Scott Millson, author of "Frequency of Excellence," dives into the significance of lifelong learning and mentorship. He shares how ADHD is his superpower, enhancing his ability to focus and thrive. Millson highlights the difference between excellence and perfection, noting that excellence motivates while perfection can be stifling. He discusses the idea of inattentional blindness and how mentors can profoundly shape our lives. With practical advice on public speaking and family values, he emphasizes that every challenge can be a chance for growth.

Summary In this episode, Andy discusses the challenges and benefits of being a project manager or team leader with guest Dominic Ashley-Timms, co-author of the book The Answer is a Question: The Missing Superpower that Changes Everything and Will Transform Your Impact as a Manager and Leader. Dominic introduces the STAR model, a framework designed to enhance management effectiveness through operational coaching, and explains the concept of Frankenstein managers. They also delve into the importance of triggers, anchors, and asking better questions to foster growth and problem-solving within teams. The discussion highlights practical applications of the STAR model and its potential to transform leadership impact both professionally and personally. What if coaching wasn't something you put on the calendar? What if you could recognize coaching moments in the day-to-day activity of work and life? This episode shows you how to do that. Sound Bites “Most of us are Frankenstein managers.” “Stop, think, ask, and secure a result—that's the STAR model in action.” "The hardest part of coaching? Catching yourself and biting your lip.” “Is this a coachable moment? If not now, then when?” “A simple question can turn a two-hour supplier meeting into a seven-hour collaboration that saves millions.” “People might thank you for advice you never gave—just the right questions you asked.” “Changing your management style isn’t about a lifetime—it starts with two weeks of asking better questions.” “Pre-live moments to break the cycle of overreaction.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:53 Start Of Interview 03:00 What are Frankenstein Managers? 07:17 Introducing the STAR Model 09:59 Triggers and Anchors: Tools for Behavioral Change 17:04 The Skill of Asking Questions 18:00 Identifying Coachable Moments 21:05 Crafting Effective Questions 24:40 Example Scenarios 26:12 How Parents Can Apply The Learning 28:40 End Of Interview 29:06 Andy's Comments After The Interview 31:54 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Dominic and Laura and their book at TheAnswerIsAQuestion.com. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 150 with Michael Bungay Stanier about his book The Coaching Habit. It's a perfect compliment to this book! Episode 297 with Glain Roberts-McCabe about her book on coaching communities. AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills Topics: Leadership, Coaching, Management, Parenting, Personal Development, Communication, Team Management The following music was used for this episode: Music: The Fantastical Ferret by Tim Kulig License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license YouTube clip: “Brian Regan Stand-Up” The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Link: YouTube.com/watch?v=LWm9Em2rwD4

Michaela Flick, a project management practitioner and author of three books, dives into the essential human element of managing projects. She emphasizes the importance of empathy and communication in leadership, arguing that successful projects are built on strong relationships, not just technical skills. Michaela shares insights from her career transitions and the balance between work and personal life. She also highlights the natural project management talents of children through her forthcoming book about a little dragon. Discover how these insights can transform your approach to project management!

