Project Management Happy Hour

As a professional in today’s working environment, you are constantly bombarded by things that demand your attention, your action, the very limited moments in your finite life. (wow, heavy). OK, so there are infinite demands on our time, but finite time. How do we balance those? SWOT analysis?! Of course not! To help us understand how to effectively prioritize in today’s crazy world,  Kate and Kim are joined by James Louttit, author of Leading Impactful teams. We talk about prickly pears, paw-paws, and practical ways to prioritize in today’s demanding world. Spoiler: It’s not SWOT, MoSCoW or the Eisenhower matrix ;-)  About our amazing guest, James Louttit James Louttit knows what it’s like to have to deliver complex projects under pressure, and what it costs when we get it wrong. In 2016 he ended up in hospital because he was trying to run his projects with effort rather than IMPACT. That story, which forms the introduction to his book “Leading Impactful Teams”, inspired him to figure out how to deliver projects better. He learned everything he could around the subject, from the PMP and Agile worlds that we all know and love, to Design Thinking, Facilitation Techniques, Psychology and Human Nature and everything that might be useful to people delivering projects. His career took off. He became the Head of Project management Competency at a large Bank and then Chief Information Officer of a major PLC in Ireland. What he learned, and put into practice made a huge difference to the effectiveness and stress levels in his teams. People kept asking him for help, so he found an artist and started drawing cartoons to explain the concepts in more human, memorable and fun ways. He wrote “Leading Impactful Teams” to help anyone who is managing any type of work or project that involves real, imperfect people in real, imperfect organizations.  Now he works with the biggest companies in Ireland to help their teams cut through the noise, and build a toolbox of practical techniques and approaches that reduce stress, improve outcomes and help people face the challenges of project delivery with confidence and positivity. You can connect with James and check out all his amazing content and the knowledge he shares at the links below:  James’ book Leading Impactful teams:  https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0DN7GP2XB?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpv  And on Amazon:  https://a.co/d/9rFmDwt  James Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-louttit/  His website:  https://www.impactfulpm.com/  The Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - https://a.co/d/hM4gfz7  The Brilliant Beaver Audiobook (😊) - https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Brilliant-Beaver-Guidebook-Audiobook/B0DKZ7G93J?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership  

AUDIO QUALITY NOTICE!  Apologies, we have a little static on one of the mics during our recording - sorry for the occasional audio issue.  As a project manager, an organizational structure that will have a big impact on your life is the PMO. But if you aren’t used to working with a PMO, what should you expect? Are they going to make your life and projects easier, or crush you with red tape? If you are interviewing for a job where they have a PMO, what questions should you ask to get a better understanding of how they work? And, what should you expect from a PMO - and what are they expecting from you?  With all these questions, we thought we should reach out to a couple of the most well known minds in PMO: Lindsay Scott and Eileen Roden. Their UK based “House of PMO” organization does some great things in the PMO space (plus they are a lot of fun!) so we feel very fortunate that Linsay and Eileen agreed to join us and help us understand a bit more about whether PMO’s are our friends or foes.    About our amazing guests, Lindsay Scott and Eileen Roden Lindsay has worked in and around project management and PMO for over 20 years and is a Director at PMO Learning, a training company focused on PMO.  She is Co-Founder of the House of PMO, a professional membership organisation for PMO practitioners. Lindsay is the co-author of the PMO Competency Framework and editor of the Handbook of People in Project Management. She speaks regularly on project management and PMO career topics – and provides 1-2-1 coaching for those looking to advance their careers in PMO. Eileen has 15 years practitioner experience in a variety of project management roles (predominantly PMO management) along with IT and functional HR roles, with a variety of UK, EMEA and global responsibilities.  Her practical experience is supported by both academic and professional certifications including a Masters in Applied Project Management (with distinction), AIPMO-E, PRINCE2®, MSP®, MoP®, Managing Benefits®, Better Business Cases®, Programme and Project Sponsorship®.  She is now a Consulting Director of PMO Learning and co-founder of the House of PMO. She is the author of P3O® Best Management Practice and lead author of the PMO Competency Framework, co-author of Knowledge Management in a Project Environment, along with contribution to many APM publications.  She is a frequent conference speaker throughout UK and Europe. You can learn more about all the amazing things that Lindsay and Eileen are doing around PMO and even join their great community at https://houseofpmo.com/    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership

In this engaging discussion, Erik Rueter, a senior project manager at the American Marketing Association with 20 years of diverse industry experience, shares his expertise in design thinking. He explains how understanding user needs can enhance project outcomes and cultivate better team dynamics. Erik highlights the importance of audience awareness and empathy in project management, revealing transformative strategies like design sprints and inclusive collaboration techniques. His insights aim to inspire project managers to empower their teams and approach problem-solving creatively.

Expert Kory Kogon from Franklin Covey discusses 5 foundational behaviors for developing informal authority in project leadership. Topics include demonstrating respect, listening first, clarifying expectations, extending trust, and practicing accountability.

