Projectified

When the pandemic hit, many hallmarks of city life—public transportation, skyscrapers with shared amenities, bustling streets—flipped from pros to cons. But don’t count cities out. We discuss how project teams are reimagining the urban environment with:Jun Huang, partner, Wei Yang & Partners, London: Huang discusses the aspects of urban life most strained during the pandemic—and how cities can change in response. He also shares ways project leaders can best collaborate with multiple stakeholders to keep citizen needs at the forefront.Zhengkai Jiang, PMP, senior project manager, CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co. Ltd., Zhuzhou, China: Jiang discusses rail transit trends and his project to design and manufacture fully autonomous trains. Soo-Jin Kim, head of the urban policies and reviews unit, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris: Kim discusses how cities can become more sustainable, walkable and resilient, plus how digital transformation is changing urban life. Key themes[01:13] The growth—and evolution—of cities[03:33] COVID-19’s stress test on urban life[06:15] Urban development trends: creating sustainable, inspiring cities[09:15] Collaborating with stakeholders while keeping citizens’ needs at the forefront[12:18] Next-gen public transit: autonomous rail[17:04] Three steps for a more resilient city[19:15] Urban digital transformations [20:54] Making cities more adaptable, walkable and eco-friendly

In today’s competitive world of work, career-focused project leaders are learning to set themselves apart from the pack with a strong personal brand story. We discuss branding tips and tricks with: Pascale Sablan, associate at Adjaye Associates, and founder and executive director of Beyond the Built Environment LLC, both in New York City: Sablan shares how she created—and redefined—her personal brand and how it influences her thinking on projects. Jon Michail, founder and group CEO of Image Group International, Melbourne: Michail offers advice for project leaders on building and marketing their personal brand—and the ROI they can expect.Key themes[00:21] Everyone has a personal brand—and can market it[01:46] Conveying your mission and values in personal branding[05:25] Using your personal brand as a guidepost[10:03] Showcasing your value in a changing world of work[11:55] Personal branding tips for project leaders

The pandemic has drastically changed the way many people live and work—and also brought a new focus on mental health. What does that mean for project teams? We discuss the issue with: Carrie Fletcher, PMP, vice president, people and experience at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto: She discusses how a healthy staff can boost company performance, the signs a team member may be struggling with mental health issues, and the challenges and rewards of her own organization’s initiative to support employee well-being.  Aga Swiatowa, PMP, vice president, technology and innovation at Discovery Inc., Wrocław, Poland: She discusses how project leaders can improve their teams’—and their own—mental health, connect with virtual and hybrid teams, and help team members returning to work after mental health leave.  Key themes[00:17] The growing focus on mental health in the workplace[04:30] How a healthy staff improves company performance[07:10] Rolling out a mental health program across an enterprise[15:05] Signs a team member may be struggling with mental health issues[18:46] Check-ins with virtual or hybrid teams[20:03] Supporting a team member returning from mental health leave

Fueled by bold thinking and a deep commitment to social impact, a new generation of leaders is out to build a better world. PMI Future 50 leaders both past and present discuss how young people are changing the world of projects. The episode includes a conversation between Ackeem Ngwenya, co-founder of Reframd in Berlin, and Julissa Mateo Abad, PMP, digital transformation manager at Distribuidora Corripio in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The two discuss social impact, inclusion and other shifts they see on the project landscape. Teen inventor Gitanjali Rao also drops by to discuss her iterative process of innovation, building credibility as a young woman in STEM and her advice on how people can create positive change—no matter their age.  Key themes[01:13] Future 50: Young project leaders making their mark[05:05] Driving change and inclusion[08:13] A new, more collaborative leadership style[16:50] Taking an iterative approach to innovation [18:10] Age versus ability: Proving leaders can make a difference at any age 

From digital twins to 3D printing, cutting-edge tech is disrupting the construction industry. Guests are: Miguel Monteiro, project director, Besix, Dubai: Monteiro discusses how technology is helping improve efficiency and safety on the Uptown Tower project. He also talks about how project leaders can encourage teams to try out new tech and how to measure ROI. Matt Gough, director of innovation, Mace, London: Gough discusses how changing government regulations and COVID-19 accelerated the growth of tech in construction. He also talks about the importance of creating a culture that’s open to technology and innovation.  Key themes[01:16] Increased investment in tech on construction projects[02:24] How tech is improving efficiency on Uptown Tower[05:43] Helping project teams accept, adopt new tech in construction[09:24] Measuring the ROI of tech [12:41] New government regulations accelerate digitization in construction[16:39] Using tech to minimize the need to be on-site[19:09] How to encourage tech innovation on construction teams

