs together on it.  And as those drawings went from conceptual all the way up th...

ANDY CROWE. BILL YATES. NICK WALKER.   NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to discuss what is important to you, no matter where you fit into the world of project management.  If you’re a leader, we want to equip you.  If you’re […] The post Episode 45- Thoughts on the Ever-Expanding PMBOK Guide appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE. BILL YATES. NICK WALKER.   NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to discuss what is important to you, no matter where you fit into the world of project management.  If you’re a leader, we want to equip you.  If you’re on a project team, we want to encourage you.  This is the place to share ideas, be challenged, and remind one another of what we are capable of when we work together. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the chief idea cultivators, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, we’re going to talk about something that many project managers look forward to with anticipation, and others maybe await with dread. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, you know, we’re going to be talking about the PMBOK Guide today, and specifically the Sixth Edition.  And Nick, I saw something that made me laugh out loud.  When I got my copy in the mail, I opened the package, and the book – the way it was oriented was on the back of the book.  And the very back of the book says “By Project Managers for Project Managers.”  And I thought, somebody’s listening to this podcast; right?  It’s funny to see ideas creep in.  So, yeah. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, great minds think alike.  Hey, before we start, let’s welcome Bill back from a whirlwind trip on the other side of the world.  Tell us, Bill, where have you been? BILL YATES:  Thank you.  It’s good to be back.  This was really a bucket list item.  Beth and I have wanted to take a trip down the Rhine River, and so we took a cruise down the Rhine River.  We started, we actually went into Berlin first, had an aunt and uncle there.  So we spent some time in Berlin and then started in Amsterdam and went all the way down to Switzerland, to Basel, and had an incredible time.  I can’t even tell you what my favorite part was because I saw so many beautiful sites. NICK WALKER:  Oh, wonderful. BILL YATES:  And amazing projects. NICK WALKER:  Oh, yeah, yeah.  I’m sure, I’m sure. ANDY CROWE:  Well, don’t worry about us.  Nick and I have just been laboring away here. NICK WALKER:  Yeah. ANDY CROWE:  Keeping things going. BILL YATES:  Dissecting the new Sixth Edition PMBOK Guide. NICK WALKER:  Well, I hope you enjoyed your trip.  And it’s back to reality now; okay?  We’ve got to jump in with both feet. BILL YATES:  Absolutely.  Yup, yup, back into it, the fun and thrill of PMBOK Guide. NICK WALKER:  Well, Andy, you mentioned that you just got yours in the mail.  I imagine a lot of project managers have gotten this new PMBOK Guide in the mail.  It’s sitting there on their table, this big thick gigantic book, and maybe they’re looking at it wondering, what do I do with this now?  And we want to let folks know, if they’re thinking that, they’re probably not alone. ANDY CROWE:  I agree.  That’s part of the problem is people get this, it sits there, maybe it collects dust.  It’s kind of like a religious text.  You know, you look at it, maybe you feel guilty for not reading it, maybe if you do try and read it you’re not completely sure you understand it.  So we’re here to deconstruct a little bit of that and talk about, okay, what do you practically do with this book now that it’s arrived? NICK WALKER:  And it’s big.  It’s bigger, I guess, than it’s ever been. BILL YATES:  It is big.  It is.  As we’ve said before, PMI every four years updates the PMBOK Guide.  And this printing that came out in September of 2017 is the Sixth Edition.  We were looking at just doing a page count.  And if you go back to the Third Edition, it had 388 pages.  We’re about double today what we were then.  So from Third Edition to Sixth Edition, we’ve gone from 388 pages to 756 pages.  And Andy, I’m not even counting the Agile Practice Guide which came along with. ANDY CROWE:  Right.  But you know what, Bill?  If you go back in time – so I want to go back for a moment in time.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● ROGER DUKE NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to discuss the topics that matter to you, whether you’re in charge of a large team in an international company or leading a small […] The post Episode 44 — Project Gratitude with Roger Duke appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● ROGER DUKE NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to discuss the topics that matter to you, whether you’re in charge of a large team in an international company or leading a small group in a local business.  The guiding principles are the same, and we want to share them with you through the eyes of others who are doing the stuff of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, talk about experts, we have someone in the studio today who is not only in the thick of managing projects himself, but he teaches others and is involved in numerous community projects. ANDY CROWE:  And a really smart guest, as well.  This is going to be a good one.  And I think his passion is going to connect with a lot of our listeners’ passions. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet him.  Roger Duke is the engineering project manager at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River site, where he has been for the past 40 years.  He’s also currently assigned as the Agile coach for the first Agile project there.  He holds mechanical engineering degrees from Auburn University and the University of South Carolina.  He is an adjunct professor at Augusta University Hull School of Business, teaching project management.  He is a newspaper columnist, a conference speaker, and has served as director and officer of more than 10 nonprofit organizations.  Roger, welcome to Manage This. ROGER DUKE:  Thank you, Nick.  Glad to be here. NICK WALKER:  Now, I know one thing that you are involved in is the community.  It’s important to be involved in the community.  How can project managers be involved, and why is that important to you? ROGER DUKE:  Well, one thing that I discovered in some of my organizations I worked in is that, when you build a board for a nonprofit, they typically look at things like legal, marketing, businesses that can be sponsors.  And when I got in there, I found out that these organizations are great at coming up with ideas and dreams, but they don’t know how to implement them.  And there was a niche for somebody on the board to actually follow through and do something; okay?  And that’s where the project management approach or significance came in is that they can come up with the ideas, but you need somebody on the board to actually execute them. ANDY CROWE:  And you know, Roger, I’ve experienced that, as well.  I’ve been on fewer than you have, but quite a few boards.  And what you have is a lot of passion, and then sometimes they struggle with process.  And sometimes they downright resist process, I’ve found, because it gets in the way of the passion.  You know, there’s all this energy, all this passion, and project managers can maybe help channel that. ROGER DUKE:  There were a couple of big projects that were sitting out there, ready to do, but the sponsors that were supporting them were going to take their money away because nothing was happening, you know.  And so I just stepped up for one in particular to put a marquee on an historic theater, and it was just a great project, very exciting, big difference, big impact on the community because of its visibility. And that’s when I realized project managers need to be on the boards.  You’ve got to have somebody with that perspective on how you’re going to actually execute and make something happen.  And it just grew from there.  And so as I got more involved in the community and different organizations, I would just take on projects at each of those and really could make a difference. BILL YATES:  One of the things that we talk about in the role of project manager is project managers get things done.  You know, we’ve had PMs sit in here and talk about, well, my CEO had a vision, but I had to come alongside and get that vision and break it down and then recruit a team...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JESSE FEWELL NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we like to come together and talk about what matters to you, whether you’re a seasoned veteran in project management or a newcomer to the field.  It’s […] The post Episode 43 — All Things Agile with Jesse Fewell appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JESSE FEWELL NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we like to come together and talk about what matters to you, whether you’re a seasoned veteran in project management or a newcomer to the field.  It’s a chance to take a step back and try to get a fresh and objective look at the state of the industry and our role in it. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who always seem to be playing an ever-expanding role in project management,  Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, it looks like you’re going to be able to put on your nerd hat today. ANDY CROWE:  We’ve got a good ’cast today.  You know, I’m excited to have Jesse on the podcast, and also it surprises me that we’ve gone this far and not had him on. BILL YATES:  That’s true. ANDY CROWE:  So it’s long overdue. BILL YATES:  Yup. NICK WALKER:  Jesse Fewell is an author, he’s a coach, and a trainer in the domain of innovation, collaboration, and agility.  He’s the founder of VirtuallyAgile.com and has been instrumental in helping project teams all over the world succeed and improve their results.  He also founded the original PMI Agile Community of Practice, co-created the PMI ACP Agile Certification, and co-authored the Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide.  Jesse is the world’s only certified project management professional to hold the expert-level designations of Certified Scrum Trainer and Certified Collaboration Instructor.  He’s the author of “Can You Hear Me Now:  Working With Global, Distributed, Virtual Teams.”  Jesse, welcome to Manage This. JESSE FEWELL:  Man, I want to meet that guy. NICK WALKER:  Oh, yeah.  Impressive résumé there.  But I love a quotation from your website.  It says, “Everywhere I go” – this is what you say.   “Everywhere I go, I see breakdowns and breakthroughs, idiocy and innovation, pain and promise.  I believe,” you say, “the difference between the two is leadership and whether our managers actually do it well.” All right.  That might sound simple; but, if it were, I doubt if you would have to devote a career to it. JESSE FEWELL:  Yeah.  I say those things because it reflects what for me was a pivot point in my career, which was switching from being an individual contributor on a technology team to moving into project management.  And it was a critical moment where exactly what you just happened, that there were some stupid things and some amazing things.  And then I realized I could be the greatest engineer in the world, and our projects were still going to fail because of leadership issues.  And so I traded my T-shirt, my programmer’s T-shirt collection for the project manager’s blazer and never looked back because I figured that’s how I could have an impact and just amplify results, rather than – no matter how good I was as a contributor. NICK WALKER:  It’s more than a wardrobe change, though, I guess.  Was that transition difficult? JESSE FEWELL:  Well, I guess perhaps I’ve always been – and I think, Andy and Bill, you guys can relate to this – I’ve always been the achiever mode kind of person.  And maybe perhaps project managers are drawn to the role because of that.  And so when I made the switch, I read every book there was.  And I started having one-on-ones with my team.  I started setting smart goals.  And I was just like, I was a little Energizer Bunny, like I’m going to be the best manager ever.  Watch. ANDY CROWE:  You were that guy. JESSE FEWELL:  Yeah.  So the transition was difficult only with respect to that, as somebody that had not yet been beaten down and embittered, I was moving a little bit too fast for a lot of the people around me. ANDY CROWE:  Jesse, when I first started – to kind of date myself because I think I’m probably a few years your senior.  But when I first started, Blanchard’s “The One Minute Manager” was the only one of those books in pu...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● MIKE PLANT NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we reserve this time to meet together and discuss the things that matter most to you in this diverse and ever-changing realm of project management.  We […] The post Episode 42 — Leading the SunTrust Park Project With Mike Plant appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● MIKE PLANT NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we reserve this time to meet together and discuss the things that matter most to you in this diverse and ever-changing realm of project management.  We want to support you, embolden you, reassure you, and maybe even light a fire in areas that have grown cold.  And we do that by exploring the experiences of others who have been where you are or are there right now. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who fill the room with experience, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, if our listeners are into sports, teams, leadership, our guest today is the guy they want to hear from. ANDY CROWE:  We’re bringing it all together today, aren’t we, Nick.  This is going to be a good ‘cast. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet our guest.  Mike Plant is in his 14th season with the Atlanta Braves organization, his second season as President of Development.  He’s been instrumental in establishing a new home for the team at the newly opened SunTrust Park and its adjacent development, The Battery Atlanta. Before he joined the Braves organization, Mike was Executive Vice President of Turner Sports.  He managed the Goodwill Games, has helped organize various phases of the Olympic Games, and serves on numerous committees and boards for the U.S. Olympic Committee.  A former Olympian himself, Mike Plant was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic speedskating team, and continues to lead speedskating and cycling organizations in this country and internationally.  Mike, it is a privilege to have you here on Manage This.  Thanks for joining us. MIKE PLANT:  Thank you, thank you. NICK WALKER:  You bring a lot of experience to the table, and we want to get into some of that.  But I’m guessing that that kind of experience is probably sort of a prerequisite for all that’s involved in building, not only this new stadium, but the adjacent shops and restaurants and parking facilities.  That kind of project could probably overwhelm a lesser human. MIKE PLANT:  Yeah, well, my dad told me a long time ago, don’t become a legend in your own mind.  So I try to keep that in perspective.  But, you know, if I look back on my athletic career and all the things I did after that in the world of sport, young people ask me, what’s the one word that you think would define who you are and where you got your drive from?  And I think it’s really – it’s perseverance.  It’s understanding how to persevere through some very challenging times, daily or project-wise, and don’t lose sight of what the ultimate objective is. And so, I mean, you’ll get there.  And if you have to jump over, go under, push over, go on the side of the hurdle, just there’s a way to get to the end.  And if you can align all the people that are with you to understand sort of that philosophy, have fun while you’re doing it, work hard while you’re doing it, but persevere through some tough times.  You’ll get to the end, and you’ll accomplish what you set out to do. NICK WALKER:  Well, most recently, how did you end up in the position that you’re in right now, the President of Development? MIKE PLANT:  Well, I mean, fortunately, I’m one of those individuals, and I try to also tell young people this, is you’ve got to find something you wake up every day and kind of pinch yourself and say, I can’t believe they actually pay me to do this.  So if you can do that in your life, and when you set out on your career path, that obviously is something I’ve been fortunate to accomplish. I mean, I transcended from my field-of-play athletic career into a world of sport, way back when it was in its infancy.  I mean, I sold my first sponsorship deal in 1980 when I’m 21 years old, banging out a proposal on my mom and dad’s electric typewriter with Wite-Out.  But I knocked down $375,000 from the Atari Corporation,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● CHUCK CASTO NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we carve out some time to meet and talk about what matters to you in the field of project management.  We pick the brains of some of […] The post Episode 41 — Fukushima Disaster With Chuck Casto – Part 2 appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● CHUCK CASTO NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we carve out some time to meet and talk about what matters to you in the field of project management.  We pick the brains of some of the top performers in the profession, hear their stories, explore their methods, and celebrate their successes. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are a couple of guys who are the top of the tops, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, last time we had a thought-provoking discussion with someone who has been right in the middle of managing crisis situations; and we get to hear more from him today. ANDY CROWE:  I would say he’s been more in the middle of it than anybody I know personally.  And so it was a wonderful discussion about the Fukushima disaster. NICK WALKER:  Chuck Casto, President of the Casto Group, brings with him a long and prestigious career in nuclear safety and regulatory issues.  He was a member of the Senior Executive Service at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, holding the position of Regional Administrator.  He has been asked on numerous occasions to resolve complex policy issues for clients and for Congress and was the recipient of the Distinguished Executive Award from President Obama in 2012. Chuck was the director of site operations in Japan during the Fukushima nuclear plant accident.  He helped reestablish that country’s regulatory body after the accident and also established criteria to restart nuclear plants that had been shut down in Japan.  Dr. Casto, once again may I say what a privilege it is to have you here on Manage This. CHARLES CASTO: I’m happy to be here. Thank you, Nick. NICK WALKER:  Well, last time we met we talked about responding to this international crisis and what it took to lead people through it.  So let’s recap just a little bit.  Can you just briefly describe where were you when you first heard about this accident? CHUCK CASTO:  Friday, March 11th, like many of us, I saw on television that the nuclear plant and – well, the earthquake had happened, and the tsunami had happened.  And then we had learned somewhere late that afternoon that the nuclear plant had experienced a devastating tsunami attack, 45 feet high at least, and had wiped out their cooling systems. For me, I was working construction projects for several reactors under construction here in Georgia and South Carolina, not really connected to the operational part of the house any longer, had been with the operational part for decades.  So Washington was handling the crisis.  I was here, remote Atlanta, working a construction project in obscurity when Prime Minister Kan called President Obama and asked for help.  And as they looked for people to lead the team in Japan, my name popped up, and I was chosen. I guess the first real interaction, I was actually nearby here, getting gas, fueling my pickup truck.  And my neighbor called me and said, “Chuck, what’s up with this nuclear plant in Japan?”  And I said, “Well, John, they’ll get power and water back to it, and everything will be just fine.”  Well, I was quite wrong.  And later on, when he found that I was leading the effort, he said, “You, Mister, everything’s going to be okay.  You’re leading the effort.”  So it was – the outcome was much different than we had expected. And when I finally got the call, I had three hours’ notice to grab my passport.  I was in downtown Atlanta.  I had to have my wife get some few clothes together and a passport, and drive back north and then back down to the airport, meanwhile on cell phone getting charters and getting calls from the chairman and other people about the role.  I think, as a good crisis leader, I put on a shirt that had a logo, had a nuclear logo on it. BILL YATES:  Yeah. CHUCK CASTO:  And I jumped on an American flight.  And as I got on the flight,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● CHUCK CASTO NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we get together and discuss what matters to you in the fast-paced and often complicated world of project management.  We hear from those in the field who […] The post Episode 40 — Fukushima Disaster With Chuck Casto – Part 1 appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● CHUCK CASTO NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we get together and discuss what matters to you in the fast-paced and often complicated world of project management.  We hear from those in the field who are doing the stuff of project management, meeting challenges head on, recovering from failures, and enjoying the benefits of success. