George Pitagorsky is a globally recognized project and process management thought leader who integrates mindfulness and process thinking into his work to improve individual and team performance. He assesses, consults, coaches, and teaches to enable optimal performance. He has spoken at global conferences and for companies such as Microsoft and Nokia. He has more than fifty years of experience in project, program, process, and product management as an entrepreneur, consultant to major corporations, and CIO for a multibillion-dollar organization. George has studied and practiced Yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation for over forty years while living and working in the material world. He teaches meditation techniques and “wisdom” thinking for use in all aspects of daily life. George publishes Breakthrough Newsletter and has authored four books, The Zen Approach to Project Management, Managing Conflict in Projects, Managing Expectations: A Mindful Approach to Achieving Optimal Performance, and How to be Happy Even When You Are Sad, Mad or Scared. According to Daniel Goleman, George’s book, The Zen Approach to Project Management, is “the Zen that's been missing in all too many of today's business books, and George Pitagorsky is the master we've needed.” It is also the first book I purchased as a project manager that truly resonated with me as I learn and grow as a project manager. The reason why it continues to resonate with me is that it couples the idea of emotional intelligence and working with different types of people with this idea that we can work from our center to balance expectations and performance. I amongst my peers have always been known to be calm under pressure and reasonable, which is why this book helped me tap further into this concept and really own it. Here's a sneak peek at what we cover: - George's journey to becoming a project manager - The synergy between yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation with project management - How mindful awareness and process thinking (a Zen approach) enhance performance by enabling resilience, stress management, effective communications, and more - Everyday meditation or practice you can use in your everyday lives Enjoyed this conversation with George? Want to learn more about taking a mindful and self-aware approach to project management? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below! Make sure to follow George and me on LinkedIn for more. Subscribe: youtube.com/anncampea Listen: https://anchor.fm/theeverydaypm LINKS:  https://self-awareliving.com/ - Learn about George and his teachings! https://self-awareliving.com/books-written-by-george - Buy his books! Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn: Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncampea/) | Worldwide Readiness Program Manager at Apple, Inc. | Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries. George Pitagorsky (https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgepitagorsky/)| Coaching CIOs, CEOs, and Their Teams on Mindfully Impacting the Bottomline | Master facilitator, change agent, coach, meditation teacher, and consultant with more than 40 years of experience working with individuals interested in applying mindfulness and open-minded systems and process thinking in daily life. He is a proponent of Servant Leadership.

Going OFF SCRIPT doesn’t come naturally to most organizational leaders. We want to control the narrative, ensure ideal outcomes, script the conversations, manage the problems, predict the future, and win (negotiations, new business, market share, and more). But what if good leaders could become better leaders by doing the opposite — by letting go of the control, by going “off script” in their conversations and negotiations, by being present instead of rushing to the future, and by collaborating in authentic, empathetic ways?  If your organization is like most, the old way of communicating and managing isn’t working for you. Status quo is coming up short. It’s time to master the art of business improvisation (“improv”)!   Returning to the podcast is renowned speaker, bestselling business author, Accidental Accountant, leadership expert, and improv virtuoso Peter Margaritis to chat about his new book, Off Script: Mastering the Art of Business Improv. In what is his third book on effective workplace communication, Peter invites managers, directors, founders, vice presidents, and chief executives to redefine leadership and teamwork. And he teaches you the techniques he’s taught employees at world-class brands like White Castle Systems, Cardinal Health, Target, Oklahoma State University, and Marriott.  "Business improv is about letting go of your own agenda to listen intently — to be empathetic and open-minded in the present moment — so you can truly connect with colleagues and other stakeholders to generate optimal results."   In business and in life, we tend to respond to others with “No, because ...” or “Yes, but ...” These dismissive and controlling tendencies lead to impasses, arguments, and ultimately failures. But when we learn to respond to others with “Yes, and ...” — acknowledging what we’ve heard and building upon it — we arrive more quickly at agreement and at breakthrough solutions for challenging problems. “Yes, and ...” is one of several improv techniques you’ll learn from Peter Margaritis’s Off Script! — a book that will help you build bridges, generate good ideas, adapt to any situation, nurture teams, and keep your anxiety at bay.   Here's a sneak peek at what we cover: The importance of "preparation" in improv The case for "improv" in improving organizational cultures Practical advice based on real-life scenarios Making sure your virtual meetings and presentations don't suck  Enjoyed this conversation with Peter? Want to learn more about business improv? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below! Make sure to follow Peter and I on LinkedIn for more.  Subscribe: youtube.com/anncampea  Listen: https://anchor.fm/theeverydaypm   LINKS:  https://petermargaritis.com/ - Learn about Peter! https://offscriptimprov.com/ - Buy the book!   *** Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn:  Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncampea/Worldwide Readiness Program Manager at Apple, Inc. Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries.    Peter Margaritis, CSP, C.P.A. - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermargaritis/Certified Virtual Presenter, Keynote Speaker, Improv Virtuoso, Author, Podcaster, Educator, and Humorist Peter is a licensed, non-practicing, CPA in Ohio. Peter has worked for companies such as Price Waterhouse, Victoria’s Secret Catalogue (not as a model), and Ohio Dominican University. Peter has earned the highest credential of a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) from the National Speakers Association.

