

Project Management Happy Hour
Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson
PM Happy Hour is the place for frank and honest discussion about real world issues in project management. We do it in a way that's not too dry, though it may get a bit salty from time to time.
Each episode, your hosts Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson cover a problem faced in project management today, and share practical advice, real-life examples and the occasional project horror story.
Not only that, but every podcast is also an online class! Our host is a PMI Registered Education Provider, who has structured each podcast as an easy-to-listen-to lesson. To get credit, go to our web site at PMHappyHour.com, purchase your class, take the test (based on the content from our podcast) and you get your PDU certificate instantly!
Each episode, your hosts Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson cover a problem faced in project management today, and share practical advice, real-life examples and the occasional project horror story.
Not only that, but every podcast is also an online class! Our host is a PMI Registered Education Provider, who has structured each podcast as an easy-to-listen-to lesson. To get credit, go to our web site at PMHappyHour.com, purchase your class, take the test (based on the content from our podcast) and you get your PDU certificate instantly!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 11, 2018 • 1h 2min
026 - Mastering the Mastermind: facilitating small groups for big results
While the term "mastermind group" was coined in the 20's, it has been used by business leaders, writers, artists and philosophers going back much further to develop new ideas, themselves and accomplish amazing things. In this episode, we get some coaching from a Mastermind Master, J.R. Russell on how to facilitate a mastermind group - and we do one live on the air with PM Happy Hour members! Also, for the first time, we have video of a Podcast session! Come to our web site at pmhappyhour.com to watch us go through the process OUR AMAZING GUEST J.R. RUSSELL Our guest, J.R. Russell, is PMP and PM Happy Hour Member with 40 years of diverse experience as a project, program, and portfolio manager. J.R. Russell is the CEO of Imaginarium Masterminds Inc., a women-owned/veteran-owned small business that will be launching the PM Mastermind Academy in the last quarter of 2018. The PM Mastermind Academy is an exponential learning community for new Project Managers in their first five years. The Academy will provide a foundational curriculum of project, relationship, and wellness management topics to help new PMs fast-track their careers and enhance their lifetime earnings potential. The app-based ecourse and video training curriculum is enhanced with assessments, coaching, and mentoring that have occasionally been used to reinforce training. But what's unique about the PM Mastermind Academy is its use of mastermind groups that have been used successfully in the past mostly by C-Suite executives. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new 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 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.

Jun 27, 2018 • 31min
025 - The Last Move - a little bit of game theory for your projects
Here's a short episode inspired by the mathematical study of Game Theory! Not only can "moving last" (or latter) put you in a strong strategic position, but can also make you a better listener. We'll also talk about some of the downsides of "sequential" turns in meetings, and how to keep that from stifling honest feedback using the Delphi method. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new membership! 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 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.

Jun 17, 2018 • 1h 2min
024 - How to Run a Meeting - and not waste everyone's time
Get tips on running productive meetings without wasting time from experienced project managers. Learn about effective meeting frameworks, preparation, technology setup, and strategies for successful meetings. Discover the importance of detailed note-taking, documentation, and decision logs in project management. Join the conversation on making meetings efficient and impactful.

Jun 11, 2018 • 51min
023-Learning to Swim: Getting oriented in a new organization without going under
Getting started in a new organization, new customer, or new parts of your current org can be tough, especially since managing a project usually means you need to navigate all those waters like a pro - out of the gate. But how do you do that? How do you "get to know" the organization quickly and effectively so you can get the show on the road? This episode we talk with a Change Management specialist, Dilerjit Oberoi, who will help us learn to "swim" in a new organization - or to new parts of your current organization. No need to 'go under' when you have advice from a great expert like Dilerjit! About our great guest, Dilerjit Oberoi: Dilerjit Oberoi works for DPDHL IT Services in Prague, Czech Republic. He helps to articulate mid-long term roadmap for the organization, oversees projects to deliver on strategic priorities and does a whole bunch of other activities related to Service Excellence. He has experience in managing complex projects and working together with a diverse group of people from all around the world. He has an MBA from Warwick University in the UK and is currently learning the art of simple communication from his 3 year old daughter. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new 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 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.