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are our full-time experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, once again we have in the studio someone who was involved in what really was an international crisis and a delicate and drawn-out response. ANDY CROWE:  We do, Nick.  And the interesting thing about this, we have a lot of project managers that have worked on high-stakes projects.  This one is literally life and death.  And so it redefines my thoughts about what’s mission critical.  So it’s going to be a good cast today. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s meet him.  Chuck Casto is the president of the Casto Group, with expertise in nuclear safety and regulatory issues.  His experience includes 38 years with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the commercial nuclear power industry, and the U.S. Air Force.  For 11 months Chuck was the director for site operations in Japan during the Fukushima nuclear plant accident.  He participated in a mission to help reestablish that country’s regulatory body after the accident, and helped to establish criteria to restart nuclear plants there that were shut down.  In 2012 he received the Distinguished Executive Award from President Obama.  Dr. Casto, it is a privilege to have you with us here on Manage This. CHUCK CASTO:  Good morning, gentlemen.  I’m happy to be here. NICK WALKER:  Well, obviously there is a lot to talk about.  And we’d like to spend some time talking, not only about the Fukushima accident, the recovery, and the lessons learned, but also about taking the lead in crisis situations overall, and how to best respond to different types of disasters, big and small.  So I guess we should start off – take us back to 2011, to that devastating earthquake, the subsequent tsunami, and the resulting nuclear accident. CHUCK CASTO:  Well, Nick, on Friday, March 11th, late in the afternoon in the Sendai area of the eastern coast of Japan, a 9.0 earthquake occurred.  The earthquake was so strong, it actually moved the earth on its axis and could be felt as far away as Antarctica.  It created three to nine large tsunami waves.  We think of a tsunami wave as a wave like at the beach, and you jump through the wave and come out the other side.  But here we’re talking about the ocean actually lifting in a tsunami and then moving towards the shoreline.  And the tsunami swept in the coast.  Between the earthquake and the tsunami, about 16,000, just over 16,000 people were swept away or lost in that initial attack on the coastline.  Small villages and towns up and down the Sendai coast were washed away. Obviously, the U.S. military responded with the USS Reagan and along with the Japanese military and others.  If you think about it, your first responders are lost.  All your fire departments, all your police departments along the coast, they’re gone.  They’re swept away.  They’re lost.  So now you have no first responders.  So when you talk about crisis leadership, we always depend on our first responders.  Very few first responders remaining in this case.  So you have to rely on national governments, obviously, in an episode as big as this. NICK WALKER:  So obviously this was international news.  Everybody got the word about this. CHUCK CASTO:  That’s right. NICK WALKER:  But tell us then about what happened, and how you really got involved.  How did this get on your radar? CHUCK CASTO:  Well, there are several nuclear plants along that eastern coast, the Sendai region.  The one that we’re all familiar with is Fukushima Da...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● MARC MASTRONARDI NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to meet and talk about what matters to you in the diverse and exciting and sometimes perplexing field of project management.  We want to explore the […] The post Episode 39 — I-85 Bridge: The Collapse Heard Round the World appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● MARC MASTRONARDI NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to meet and talk about what matters to you in the diverse and exciting and sometimes perplexing field of project management.  We want to explore the challenges and the rewards of the career by sharing genuine stories from those who are doing the job every day. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who probably have more stories than most.  They’re the resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we have in the studio today someone who many might say worked a miracle when it came to solving a major Atlanta traffic problem. ANDY CROWE:  You know what, a lot of project managers are faced with big tasks.  But this one really stands out.  So I’m looking forward to this ‘cast. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s talk to him.  Marc Mastronardi is the Director of Construction for the Georgia Department of Transportation.  He joined the Georgia DOT in 1993 and has more than 24 years’ of experience in construction bidding and administration, storm water regulation, and soil and water conservation.  He is a registered professional engineer and was instrumental in the rebuilding of the Interstate 85 bridge that collapsed as the result of a fire last March.  The bridge reopened in mid-May, a full month ahead of schedule, to the cheers of about a quarter of a million Atlanta commuters... BILL YATES:  Oh, yeah. NICK WALKER:  ...who drive that route every day.  Marc, it’s a pleasure to have you here on Manage This. MARC MASTRONARDI:  Thanks a lot, Nick.  I appreciate it. NICK WALKER:  Now, the I-85 bridge collapse was a story broadcast nationwide.  Worldwide, really.  I had people all over the country calling me and asking me about it.  Initial estimates were, as I recall, that it was going to be midsummer before the road was open again.  But with so many people affected, I can only imagine that the pressure was pretty intense to get that bridge open as soon as possible. MARC MASTRONARDI:  Oh, absolutely.  It’s a major corridor in the city, and we knew it needed to be restored as quickly and safely as it could. NICK WALKER:  Well, take us back to March.  How did you figure out what you were up against? ANDY CROWE:  And maybe before that, Nick.  I’d like to know, what were you doing when you first heard that this was going on?  What was going on? MARC MASTRONARDI:  Interestingly, it was a Thursday evening.  Just finished dinner, I get a text from my brother-in-law that says, “I think you’re going to be working some overtime.”  I didn’t know what that meant.  So my wife and I turned on the television, and I turned, gave her a kiss, said “I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I know where I need to be,” and headed out the door.  We have an emergency response center and a protocol for the Georgia Department of Transportation.  And so we all rather instinctively convened there and started to triage the event. ANDY CROWE:  And at this point you knew there was a fire, but the collapse had not yet happened. MARC MASTRONARDI:  I think the collapse – I think by the time I was aware, it may have happened. ANDY CROWE:  Okay. BILL YATES:  And just to get a sense for the listeners who don’t live in the area or did not read the news – even USA Today was quoting this like crazy.  It was the leading story nationwide and across the globe.  Describe where this was and the impact that it had on the freeway. MARC MASTRONARDI:  Sure.  So just north of the city of Atlanta, Interstate 85 diverges from I-75.  They actually run parallel to each other right in the heart of the city.  But as it diverges and begins to go a little more easterly, you go through a very populated part of the city, an area that we refer to as Buckhead, the community of Buckhead, a major populated area.  An awful lot of businesses there, as well.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● STEVE NEDVIDEK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week roundtable to discuss what matters to you in the fast-paced and challenging field of project management.  We’re here to keep you up to date, to keep […] The post Episode 38 — Innovation at Chick-fil-a — Part 2 appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● STEVE NEDVIDEK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week roundtable to discuss what matters to you in the fast-paced and challenging field of project management.  We’re here to keep you up to date, to keep you in the know, and to keep you invigorated as you face your own sets of challenges.  We talk with people who are right there in the trenches with you.  And it’s our hope that you’ll identify with the tasks they encounter and the rewards they achieve. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who make it all happen, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we have prevailed upon our guest from two weeks ago to join us once again to talk about innovators and how they and project managers can perhaps live together in blissful harmony. ANDY CROWE:  And you know what, I didn’t get nearly enough last time.  I walked away from this with my brain churning and my mind turning over on this.  So I’m excited that we get a chance to work with Steve again today. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s remind our listeners about Steve.  Steve Nedvidek is the senior manager of learning and development and innovation specialist for Chick-fil-A, Incorporated.  He’s been with the company for almost 30 years as a film producer, a marketing consultant, and program manager.  Now he teaches and coaches and helps staff members solve the tough business problems that arise in a competitive and challenging company.  And one other thing that’s very, very cool, we think, is that Steve also is the co-creator and author of the new sci-fi graphic novel series “The Jekyll Island Chronicles,” first published in May of 2016.  We all think that is very, very cool.  Steve, welcome back to Manage This. STEVE NEDVIDEK:  Oh, thanks for having me back.  I appreciate it.  And for the listeners, this really is a round table.  So I thought that was very interesting.  Wow, you described this accurately.  Good job, Nick. NICK WALKER:  And we’re all knights here.  So you have been knighted.  Now, last time you came, Steve, you gave us some examples of innovation and projects that took place over the life and growth of Chick-fil-A, from the legacy of Truitt Cathy inventing the perfect chicken sandwich, building the model, executing the model, leading to great success and an impressive market share.  And as we talked about last time, Chick-fil-A went from the hunter of that wide market to the hunted, hunted by the competition.  And that presented its own set of challenges. So let’s pick it up there.  Innovation has to remain at the forefront.  But it seems sometimes that innovators and project managers are like oil and water.  You know, innovators are too predictable.  They won’t commit to schedules or budgets.  So why is innovation still so important to a company the size and reputation of Chick-fil-A? STEVE NEDVIDEK:  Well, I think, Nick, when you get into the ability for a company to continue to grow, because that’s what all organizations want to do is grow, is you have to begin to ask yourself, so where is that growth going to come from?  And there is certainly an amount of growth that’s going to happen as you do what you’ve always done.  But you can’t always count on the future to look like the present. And in 2007, 2008 or so, our Executive Committee decided that we needed to put more chips in the future and figure some things out as to how we were going to take new ground.  Again, sales growth, and especially for Chick-fil-A, successful sales growth can cover a variety of cracks.  And you have to acknowledge that there are things underneath the surface that you’re going to have to deal with, ultimately; because, for example, in 2007, 2008, Truett Cathy was still alive.  And you have this moment of clarity when I guess you go, yeah, and he’s not always going to be with us.  And he’s not always going to be interjecting i...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● STEVE NEDVIDEK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to talk about the things that matter to you in the dynamic and constantly evolving domain of project management.  We know the challenges you face.  […] The post Episode 37 — Innovation at Chick-fil-a — Part 1 appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● STEVE NEDVIDEK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to talk about the things that matter to you in the dynamic and constantly evolving domain of project management.  We know the challenges you face.  And it’s our hope that we can help you learn to meet those challenges and even prosper from hearing the experiences of others who have gone before you. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who are responsible for most of the learning around here, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we have in the studio with us someone whose job it is to make your stomach growl and make your mouth water for one of the most popular fast foods on the planet. ANDY CROWE:  That’s right.  And to make my stomach turn a little bit sometimes with the creative ideas that I have to figure out how to do.  So it all works. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s get into “As the Stomach Turns” this morning.  So all right. STEVE NEDVIDEK:  That’s a great title for this.  Wow, I’m so fortunate to be here today. NICK WALKER:  Steve Nedvidek.  You’re the senior manager of learning and development and innovation specialist for Chick-fil-A, Incorporated.  Steve, you’ve been with the company since 1988.  You’ve worn a number of hats:  film and video producer, marketing consultant, and program manager.  And it’s my understanding that in your current role you teach; you coach; you facilitate sessions that help staff members solve the tough business problems that come up.  But you’re also on the Board of Directors at the Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta and on the Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship Council at Wake Forest University.  Steve, welcome to Manage This.  What a lot of hats you wear. STEVE NEDVIDEK:  I guess that’s either because I have a big head or I’m not good at anything.  But thanks, Nick.  I appreciate being here and spend this time with Andy and Bill.  It’s going to be great.  Looking forward to it.  Really do appreciate the opportunity.  And we have a lot to talk about.  So let’s jump in. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, yeah.  You are an innovator at a company that does $8 billion in sales every year, I understand. STEVE NEDVIDEK:  Right. NICK WALKER:  And you work with other innovators who dream big and bring creative ideas for new products and services.  And from what I know of Chick-fil-A, and from what I’ve tasted of its products, it seems to be a company built on innovation. STEVE NEDVIDEK:  That’s right.  Actually, innovation is really in our DNA.  And it started with our founder, Truett Cathy, who was just wired that way.  You can call him an innovator.  You can call him an opportunist, an entrepreneur, just a big creative guy, whatever you want to call him; but he was all those things.  And it’s been an interesting journey over the last 30 years to see how the organization has moved and shifted within that culture for this one man who started with one restaurant in 1946 to create this giant chicken company. BILL YATES:  How many restaurants are there today? STEVE NEDVIDEK:  Oh, there’s 2,000 plus.  Yeah, at some point in time you just kind of stop counting, you know, because every day you get the email, oh, we just opened up this one; we’ve just opened this one.  Now we’re looking at where are the interesting places that we’re opening where we haven’t been before.  So suddenly a restaurant opens up in Detroit, my hometown.  That’s very interesting because we didn’t have any there.  Or you’re thinking about going internationally.  That’s interesting conversation to have.  Selling a lot of chicken.  People are eating more chicken.  That’s good. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, eat more chicken.  So, you know, innovation doesn’t happen overnight.  It’s a process.  Can you tell us a little bit about how that began? STEVE NEDVIDEK:  Well, for Chick-fil-A,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JOSHUA SZAREK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to discuss what matters to you in this lively and ever-changing world of project management.  It’s our goal to challenge you, to encourage you, […] The post Episode 36 — Culture & Leadership with Joshua Szarek appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JOSHUA SZAREK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to discuss what matters to you in this lively and ever-changing world of project management.  It’s our goal to challenge you, to encourage you, and to provide some principles and guidance, whether you’re a veteran PM or a newbie.  And we do that by hearing the everyday stories of others who have been there and done that. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who I have no qualms about calling our “resident experts,” Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we have on the phone with us today someone who has worn many hats in his career, and his experience has allowed him to play some key roles in a variety of projects. ANDY CROWE:  You know what, Nick, I’m really excited about this particular guest and the topic that we’re talking about, leadership and culture.  And he’s got a perspective that I don’t think anyone else that we’ve had on the podcast has brought.  So this is going to be good. NICK WALKER:  Well, let me introduce him.  Joshua Szarek has a background as an officer in the military.  He’s worked in the oil and gas industry, in healthcare, and now in real estate.  He has degrees in mechanical engineering and business, an MBA in marketing and finance, and is a Six Sigma Black Belt.  Joshua, welcome to Manage This. JOSHUA SZAREK:  Thank you very much.  I’m glad to be here. NICK WALKER:  Now, you have been a leader in a variety of different organizational environments and cultures.  You’ve seen how essential effective leadership is in creating a great culture.  I think it might be a good place to start, by just talking a little bit about what you call your “three pillars” for successful organizations:  leadership, education, and communication.  Why are those three things pillars? JOSHUA SZAREK:  You know, I really feel like those three things are pillars because none of the three can stand alone.  I really believe that.  Leadership is a key principle, and you have to have someone who is a willing and educated learner, and someone who is open to different communication styles because, as good leaders, you have to have all three, and you have to be able to instill that and be able to continue to grow yourself and communicate in a clear, concise method on ways how other people like to be communicated with. NICK WALKER:  And one of the things I understand that you really put forth in your speaking engagements is the importance of leadership in establishing an effective culture and vice versa.  A great culture means great leadership, but it can also work the opposite. JOSHUA SZAREK:  Yes, it can.  We’ve seen this in a lot of different organizations and cultures.  And as you had mentioned earlier, I’ve been very fortunate to be part of a wide variety of them.  And I’ve seen great leaders in bad cultures sink because the atmosphere around them was not conducive.  And I’ve seen great cultures with bad leaders that couldn’t rise because they didn’t know how to fit within that atmosphere. ANDY CROWE:  Joshua, this is Andy.  And one of the things that stands out in your bio is you’ve had a lot of military service.  You’ve worked in the special forces.  Talk to me about leadership in that context, and talk to me about what you observed and what you saw, maybe good and bad.  I’m sure at this point in your career you’ve probably seen a lot of the spectrum of good leadership and maybe some that was a little be lacking.  Talk to me a little bit about that in the context of the military world. JOSHUA SZAREK:  Sure.  In the military, the first definition of leadership that you learn is it’s the process of influencing others to accomplish a mission or task by providing purpose, motivation, and direction.  And you see this very often as young leaders who don’t take good direction from their senior enlisted soldie...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● LILIANA BUCHTIK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to talk about what’s important to you in project management.  It’s a discussion about where we are and how to get where we want […] The post Episode 35 — Risk Management and WBS With Liliana Buchtik appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● LILIANA BUCHTIK NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to talk about what’s important to you in project management.  It’s a discussion about where we are and how to get where we want to be.  Our guests include recognized experts in the field who focus on their own experiences so we can share their successes and learn from their mistakes.  We find out how they work and how they motivate others to work.  Whether you are new to project management or a recognized veteran yourself, I think you’ll find we have something for you. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who make this all happen, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, today we’re going to reach southward into another hemisphere of the Earth to talk with someone who’s well known in every hemisphere. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, I’m excited about our guest.  