Summary In this discussion, Andy welcomes leadership coach and author Kelli Thompson to discuss her book Closing the Confidence Gap: Boost Your Peace, Your Potential, and Your Paycheck. The conversation explores topics such as the imposter syndrome, the importance of taking action despite self-doubt, and differentiating confidence from arrogance. Kelli shares practical strategies for building confidence by aligning decisions with personal values and eliminating elements that cause resentment. The discussion delves into the concept of 'expensive thoughts' and ways to transform them into freeing actions, with a focus on overcoming procrastination and self-doubt. If you'd like some practical ways to overcome self-doubt, this is a discussion you don't want to miss! Sound Bites “The cost of doubting ourselves can be far more expensive than we realize.” “What would you do if you had more confidence?” "Confidence is a side effect of taking action.” “The two most expensive words in our language are ‘but first.’” “If you don’t know what you stand for, what will you fall for?” “There’s a healthy level of doubt that is part of confidence—it keeps you from coming across as a cocky leader.” “You can’t criticize yourself into more confidence.” “Facts ease fear. Name the lie, insert the truth.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:33 Start Of Interview 01:44 What Would You Do If You Had More Confidence? 02:55 What Are Some Nuances That Can Make Confidence Tricky? 06:13 It's Not 'When' You're Confident As Much As 'When' You Are (Or Are Not) 07:09 Values And Confidence 10:00 Values Are Not 'Shoulds' 11:59 The 'But First' Syndrome 14:25 Doubt Vs. Imposter Syndrome 17:03 How Kelli Addresses Self-Doubt 23:09 The Link Between Facts And Fear 23:25 The Pedestal Syndrome 26:37 How Men Can Empower Women In The Workplace 29:18 Building Confidence In Children 31:38 End Of Interview 32:02 Andy's Comments After The Interview 37:36 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Kelli and her book at KelliRaeThompson.com. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 431 with Dr. Sam Adeyemi. He's a top leadership voice in Africa and has helpful insights on moving from self-doubt to confidence. Episode 295 with Don Moore about his book on more confident decision-making. Episode 179 with Andy Molinsky about getting out of your comfort zone. AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills Topics: Imposter Syndrome, Confidence, Leadership, Self-Doubt, Project Management, Values, Women Empowerment, Parenting, Fear, Pedestal Syndrome The following music was used for this episode: Music: Imagefilm 034 by Sascha Ended License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Join Yasmina Khelifi, a senior project manager in France and co-author of 'The Volunteering Journey to Project Leadership,' along with Mayte Mata Sivera, a project management director, as they discuss the transformative benefits of volunteering. They share personal stories illustrating how giving back enhances leadership skills and builds professional networks. Listeners will discover practical tips for starting small in volunteer efforts, finding joy in service, and leveraging LinkedIn for networking—all while emphasizing the win-win nature of community engagement.

Summary In this episode, Andy talks with Jeff Gothelf about the importance of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) as a customer-centric goal-setting framework. Based on insights from Jeff's book Who Does What By How Much?: A Practical Guide to Customer-Centric OKRs, they explore the challenges leaders face in ensuring their teams work on the right priorities, the misconceptions surrounding OKRs, and the significance of measuring outcomes and value. Jeff emphasizes the need for organizations to focus on customer needs and behavior changes rather than just task completion. The discussion also covers how to implement OKRs effectively, starting small, and the potential for using OKRs in personal goal setting. If you've ever wondered how you and your team could better drive real value for your organization and customers, this episode is for you! Sound Bites "The true measure of the value of the thing that you deliver to your customer is measuring outcomes—meaningful changes in their behavior." "The deliverable is variable. You've got some ideas, some hypotheses about what you might make, but the measure of success is not the development and deployment of that thing—it's the behavior change." "You know you've written a good key result when it literally spells out: 'who does what by how much,' which is the name of the book." "Everyone's got a customer. The true measure of value is measuring outcomes, meaningful changes in their behavior. And that's applicable in every scenario." "It's infinitely easier for someone to just tell you what to do. Honestly, it's easier for the person telling you what to do, and for a lot of folks, they're just like 'tell me what to do, and I'll do it.'" "By the time we decide what to work on to the time that it actually comes out in the market, a lot of that consumer demand has moved on or shifted." "One of the biggest challenges is getting folks to start questioning whether the work they're doing actually solves a real problem in a meaningful way." "The incentives for a lot of teams are to produce a thing, and then they get measured, rewarded, and promoted based on that. Rarely do we ask: did anyone need that thing?" "Make them successful, respect their time, solve real problems in meaningful ways, and make it a delight to use." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:39 Start Of Interview 01:49 Why Do People Work On The Wrong Stuff? 04:07 Why Is It Difficult To Get Alignment, Collaboration, And Strategy Focus? 05:10 How Do You Like To Introduce People To OKRs? 07:46 What Are Some Common Misconceptions About OKRs? 10:41 How Do You Define Value? 13:05 What Do You Mean By An Outcome? 17:36 How Do You Go About Starting An OKR System? 20:48 Can OKRs Work For Teams If The Overall Company Doesn't Use Them? 24:35 End Of Interview 24:55 Andy Comments After The Interview 28:07 Outtakes Learn More To learn more about this topic, check out these episodes: Episode 328, with Terry Schmidt about LogFrames. It's different from OKRs, but it's another way to strategically think through the work we're doing. Episode 127, with Rob-Jan de Jong. It's a strategy book that can help with delivering a vision for an organization or team. You can learn more about Jeff and his book at JeffGothelf.com. AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen Topics: Project Management, OKRs, Leadership, Customer-Centric, Goal Setting, Business Strategy, Outcomes, Value Measurement, Implementation, Personal Growth The following music was used for this episode: Music: Underground Shadows by MusicLFiles License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Energetic Drive Indie Rock by Winnie the Moog License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Dr. Nada Sanders, co-author of 'The Humachine,' explores the crucial integration of AI and human skills. She discusses Kasparov's Law and Moravec's Paradox, emphasizing the unique strengths humans bring, such as emotional intelligence and creativity. The conversation offers insights for leaders and parents on preparing future generations for an AI-enhanced world. Sanders highlights the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and maintaining human virtues in the face of rapid technological changes.