Brendon Baker established the Valuable Change Co. with one central mission in mind: to Help Change Leaders Drive Real Value, but on his way found his secondary mission: Fight Unnecessary Complexity. Where change isn’t about delivering on-time or on-budget, but rather actually getting what you’re looking for out of it. Brendon knew from the very beginning of his career that he didn’t want to do the same thing day in and day out. After an accelerated schooling due to various ‘gifted and talented’ school programs, and a short stint in event management, Brendon found his initial calling - in Project Management. Earning his (metaphorical) stripes and scars on projects large and small across various sized organizations, Brendon then shifted into change consulting. In retrospect, Brendon has worn almost every different hat and performed almost every role that exists in the world of changing organizations. Through all this, there were three recurring themes: First, Brendon had a knack for seeing through the complexity to find the simple, and doing so had huge benefit for the change he was working with. Second, Brendon was able to make complex concepts - accessible. And not just personally, but was able to help others repeatedly do the same. And third, that broad, diverse experience meant that Brendon was able to help his clients connect together all of the essential elements needed for truly successful change. It’s these themes that were at play as Brendon wrote his books (to date) - Valuable Change, and Creating High Value PMOs. Both of which were number 1 New Releases across multiple categories, with Valuable Change hitting bestseller status. And it’s those themes that Brendon brings to his clients everyday as part of the Valuable Change Co. Here's a preview of what we chat about in this week's episode of The Everyday PM Podcast: What are the top mistakes PMOs are making? What is the secret behind every great PMO? How can an organization avoid PMO stagnation? Enjoyed this conversation with Brendon? Want to learn more about creating high value PMOs and implementing valuable change? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below! Make sure to follow Brendon and I on LinkedIn for more. Subscribe: youtube.com/anncampea Valuable LINKS: www.valuablechange.com www.brendonbaker.com.au linkedin.com/in/brendon-baker-valuablechange/ *** Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn: Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP Worldwide Readiness Program Manager at Apple, Inc. Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries.

What does it mean to be a project leader? Project Leadership means going above and beyond our duties as a project manager by infusing leadership principles into how we manage our projects, like authenticity and transparency. PMI's definition of project leadership: "The knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to guide, motivate, and direct a team, to help an organization achieve its business goals."   Allison Ong, Executive Director-CTP Transition Plan & Patient Placement Services at Loma Linda University Medical Center, joins me to discuss Project Leadership. Allison started her career as a Clinical Nurse, but truly found her passion in leading projects. Not only does Allison teach a course on project leadership, but she just completed leading the Campus Transformation megaproject at Loma Linda University Health, which you may recall hearing about on The Everyday PM Podcast episode on Megaprojects.    Here's a preview of what we chat about in this week's episode of The Everyday PM Podcast:  The difference between project management and project leadership  How to lead a mega project through uncertainty?  How to keep leadership engaged and focused?  Good and bad personality traits of project managers   Enjoyed this conversation with Allison? Want to learn more about Allison's journey and how you can transform from project manager to project leader? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below! Make sure to follow Allison and I on LinkedIn for more.   Subscribe: youtube.com/anncampea   Listen: https://anchor.fm/theeverydaypm    Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn:   Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP  Worldwide Readiness Program Manager at Apple, Inc. Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries.    Allison Ong  Executive Director-CTP Transition Plan & Patient Placement Services at Loma Linda University Medical Center Clinical nurse and experienced project leader.