Liliana is a renowned expert and somebody that is going to really be a good contributor to the show. NICK WALKER:  She’s on the phone with us, all the way from Montevideo, Uruguay – Liliana Buchtik, who’s known worldwide as an author, trainer, keynote speaker, and consultant.  She’s the author of the second edition of “Secrets to Mastering the WBS in Real World Projects,” published by PMI, the Project Management Institute.  She has also written two Spanish bestsellers, including “Secrets to Mastering Risk Management in Real World Projects,” the first and only Spanish book about project risk management.  Liliana shares her knowledge, her experience, and international perspective to audiences worldwide, challenging them with storytelling and real-world examples.  Liliana, welcome to Manage This. LILIANA BUCHTIK:  Thank you all.  Thank you so much.  It’s a pleasure to be here.  So I’m very excited to share some experiences with you guys and with your audiences around the world. NICK WALKER:  Now, you speak to groups of all kinds in a number of different settings – corporate, academic, government.  Is there something that they have in common, a common thread that you find among your diverse audiences? LILIANA BUCHTIK:  Well, those audiences are pretty diverse.  Sometimes I talk with executives.  Sometimes I talk, as you said, with students, or many times with PMO managers or project managers, program managers.  So it’s a pretty diverse audience in diverse degrees of maturity, as well, in project management.  Especially when you’re talking audiences like Latin America, which is one of the focus areas that I work, and you compare that when you speak in Europe or North America, you can appreciate the difference.  You tend to find more maturity, for example, in North America than in Latin America in general.  So we can, you know, we find diverse audiences, diverse levels of maturities. But I think one thing in common is that I see the growth in interest regarding project, program, and portfolio management across the globe, even at the top levels of the organization.  So I do think there’s something in common for them which is the value behind project management, why they should be applying best practices in project management, and what is in it for them, even with executives.  And so we try to communicate with those executives and managers that project management is not something that you need to spend on when you have enough money.  It’s actually an investment to become more and more effective, even in times of challenges. ANDY CROWE:  Liliana, we have a joke that a lot of young parents say:  If you wait until you have enough money to have a child, you’ll never have a child.  So a lot of time. LILIANA BUCHTIK:  Yeah, that’s it. ANDY CROWE:  If you wait until you’re financially ready to spend on project management, you’ll never invest in project management.  So I think that’s a great point you bring up. NICK WALKER:  One of the topics dear to your heart,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● RYAN “PEZ” PEZDIRC NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s a discussion about real life, a time to get inside the brains of some of the experts in the field and see how they work and how they […] The post Episode 34 — Guardians of the Galaxy meet Manage This appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● RYAN "PEZ" PEZDIRC NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s a discussion about real life, a time to get inside the brains of some of the experts in the field and see how they work and how they thrive in this fascinating world of project management.  Maybe you’re new to the field, with questions about getting certified.  Or maybe you’ve been in the trenches for years and want to compare your stories to those of others who are doing the stuff.  It’s our goal to encourage you and inspire creativity. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are two of the most creative guys in the room, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, today we’re going to say not only hurray for project management, but hurray for Hollywood. ANDY CROWE:  That’s right.  Hurray for the whole galaxy, if you will.  So we’re excited about this.  This is going to be a fun episode. NICK WALKER:  Our guest is Ryan Pezdirc, better known as Pez.  He’s a graduate of the University of Miami, with majors in motion picture screenwriting and creative writing.  He’s a member of the Directors Guild of America and has worked on dozens of films.  He was the assistant director on productions such as “Batman v Superman,” “Captain America: Civil War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” and the upcoming film “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”  Pez, welcome to Manage This. PEZ PEZDIRC:  It’s a pleasure to be here.  Thank you for having me. NICK WALKER:  Now, you are living the dream of a lot of people who aspire to be in film.  Tell me a little bit about that dream.  How did it get started?  Did you always want to be in film? PEZ PEZDIRC:  Yeah.  I mean, you know, I’m a kid who my entire childhood is on camera, from the time I was born.  I think there was a camera in the hospital as I came into this world.  And I can pretty much show you, you know, 5,000 hours of everything in my life, every sporting event, every – well, let’s just say everything.  So, yeah, I was born with a camera in my face.  And as soon as I could hold one, I held it.  We’re going back to the days when it was you put the VHS tape in the camera, and then you popped it right in the VCR to watch what you did.  So, yeah, absolutely.  It’s something that’s been a lifelong, I guess you’d say a passion; you know? NICK WALKER:  Yeah, yeah.  So I mentioned you were an assistant director on all these films.  What does an assistant director do? PEZ PEZDIRC:  Well, assistant director is something that you become after a very long time working as a production assistant.  In my case it was set production assistant.  That’s kind of an entry-level position.  And in the film world you’re an entry-level for a very long time. BILL YATES:  So you pay your dues. PEZ PEZDIRC:  You pay your dues figuratively.  Then, once you join the Directors Guild, quite literally.  That’s just the way it goes.  You have to work as a set production assistant.  The basic path is 600 days.  You have to work as basically an entry-level position for 600 days.  After you’ve accumulated those days, you submit them to the Directors Guild of America.  They have to approve those days.  I mean, they literally look at your documentation and say, okay, this person has met the criteria. You are then eligible to join the Directors Guild.  It’s not like they just call you and say, “Hey, you’re in, you got it.”  Because after you get your accreditation, you turn in your 600 days.  Then you still have to find work as an assistant director.  Maybe one of the differences between a union and a guild, I’ve heard before that unions are meant to keep you in, and guilds are kind of meant to, not keep you out, but it’s not – there’s no job... BILL YATES:  Okay. NICK WALKER:  They make it tough. PEZ PEZDIRC:  Exactly.  There’s no job placement in the Directors Guild.  There’s no union hall.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● BRAD JACOBS NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week time to meet up and talk about what matters to you in the diverse and energetic world of project management.  Whether you’re new to the field […] The post Episode 33 — Moving Mountains To Create LakePoint appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● BRAD JACOBS NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week time to meet up and talk about what matters to you in the diverse and energetic world of project management.  Whether you’re new to the field or a veteran PM, whether you have questions about becoming certified or want to just hear some real-life stories about other folks in your shoes, we’re here to help you along the way with ideas and principles that will hit home no matter where you are. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are the brains of the outfit, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we have a guest in the studio today who’s in charge of a project that no doubt will make a lot of people envious because he gets to surround himself with others who just want people to play. ANDY CROWE:  You know, it’s going to be a fun episode today, Nick.  I’m looking forward to this.  And I always enjoy talking with people on infrastructure projects, too.  It requires a different orientation, a little bit of a different discipline than maybe some of the software projects I’ve been involved with and some of the other things that require fewer materials. NICK WALKER:  I think it will be fun.  So let’s introduce him.  Brad Jacobs is the senior project manager with Gude Management Group.  His current project is the LakePoint Sporting Community, on track to be one of the nation’s largest and most unique amateur sports destinations.  His background is in owner representation, real estate development, construction management, as well as design and engineering.  Brad, welcome to Manage This. BRAD JACOBS:  Thanks a lot for having me. NICK WALKER:  So Brad, right off the bat – see what I did there?  Right off the bat?  Okay.  Tell us about LakePoint Sporting Community.  What is it? BRAD JACOBS:  Well, for those that don’t know, LakePoint is a sports-oriented development.  It’s actually a sports vacation destination.  It’s geared towards middle school and high school age athletes that come for tournaments.  It primarily started as baseball, but it’s expanded over into there’s soccer, and there’s flag football.  And now we have an indoor facility that does basketball and volleyball. So when they have these tournaments, the goal is to have people come to stay.  Instead of just coming to a tournament for a short period, the goal is to get them to stay.  There’s entertainment facilities onsite, hotels, restaurants.  And so people come and stay for a three- or four-day tournament, rather than just showing up to a field for one single day. NICK WALKER:  Obviously, this is a huge project.  How far along is it? BRAD JACOBS:  The master plan of LakePoint is actually about 900 acres.  That’s the entire planned development.  Right now we’re in the initial phases.  The first rollout of the project is what we call the South Campus.  It’s about a hundred acres of property that we’ve developed so far.  It’s all – there’s baseball fields.  There’s about eight baseball fields right now.  There is a 180,000 square foot indoor facility.  We’ve done roads, infrastructure, some entertainment facilities.  And that’s just the first phase of this project.  The next phase is going to be about another 800 acres, which we’re about ready to undertake. NICK WALKER:  So people can go there now?  Or is that... BRAD JACOBS:  Yes.  LakePoint has actually been open for about three years.  This is their third season for baseball.  Every summer, actually right about now they’re gearing up to have the baseball tournaments.  And when the baseball tournaments start at LakePoint, it floods the entire area.  Thousands of people walk, I mean, I think they have around a million visitors per season. NICK WALKER:  Wow. BRAD JACOBS:  Yeah.  And we’re in the third season, so that’s about ready to gear up. NICK WALKER:  Where do you fit in with all of this?

  ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● ADAM HOFMAN NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to meet with you and dig into what you think is important in the world of project management.  Maybe you’re new to the field, have questions […] The post Episode 32 — Artificial Intelligence with Adam Hofman appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

  ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● ADAM HOFMAN NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to meet with you and dig into what you think is important in the world of project management.  Maybe you’re new to the field, have questions about certifications, or perhaps you’ve been in the trenches for years with multiple projects under your belt.  Whatever the case, we’re here to give you some insight, some ideas, some principles that you can use and hopefully avoid some hazards along the way. I’m your host, Nick Walker; and with me are the in-house experts at all this, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we have a guest with us today who can, among other things, probably answer the question, “Who you gonna call?” ANDY CROWE:  You know, it’s exciting as we start looking at this and looking at artificial intelligence, this is something a lot of our listeners brush up against.  And there’s so much going on in this field that it’s going to touch all of our lives.  So we’re really excited to have Adam in here today. NICK WALKER:  Adam Hofman is a product management at CallRail, an Atlanta-based startup focusing on call analytics.  His role is focused primarily on the company’s Conversation Intelligence products, which are centered on artificial intelligence and machine learning.  Adam, welcome to Manage This. ADAM HOFMAN:  Thank you very much for having me. NICK WALKER:  So Adam, I’m wondering if you could, first of all, maybe just paint a picture in our minds of how your products work.  What do they do?  Give us a scenario of how they’re used. ADAM HOFMAN:  Yeah.  So primarily CallRail is a call analytics and call intelligence platform.  So we have a lot of marketing agencies that use us with clients who they have phone numbers on their website.  They put phone numbers on a postcard or on a billboard and really want to know where those calls are coming from and how many people are calling those, you know, calling those different campaigns that they have.  So we give those customers phone numbers.  And those phone numbers actually forward to – they forward to a business number of that company. So when that call forwards, CallRail is able to capture the information from that caller, whether it’s basic information like the caller’s city and state that they’re calling from, or the caller’s name, or in certain scenarios whether they visited a website or they searched in a keyword or they visited a certain campaign before they placed the phone call.  So with that, those companies are able to really make better and smarter marketing decisions.  And they’re really able to hone in on what is being successful for them and grow. NICK WALKER:  So if I call in to a certain business, and I get a recording that says, “This call may be monitored for evaluation”? ADAM HOFMAN:  Right. NICK WALKER:  That might be you. ADAM HOFMAN:  Yeah.  So some of our customers choose to record their phone calls.  I would say about 80 percent of our customers choose to use that feature.  And that’s really based on local laws, and they kind of have to be aware of do we have to let these people know that these calls are being recorded?  In most cases it’s yes.  But they are able to use that, and we’re able to actually use that, to build more analytics products around that and be able to, like from a customer standpoint, they’re able to listen to a call after it happens and really analyze the quality of a call.  And going forward, CallRail, with these new products that we’re building in the call intelligence world, is able to do that without them having to listen to a call using artificial intelligence and machine learning. NICK WALKER:  So how did you initially get into all this? ADAM HOFMAN:  Good question.  If you had asked me, like, two and a half years ago if I thought that I was going to be a product manager for a software company,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● STEPHEN LIVELY ● PAUL ROGOWSKI NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our conversation about what matters most to you.  Whether you are a veteran PM, or just thinking about becoming certified, we’re here to inspire excellence, […] The post Episode 31 — Northwest Corridor Project appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● STEPHEN LIVELY ● PAUL ROGOWSKI NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our conversation about what matters most to you.  Whether you are a veteran PM, or just thinking about becoming certified, we’re here to inspire excellence, stimulate creativity, and help you avoid some pitfalls along the way. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the chief motivators, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Andy, we have a couple of guests on the line today who have experience with a project that kind of hits close to home with all of us who have to negotiate the highways of project management, both figuratively and literally. ANDY CROWE:  You know, there’s a lot of metaphors that could be used here, there’s no question.  We’re excited about it.  And one of the things I’m really excited about here is just the size and scope of this project.  I think a lot of us can learn from this. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s get into it.  Stephen Lively is the Program Delivery Manager for Major Projects with the Georgia Department of Transportation, or GDOT.  Paul Rogowski is the Senior Project Manager for HNTB.  He’s the Program Management Consultant.  And together they have worked on projects geared toward helping to alleviate some of the worst traffic tie-ups in the nation.  Stephen and Paul, welcome to Manage This. STEPHEN LIVELY:  Well, thank you.  It’s good to be in conversation with you and your listeners today. NICK WALKER:  Well, the project you’re involved in right now is in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  It’s called the Northwest Corridor Project.  Can you just give us a little bit of background to this?  What is the Northwest Corridor? STEPHEN LIVELY:  The Northwest Corridor is a tolling project that begins at the I-75/I-285 interchange on I-75 traveling north to Hickory Grove Road, which is in Cherokee County.  So the project starts in Cobb and ends in Cherokee.  And then, on the 575 corridor, the project ends at Sixes Road.  So it’s approximately 30 miles long of tolling lanes.  From 285 to the 75/575 split, there will be two tolling lanes to the west of the existing 75 main line.  And then north of the 575 split on 75, there will be one lane utilizing the existing median.  And also on the 575 corridor from 75 to Sixes Road, the project will have one tolling lane utilizing the existing median. NICK WALKER:  So I think it’s clear that this is a massive project. STEPHEN LIVELY:  Yes, yes.  Actually, we rode the project yesterday.  And one of the gentleman that was riding with me, he said – and this speaks for me as well – that “I’ve never worked on a project with this magnitude of work and the length of the project,” actually the largest project that GDOT has ever undertaken in general. NICK WALKER:  Tell us about the roles that you guys play, Stephen and Paul.  What are your roles in this project? STEPHEN LIVELY:  My major role is just to coordinate the activities, daily activities, and keeping the job moving, working with FHWA –  just a representative for the department, a face, if you will, to keep the job moving.  And I’ll let Paul kind of describe his role in HNTB. PAUL ROGOWSKI:  Sure.  My role had started back in 2010, and my role was to really set up the first design-build finance contract in the state.  This was a new model that had not been ever executed in the state.  And as a design-build finance course, it took a lot of changing in really the culture and somewhat thinking on GDOT on how to deliver a project.  Normally, they would have mostly internal staff to try to manage, you know, their typical projects.  But with this magnitude, there is anywhere between, I would say, 50 to 60 people that Stephen and myself have to manage on a day-to-day basis, besides the contractors’ work, and just try to make this thing happen. BILL YATES:  Got it. NICK WALKER:  Hey guys, just give me a bottom line.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● HEIDI FOGELL NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our conversation about what matters most to you, whether you are a seasoned professional or just trying to get started with your project management certifications.  It’s our goal […] The post Episode 30 — Science Meets Project Management with Heidi Fogell appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● HEIDI FOGELL NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our conversation about what matters most to you, whether you are a seasoned professional or just trying to get started with your project management certifications.  It’s our goal to help you improve, challenge you, motivate you, and, if possible, encourage you with stories from others in the profession. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the experts at all this, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, today we get a chance to draw on the experience of someone who has really an incredible diverse background. ANDY CROWE:  You know, that’s the beauty of project management, Nick.  You pull from so many different disciplines.  It applies in so many different ways.  And it’s kind of fascinating when you get people from different disciplines together to look at how they can manage projects more effectively. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s introduce our guest.  Heidi Fogell is a Project Manager and Natural Resources Practice Leader for Amec Foster Wheeler in Kennesaw, Georgia.  She’s a biologist and has been an adviser on ecological issues and habitat assessments and has negotiated with regulatory agencies.  She performs wetland delineations, biological assessments, as well as hazardous waste investigations and remediation projects.  Heidi, welcome to Manage This. HEIDI FOGELL:  Good morning.  Thank you for having me. NICK WALKER:  Now you have a fascinating background.  You’ve dealt with fish population studies, surface water issues, sediment and soil projects, and other environmental tasks.  Since our audience can’t see you, I should probably tell them, no, she is not wearing a lab coat.  