In this engaging discussion, Laura Barnard, an author and PMO expert, shares her insights on transforming project management practices. She introduces her Impact Engine framework, emphasizing strategic problem-solving and the importance of effective communication. Laura highlights common pitfalls in PMO setups and advocates for a mindset shift to better navigate change. With memorable quotes like "Knowledge alone is not power," she inspires project managers to apply their knowledge practically for real impact, fostering collaboration and improving value delivery within organizations.

Summary In this episode, Andy interviews Dr. Yasmin Davidds about her book Graciously Assertive: How Becoming a Better Human Makes You a Better Leader. They discuss the importance of assertiveness in leadership, particularly in multicultural environments, and the need for leaders to benefit from diverse perspectives and promote a sense of belonging. Dr. Davidds shares insights on what she calls gracious assertiveness, including her personal journey and the pillars of gracious assertive leadership. She also addresses common themes in diversity and inclusion, the concept of holding space, and the impact of these ideas on both professional and personal relationships. In a world where diversity and inclusion have been politicized and often seem primarily about the numbers, this discussion makes it all much more practical. You will learn practical strategies for becoming more assertive and creating inclusive environments. Sound Bites "Graciously assertive is the ability to self-advocate, to communicate in a way that holds space for the other side, that allows everyone in the conversation to feel heard." "If we can be gracious and be more accepting and receptive to other people's messages without taking it personal, we would have a much better workplace." "We just show up different. We don’t need our armor here." "Establishing healthy boundaries is important for individuals to prioritize their energy and create a space where they can be their best selves." "Self-judgment is a reflection of when you judge other people." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:26 Start Of Interview 02:37 How A Crisis Counselor Saved Yasmin's Life 04:54 Understanding Gracious Assertiveness 08:20 The Pillars Of Gracious Assertive Leadership 10:47 Self-Compassion And Overcoming Self-Judgment 12:40 Overcoming Self-Doubt 15:07 The Importance Of Healthy Boundaries 18:22 Graciously Assertive Communication Model 23:18 Negotiation Strategies With Difficult People 24:03 DEI Mistakes 29:33 Understanding And Implementing 'Holding Space' 33:20 Developing Graciously Assertive Children At Home 35:46 End Of Interview 36:06 Andy's Comments After The Interview 40:29 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Dr. Davidds and her book at DrYasminInstitute.com/dr-yasmin-davidds/. Prepare to Pass Your Project Management Certification Exam We regularly help people just like you prepare and pass their PMP and CAPM certification exams. If you or someone you know is thinking about pursuing project management certification, contact us! We'd love to help you earn your credential. Learn more and enroll at i-leadonline.com/PMSeries. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills Topics: Assertiveness, Diversity, Inclusion, Leadership, Self-awareness, Curiosity, Empathy, Project Management, Cross-Culture The following music was used for this episode: Music: Summer Morning Full Version by MusicLFiles License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Synthiemania by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this lively discussion, sociolinguist Valerie Fridland explores the surprising benefits of 'bad' English in leadership. She argues that filler words and vocal fry can enhance communication, challenging traditional views on language use. Valerie shares insights on how regional dialects shape perceptions and the evolution of words like 'like.' The conversation also touches on the complexities of language in social identity and the importance of context in effective leadership communication, all while keeping a humorous tone.