On Projectified®’s 100th episode, we hit the fast-forward button to see what The Project Economy might look like over the next decade. One thing is clear: Our changing world demands a new kind of leader. Guests are: Marcelo Tocci, PMP, commercial aviation, program management office and deputy program director, Embraer, São Paulo: Tocci discusses the need for future-focused project leaders to concentrate on innovation and delivering value to society as well as the bottom line. He also talks about adapting to change with hybrid—using the right approach for the right project. Kris Sprague, PMP, PgMP, PfMP, head of clinical project planning and scheduling at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, New York, USA: Sprague discusses the increased demand for project talent, and how he sees remote work, artificial intelligence and automation shifting traditional ways of working. He also shares how he sees next-gen leaders putting a greater focus on a project’s social and environmental impact. Key themes[01:11] High demand for project talent[02:20] Project leaders to be more digital, innovative and outcome-focused[04:12] A changing world of work demands adaptability and agility[10:32] Trends to watch: Remote work, artificial intelligence[18:07] How younger people are changing how projects are led 

Few project leaders saw COVID-19 coming. That points to a new mindset required to identify, manage and mitigate risks throughout the project life cycle. Gone are the days of a risk register dutifully filled out and then tucked away in a desk drawer. Guests are: Michael O’Connor, PhD, PMP, PgMP, director, strategy and project management at Medtronic, Minneapolis: O’Connor talks about building risk management into projects from the start and communicating risk across the enterprise. Ernest Seto, PMI-RMP, PMP, project manager, Linde Engineering, Munich: Seto discusses emerging risks teams should consider as well as how companies can create a culture of risk resilience.  Key themes [00:56] The new risk landscape[01:50] Mitigating risk with leadership and planning [05:57] Creating a culture of always-on risk awareness[10:16] Building risk resilience[11:49] Establishing processes to track and manage risk[14:52] Making project teams more resilient to risk 

More than a year ago, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Today, vaccines are rolling out, and it’s up to governments working with project teams to get shots into arms quickly, safely, efficiently and equitably.  Our guest is Kate Elder from Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). She discusses how the group’s teams are working with governments to administer COVID-19 vaccines, pushing for global vaccine equity and diversifying vaccine production. Key themes [01:19] COVID-19 vaccine campaigns are underway—but there’s still work to do[03:52] How MSF works around the challenges of vaccine distribution  [05:55] Advocating for COVID-19 vaccine equity[08:41] Diversifying vaccine manufacturing [10:49] Pushing for innovation and knowledge sharing 

Artificial intelligence is officially part of the mainstream, sparking big changes across industries. But do companies have the talent they need to truly make the most of the technology? Guests are: Manolis Koubarakis, project coordinator, ExtremeEarth, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece: Koubarakis discusses building the team behind the environmental tracking project and the challenges of executing large-scale AI. Snehanshu Mitra, CEO, center of excellence, data science and AI, NASSCOM, Bengaluru: Mitra discusses the must-have skills for project leaders working with AI and how companies are working to solve the AI talent gap.  Key themes [01:50] Building the ExtremeEarth project team [04:23] Aligning skills to projects [06:49] Challenges: Finding the right data and project talent [10:23] Must-have skills for AI project leaders [11:49] The AI talent gap and how to solve it [16:06] Starting small and preparing data  

The climate crisis is one of the world’s greatest threats—and project leaders around the globe are stepping in, helping mitigate its effects with ambitious and innovative initiatives. Guests are: Dan Balaban, co-founder, president and CEO, Greengate Power, Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Balaban discusses the Travers Solar Project—one of the world’s largest solar-power initiatives—and why teams must be nimble, innovative and forward-looking in the fast-changing renewable energy sector, and how battery storage could be a gamechanger for the industry. Leyla Zelaya, national coordinator, CityAdapt, U.N. Environment Programme, San Salvador, El Salvador: Zelaya discusses how nature-based solutions can help cities reduce the damage of climate change, the importance of involving local stakeholders and why project leaders should consider climate change on every initiative. Key themes[00:59] How project leaders are fighting climate change[02:01] Developing one of the world’s largest solar-power projects[05:38] Building flexibility into the Travers Solar Project[09:01] The next gamechanger in renewable energy? Battery storage[10:04] Using nature-based solutions to mitigate effects of climate change[12:23] Collaborating with local stakeholders[15:45] Why climate change should be considered on any project