But how does a scientist get into project management? HEIDI FOGELL:  Well, at the risk of sounding trite, it was about a boy.  I actually, when I was in grad school for marine biology at Florida Tech – the route that most people go is to work for a state or federal agency.  And I actually had the opportunity to work for an environmental consulting firm.  And that opportunity allowed me to stay where my boyfriend at the time was.  And so I took that opportunity and actually, through that, got lots of experience working in remediation projects in addition to the biological projects, and eventually moved up through the ranks and became a project manager. NICK WALKER: You know, I always tell young people, life takes you places that you never expected, so sometimes it’s just good to go with the flow. HEIDI FOGELL:  Yes. NICK WALKER:  But that’s really taken you into a lot of places that maybe you hadn’t planned on, but allows you to bring kind of a unique set of skills to it. HEIDI FOGELL:  Right, right.  You know, nobody expected a marine biologist to wind up in Kennesaw, Georgia.  It’s not as far away from the ocean as you can get, but not as close as you probably should be. BILL YATES:  You could be in Oklahoma or Nebraska. HEIDI FOGELL:  I could be.  I could be, but I’m not. BILL YATES:  Heidi, give us a sense for what are some of the typical projects that you’re working on. HEIDI FOGELL:  Typically right now I manage environmental remediation projects under the Superfund process, which is a federal regulation that cleans up old hazardous waste sites, usually where there is a known responsible party involved.  So that’s the bulk of my work right now.  But I also manage several smaller projects that support municipal and industrial clients for getting wetland impacts permitted or addressing impacts to protected species, basically addressing their environmental issues so that they can develop their projects responsibly, yet comply with regulations. BILL YATES:  Got you.  There’s something unique that you bring to the table that I want to get into because when I was reading over your bio, just getting a sense for the type of work that you do,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● KEITH WILLIAMS NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our informal discourse about what matters most to you as a professional project manager, or if you’re working toward that position.  We want to keep you motivated, keep […] The post Episode 29 — Best Practices with Keith Williams appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● KEITH WILLIAMS NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our informal discourse about what matters most to you as a professional project manager, or if you’re working toward that position.  We want to keep you motivated, keep you improving, and encourage you with some real-life stories from others who are doing the stuff of project management. I’m your host Nick Walker, and with me are the experts at all this, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And one of the subjects we like to keep coming back to, it seems, in this podcast, Andy, is what we call “best practices.”  And our guest today can definitely speak to that. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, I’m looking forward to that.  We have Keith Williams in the studio with us today.  And, you know, the whole idea with best practices, we get to learn from other people.  We get to figure out what they’ve learned by trial and error and through some pain so that maybe we don’t have to go through that ourselves each time. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s talk a little bit about Keith before we introduce him.  He’s a project control supervisor at Georgia Power Company.  He’s been serving in various areas of project management there since 2005, and as the operational performance supervisor for Southern Company.  Before that he held several project management/project controls positions at Parsons Company, Georgia Transmission, Enron Energy Services, Chemical & Industrial Engineering, the City of Louisville, and Earth Science Technologies.  Keith, it is a privilege to have you here on Manage This.  Welcome. KEITH WILLIAMS:  Thank you, and I look forward to it.  It’s a great opportunity. NICK WALKER:  Let’s start of by – just tell us a little bit about your current role in project controls at Georgia Power. KEITH WILLIAMS:  The project controls group at Georgia Power, first of all, I’m segmented in the transmission organization.  Those are your large power lines and substations.  The biggest thing we always like to describe, we’re the extension cord between the plant and the customer, so we’re the big orange cord. BILL YATES:  That’s a good picture.  Got it. KEITH WILLIAMS:  And so my group is mainly responsible for scheduling and budget controls.  It’s segmented into several different fields within project controls, which also includes cost engineering.  And also we’re responsible for the tools that manage all of that.  In that role, as far as my leadership within my group, our goal is I always like to say we’re the mortar between the bricks.  We’re the ones that are trying to make the connection between the organization and give them information so that, first of all, our project managers can make good decisions, offer real information; and then also to see how we can improve processes as far as that constant improvement that you see in Six Sigma. NICK WALKER:  You’re a project management nerd. KEITH WILLIAMS:  Yes, I would agree. NICK WALKER:  That’s what Bill and Andy are calling you.  And we love project management nerds. KEITH WILLIAMS:  Oh, most definitely.  I get told that a lot.  But then I look at the other guy and say, “Hey, you all are engineers.  It’s not like you all are cool.” ANDY CROWE:  Keith, you mentioned Six Sigma.  Now, do you guys actually practice Six Sigma in your group, or is that something that you look at from your own standpoint? KEITH WILLIAMS:  It’s something more I look at from my own standpoint, really got exposed to it as the operational performance supervisor.  And especially with looking at DMAIC and looking at those aspects there. BILL YATES:  Sure.  Now, Nick, you called me out, so I need to go ahead and explain. NICK WALKER:  Sure. BILL YATES:  So here’s how I came to that conclusion.  There are many data points here.  But as Keith and I were talking, he is a card-carrying member of the AACE,

Tune in to understand why Bill Gates chose The Box as one of his top picks in 2013.  ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● MARC LEVINSON NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our roundtable discussion about what matters most to you, whether you’re […] The post Episode 28 — How the Shipping Container Relates to Project Management appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

Tune in to understand why Bill Gates chose The Box as one of his top picks in 2013.  ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● MARC LEVINSON NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our roundtable discussion about what matters most to you, whether you’re a professional project manager or working toward being certified.  We want to be a spark to light your imaginative fire and give you some perspective and encouragement.  And we do that by drawing on the experience of others who are knee deep, and sometimes deeper, in the world of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the experts at this table, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we’re going to hear from a very special guest today. ANDY CROWE:  We’ve got a great guest this morning.  Marc Levinson’s joining us.  He’s the author of several books, and a really well-known person in the nonfiction world. NICK WALKER:  Dr. Marc Levinson is an economist.  He’s an expert in international trade and globalization, international finance and finance regulation.  He’s written for, among others, Time magazine, Newsweek, Harvard Business Review, the Daily Journal of Commerce in New York, and The Economist in London.  He’s advised Congress on transportation and industry issues.  He’s a consultant and an author of six books.  Marc, welcome to Manage This. MARC LEVINSON:  Well, thank you very much.  I’m delighted to be with you. NICK WALKER:  Now, Marc, we’re here in Georgia.  And you have a little bit of a Georgia connection, as well. MARC LEVINSON:  I lived in Atlanta for a number of years in the 1970s and early ’80s.  I am a proud alumnus of Georgia State University’s Graduate School.  And so, yes, I do have fond memories of Georgia. ANDY CROWE:  Marc, I’ve got to ask – this is Andy.  What part of town did you live in? MARC LEVINSON:  I lived for a while in Druid Hills and then in Grant Park. ANDY CROWE:  Excellent, excellent.  And my wife also joins you as having done her graduate work at Georgia State.  So got a connection there. NICK WALKER:  All right. MARC LEVINSON:  Very good. NICK WALKER:  One of your most fascinating books is titled “The Box:  How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger.”  Now, Marc, I have to admit that for years when I lived in Seattle I would drive by the port and see the loading and the unloading of the container ships.  But not once did I ever think, how does this method of transporting goods affect me?  I think maybe we take for granted something that’s really changed the life of every person who’s bought something manufactured outside this country. MARC LEVINSON:  The shipping container seems like a very mundane product.  It doesn’t seem like anything that particularly needed to be invented or developed.  But in fact, up until the 1950s, it didn’t exist.  And there was a prolonged period of developing containerization, developing standards so that a container could be sent around the world, and then of businesses changing their practices so that they could take advantage of the container.  So the container had very substantial effects on international trade.  It made globalization possible.  And my book is really the story of how this happened. ANDY CROWE:  Marc, this is interesting for me.  This is Andy.  And as I look at this and think about it, I’ve worked in the supply chain world, supply chain logistics.  I’ve done projects, I’ve managed projects for companies that provide this service for large shipping companies.  And it is something we take for granted.  So project managers have to interface with this kind of world a lot, with cartons and containers, cases – cases in, cartons out, all of it going on shipping containers.  Tell us what the world was like before that. MARC LEVINSON:  Sure.  Before the shipping container was developed, most goods were shipped internationally in a form ...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● NEAL WHITTEN NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s our opportunity to talk about what matters most to you, whether you’re a professional project manager or working toward one of your certifications.  Our purpose is to light up […] The post Episode 27 — Are You Too Soft appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● NEAL WHITTEN NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s our opportunity to talk about what matters most to you, whether you’re a professional project manager or working toward one of your certifications.  Our purpose is to light up your imagination, encourage you, and give you some perspective.  We talk about trends in the field, and we draw on the experience of others who are doing the stuff of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who make this podcast happen, our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we’re also going to hear from one of our favorite guests today. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, the guy that I refer to as my “sensei,” absolutely.  Neal Whitten’s in-studio with us, and we’re always excited to have him. NICK WALKER:  Neal Whitten is an author, a mentor, a trainer, a sought-after speaker, and a project management professional.  Neal Whitten, welcome once again to Manage This. NEAL WHITTEN:  I am honored to be here, guys.  Thank you very much. NICK WALKER:  Now, Neal, you speak a lot on project management topics.  You get feedback from your seminars which, I understand, is always positive.  We’re going to talk today about one of the subjects that always gets a reaction from your audiences because it’s real.  It hits home with a lot of project managers.  That’s because you force us to answer the question, am I too much of a softie?  All right, Neal.  You’re a nice guy.  This room is full of nice people.  But there must be a difference between “nice” and “too soft.”  What is that? NEAL WHITTEN:  Well, let me just say that I have found that most people in our profession are too soft, and probably most people in general are too soft.  But when I’m in front of a group, and it’s relevant, I’ll often ask this very simple question.  Do you believe that you tend to be too soft at work?  And what I mean by “too soft” is demonstrating behavior that results in being consistently less effective than what is otherwise possible and needed in performing responsibilities. Anyway, when I ask this at conferences, webinars, and so forth, most people say yes, they are too soft.  And from experience I’ve found most project managers, most business analysts indeed to be too soft.  They’re not willing to make the tough and unpopular project- or business analyst-related decisions, even though their instincts warn them that they’re not taking the most effective action. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  So how can we know if we are approaching that “too soft” category? NEAL WHITTEN:  I can give you some examples.  And you can decide for yourself if you fall into these examples.  One that comes to mind is, if you behave as if you have the responsibility, but without the authority, then in my view you’re too soft.  I do face time with thousands of people each year.  I frequently  hear project managers and business analysts say that they have the responsibility, but not the authority.  This just is not true.  You almost always have the authority.  The problem is that you don’t take it. BILL YATES:  So, Neal, I can agree with this.  I mean, I’ve heard this complaint from project managers when doing face-to-face classes with them.  That’s one of the most common complaints is just what you’re pointing out here, that I don’t really have the authority that I need in order to get my job done.  So you’re saying they do have it, they just need to reach in and grab it? NEAL WHITTEN:  Yeah, that’s the neat thing about it.  It’s already there.  Here’s an example.  And I say this to everyone listening.  When was the last time you were called on the carpet, challenged, for exceeding your authority?  Was it within the last week, or the last month, or even the last year?  Was it ever?  My experience is that less than 15 percent of people in a large group,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We get together every two weeks to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager, whether it’s certification issues or creating and implementing successful projects.  We draw on the expertise […] The post Episode 26 — Lean Six Sigma appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We get together every two weeks to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager, whether it’s certification issues or creating and implementing successful projects.  We draw on the expertise of experts in the field and share their challenges and successes. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and beside me are the two in-house experts who guide our discussion, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, you know, folks go online, they look at your bio, and they see all these letters behind your name.  And probably most of our listeners are familiar with most of those letters, those acronyms.  But there’s one, a Black Belt Six Sigma.  Should I be dodging blows here?  What is the Black Belt Six Sigma? ANDY CROWE:  It’s funny, Nick.  It’s a Six Sigma Black Belt.  What it is, Six Sigma has different levels of credentialing.  And there’s Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt, and Master Black Belt Trainer.  So I’m somewhere in the middle there in terms of that. What it is, it’s funny, there’s a lot of project management certifications out there.  We’ve talked about the PMP before.  We’ve talked about the PMI-ACP.  We’ve probably touched on the Program Management Professional and Portfolio, the PgMP and the PfMP, and certainly the Certified Associate in Project Management, the CAPM.  A lot of alphabet soup there. And it’s really funny because, even when I go do project management conferences, and people introduce me as a Six Sigma Black Belt, a lot of people in the room don’t know what that is.  They think it’s some martial art.  It’s not.  It’s related to quality.  It’s a quality certification.  And it’s really the topic of today’s podcast is about Six Sigma, about Lean Six Sigma – which is something a little bit different – and how those work and how they can benefit. NICK WALKER:  Is this a certification that’s been around a long time?  Or is this something that’s fairly new? ANDY CROWE:  It’s been around a while.  Now, what happened with that, when it first came out, there wasn’t a lot of structure as to who owned the certification.  It was one of those things that a lot of different organizations were able to give that.  And then that’s changed.  We’ll talk about that later in the podcast a little bit, about how that’s evolved, who’s vying for kind of control of that certification, what that looks like, as well. BILL YATES:  There are a couple of key components here that I want Andy to explain to the audience, Nick, because if there’s a Lean component, then there’s a Six Sigma component.  And I like where we’re headed with some background here, where this thing, where this movement began because it is all related to quality.  And so Andy, what about Lean?  When did that really come into play? ANDY CROWE:  Lean is an amazing philosophy by itself.  So it’s a series of practices.  And what Lean is trying to do is get rid of waste.  Now, this is useful in a bunch of organizations.  But it’s really, really useful in manufacturing projects.  So if you have a project that has manufacturing, this is where it comes in.  Lean really came into vogue at Toyota.  And so it started after World War II.  It really picked up steam in the ‘70s and ‘80s.  And this is when Toyota started surpassing, and Honda and some of these organizations started really surpassing U.S. manufacturing. And I’ve lived through it.  I watched it firsthand, that it absolutely did.  You know, there were times when, if you got 80,000 miles out of some U.S. cars, that was good.  And then, you know, some of the Toyotas were getting 200,000 miles.  And it was just astonishing what they were able to do.  Well, they got there through a number of things.  Lean was part of it.  So Lean really talks about – the acronym we use in Lean is TIMWOOD, T-I-M-W-O-O-D.  And what it is,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to have a conversation about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We may talk about certification.  We share stories of success and how we […] The post Episode 25 — Alpha Project Managers appeared first on PMP Certification Exam Prep & Training - Velociteach.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we meet to have a conversation about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We may talk about certification.  We share stories of success and how we can improve.  And we draw on the experience of leaders in the field. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are a couple of those leaders, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, we are ringing in the New Year and, at the same time, celebrating our one-year anniversary here at Manage This. ANDY CROWE:  There’s a lot to celebrate, Nick.  So Happy New Year to you. BILL YATES:  Happy Birthday, Manage This. NICK WALKER:  That’s right, that’s right.  And what better way to celebrate the New Year and our anniversary than to sort of step back, maybe take stock in ourselves, make some resolutions, set some goals, and talk about what makes a top-tier project manager.  And Bill, we are fortunate to have the guy who literally wrote the book on that. BILL YATES:  That’s right. NICK WALKER:  Our own Andy Crowe has a book titled “Alpha Project Managers:  What the Top 2% Know That Everyone Else Does Not.”  And Bill, this book has made kind of a pretty big splash in the world of project management. BILL YATES:  It really has.  I remember our delight when we saw that, in the exposure draft for the Sixth Edition PMBOK Guide, we actually have – the book is cited; the study is cited.  And it’s early on, even.  It’s in Chapter 3, when they’re describing the role of the project manager.  And it’s very exciting to see that they’re referring to the research that Andy did in the Alpha Study to describe what makes a project manager successful. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, sometimes ideas and concepts take a little while to work and wind and wend their way into the PMBOK Guide.  And so we were really happy to see this show up, and gives it a little bit of gravitas, perhaps. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  And, you know, to add to that, I know it’s been referenced many times.  I think it was two summers ago Chip and Dan Heath actually mentioned it as a must-read.  They have – they’re prolific writers and well-respected authors, and I was really impressed by that. NICK WALKER:  So tell us a little bit, Andy, about the Alpha Study.  Give us an overview of how this came about. ANDY CROWE:  Well, the Alpha Study was a look at 860 project  managers.  And we looked at who the high performers were.  