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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 Contents03:11 … 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 … ClosingSHANNON 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...
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Episodi mancanti?
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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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 … 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 … 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. - Mostra di più