Coffee chats, water cooler talk, quick huddles... As project managers, we thrive on these happenstance meetings as an opportunity to information gather. While I recommend these types of syncs are not utilized for decision-making, we can leverage this time as a chance to discuss pressing matters in a much more comfortable setting. When Greg Christensen, Vice President of ProjectHub.com reached out to me with some questions about project management, I suggested a virtual coffee chat (sans coffee because I don't actually drink it). To truly mimic the constraints of a coffee chat, I set a timer for 20 minutes, since we all know coffee breaks should not take any longer than that! Here's a preview of the questions we cover in this week's episode of The Everyday PM Podcast: What are the basic principles one should incorporate when establishing a project? What are the top five risk factors when it comes to projects in general? What are the biggest problems you see or have seen when it comes to the daily project management process? How does technology come into play to mitigate/solve these problems? Can you share your approach to planning and building out a podcast episode? Do you have a favorite project management philosophy/style you can describe? Do you have any questions you'd like to bring to the Project Management Coffee House? Feel free to reach out to me and we'll find time to take a break together. Enjoyed this new themed episode with Greg? Want to learn more about Greg's experience and how ProjectHub.com project management software can help eliminate complexity from your project? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below! Make sure to follow Greg and I on LinkedIn for more. *** Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn: Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP Worldwide Readiness Program Manager at Apple, Inc. Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries. Greg Christensen Vice President of ProjectHub.com Greg Christensen is a CMMS expert, business consultant, and mentor with 2 build outs resulting in successful exits. Nearly 2 decades in the CMMS space, extensive facilities, maintenance, and building management experience, lead to a focus on project management. “I have a passion for working with people delivering successful outcomes using a client-centric approach to problem solving. I find mentorship to be rewarding, in all of its various forms, and love building long-lasting relationships in constant pursuit of the elusive win-win."

Dakota White is a results-oriented Project Manager with experience in higher education and healthcare business operations, with a track record of consulting with executives to influence business decisions and optimize organizational effectiveness. She is best known for successfully managing cross-functional relationships and streamlining business processes. Amidst the pandemic, Dakota took on her first "megaproject," the campus transformation at Loma Linda University Health located in Loma Linda, California. The medical center operates some of the largest clinical programs in the United States in areas such as neonatal care and outpatient surgery, and is recognized as the international leader in infant heart transplantation and proton treatments for cancer. In this week's episode of The Everyday PM Podcast, Dakota and I chat about what a megaproject is and how she kept her sanity and focus working on a project of this magnitude. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the following attributes are associated with a megaproject: large-scale; complex; cost more than 1 billion US Dollars; take many years to build; involve multiple public and private stakeholders; are transformational; and impact millions of people. Executing a megaproject can be highly risky. The risk of executing a megaproject amidst a pandemic is astronomical. Dakota White shares her experience in leading a megaproject, how she was able to coordinate the project amongst a team of project managers and stay grounded amidst the uncertainty. Enjoyed the conversation with Dakota? Want to learn more about mega projects and what it takes to execute one successfully? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below! Reference: Project Management Institute (2014). What you should know about megaprojects | PMI academic summary. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/research/research-summaries/flyvbjerg_megaprojects.pdf. *** Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn: Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP Worldwide Readiness Program Manager at Apple, Inc. Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries. Dakota White, MBA Project Manager - Campus Transformation at Loma Linda University Health Results-oriented Project Manager with experience in higher education and healthcare business operations, with a track record of consulting with executives to influence business decisions and optimize organizational effectiveness.