And the way we did that, Nick – so in order to go through this study you had to do a few things.  You had to participate in a couple of very lengthy surveys.  That was part one of what they had to do.  But then also the project managers had to provide access to at least five stakeholders.  These stakeholders were team members, senior manager, customer, and they were all current people.  So these stakeholders, these five or more stakeholders, five to eight stakeholders, would take part two of the survey, as well.  But they weren’t taking it for themselves.  They were taking it for the project manager. Then what we started to look at is, okay, here’s the way the PM answered questions about his or her performance.  But here’s the way the stakeholders viewed that same person’s performance.  And what we found was there are some interesting gaps.  And it’s the gaps that make this interesting.  What everybody agrees on is only mildly interesting.  But where there’s a big departure, and where they view the same thing very differently, becomes a lot more interesting. BILL YATES:  There’s a book by Malcolm Gladwell, it’s called “Outliers.”  And what I love is he states clearly the purpose of the book, and it relates so on point with the Alpha Study.  Gladwell says, “This book is about outliers, about men and women who do things that are out of the ordinary.  Over the course of the chapters ahead I’m going to introduce you to one kind of outli...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we get together to discuss what matters to you as a professional project manager.  Whether it’s how to get certified or how to create successful projects, we get input from leaders in the field and draw on their experience and accomplishments. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, it is holiday time.  It seems like every time I turn on the TV or the radio, I hear somebody talking about finding the perfect gift for that person on your list. ANDY CROWE:  And all the sleigh bells in the air that you can hear.  Let me ask you a question.  Has anybody else had an issue with really well-targeted ads coming at them over the Internet? NICK WALKER:  Oh, oh. ANDY CROWE:  It’s been alarming this year how well they’ve figured out what’s going on in my head. BILL YATES:  They know Andy.  They know what Andy wants. ANDY CROWE:  They know.  That’s correct. NICK WALKER:  They know it before I know it.  All right.  So we’ve got gifts that we want to talk about for that perfect project manager on your list.  I guess we want to answer the question:  What’s in your stocking? ANDY CROWE:  You know what, Nick, one of the things we’re thinking about here, some of the project managers get to give a gift to themselves through some of this.  So it’s not so much that maybe you’re buying these for somebody else, but maybe you’re buying it for yourself.  And Bill and I were talking about this as we were preparing for the podcast.  You know, it’s funny, as we look at tools, as we look at technology, one of the things that really always resonates with me is the fact that it’s the process underneath it that really matters.  The technology just facilitates that process. When I started my career in project management, somebody handed me a copy of Microsoft Project and said, “Go and make a project plan.”  Nobody ever taught me how up to that point.  Nobody taught me how to estimate, how to schedule, how to even think about decomposing the work and putting the fences around the scope.  And suddenly I was expected to make a project plan.  So the idea is we’re going to cover some tools.  We’re excited about this episode because this is a lot of fun.  But at the same time, if you give somebody a better word processor, it doesn’t make them a better writer or a better communicator. BILL YATES:  Right. ANDY CROWE:  If you give somebody a better tool, it doesn’t make them a better PM automatically.  And these things will just facilitate getting them there once the process is in place. BILL YATES:  And we get mesmerized by these new tools.  Sometimes they’re... NICK WALKER:  Oh, yeah. ANDY CROWE:  They’re shiny. BILL YATES:  They are shiny, and they come in nice boxes. NICK WALKER:  You can geek out. BILL YATES:  Yeah, we get geeked out.  We think, this is the coolest thing ever.  This is going to change how I do my job and make my life that much better.  And, dang, I just like every feature in it.  I’m going to go deep and figure all this stuff out.  And we lose, to Andy’s point, we lose the big picture.  What are we doing?  How much time am I spending on the tool, just for the sake of me enjoying the tool?  Or is the tool really – am I serving the tool, or is the tool serving me? ANDY CROWE:  Mm-hmm. NICK WALKER:  So with that in mind, do you have any applications that are must-haves, some that you have to have, that you really can’t do without? BILL YATES:  Yeah.  We had fun reaching out to the community and asking other PMs, “What resonates with you?  If you were alone on an island, and you had a project you had to manage, what tool would you want to have on your last two hours of computer life, you know, before the battery dies?”  And so we got some nice feedback from people,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● DR. RUTH MIDDLETON HOUSE NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every-other-week visit to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We like to talk about doing the stuff of project management:  how to get certified; how to create success and sustain it.  We talk with leaders in the industry and see what they’ve been doing and draw on their experience. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are the in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And Andy, there’s a theme that comes up in our conversations from time to time, and that seems to be managing the unexpected. ANDY CROWE:  It’s a fun thing.  And you know what, Nick, there are so many examples of things not going to plan.  As Eisenhower said, “The plan is nothing, but planning is everything.”  You’ve got to be waiting for who-knows-what to come your way.  So we’re excited about our guest today. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, let’s talk about our guest.  She is Dr. Ruth Middleton House.  She’s president and lead consultant of Middleton-House & Company.  She specializes in troubleshooting high-risk, high-visibility projects in multibillion-dollar partnerships and joint ventures, on down to small business ventures.  She’s an educator, an author; and, Ruth, we consider ourselves privileged to have you here.  Welcome to Manage This. RUTH HOUSE:  Thank you.  I’m just delighted to be here.  You’re right, Andy, so often so much depends on how we manage that instantaneous thing that we did not see coming.  And as an example, I’d like to go back about 700 years. ANDY CROWE:  You’ve been at this a while, but that’s a surprise. RUTH HOUSE:  When he said “experienced,” he meant what he said.  It was at about that time that a fictional character emerged named Mullah Nasruddin. NICK WALKER:  Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Mullah Nas... RUTH HOUSE:  Mullah Nasruddin.  Mullah’s a title.  Like in the rural South he would be called Reverend Smith or Pastor Jones, probably. NICK WALKER:  Can we call him “Moe”? BILL YATES:  Moe, I like that. RUTH HOUSE:  That’ll throw me off, so I’ll call him Mullah; but you can call him Moe if you want to.  And the story, this story, about Mullah illustrates some truths about culture which changes as circumstances change that are very important for us to remember today.  Now, Mullah was out working in his field when a messenger from a nearby town came and handed him a written invitation to come to the great hall and dine with the prince. Well, Mullah was so excited, he dropped his tools right where he was, headed straight for the hall.  But when he arrived there with his threadbare turban and his dirty tunic on from working in the fields, the guards said, “No way.  Not only are you not going into the hall, I don’t even want you hanging around here on the outside.  You just go back home where you belong.” Well, Mullah was insulted that he had not been treated like the very important person he knew himself to be.  But he went home.  He bathed in perfumed oil.  He wrapped his head in his finest silk turban.  He dressed in his finest tunic and went right back to the great hall.  This time he received a warm welcome and was even ushered inside and seated right next to the prince.  Well, in those days he would have been seated around a beautiful Persian rug, right next to the prince.  That rug was just covered with huge bowls of beautifully prepared food. Mullah ate and ate and ate until he had had his fill.  Then he reached a hand into one bowl, grabbed some food, and rubbed it into his tunic.  He reached to another bowl, grabbed some food, and rubbed it into his tunic.  Reached for a third bowl, grabbed some food, and rubbed it in his tunic.  Everyone fell silent around him, and all eyes were on him. Finally the prince couldn’t stand it anymore.  And he said, “Mullah Nasruddin,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we get together to address the topics that matter most to you as a professional project manager.  Our conversations touch on getting certified, avoiding pitfalls in the business, and creating ongoing successes. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are the in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And guys, not to be outdone by the politicians, we have an October or November surprise of our own:  Papergate.  Does this rise to the level of scandal? ANDY CROWE:  I would not go that far, Nick.  I don’t think so.  This was a clarification of a policy from the Project Management Institute that you’re referring to.  But I don’t think it goes so far as a scandal.  It’s turned a lot of people upside down, perhaps. NICK WALKER:  All right.  So let’s get into this.  What is Papergate?  Did you come up with this, Bill, this term? BILL YATES:  I can neither confirm nor deny that I came up with that term.  Yeah, what we had was there is a practice, when you go in to take an exam; you have a 15-minute tutorial that takes place before the clock starts ticking down on your actual exam time. ANDY CROWE:  A tutorial of what?  Explain that. BILL YATES:  A tutorial is really – it’s showing you how to navigate.  As you’re taking the exam, it’s administered on a computer, and you have to know how to use a mouse.  You have to know it’s A, B, C, or D.  How do I click on it? NICK WALKER:  Sure. BILL YATES:  When I click on the next button, what happens? NICK WALKER:  So the logistics of taking the test itself. BILL YATES:  Yeah, yeah.  And it is fairly intuitive.  And one of the things that we have encouraged our students to do in the past is to take advantage of the 15 minutes and do a brain dump.  And by that we have formulas that are very important for the exam.  We have keywords, mnemonics, trigger words, different things. ANDY CROWE:  Acronyms. BILL YATES:  Acronyms.  The practice is to dump that information on the scratch sheet of paper that is provided at the exam center during that tutorial time. NICK WALKER:  Okay. ANDY CROWE:  And the reason we do that is so, for instance, if you have a formula down in front of you, you may have three, four, five questions on the exam that ultimately reference that formula.  You don’t have to recall it each time.  You don’t have to start second-guessing yourself.  You do it at the beginning.  Your mind’s fresh.  Because by the end your mind’s going to be kind of pulpy anyway, and so you do it when your mind is fresh.  You get that information down.  And then it’s there.  And then you can refer back to it with some confidence and some ease and some quickness of recall. BILL YATES:  And speaking of confidence, I like to encourage students to do the brain dump because it puts you in a confident mood or attitude towards the exam.  You’re able to walk out of the car, come in and be frisked at the Prometric Center, and provide all the right check-in protocol.  And then you sit down, and your anxiety level is really high.  By doing the brain dump, you’re able to produce something on paper.  So you’re getting, kinesthetically, you’re getting involved in it; and you’re relieving some of the stress; and you’re building some of that data that you can refer back to during the exam. NICK WALKER:  And does the feedback from people who’ve taken the test show that this has been effective? ANDY CROWE:  Very. BILL YATES:  Yeah, it’s a good practice.  So we had a curveball. NICK WALKER:  Uh-oh. BILL YATES:  So PMI came back and said we’ve had a change in policy.  And now at all Prometric Centers, when you go to take the exam, during the 15-minute tutorial you’re not allowed to take paper and pencil that’s provided at the exam center.  You’re not allowed to do that brain dump. NICK WALKER:  Okay.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● ERIC NORMAN NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to meet with you and talk about the nuts and bolts of project management and what matters most to you as a professional project manager, whether it’s getting certified or simply doing the job of project management.  We hear from some of the leaders in the industry and draw on their experience.  I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And talk about experts, Andy, we certainly have one with us in the studio today. ANDY CROWE:  This is an exciting podcast for me, Nick, and I’m not sure I’ve ever looked forward to one more than this.  So this is a real treat. NICK WALKER:  Wow.  That is saying a lot.  Eric Norman has consulted and led projects and business process improvement efforts at AT&T, at Sprint, Delta Airlines, Cox Communications, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just to name a few.  He’s a frequent presenter at national and international trade conferences and is a recognized authority on program management practice.  Eric, welcome to Manage This. ERIC NORMAN:  Thank you, Nick.  Thank you, Bill and Andy.  I’m thrilled to be here. NICK WALKER:  Eric, you sort of have a unique role in all of this.  A lot of your work has been in the area of developing standards for the industry, but also in performance of a particular role.  Given your extensive background, give us a little brief overview of your current role in project management. ERIC NORMAN:  I actually have two roles.  One is an employment-type role; the other is volunteer.  So from an employment perspective, when I’m working with clients and working with leaders, I’m focused on alignment of strategy in the organization with the delivery of the initiatives that they have.  On the volunteer side, I’ve had a lot of experience with standards, as you mentioned. But most recently I’m working on the Certification Governance Council.  The Governance Council is a subcommittee of PMI’s Board of Directors, and it oversees the strategy and governance of PMI certifications, the eight certifications.  So we look historically at what has happened with the development of certifications over the course of PMI’s history.  And we look out into the future five years, 10 years, 15, 20 years; and we talk about how to manage what we have currently as a family of certifications, and what does the marketplace demand coming forward.  And that’s a fairly active interaction between PMI’s Global Operations Center, the staff, CEO and all the vice presidents and staff at PMI, but also the Board of Directors who oversee that staff.  So it’s a very active and interesting role; and I get to see the relationship between certifications, the performance of the role, and the standards that kind of guide that performance. ANDY CROWE:  Eric, just to clarify, earlier you used the word “performance.”  So you’re not looking at the performance of the certification, you’re looking at the performance of the role?  Is that correct? ERIC NORMAN:  We actually are looking – both. ANDY CROWE:  So what does that mean?  What does the performance of the certification mean from your standpoint?  What do you track? ERIC NORMAN:  PMI – you could think of the certifications for PMI as products.  PMI has three major components of their product set.  They have knowledgeware, which are standards and things of that nature. ANDY CROWE:  The PMBOK Guide... ERIC NORMAN:  PMBOK Guide. ANDY CROWE:  ...being a prime example flagship. ERIC NORMAN:  Absolutely.  And it is the flagship.  The other standards, the practice standards and the guides – so the knowledgeware and the publications that PMI is also involved in.  The second big component is membership. BILL YATES:  Right. ERIC NORMAN:  So there is a large effort to always manage the members and their experience and those things.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● NEAL WHITTEN ● DR. STACY CAMPBELL ● MIKE MOSQUITO ● ALAN CLAYPOOL ● BOB MAHLER NICK WALKER:  No, this is not a flashback to some old-time radio program like “The Shadow” or “War of the Worlds.”  This is a special Halloween edition of Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every other week we get together to talk about what matters most to you as a professional project manager.  We talk about getting certified, staying certified, and getting projects done. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are the in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Okay, guys.  I think it’s obvious we’re doing something a little bit different today.  Andy, would you kind of fill us in on the topic today? ANDY CROWE:  We’re talking about project horror stories in honor of Halloween.  It’s a spooky season.  And I think – Bill and I were talking earlier about how you learn a lot more when things get scary on the project than you do when things go smoothly.  But I’m most excited that we also – we have a lot of guests calling in, but we also have a very special guest here in the studio, Neal Whitten.  Neal, welcome. NEAL WHITTEN:  Thank you very much.  I’m honored to be here. NICK WALKER:  We must have treated you right last time, Neal, because you decided to come back and join us. BILL YATES:  He came back. ANDY CROWE:  It was the coffee cup. NEAL WHITTEN:  It must have been that.  I love this coffee. NICK WALKER:  We’re looking forward to hearing your story here in just a little bit.  But first let’s talk to a guest on the phone. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, we have Dr. Stacy Campbell as our first caller.  Stacy is a friend of Velociteach.  She’s been a professional consultant, a project manager.  Now she is a professor in the business school at Kennesaw State University.  All right, Stacy, thank you for being with us today.  So we’re talking about project horror stories.  What is yours? STACY CAMPBELL:  Well, I don’t know if it’s a horror story.  But it was scary when I was going through it.  So this was when I was starting off.  I was a young project manager.  And I was working in D.C., working for the – our project was the U.S. Marshals.  And they were implementing part of the PeopleSoft HR system.  And specifically they were doing the module that tracked all the skills and certifications and training on these U.S. Marshals.  So before I could even get started, I had to go through a background check.  And I don’t know if anyone has ever done that, but the whole process of writing down all the people you’ve ever known and having them kind of vouch for you.  So that whole part was scary.  I knew that that was going to be – it was going to be an interesting project. But once I got onboard, and I started looking into it, I mean, I basically was in charge of gathering all the different – making sure that the database had all the different skills that the U.S. Marshals had.  I mean, so in the past the only way to find out, if there was an emergency, and they had to deploy certain marshals because of their special karate skills, language skills, they would basically just do it by word of mouth.  Like, oh, yeah, we have that marshal that knows how to do that.  So that in itself, the way it was working in the past, was scary, the fact that, you know, they didn’t have a system to track all this information. So my job was to help put this system in place.  So I know I did lots of interviews with the people that worked there.  I interviewed even some of the marshals to find out all the different skills.  I mean, we’re talking about, you know, we talked about project management certifications and leadership training.  I mean, they’re telling me about the different rifles that they can shoot, and how far they can shoot.  And so, you know, that was – that in itself was kind of, you know, just intimidating, and understanding all the different skills that was r...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to talk about the things that matter most to you as a professional project manager.  These include the ins and outs of just doing the job of project management; how to get certified and stay certified.  And we hear from some of the leaders in the industry. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are the in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  You’ve got questions?  They’ve got answers.  Hey, guys.  It’s been a couple of weeks since we were all together.  It’s good to be back with you. BILL YATES:  Yeah. ANDY CROWE: It’s good to be reunited. NICK WALKER:  I hope you both look forward to this time as much as I do.  This is a great time to get together.  And I mentioned that we like to deal with questions.  One of the questions we’ve been hearing about is earning PDUs.  As most of us know, we need 60 PDUs, those are Professional Development Units... BILL YATES:  Correct. NICK WALKER:  ...every three years to keep the PMP credential current.  And when somebody works that hard to get that credential, they don’t want to lose it. BILL YATES:  That is true. NICK WALKER:  Simply because they don’t get enough PDUs. BILL YATES:  Right. NICK WALKER:  So we’ve mentioned it before, but it’s probably a good idea to go into more detail.  