Jun 3, 2018 • 51min
022-Getting to Yes: Negotiation for non-negotiators (part 2 of 2)
Negotiation is part of what we do every day - from negotiating for the best project resources to negotiating what you and your significant other are going to have for dinner. But for those of us who don't feel like natural negotiators, how can we learn to negotiate in a way that helps us address our needs while not risking the long term relationships? That's where the Harvard Negotiation Project comes in! One of our favorite business books, "Getting to Yes," is a quick and easy read which can give you some great tools to help negotiation in business and life. In our previous episode, we covered the method - and in this one, we discuss the "what if's" - what if 'they' don't want to play by the rules? Or don't want to negotiate? We hope you dig this enough to go out and get your own copy of this great book! (No, we aren't getting paid to say that - we just really dig it and want to support the authors.) JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new 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 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.

May 23, 2018 • 54min
021-Getting to Yes: Negotiation for non-negotiators (part 1 of 2)
Negotiation is part of what we do every day - from negotiating for the best project resources to negotiating what you and your significant other are going to have for dinner. But for those of us who don't feel like natural negotiators, how can we learn to negotiate in a way that helps us address our needs while not risking the long term relationships? That's where the Harvard Negotiation Project comes in! One of our favorite business books, "Getting to Yes," is a quick and easy read which can give you some great tools to help negotiation in business and life. We will cover some of the main points in Getting to Yes in our next two episodes. In this episode, we talk through the method. And in the next episode, we'll talk about how to overcome some typical challenges to negotiation and the method. We hope you dig this enough to go out and get your own copy of this great book! (No, we aren't getting paid to say that - we just really dig it and want to support the authors.) JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new 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 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.

May 11, 2018 • 1h 5min
020-An Influence Toolkit: Getting stuff done without authority
How do you get people to get stuff done when you have no "authority?" That's a lot of the art of Project Management! In today's episode, we walk through a few of Kate and Kim's secret weapons that you can use to get things done even when you don't have formal authority. This entire podcast was inspired by a great question from one of our PM Happy Hour members - big shout-out to Dani! Whether you are a Member or a Listener, we love to hear from you - give us a shout anytime at podcast@pmhappyhour.com ! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new 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 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.

May 2, 2018 • 57min
019-Stage Direction in the Boardroom
It can be challenging enough to deliver a project with tough timelines, budgets and limited resources. But what happens when your project is high profile? I mean, REALLY high profile? High profile in that your stakeholders include business executives, regulatory agencies, and heads of governments who do not align on key issues? And what if, at stake, is a program which could bring tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to communities that very much need it? That's the daily reality of delivering high-stakes projects in the Gaming industry. The skills that successful leaders in this industry have developed, especially around stakeholder management, can be incredibly valuable to every business leader and project manager. And to help us learn a couple of those skills, we are joined by Sheila Morago, Executive director of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. She is also one of one of our favorite people :-) Sheila will walk us through some practical techniques for managing stakeholders in the boardroom, and facilitating agreement between executive stakeholders, especially when agreement seems far away and difficult. ABOUT OUR GUEST, SHEILA MORAGO Sheila Morago is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. OIGA has 30 member tribes and numerous associate members. Oklahoma now ranks third in the United States in gaming revenue, with 118 casinos ranging from small fuel stops to full resort casinos. Ms. Morago was named one of 25 people to watch by Global Gaming Business. She was named one of the "Great Women of Gaming" by Casino Enterprise Management, and inducted into the Indian Gaming Hall of Fame, presented by Indian Gaming Magazine. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new 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 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.

Apr 20, 2018 • 1h 8min
018-What I wish I'd known when I started Project Management
Join a lively conversation as the hosts share what they wish they knew when starting in project management. They reflect on early experiences and the common obstacles new PMs face, mixing humor with hard-earned lessons. From the significance of clear communication to the need for a back-out plan, they emphasize relationship-building and resilience. Delve into the human side of project management with insights on handling criticism and navigating chaos, reminding us that success blends task management with genuine connections.

Apr 10, 2018 • 12min
A05-PM Appetizer – Weekly Roll-up Scheduling
How do you make sense of (and get your stakeholders to understand) a 200-line project plan? Or how about a program with 6 workstreams, each with 200 line project plans? How do you make a useful schedule for a smaller schedule, maybe for a personal project that you can share with "non-pm's" that they can make sense of? This week we discuss using a "weekly roll-up" method for viewing schedules. It doesn't necessarily replace your 200-line plan, but it is a very useful way for summarizing and reporting a schedule – check it out! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Our Membership is now OPEN – and HALF PRICE! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our new 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 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.