Experienced Agilist, David Asch, discusses Agile vs Waterfall methodologies with Kate and Kim. They cover the importance of adaptability, customer collaboration, and challenges in adopting Agile practices. The conversation delves into trust, flexibility, contract negotiation, and influencing stakeholders in project management.

Project Management is weird. You can have the same job title and be a very tactical execution-minded project manager - which is the way most of us start. Or you can be a strategic part of the leadership team, recognized for your ability to help executives make their vision a reality.  So, how do you develop yourself from tactical implementer to strategic partner?  This episode we are joined by two experienced leaders, Ralph Kliem and Gregg Richie, who have made this transition, and rose to provide pivotal strategic partnership roles with executive teams to help them develop Disaster Recovery capabilities. In fact, they wrote the book on it: Business Continuity Planning: A Project Management Approach. Ralph and Gregg will talk us through how to step beyond the mindset of a tactical project manager and engage with our leadership teams as a strategic partner. About our amazing guests, Ralph Kliem and Gregg Richie Ralph Kliem, M.A.,PMP, CBCP, is the author or co-author of twenty books, including the Management Lessons of the Great Explorers; Political Risk Management and the Global Supply Chain; Business Continuity Planning; and Leading High Performance Projects. He has also published in the Project Management Journal and PM Network.  He managed numerous business continuity projects and programs for major airplane programs at The Boeing Company as well as financial, operational auditing, and information systems projects. He is now retired after over 40 years in the private and public sectors.  Gregg D. Richie, has over 40 years of experience in project management.  His education includes a MBA with a specialization in Project Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, a BS in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and a Master’s Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University. He has managed, participated in, or consulted on more than 1200 projects in his career, and  He authored three books on Microsoft Project.  As a retired member of the US Navy SEABEES, he uses real-world experiences in teaching project management concepts. You can follow or connect with Gregg at:   @GreggDRichie https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggrichie/   You can find their book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Business-Continuity-Planning-Management-Approach/dp/1482251787/  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Meetings. Love them or hate them, they are core to what we do as project leaders. We need to pull people together (real or virtually) to discuss, plan, check-in, and get things done. But as we know, when we get people together, sometimes their misbehaviors - “goblins” - tag along, too! Being able to manage effective meetings can make or break us as PMs. And learning how to manage these misbehaviors in meetings can make or break each meeting. Fortunately, we have help! This episode we are joined by Rich Maltzman of Boston University. Rich and his colleague Jim Steward wrote the book, “Great Meetings Build Great Teams: A Guide for Project Leaders and Agilists.” In this book, Rich and Jim write about these “meeting goblins” - how to identify them, and how to respond effectively to keep your meeting on track.  Join us and learn how to tame the meeting goblins!  You can find Rich’s book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Meetings-Build-Teams-Agilists/dp/1637424752/ And check out the website here: http://projectmeetings.us You can connect directly with Rich and his co-author, Jim on linked in here:  Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/exclaim/ Jim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimstewartpmp/   And if you would like to study project management with Rich at Boston University, you can read about their globally respected program here: https://www.bu.edu/met/programs/project-management/   About our amazing guest, Rich Maltzman Rich considers himself a ‘pracademic’ – and is now Master Lecturer at Boston University, an author, and a consultant, providing clients with a deep learning experience and improved results. He had a 40-year career in telecom, mainly in engineering and project management.  At the University level, his focus is always on converting weaknesses into strengths while teaching clients/students how to apply learned skills to everyday situations.  Rich co-founded EarthPM, LLC, a company devoted to integrating sustainability thinking into project management. His integration of a holistic, global view of project management has resulted in international consulting and speaking engagements in which the focus is the long-term success of projects, with an eye towards ecological and social systems. His blog at the projectmanagement.com site has become very popular. A co-author of seven books on project leadership, Rich is a former VP of Professional Development for PMI Mass Bay (the Boston area PMI Chapter), and was on the Review Committee for the 7th Edition PMBOK® Guide, helping to assure that sustainability thinking finally made it into the Standard and the Body of Knowledge. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

The podcast discusses the importance of status reporting in project management, including the need for clear communication and tailoring reports to different audiences. The hosts emphasize the significance of foreshadowing potential issues and providing strategies for projects going off track. They also discuss measuring progress, receiving team feedback, and sending reports to the right people.

In this podcast, the hosts discuss the challenges of leading a team as a project manager and provide advice for giving instructions to people who don't report to you. They also talk about the frustrations of a highly functional work environment and the technique of right to left planning. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of managing up and giving clear instructions for success.

The podcast discusses the challenges of organizational change in project management and emphasizes adaptability. It highlights the importance of communication and staying informed during reorganizations. The speakers share their experiences of uncertainty and how leaders can provide certainty. Tips are provided on engaging sponsors and stakeholders using a project overview slide deck. The chapter also explores project cancellations and the need to embrace change. The importance of not ignoring organizational change is emphasized.