We actually offer PDUs, free PDUs to our listeners. ANDY CROWE:  Right.  This podcast is good for PDUs.  And Nick, just one thing to add a little color to that is it’s not just the PMP.  You’ve got to have them for all the PMI credentials.  So PgMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP. BILL YATES:  ACP, yup. ANDY CROWE:  All of them.  PfMP.  So this is the currency of our people. NICK WALKER:  Let’s talk a little bit about how to get some of those PDUs from this podcast.  Each Manage This Episode, I understand, is registered with PMI as a “Category A PDU.” BILL YATES:  Yeah.  That means it’s top of the line, top-shelf platinum level. NICK WALKER:  Oh, yeah.  And, you know, we’ve aligned each episode to the appropriate areas of PMI’s Talent Triangle.  Tell us a little bit about that. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah.  You’ve got to have – so there’s three legs of a Talent Triangle, hence the word “triangle.”  There’s technical skills, there’s leadership, and there’s business savvy.  And you have to have at least eight PDUs from each of those legs.  So now the days are gone when you can read a book and claim all of your PDUs from reading a book or from giving back to the profession, which used to be a lot of people would get involved in their chapter, and they would give back, and they would get their PDUs that way.  Now you have to have a certain number from training.  And so this really comes in handy here. NICK WALKER:  And the great thing is we make it simple here.  All you have to do is go to Velociteach.com and select “Manage This Podcast,” Manage This Podcast from the top of the page, and you’ll see a big button right there.  It says “Claim PDUs.”  And that spells out the steps.  You can find the PMI Activity ID by selecting the episode from the list.  You’ll see that near the top of the page, as well. BILL YATES:  Correct, right, you’ll see it right there.  And that’s the data that you need to submit that PDU claim.  And like you said, the Claim PDUs button, that spells out all the nitty-gritty details for those PMs.  And they can follow along and check off the list and see it right there on PMI.org. NICK WALKER:  So this is an easy way of getting the PDUs.  I hope lots of folks will take advantage of that.  So let’s give them some information so they can... BILL YATES:  Earn the PDU, yeah. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, let’s do it.  You know, sometimes it’s good to kind of take a step back.  You know, we’ve talked about a lot of things over the last several weeks with all these podcasts.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JOEL “THOR” NEEB NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we get together to discuss the things that matter to you as a professional project manager.  We talk about project management certification and doing the job of a project manager, and we hear from some of the leaders in the industry.  I’m your host Nick Walker, and with me are our in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And by the way, on the day we’re recording this, Andy, you’re getting ready to deliver the keynote address at PMI Honolulu. ANDY CROWE:  I am heading out to Honolulu to be at that chapter.  I’ve been there before, and I’m really excited.  I’m talking about the Talent Triangle, which is getting a lot of buzz within PMI:  the technical, the leadership, and the strategy triangle and how that applies to our own career. NICK WALKER:  And, by the way, our guest today is delivering the opening keynote in a few days at the Project Management Institute’s Global Congress for North America in San Diego.  And this is a guy who probably has enough fascinating stories that we could probably sit here for hours and never exhaust them all.  It’s amazing how you find these guys.  I’m really looking forward to this today.  Our guest is Joel Neeb.  His friends call him Thor.  Are we friends enough to call you Thor? JOEL NEEB:  I definitely think so, yeah, absolutely. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  Okay.  Well, Thor, welcome to Manage This.  We are fortunate to have you here with us. JOEL NEEB:  Thanks, Nick.  It’s a real pleasure to be here. NICK WALKER:  Now, before we begin, let me give just a quick rundown of your background for our listeners.  Thor was an F-15 pilot.  He escorted the U.S. President through the sky.  He flew missions to ensure the safety of our country after the attacks of 9/11.  He was a technical leader of 300 of the most senior combat pilots in the Air Force.  He’s a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.  He’s now the president of Afterburner, leading a team of more than 70 elite military professionals, and with them has trained almost two million business professionals and fostered elite teams for Fortune 100 companies, companies in the tech industry, finance, medical devices, and several NFL teams.  We could keep going.  But we want to stop there and give you time to talk to us.  Thor, first of all, why Thor?  I’ve got to know that. JOEL NEEB:  So, you know what, for every call sign there’s two versions of the story.  The version one is safe for public consumption, and we could tell that right now, which is Thor and the Thor’s Hammer.  I was an instructor, and so I was known as “The Hammer” as the instructor.  And then there also is a two-beverage minimum version of the story which is a little less flattering for me and probably pretty embarrassing and sounds a lot less cool than the first version of the story.  But it’s a lot of fun. NICK WALKER:  Does it have anything to do with your chiseled Greek god looks? JOEL NEEB:  It definitely does not, at that point.  There’s an embarrassing story associated with it, like every good call sign should have. NICK WALKER:  Okay, okay.  Well, we’ll just have to go into that one after the mics are off. JOEL NEEB:  There you go. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  Well, first of all, tell us the concept of Afterburner.  How do fighter pilots speak into the world of project management? JOEL NEEB:  Well, you know, in my world, Nick, I was flying Mach 2.  I had 350 instruments in front of me.  I was going in and out of the clouds.  I had four, sometimes seven wingmen flying with me at any given point in time.  And I have to manage this complex universe and figure out, as I’m going inside and in and out of the clouds, how to keep these wingmen from running into each other,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● ELLEN SMITH NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every other week chance to meet and talk about the things that matter most to you as a professional project manager.  What does it take to get started in the field?  To get certified?  And how do you survive? I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  They’ve experienced the challenges, they’ve tasted the victories of project management, and they want to share their experience with you. And, guys, we are fortunate once again to have a special guest in the studio today.  Ellen Smith is an attorney with Holt Ney in Atlanta.  She deals with commercial real estate, wireless telecommunications, and land use; and her clients range from single individual member limited liability companies to nonprofit hospitals to Fortune 500 companies.  Varied in her talents, for sure.  Ellen, thanks so much for being with us on Manage This. ELLEN SMITH:  Thanks for having me. NICK WALKER:  We are so looking forward to talking with you about our topic today, and that is negotiation.  But before we get there, Andy and Bill, let’s talk a little bit about the need for negotiation when it comes to project management.  Andy? ANDY CROWE:  And Nick, I want to back up.  You said we’ve “tasted the victories of project management”? NICK WALKER:  That’s my impression. ANDY CROWE:  Bill, is that your experience of your work in project management? BILL YATES:  What I conjure up is more of a bitterness, you know, like the most bitter coffee. ANDY CROWE:  Thinking the bitter dregs? BILL YATES:  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  That coffee that’s been sitting there all day. NICK WALKER:  So it’s more the agony of defeat than the thrill of victory. BILL YATES:  Maybe. ANDY CROWE:  You know, it’s one of those – you remember the old saying that you have to have a strong stomach to see how the sausage is made? NICK WALKER:  Yes, yes. ANDY CROWE:  And when you go back and sometimes see how a project gets done, and see what it takes to get there, you’d better have a strong stomach and a strong sense of yourself.  But no, I’m excited about this topic because it’s this whole idea of negotiation.  And the project manager is in such a difficult position.  And this is what nobody really stops to think about.  So you’ve got the organization.  You’ve got this whole group of stakeholders.  You’ve got senior management.  You’ve got sponsors, users, customers, all of these people. And the way I think about it is sort of picture them in an inverted pyramid.  So that’s on the top side of the pyramid, this triangle pointing down, with the tip pointing down.  And then below you, you’ve got the team.  And that can include a lot of different people.  It can include virtual relationships.  It can include dedicated straight-line reporting relationships.  And the PM is stuck in the middle between those two points.  So there’s a... BILL YATES:  Two very sharp points. ANDY CROWE:  They can get very sharp. BILL YATES:  Yes, very pointy. ANDY CROWE:  And so there’s this idea that the project manager is constantly negotiating everything, all day every day.  That’s really a lot of the job, at the heart of the job.  You could call the person a “project negotiator” as opposed to a project manager.  I mean, there are people who just tick off boxes and say yes, complete, check, check.  And we think about those as maybe a coordinator. BILL YATES:  Right. ANDY CROWE:  But in this case a project manager has to go back in the kitchen and make the sausage.  And it is tricky, and sometimes it’s very ugly, and it’s a lot of work. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  There are third parties that they’re having to rely on to provide valuable deliverables for this project.  So they’ve got contracts, perhaps, with third parties.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. Every two weeks we get together to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager. We cover what it takes to get certified, what it takes to do the job of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker. And beside me are our in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. They are project managers for project managers. They instruct other project managers and those working to become one. So, guys, last time we talked about projects that are in trouble. And we want to catch the trouble before they go up in flames. We talked about a lot of ways to do that. So let’s recap just a little bit and then go forward and talk about how we get to the end and really make this project a success. ANDY CROWE: You know what, Nick, this is something we need to be talking about in the project management community. So the approach that most companies take is they say, well, we’re going to look at ways to never get in this situation. But the truth is over two thirds of projects come in over time and over budget, and they don’t meet the critical success factors. They don’t hit that target, that elusive butterfly of success. They never capture it in their net. And so what do you do if you’re in that situation? And to be honest, I’ve taught and mentored PMs before who live in that situation, so it’s not an unusual thing. It’s just difficult to talk about. NICK WALKER: Two thirds of projects. That’s an amazing statistic. ANDY CROWE: Yeah, the actual numbers are worse than that. But we’re going to be happy and say two thirds. BILL YATES: And it’s a reality. So why not get tooled up in learning how to do this part of my job as a project manager? And we, you know, the first session we talked about the first step is identifying that, identifying when I’m in a project that is in serious trouble, so how to detect it. We talked about smelling the smoke and looking at the canary. ANDY CROWE: Yeah, Bill liked the more intuitive approach, and I advocated for the data-driven approach. But those two meet, absolutely. Those two intersect. BILL YATES: Absolutely. NICK WALKER: And then we have to come up with just the correct approach. And there are a couple of different ways to go there, too. BILL YATES: Yeah. Some companies, they go with the tiger team, the parachute in the expert that’s me to come fix everything. And then what we really focused on more was the do-it-yourself, the you are leading a project. You’ve determined that it is in serious trouble. So what are you going to do about it? NICK WALKER: And I loved how you emphasized so much the need to try to keep calm because intuitively this is the time that you’re going to be the least calm, perhaps. BILL YATES: Yeah. You’ve gone to that “in case of emergency” box. You’ve busted it open, and you’re trying to calm yourself down so that you can actually lead the team with competency and professionalism. ANDY CROWE: Right. We talked about last time nobody’s at their best leading out of fear. NICK WALKER: And then there was that aha moment for me where we talked about trying to move forward, but in order to do that you’ve got to move backward before you do. BILL YATES: Right. Yeah, you have to do root cause analysis. You have to fully understand what is the problem. Maybe, to Andy’s point before, we’ve got some reports that have shown some troubling trends. We have the data in front of us. Now we’ve got to roll our sleeves up, get into it, and figure out what is causing us to miss our milestones. Why are our budgets suddenly blowing up? Why are all the errors and defects suddenly cropping up where they weren’t before? ANDY CROWE: So Bill, let me ask you a question in starting us off in the next step here. You’re dealing with a lot of different dynamics. Some of those may, we talked about the last time,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our every week chance to meet and talk about what matters most to you as a professional project manager.  We talk about getting started, getting certified, getting the stuff of project management done. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and beside me are our in-house experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  They are project managers themselves.  They mentor other project managers and those working to become one.  And guys, today’s topic addresses what might be to some teams sort of an elephant in the room, the fact that many projects don’t move along as we originally envision.  In fact, Andy, sometimes, as a friend of mine once put it, you know, when the manure hits the combine blades... ANDY CROWE:  Right, the fertilizer hits the ventilation system, sure. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, right. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, and you know what, a lot of times figuring out what to do with a troubled project, with a project that’s in distress, and where do you start?  And a lot of PMs spend time in this space.  This isn’t an unfamiliar territory for a lot of people. BILL YATES:  Yeah, people should not be surprised by this.  This happens.  This is a part of project management.  There’s a quote by William A. Cohen.  He says:  “All successful projects are simply a long series of adversities that must be overcome.  Adversity is normal.” NICK WALKER:  So we just need to look reality in the face and say, okay, this is just going to happen.  Adversity is going to happen.  But is there a difference between just simple adversity, you know, little roadblocks that come in the way, or something that is really in flames? ANDY CROWE:  Well, there certainly can be.  A lot of times project managers start a project.  They don’t have any input into the finish date.  They don’t have input into the schedule, necessarily, or the budget.  And now they kind of have to find some way to meet the goals of the project.  By the time that they get added, they’re already in trouble. NICK WALKER:  Yeah.  So sometimes it’s even almost too late.  So what do you do at that point?  How do you sort of regroup and pick up? BILL YATES:  Yeah, and that’s what we’ll focus on today is looking at those troubled projects, those that are in recovery mode, those that need turnaround. ANDY CROWE:  Right.  And so Bill, maybe not just the ones in recovery mode, but the ones that need to be in recovery mode. BILL YATES:  Right. ANDY CROWE:  Maybe they’re going along, business as usual.  They haven’t detected trouble yet.  So let me ask you, if you’re thinking about a project, what’s the canary in the coal mine to you to know if there are problems on the project, to know if it’s time to kind of circle the wagons and start thinking about it differently, put it in recovery mode?  When do you – what are some of the triggers? BILL YATES:  Yeah.  There are – that’s the perfect place to start.  There are many triggers to me, many signs to look at to detect trouble.  And some of those are real soft skill type things.  You’ve got to read people.  Others are hardcore metrics.  So you start, if I think about soft skill stuff, Andy, I think about some of the past projects that I’ve worked on where things, the train came off the rails.  And many times you could pick up on it in your interaction with a customer.  The customer’s attitude towards you or towards the project or towards the team changed. ANDY CROWE:  Right. BILL YATES:  In some cases, the customer disappeared.  They no longer had an interest in the project.  And that was scary.  That’s scary. ANDY CROWE:  Well, as long as the money’s still flowing, I guess it’s not all that scary. BILL YATES:  Yeah, right.  Yeah, you may think, you know, well, there are times when I wish my customer would go away so we could get something done.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● TIM KELLY NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s a great opportunity to talk about what matters most to you.  Whether you’re a professional project manager, or maybe you’re working toward one of your certifications, we want to help spark your imagination, light a fire under you, and encourage you along the way.  And we do that by talking about issues, friends in the field, and hearing from those in the trenches who are doing the job of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who know the score when it comes to project management.  They’ve been there, done that.  They know what it takes to succeed.  And they are here to help you succeed.  They are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And guys, as we look back over our previous podcasts, we’ve had some amazing guests on our show.  And Andy, it looks like we’ve got another heavy-hitter today. ANDY CROWE:  We do.  We’ve got a great guest.  Tim Kelly with McKesson is in the house today.  So welcome, Tim. TIM KELLY:  Thank you. NICK WALKER:  Let’s meet you, Tim; okay?  Tim Kelly, an executive director of technology for McKesson.  He’s with the company’s Business Performance Services business unit.  He has more than 20 years of experience in information technology, information systems management, software and product development, program and project management, as well as wearing many other hats.  Tim, welcome to Manage This. TIM KELLY:  Thanks.  Awesome to be here. NICK WALKER:  Tell us a little bit more about you.  We want to get to know you a little bit better. TIM KELLY:  I have a kind of a unique background.  I grew up managing McDonald’s restaurants, and that was an opportunity to shape the foundation of how I understand people and how to manage profit principles.  So it was a unique opportunity. NICK WALKER:  You know, a lot of people might laugh at that:  “I started at McDonald’s.”  But that is a perfect example of putting what you’ve learned into practice in bigger arenas. TIM KELLY:  Absolutely.  I was studying economics at the University of Utah and had an opportunity to practice what I was studying at the same time.  I learned management principles and clearly a number of key projects.  An example would be trying to put a new HVAC on the roof.  So it had to happen, and you had to figure that out as a manager of a restaurant.  So absolutely had an opportunity to apply the principles.  I wasn’t yet certified at the time, to be clear.  This was many years ago.  But I did recently have a chance to hook up with Velociteach and become certified. BILL YATES:  Yeah, so 2009, Nick.  I had the pleasure of standing in front of a class and looking at the eager eyes of Tim Kelly as he was mastering the Project Management Institute’s framework on project management.  And Tim and I are friends.  We go back further than that.  But it was a rare treat for me to have a buddy in the classroom. TIM KELLY:  Yeah. BILL YATES:  And it was a lot of fun helping you reach that goal. TIM KELLY:  It was awesome.  I tell you what, I also trained for a number of years.  So I opened a training business with Packard Bell NEC in my past.  And just a quick plug for the work that you guys do, the approach, the mnemonic approach about how to retain and learn information, absolutely awesome.  Scored very highly on both the pretest at the end of Bill’s session and then of course did really well on the exam.  So not only did it prove useful from an exam perspective, but I think the approach allowed me to retain the content and then leverage that in business.  So that’s just true-to-life real stuff from someone who’s gone through it and then had to leverage it. ANDY CROWE:  Outstanding. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, bring us up to date now.  What are some of the hats you’re wearing right now?

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every two weeks we meet to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We’re into project management certification, doing the job of project management, and we get inside the brains of some of the leaders in the industry. I’m your host, Nick Walker; and beside me are the resident experts Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Now, in a perfect world you could look up “project manager” in the dictionary, and you’d find their pictures right beside the definition.  They are the epitome of project management.  They’re project managers themselves.  They instruct other project managers and those working to become one. Now, guys, we decided that this topic deserved a double header.  So we’re going to pick up where we left off last time.  The subject, Andy, performance reviews. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, Nick.  In the podcast number 12, the last time, we dealt with this topic kind of generally.  And this time we’re going to get a little bit more specific.  We’re going to get into some best practices, some practical tools and techniques. But to me, one of the things that we can do here is look at other organizations who are doing it right.  Last time we talked about a couple of ways that were outmoded, maybe that didn’t work so well anymore.  Now we want to look at the ones who are doing it right.  What are they doing?  How are they approaching it?  You know, because things change.  The same techniques that worked in the 1940s maybe don’t translate so well today.  A lot of organizations are doing some of the things the same way we did them in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and it’s time to take a fresh look at it.  So we’re going to try and update that. But the bigger point here, this is one of those areas that causes project managers a lot of anxiety in giving performance reviews.  They don’t want to do it.  They get torqued up about it.  And a lot of times it’s even worse when you’re on the receiving end.  You know, you sit there, and you and I both know, everybody, everybody who’s listening to this podcast has probably had the experience where your manager gives you a performance review.  You hear several things you’re doing right, and then maybe one thing that you’re not doing so well.  And what do we walk away and focus on and obsess about the rest of the week is that one thing.  So we’re going to look at all of this today, but we’re going to get a lot more practical. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  Before we get into some of those best practices, let’s rewind just a second, talk about maybe what sets a good performance review apart from a bad one.  Last time we talked about the old school we’re all familiar with, the annual review, the bell curve.  Now we’re talking about a new way, less formal, more frequent reviews.  We talked about some of the companies that have been involved in this new way, Bill. BILL YATES:  Right, companies such as Accenture, Adobe, Deloitte, and GE.  Those are some places where we can take a peek and see what’s working for them and distill some best practices from that and share that. NICK WALKER:  So some of the things we want to get into today are how to give a performance review; when to give a performance review; how to receive a performance review.  So let’s talk a little bit about some of these.  Let’s spend some time talking about when.  When is the best time to do this? BILL YATES:  Yeah, and this was interesting.  So we talked about the breakaway from the annual review and how, like the companies I just mentioned, they’re ditching the annual review and saying this doesn’t make sense.  There’s too long of a gap between the performance and the review, the feedback.  Let’s make it more frequent, and let’s make it less formal.  Quarterly seems to be the rhythm that is coming out in most cases. However, we talked about in our first episode some of the Agi...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we get together to talk about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We talk about project management certification, doing the stuff of project management, and we pick the brains of some of the leaders in the industry. I’m your host, Nick Walker; and with me are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  They are project managers themselves, and they instruct other project managers and those working to become one. Guys, here we are.  It is officially summer now.  And we’re in that time of year when maybe things get a little bit more relaxed.  I don’t know.  Does it feel like that to you? ANDY CROWE:  I’m dressed up today, Nick.  I don’t feel relaxed today.  I’m on my game. NICK WALKER:  You’re on.  Okay, okay.  Maybe nothing changes for you in the summertime. BILL YATES:  It feels hot and muggy, I can tell you that. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, it feels like it’s been summer for three weeks or more already.  But here we are officially.  Time of year that maybe some of us, Andy excluded, dress a little bit more relaxed. ANDY CROWE:  Let me just say, Nick, that I am going to Hawaii in September. NICK WALKER:  Oh, okay, there you go. ANDY CROWE:  So that’s going to be – and it’s for one day of work, or maybe two days of work, and a lot more relaxation. NICK WALKER:  There you go. ANDY CROWE:  So maybe at that point we’ll get closer to your vision. NICK WALKER:  It is the time of year when we think about vacations, too.  So a lot of things are going on.  But it’s also midyear, and there’s something that happens in midyear in most companies.  And that is – are we ready to cue the scary music?  This strikes terror into the hearts of many managers, as well as employees.  We’re talking about, Andy? ANDY CROWE:  Performance reviews. NICK WALKER:  Performance reviews.  There’s the scary music.  All right.  Granted, some performance reviews are fairly routine.  Nobody gets killed, usually.  But sometimes it can be kind of scary.  Sometimes it can mean a job or no job. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, everybody’s blood pressure is going to go up during that time.  And that goes for the person giving the performance review, definitely for the person receiving it.  It is a natural anxiety-producing event, and it causes a lot of people some nervousness.  So we’re here to talk through it and specifically look at it from a project manager’s perspective.  Project managers a lot of times have to either conduct these or give input into them.  And so we’re going to talk through that, and hopefully help talk some people off the balcony. BILL YATES:  Yeah, I feel like this is an opportunity for us to reach out and hold the hand of the project manager and kind of another hand on the back going, hey, we’ve been there, done that.  We’ve been on the receiving end.  We’ve had to do the research to provide feedback to team members.  We can help you with this. NICK WALKER:  Good, good.  Well, I’ve been on the receiving end of many performance reviews. BILL YATES:  Yeah, we were going to talk to you about that. NICK WALKER:  Oh, is this going to be a performance review now?  Oh, you’re springing this on me.  All right.  Here we go.  But I’ve never given one.  You guys have.  And I know that’s a huge responsibility.  I’d like to get your perspective on that.  Andy, how do you do it?  How do you really get there? ANDY CROWE:  You know, there’s a lot of different practices.  And one interesting thing, one of my really good friends works for a sizable company here in Atlanta.  And they are a utility company.  And they rank every employee within the organization.  I believe they have just shy of 2,000 employees.  Every employee gets ranked from 1 to 1,999, all the way through.  And I’ve always found that to be fascinating because I know how those...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JOHN STENBECK NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. It’s an opportunity to meet and discuss what matters to you in the world of project management. Whether you are already a professional project manager or working toward certification in the field, our goal is to help you along the way. And we do that by keeping you up to date on the latest developments in the field, as well as hearing some real life stories from those who are making a difference in the industry. I’m your host, Nick Walker. And with me are two guys who make this all happen. They are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. They have the experience of seeing project management from all angles, and they want you to benefit from their experience. Here we are again, guys. How’s it going? ANDY CROWE: We’re off to a good start, Nick. And I’m very excited about this particular podcast. We’ve got a good friend in the studio, as well. NICK WALKER: Yes. He is a heavy hitter, you might say. John Stenbeck is the president of Gr8pm, spelled G-R-8-P-M. He’s the author of three books. He’s a sought-after keynote speaker. He’s been a guest on “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” He’s been featured on the front page of the Los Angeles Times. And just when we thought he couldn’t reach any higher, he’s a guest now here on Manage This. ANDY CROWE: All that, John, led you to this point. NICK WALKER: Okay. Andy, I know one of the reasons you’re excited about having John with us is that his most recent book, John’s recent book the “Agile Almanac” has been ranked the No. 1 bestseller in Agile’s project management on Amazon.com, and No. 2 bestseller in project management overall, second only to the PMBOK Guide itself. ANDY CROWE: Excellent. And I got a chance to read the “Agile Almanac” before it was released. John was kind enough to share some of that with me. So great resource, a really, really good book. NICK WALKER: Now, John, I don’t think you’re going to be insulted when I tell you Bill here has described you as a “PMBOK nerd,” okay? But I think you’re in good company. JOHN STENBECK: Fair enough. BILL YATES: Fair enough. Okay, good. NICK WALKER: He says that about himself, as well. BILL YATES: Yeah, I threw myself in the category. So that – don’t know whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. But here we are as PMBOK nerds. JOHN STENBECK: Probably all of the listeners are going to count themselves pretty close to that category, too; you know? BILL YATES: That’s true. NICK WALKER: Well, you know, in past podcasts, we have talked a lot about Agile practices. And now that they’re going to be in the PMBOK Guide, just give us an indication of how that’s changing the world of project management. JOHN STENBECK: Well, you know, I think one of the big considerations is that it hasn’t been since 1997, so we’re talking 20 years since the last time something this magnitude happened with the PMBOK. Twenty years ago it was theory of constraints, Eliyahu Goldratt. There’s nobody, you know, there’s none of us PMBOK nerds who don’t embrace that content that was added to the PMBOK back then. And I think that what we’re going to see is a lot of this happening as the new edition of the PMBOK comes out. The funniest part of the whole thing for me is the number of PMPs who think they don’t do Agile. In fact, you know, if you think back to the first time – and this may be too long ago for some of us. But the very first time you opened the PMBOK Guide, and you looked at it, and you said this is exactly how we talk now, right, that is just laughable. None of us talked that way before we learned the vocabulary. We behaved as project managers, we executed as project managers, but we didn’t have that core vocabulary. So I think Agile’s going to give us some richness, some additional vocabulary.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● DAVID GIBSON NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. It’s a chance for us to get together every couple of weeks and have a conversation about what matters to you as a professional project manager. We’ll cover subjects such as project management certification, doing the job of project management, and get inside the brains of some of the leaders in the industry and hear their stories. I’m your host, Nick Walker. And with me are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. They are project managers who mentor other project managers and those working toward that title. Andy and Bill, a lot to look forward to today. Andy, we’ve had some amazing guests lately. ANDY CROWE: We really have. And I think today’s going to continue that trend, Nick. We’re excited to have Dave Gibson in the studio. NICK WALKER: Well, let’s get right to our guest. I know we’ve got a lot to cover. David Gibson is the Vice President and Division Manager of McKean Defense Group in Washington, D.C. He guides, mentors, coaches, and develops program managers. His experience includes strategic planning, customer engagement, and business development, and much more. Among other projects, he was the program manager for the Pentagon’s MRAP, M-R-A-P, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected military vehicle. David, welcome to Manage This. DAVID GIBSON: Thank you. I’m glad to be here. NICK WALKER: We really are anxious to talk with you about this program that you were involved in. And even though it’s been a while, it’s such an involved program. It was a major part of your life; wasn’t it. DAVID GIBSON: It was. It was a wonderful seven years. It was a hard seven years. But it was very rewarding, probably the highlight of a career. NICK WALKER: It’s nice to see that you’ve come out on the other side intact. DAVID GIBSON: Thank you, thank you. NICK WALKER: So David, what was your role in this project, your specific portion? DAVID GIBSON: Yeah, so on a program like this, you know, obviously the government has the lead role; right? And the government, it’s an inherently governmental contract. They’re managing it. But I was on a team that was sort of a staff augmentation. There’s areas we can help; there’s areas where we can’t help. You know, we can’t commit the government to dollars. You know, so while I’m talking about the program today from an overall perspective, my role was on the contractor side, in support of the government’s efforts. And when I started initially on the program, I was a project officer. I came up through the ranks. I became the deputy program manager and then eventually the program manager. I sat in the program manager, on the contractor side, seat for about five years of the seven. Or actually it was a little bit less than that. It was probably closer to four. And then on the government side, you know, the first government program manager was a gentleman named Paul Mann. Second one was Dave Hansen. And Dave and I came into the program manager, respective program manager positions about the same time. He was a couple months after I was. Such a rewarding experience to work with Dave. Dave was a huge inspiration to me. And, you know, we’ve continued to keep in touch. We’re off doing our own things now. He’s managing another Marine Corps program. I’m back working with the Navy at McKean Defense. And it’s – but, you know, it’s mutually supportive. NICK WALKER: Tell us a little bit about how this all started. Give us a little background. DAVID GIBSON: Okay. So if you remember back in 2006, that timeframe, U.S. forces were in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we would see on the nightly news the Humvees that were being destroyed by IEDs, and the service members that were dying or being disfigured because of it. BILL YATES: And, Dave, what’s an IED? Just explain that. DAVID GIBSON: An IED is an improvised explosive device. ...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● DR. DAVID BRAY NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. And whether you’re new to project management and just starting to think about becoming certified, or whether you’re a veteran project manager with a string of certifications under your belt, this program is for you. I’m your host, Nick Walker. And with me are some veterans who have been in the trenches and on the mountaintops, and they’re here to share their expertise with you: Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. Guys, good to see you. ANDY CROWE: Good to see you, Nick! BILL YATES: Great to see you. NICK WALKER: Hey, I know you two have been looking forward to this podcast for some time, talking with our special guest today. And, you know, since we began these podcasts, it’s really struck me that the world of project management is big. And we’ve talked to people who have done some magnificent things, and in a variety of venues. But I have to confess I’ve kind of been looking forward to this guest, as well. As you know, I’ve been in broadcasting for many years, first in radio, then in television. And so I’ve been aware of the workings of a particular agency that we’re going to be talking about today, the Federal Communications Commission, or the FCC, ever since the ‘70s, when I got my official FCC license to broadcast over the airwaves. But today’s technology is light years from the ‘70s. Today’s management and leadership concepts are light years from where we were back then. And that’s where today’s guest comes in. BILL YATES: And I think we’ll find this is going to be one of these guys that’s incredibly intelligent, yet a humble leader. I can’t wait to hear his comments. NICK WALKER: All right. Well, let’s get right into it. Dr. David Bray is the Chief Information Officer for the Federal Communications Commission and has led a transformation of the FCC’s information technology since 2013. David, thanks so much for joining us here on Manage This. DAVID BRAY: Thanks for having me here, Bill and Andy. NICK WALKER: Hey, before we talk about your project that revolutionized the technology at the FCC, give us a little bit about your background. I understand you began working for the U.S. government when you were 15? DAVID BRAY: Yes. I actually had to get a work permit, and it was actually at an electron beam accelerator facility. They were throwing electron beams against the wall, and they were interested in individuals who could help out with doing computer simulations. And I was able to pitch in. NICK WALKER: At 15. That’s... BILL YATES: Yes. This is Bill. David, I think I was cutting grass at that age. DAVID BRAY: Well, I was fortunate enough, my grandfather got a PC when I was five, and he gave it to our family. And no one else in the family really took to it, and I just was interested in both programming as well as taking the computer apart and putting it back together again. And so that apparently turned into a marketable talent of sorts. NICK WALKER: Yeah, evidently. Now, I understand that you and Andy Crowe really go back a ways. And can you reveal a little bit about this without, you know, revealing any secrets here? DAVID BRAY: Sure. Happy. ANDY CROWE: Yeah, David and I both worked at an organization in Atlanta that did – it did web development. It did infrastructure development. And we crossed paths there back, I guess, right before Y2K? Is that about right, David? DAVID BRAY: Yup, it was 1998, 1999. And, yeah, I was doing stints – it was a Microsoft consulting firm, and basically working with Andy. But also I would do trips with Habitat for Humanity. So I’d work for about three to four months, and then do a one-month’s trip with Habitat for Humanity overseas, and then come back. ANDY CROWE: And David was always a big deal. But, you know, now since then he’s become a really big deal. DAVID BRAY: Oh, no, I’m not.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● LOUIS ALDERMAN NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  This is our chance to meet and talk with you about project management certification, as well as all the issues that matter to you as a professional project manager. I’m Nick Walker, and with me are the guys who can rightfully be called project management experts.  They have the answers to your questions:  Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  Plus, we are overflowing with experts today.  With us, Louis Alderman, the manager of curriculum development at Velociteach.  I guess that’s why we have a round table in our studio instead of a square one because we’d run out of corners otherwise.  Louis, great to have you here with us. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Thank you. NICK WALKER:  Let’s just start off with you.  You know, tell us a little bit about yourself.  When did you join the Velociteach team? LOUIS ALDERMAN:  I came to Velociteach in 2005.  I was a customer of Velociteach and a firm believer in the process of Velociteach because it worked for me. NICK WALKER:  Aha. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  So that was my first exposure to Velociteach.  And the longer I’ve been with the organization, the team, the better and better I feel about it.  So it’s just been a growth. BILL YATES:  Louis, you said you were a customer.  Who was your instructor? LOUIS ALDERMAN:  I was privileged to have Andy Crowe as my instructor. NICK WALKER:  How about that? LOUIS ALDERMAN:  A young man at the time that I was very impressed with.  He had a lot going.  And so... BILL YATES:  Back in the day. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Yeah.  He really represented Velociteach very well. BILL YATES:  That’s great. NICK WALKER:  Well, so you’ve been in the trenches yourself.  Tell us a little bit about that, maybe some of your experience. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Well, I started directly out of college working for Hewlett-Packard Company.  That was my first employer.  And I worked for HP for almost 29 years.  And then I took an early retirement and within the same week went to work for Velociteach.  So it was sort of a planned project transition, so it worked well for me. At HP I had various lives and started off in technical support engineering, where I actually had my first tour of training in education by developing training for other engineers on our products and how to support them.  That was about 25 percent of my career at HP.  I spent another 25 percent in sales, enjoying going out and visiting and selling to other computer companies at the time. The second half of my career at HP I had tours of duty as a business process analyst.  I was an IT project manager about 30 percent of my experience at HP.  And then I served about another 10 percent there in the project management office, working with portfolio management and process design.  So it was a great run.  And I’m right where I’m supposed to be. NICK WALKER:  Excellent.  Which is right here with us.  We thank you so much for being here with us.  And we will see you from time to time again, I’m sure, on this round table. LOUIS ALDERMAN:  Looking forward to it. NICK WALKER:  Hey, let’s jump right in.  One of the things about this podcast, at least for me, is that almost every time we meet, I tend to learn a new word, a new phrase, a new concept, sometimes a new abbreviation or acronym.  And one of those is the main topic of today’s podcast.  It is – drum roll, please – the PMBOK Guide, PMBOK, P-M-B-O-K.  And that to me is kind of a mysterious one.  So Andy, this is my educational moment; okay?  What is the PMBOK Guide? ANDY CROWE:  Well, it’s a very important document for us, Nick, as project managers.  It’s an acronym, and it actually stands for a guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.  So it’s a book.  And it’s a big, thick book.  It’s an ANSI standard.  And I believe it is the only ANSI standard for project management out there ri...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● NEAL WHITTEN NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s a great opportunity to talk about what matters most to you, whether you’re a professional project manager, or maybe you’re working toward one of your certifications.  We want to help spark your imagination, light a fire under you, and encourage you along the way.  And we do that by talking about issues and trends in the field and hearing from those in the trenches who are doing the job of project management. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who have been in the trenches.  They know what it takes to succeed.  They are here to help you succeed.  They are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  And guys, here we are again.  And we’re going to be joined by another expert in just a moment.  But I’ve got to confess to you I’m a little antsy to be outside right now.  We’ve turned the corner into spring.  There’s just something about the freshness of everything in this season, something in the air that... BILL YATES:  Nick, it’s called pollen. NICK WALKER:  I wondered what that was.  Yeah.  Yeah, the tree pollen, it gets me.  But the brightness, the newness of the season kind of makes up for the sneezing almost.  So spring is here.  It’s nice to have that.  But I’m really looking forward to hearing from our guest today.  Neal Whitten is a project management professional.  He’s a speaker.  He’s a trainer, a consultant, and a mentor to those who are up-and-coming in the field of project management.  His newest book is called “The Gift of Wisdom:  Lessons for a Lifetime.”  Neal, welcome to Manage This. NEAL WHITTEN:  Well, thank you.  I’m honored to be here. NICK WALKER:  It’s always good to kind of hear a little bit about folks’ backgrounds before we kind of delve into everything.  Tell us a little bit about kind of where you’ve been. NEAL WHITTEN:  Okay.  So we’re going to start by putting the audience to sleep.  I have a degree in electrical engineering.  Hired on at IBM as a software engineer and took early retirement there, and have been on my own for over 20 years, doing my own thing, but all related to project management. NICK WALKER:  A lot of our listeners may already be familiar with you, your work on Velociteach.com.  You’ve created a lot of content for us.  You’re kind of another resident expert, really. NEAL WHITTEN:  Well, this is absolutely true.  You know what, we all are legends in our own mind, let’s just put it that way. BILL YATES:  Well, I’ve got to jump in on that. NICK WALKER:  Yeah, Bill. BILL YATES:  This is Bill.  It’s interesting, the studio that we’re in, Neal has been in this studio to produce about close to a dozen eLearning courses for us now.  And one of the things I love about the perspective of Neal, I mean, you hear it.  He was with IBM for 25 years.  He’s an electrical engineer.  Yet so many of the topics that are passion points for him have to do with soft skill, their leadership, their how to be strategic and think big picture.  And so we’re privileged and honored to be partnering with Neal. NICK WALKER:  And you trained, Neal, in a lot of environments, a lot of different various organizations.  What common thread do you find in all of these organizations? NEAL WHITTEN:  I’ve trained in every environment that I can imagine, frankly.  Let me give you an example of something that happened not long ago which is indicative of what a lot of us trainers face.  So I get a phone call from a potential client.  Client had been referenced to the training that I do and said, “Neal, I’m interested in you coming out and giving us some training, and it’s typically in leadership types of things.  But I have a problem, and I need your help on it, and this is the problem.  We’ve had a lot of trainers come out, trainers just like you.  And when they’re through training, they get good evaluations.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s an opportunity to meet and discuss what matters to you in the world of project management.  Whether you’re already a professional project manager or working toward certification in the field, our goal is to help you along the way.  We want to answer your questions about preparing for and taking those certification exams, and hear some real-life stories of those who are making a difference in the industry. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who make this all happen.  They are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  They have the experience of seeing project management from all angles, and they want you to benefit from their experience.  All right, guys?  Hey, let’s get started. ANDY CROWE:  Good morning. BILL YATES:  Yeah, good to see you guys. ANDY CROWE:  You know, even thinking that through, seeing projects from all angles is sometimes like seeing people from all angles.  Some of those angles are not pleasant.  Some are better than others.  Everybody has a flattering side. BILL YATES:  I have a good side.  I have several bad sides. NICK WALKER:  Well, you know, and I guess beauty sometimes is in the eye of the beholder, too, because one side might look a little bit different to one person than another. BILL YATES:  That’s true. NICK WALKER:  Someone might gravitate toward one side.  And that’s kind of what we’re talking about today; you know?  Most people probably like to gravitate toward that tactical side, carefully planned, meticulously executed, all with the goal of reaching a very clear objective.  The projects themselves are where the rubber meets the road, where things get done.  But it’s pretty obvious that project management is a field that is constantly evolving.  You know, it’s always changing.  The Project Management Institute has recognized some of those changes, and it’s recently come out with what it calls the “talent triangle.” BILL YATES:  That’s right.  It’s not the Bermuda Triangle. NICK WALKER:  Oh, good. BILL YATES:  I just want to clarify.  It’s not. NICK WALKER:  Okay.  You don’t get lost and disappear forever. BILL YATES:  No, you don’t get lost in it.  There are three very clear legs, yeah. NICK WALKER:  We’ll try to keep our head above water, anyway, with it. BILL YATES:  There we go. NICK WALKER:  Okay, guys.  Why is this coming to the surface right now?  Why are we hearing so much more about it right now, Bill? BILL YATES:  Right, Nick.  The talent triangle was rolled out – I believe it was December of 2015.  It was in the fourth quarter.  That’s relevant to all PMP holders, really anyone who holds a credential with PMI.  Now PMI is saying you have to earn certain PDUs, hours of education, in each of these legs of the talent triangle.  There are a minimum of eight that we need to earn for technical, for leadership, and now for strategic and business management, so a minimum of eight hours of education related to each of those three. NICK WALKER:  And is the education available? BILL YATES:  Yes, it is.  I’m glad you’ve asked.  Yes, sir.  Have we got something for you.  Yeah, one of the things that we as a registered education provider had to do, we had to take a look at our existing courses that we offer, live and online, and determine which category they fall into.  And they can go across all three.  So one course could count – you could divide a five-hour course into, let’s say, three hours of technical, an hour of leadership, and one hour or one PDU of strategic.  So we had to categorize all of ours.  And we continue to add to that.  So, yeah, we do. ANDY CROWE:  PMI is wise.  They know that PDUs and these continuing certification requirements drive a lot of behavior. BILL YATES:  Right. ANDY CROWE:  So it is an interesting thing to watch them change the rudder o...

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● MIKE HAYES NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s a chance to meet up and discuss what really matters to you.  Whether you’re a professional project manager or on the road to becoming one, we cover topics such as project management certification, doing the job of project management, and we get input from some of the movers and shakers in the industry. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and beside me are the guys who have your back when it comes to project management.  They are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  They’ve seen the world of project management from inside and outside, from the bottom up and from the top down, and they want you to benefit from their expertise and see you succeed. Andy and Bill, last time we talked about how project management sometimes seems to have its own language.  So let’s talk about one word in that language, and that word is “stakeholder.”  Let me ask, in the project management space, is a stakeholder the same as a shareholder?  What’s the difference?  Andy, what do you mean by ”stakeholder”? ANDY CROWE:  That’s a great question, Nick.  You know “stakeholder” is getting the spotlight these days.  Stakeholder management, stakeholders in general are getting a lot of attention.  And it’s probably overdue attention.  So, no, “stakeholder” and “shareholder” might be different things.  Shareholders oftentimes are owners, in one sense, so that kind of makes sense.  But a stakeholder, the way we define it in project management, it’s anyone with an interest in the project.  And here is the catch.  It’s anyone with an interest, and it can be positive, or it can be negative.  This can be people – there are stakeholders who want your project to fail.  And you have to manage those stakeholders, as well.  So it’s a really tricky proposition. That said, when we talk about stakeholders most of the time, and we use this term within the Velociteach office all the time, when we talk about stakeholders we’re generally talking about a select group that we know as key stakeholders. BILL YATES:  Yeah, key stakeholders.  So a stakeholder, anyone who holds a stake.  As a project manager, we need to be very aware of those people that are interested or have influence over our projects.  But the key stakeholders, to Andy’s point, the key stakeholders are the people who we look to to define the scope, to help us determine when delivery dates are going to occur, budgets, those kinds of things. ANDY CROWE:  Right.  You typically identify these people before you try and gather requirements, before you flesh out what the project’s going to be about.  You get in touch with the people who have a key interest.  And so this is interesting.  We use a tool to do this.  Bill, tell us, tell us about it. BILL YATES:  Yeah, we’ve got a stakeholder analysis grid.  There’s a, I think we’ve actually got an automated spreadsheet that we can use to help survey stakeholders.  It’s something a project team would use early on in a project, and may have to revisit it, as well.  But again, what we’re trying to do is survey or ask questions of those stakeholders to determine what is their relative level of interest and influence on our project. ANDY CROWE:  Right.  And you typically plot the interest on the Y axis and the influence on the X axis.  I don’t guess it really matters which one is which.  But the idea is that the people in that top right quadrant, the ones that have a lot of interest and the ones who are able to influence the organization, those get a lot of attention. BILL YATES:  Right. NICK WALKER:  Is all this based on conversations with these people?  Or just your impressions of them?  How do you gather this information? BILL YATES:  Yes and yes.  Fortunately, that’s one reason we created those tools was to be able to be a little more analytical about it.  But, yeah,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● PETER SADDINGTON NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Every couple of weeks we get a chance to meet with you and have a conversation about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We’ll cover topics such as project management certification, doing the job of project management, and we’ll pick the brains of some of the leaders in the industry and also hear your stories. I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And beside me are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates.  They’re the guys who’ve been there, done that, and not only lived to tell about it, but are anxious to pass on their knowledge to you.  All right.  Here we are again, guys. ANDY CROWE:  How are you, Nick? NICK WALKER:  Great.  Doing well.  I know you’re a little under the weather. ANDY CROWE:  I am.  I picked up a little bit of a winter cold here.  And so no fun, right before a big milestone birthday and going out West for a ski trip.  So not as much fun looking forward to that. BILL YATES:  What birthday is that, Mr. Crowe? ANDY CROWE:  It’s a big milestone. BILL YATES:  Does it have a zero, a zero in it? ANDY CROWE:  It does have a zero in it, and we’ll leave our listeners to do the detective work here. BILL YATES:  Hey, no matter how much I mock you – this is Bill.  No matter how much I mock you, you’re still younger than me.  At all times. ANDY CROWE:  That’s true.  That’s true.  Just, yeah, a little bit younger. NICK WALKER:  And I think both of you are younger than me by a good bit.  So we’ll just pause it right there.  Okay.  Well, let’s talk a little bit because I’m going to have to admit my ignorance here today; all right?  I have to admit that, when you talk, you talk as if you’ve invented your own language sometimes.  I hear you talking about scrum, burn-up charts, kanban boards, iterations, grooming, product backlogs.  This is Agile talk, I understand.  It seems that Agile, though, has its own vocabulary.  Okay, it may be Greek to me.  But may I assume that these are terms that a traditional project manager might understand? ANDY CROWE:  I think, Nick, that you could manage projects your whole career and not know these terms, not encounter a lot of these terms.  And some of it depends on where you manage, the organizational culture.  But Agile does have its own vocabulary, and it is its own set of practices.  They’re really a lot different than traditional project management. BILL YATES:  That’s true.  And what we’re seeing more and more are organizations that are bleeding Waterfall and Agile.  They’ll have teams that are using a Waterfall approach, a methodology to managing those projects, and then other teams that are using Agile approaches.  Sometimes there’s a bit of conflict between the teams.  Maybe team members want to be on one methodology and not the other.  So I think more and more people are, even if they come from a pure Waterfall or traditional project management side, they’re going to hear more of these terms and probably be pulled in and find value in some of these approaches. ANDY CROWE:  And you know, Bill, we might as well explain.  Somebody out there may not even know, they may be doing Waterfall project management and not even know why it’s called Waterfall project management. NICK WALKER:  And thank you for voicing my very question.  Okay.  Just a quick explanation of Waterfall. ANDY CROWE:  Sure.  So Waterfall, also called SDLC, Waterfall is called that because the activities literally cascade.  You plan.  That cascades into execution.  That falls down into monitor and control.  And then sometimes it’ll loop back up, and you’ll go through that, several iterations in that.  But Agile, one of the terms you threw out at the beginning was “scrum.”  And that term is taken from rugby.  So a scrum is where a bunch of people get together and basically make something happen.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● CELESTE CLANCY  NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers, for project managers.  It’s a chance for us to get together every couple of weeks and have a conversation about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We’ll cover subjects such as project management certification, doing the job of project management; and we’ll get inside the brains of some of the leaders in the industry and maybe hear your stories.  I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are our resident experts, who have been in the trenches and stood on the mountaintops.  They are the project managers who mentor other project managers and those working toward that title, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. Andy and Bill, we have a lot to cover today.  We’ll get to some certification subjects in just a bit.  But let’s start off by talking philosophy.  It’s about the WBS, the work breakdown structure that organizes a team’s work into manageable sections.  There are a couple of different philosophies about this subject when it comes to project management.  Andy, what are those? ANDY CROWE:  Well, you know, a couple of the approaches that we see out there sort of follow the overall approaches in project management.  It’s either top-down or bottom-up.  And so really a lot of the top-down crowd, which you might consider to be Waterfall, SDLC, sort of a traditional approach, they’re really going to favor the WBS.  They’re going to favor looking at it, decomposing the scope, breaking it down, getting to the work packages.  And we’ll talk more about that and explore that. The Agile community doesn’t really do this.  So you’re not going to see a WBS chart on the wall of an Agile team.  Agile takes a different approach.  They have a more dynamic approach.  So the goal with the WBS is to get the work documented and really understood upfront.  And Agile believes that maybe it’s not always better to do that.  So we’re going to be talking to the traditional crowd.  We are going to have some things to say to the Agile community next week, I think.  But this week is more for the traditional SDLC crowd. NICK WALKER:  All right.  Bill, tell us a little bit about your experience in all of this.  Do you have a take on this? BILL YATES:  Yeah, absolutely.  The work breakdown structure, there are some different names.  Andy, when you hear WBS, are there some other things that you think of?  I’ve heard one, I know Louis likes to refer to it as “work bite sizes.” ANDY CROWE:  Hah, I like that. BILL YATES:  There are some other uses for that abbreviation. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, that’s good, that’s good. BILL YATES:  And they’re making some up there.  There are – it’s very interesting when we talk about the WBS.  One of the common fallacies that I think we’ve all seen is people having confusion between, okay, what’s on the work breakdown structure and what’s on the schedule? ANDY CROWE:  Right, where does one end and the next one begin, sure, sure, sure. BILL YATES:  Yeah, yeah.  Or I’ve seen cases or heard conversations with project managers where I think there’s a complete misunderstanding of which is which, what goes where.  And so simplicity, if you think about a work breakdown structure as being a visual graph that helps us see what are the outputs, what are the things that we’re going to produce with this project, then that’s a great way to differentiate that from the schedule.  So simplifying a work breakdown structure focuses on the “what.”  What is it that I’m going to produce?  What are the deliverables?  Andy, I remember when I was studying for the PMP exam, one of the things, an analogy that was helpful was “noun versus verb.” ANDY CROWE:  Right. BILL YATES:  So the nouns are on the WBS. ANDY CROWE:  Right. BILL YATES:  This is the outcome of all of our actions in our work.  Whereas the schedule of best practice is to take those nouns,

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● WENDY CAPERTON NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers, for project managers.  It’s a chance for us to get together every couple of weeks and have a conversation about what matters to you as a professional project manager.  We’ll cover subjects such as project management certification and hear some real-life stories from folks involved in project management every day.  I’m your host, Nick Walker.  And with me are two guys who can each rightfully claim the title of project manager’s project manager.  They are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. So Andy and Bill, you two know the ins and outs, the ups and downs of project management.  You’ve both earned multiple certifications and taken multiple exams in your time.  But I have a question for you.  And please don’t take this, you know, as a statement of a lack of confidence or a lack of trust.  But come on.  Nobody can know everything.  Can you?  I mean, are there some – there’s some tough questions on these exams.  It’s hard to believe anyone could get a perfect score.  So Andy, what do you do when you just have to guess at an answer? ANDY CROWE:  And Nick, it happens to everybody.  It’s really funny when you get into these exams.  You feel like you’re incredibly prepared.  And a universal experience that Bill and I talk to a lot of people, they have this experience almost across the board.  They get in, they sit down, start the exam, and the first five questions or so they have no idea.  And a lot of that is a little bit of a confidence issue.  But anybody who has gone through the exam has probably, if they were being honest, experienced that.  So you do have to guess.  You have to have a guessing strategy.  You have to be ready for those eventualities. For me, part of the challenge here is I think everybody’s different.  I think this has to be a little bit tailored to who you are, your level of preparation.  So I’ll give you an example.  I have pretty good instincts for questions.  Now, my wife Karen has incredible instincts for answering questions.  She could sit down and take a test, probably not being prepared, and she’s just really good at standardized tests.  I’m not to that level.  But I’ve got good instincts on these project management exams.  Part of it is learning to think a little bit like PMI thinks and like the test creators think, think about the exploits that they’re going to go for, think about if I were writing this question, how would I try and exploit the trap and things like that, where would I set up the trap. So I’ve got good instincts.  But my problem is, given enough time, I’ll talk myself out of the right answer.  So regularly I will come up with the right answer, mark it, I’ll know it when I see it. And then I’ll stare at the question, and the wheels begin to turn.  And I’ll think, oh, you know what, maybe it’s something else.  Bill, have you ever had that happen? BILL YATES:  Yeah, Andy, I certainly have.  And it cracks me up, too, to a couple things that I want to touch on that you mentioned.  First, getting in the mindset of the person who wrote the question.  That’s a big part of it.  And then secondly, too, the tendency of, okay, I can make an argument for this other answer.  It looks pretty good, too.  So I’m excited that we’re going to talk about this topic of guessing and just share some exploits that have worked for us and for others. ANDY CROWE:  So it’s a common experience, Bill, that you can generally, if you know the subject matter, you can generally knock off one wrong answer immediately. BILL YATES:  Right, Andy.  It’s fascinating to me.  Again, the student response that we hear consistently is that, when I took the exam, I had so many questions that were typically a scenario-type question, where I could eliminate two of the four answers. ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, right off. BILL YATES:  I knew they were wrong.

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JOHN BATES NICK WALKER:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  Today is Tuesday, January 5th, and every couple of weeks we’re going to get together to talk about topics related to project management certification, but also about things that matter to you as a professional project manager. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who have probably helped more people realize their goal of becoming project managers than anyone else on Planet Earth.  Andy Crowe and Bill Yates are our resident experts on project management.  If you have questions, they have answers.  Bill and Andy, let’s let our listeners know you a little bit better.  Why don’t you introduce yourselves and tell us what you’d like for us to take away from our times together.  Andy? ANDY CROWE:  Yeah, thank you, Nick.  This is an exciting time for us to kick this off.  My name is Andy Crowe.  I’ve got a few project management certifications – a PMP, the PgMP, the PMI-ACP, and the Certified Scrum Master, the CSM.  But that’s one of the things we do here.  We train project managers at Velociteach.  And it’s exciting to get to work with project managers.  This is my tribe.  These are the people that I work with. So I started my career back as a software developer many, many years ago.  It’s getting to be more and more nowadays.  Getting a little long in the tooth here.  But we’ve been able to translate that and our love for project management into helping people realize their goals.  And some people that we work with just love to get better at project management.  Some of them are pursuing certifications and very specific goals.  This is what we love to do, and we’re excited about it. So I’m a process guy.  This is my passion.  I care about how things are done.  I like to see – the way things are done sometimes matters as much as the outcome to me.  And it’s a fun thing to get to do that.  I also get to work with Bill Yates.  Bill, introduce yourself. BILL YATES:  Yeah.  I can certainly say that Andy is a process guy.  You said that accurately, sir.  We’ve been working together now here at Velociteach about 10 years.  Prior to that I was in the utility industry.  I worked in the financial analysis side for utilities.  Pretty exciting stuff.  Worked with a lot of DBAs, CPAs, folks with masters in taxation.  So we did a lot of software to help these utilities compute their depreciation and do some of that stuff that projects have to do with software.  And so a lot of my background is project management for software for utilities.  I’ve got a passion for training and instruction.  I’ve really enjoyed the time with Velociteach. And again, Andy, you hit on it.  One of the joys for me is helping people achieve their goal, whether it’s a goal of a certification, or whether it’s a goal of just improvement as a project manager.  So it’s very satisfying to me and really for the whole team at Velociteach to help to that end.  Now, I do have some letters after my name, as well.  So it’s Bill Yates, sounds like Bill Gates, but Bill Gates does not have the certifications that Bill Yates does.  So I’ve got the PMP, the PgMP, and the PMI-ACP for the Agile credential. ANDY CROWE:  And the Certified Scrum Master, too; don’t you? BILL YATES:  No, not me. ANDY CROWE:  You don’t have that, got it, got it. BILL YATES:  Yup. ANDY CROWE:  Okay.  Well, we’re close to being twins on that. BILL YATES:  That’s right. ANDY CROWE:  So makes for a long business card. BILL YATES:  True. NICK WALKER:  Well, let’s jump right in.  One of the things that we’ll always be talking about on these podcasts is the PMP exam.  Lot of people interested in this topic.  And there are some changes coming to this exam, changes that might introduce a lot of fear, some uncertainty, some doubt.  So Andy, should we be worried about that? ANDY CROWE:  Well,