Kevin Torf is an information-systems executive with a career spanning more than 40 years. He specializes in large-scale IT strategic plans, project design, procurement and implementation. Over his career, Kevin has orchestrated the design and implementation of numerous complex IT infrastructure deployments across the globe, including some of the world’s largest communication network systems. He is a strong advocate of professional development.   In this week's episode of The Everyday PM Podcast, Kevin and I "get the job done" by discussing the practical advice and real-world anecdotes that are included in his book, Getting the Job Done: Practical Advice and Real-World Anecdotes to Manage Successful P.R.O.J.E.C.T.S. Today’s workplace has evolved, yet the strategies to empower employees and teams are still maturing. Getting the Job Done provides a straightforward framework to inspire teams and keep them accountable for ultimate success. There is no singular method to being a better project manager. Instead, there are always multiple ways to look at a given problem and it is important to consider each of your team member’s different perspectives. By applying and practicing the tips in this book, your team can get the job done on time without having to sacrifice quality.    The 100 educational, factual, and relatable project management tips compiled in this book will guide you to keep your team engaged, responsible, and transparent. With T2 Group’s philosophy—the leading technology consulting practice providing innovative solutions to businesses for over thirty years—outlined by their letter-by-letter framework P.R.O.J.E.C.T.S.   Through the compact analysis of each block, followed by clear bite-sized pointers, concluding with T2’s case studies, you and your team can discover and create a new culture that can be used in both life and business. Elevate your team and organization’s capabilities and discover how projects can turn from great undertakings to successful collaborations.   The book is available now. You can purchase the book here on Amazon or everywhere books are sold!   Enjoyed the conversation with Kevin? Want to learn more about getting the job done? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below!   ***  Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn:   Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP  Worldwide Readiness Program Manager, Apple, Inc. Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries.    Kevin Torf  Author | Entrepreneur | Executive Kevin Torf is an information-systems executive with a career spanning more than 40 years. He specializes in large-scale IT strategic plans, project design, procurement and implementation. He is the co-founder and managing partner of T2 Group and the developer of the company’s hybrid-Agile methodology.

Bob is the co-founder and director of Intelligent Disobedience Leadership and founder of Mindavation. Specializing in advanced leadership techniques, strategic program and portfolio management and establishing Project Management Offices on three continents, Bob has worked with inexperienced to advanced business leaders from more than 15 countries, with a wide variety of industry backgrounds and has delivered keynote addresses to conferences and chapter meetings around the world. With more than 30 years of I/T, project management and business analysis experience, 18 of those years with the IBM Corporation, I am honored to welcome Bob onto The Everyday PM Podcast to share his wisdom with our community.   Not only is Bob a certified Project Management Professional by PMI, he also holds university degrees in Operations Research and Mathematics and is the author of Intelligent Disobedience: The Difference Between Good and Great Leaders, which was released in March 2018 by Routledge (Oxford). He is a LinkedIn Learning instructor, with nearly 20 courses on the platform, covering project management, advanced leadership and outsourcing management. In our conversation, we dig into Bob's professional journey, his passion for teaching, and insight into what differentiates between a good and great leader. What is Intelligent Disobedience Leadership? According to Bob, author of Intelligent Disobedience: The Difference between Good and Great Leaders, it's knowing when and how to break, bend or invent new rules to get better outcomes. Obeying all of the rules rarely generates breakthrough business performance because it does not generate new approaches. Breaking the rules randomly does not work either. Intelligent disobedience values improved business performance over compliance with the rules, when conditions permit. This book promotes enhanced performance by promoting a higher form of ethics. Intelligent disobedience seeks to surface hidden truth and to produce actions that are of higher integrity to yield superior results. The book guides the reader to evaluate their work environment, current business results, and risk, to determine if, when, and how acting with intelligent disobedience can enhance their business outcomes and their career. You can purchase the book here on Amazon or read more about the concept of Intelligent Disobedience here: http://intelligentdisobedience.com/ Enjoyed the conversation with Bob? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below! **** Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn: Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP | Worldwide Readiness Program Manager, Apple, Inc. | Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries. Robert L. (Bob) McGannon, PMP, GWCPM | Director - Intelligent Disobedience Leadership / LinkedIn Learning Author / Supporter of Curated Culture / Keynote Speaker / Coach | Bob is a certified Project Management Professional by PMI, was a certified Executive Project Manager with IBM, a Certified Project Management Coach for the Boeing Corporation, and is currently an Honorary Adjunct Professor at Bond University.

We've all had that feeling after completing a big milestone - a sense of loss, sadness, and even depression. As project managers, we invest so much of ourselves in completing our projects that when it's over, it's not uncommon for post-project blues to settle in. Our days that were filled with planning, execution, and team collaboration are once again free of the multitude of meetings and interactions that consumed every minute of every day. We're often told to leave our feelings at the door when we enter the workplace, but post-project blues is a very real feeling that may be remedied best through interaction with colleagues to plan for "what's next."    In our everyday lives, the most known manifestation of this feeling is postpartum depression. According to Mayo Clinic, "the birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect — depression" (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). Most new moms experience postpartum "baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. Baby blues typically begin within the first two to three days after delivery, and may last for up to two weeks. But some new moms experience a more severe, long-lasting form of depression known as postpartum depression.    In this week's podcast, Christina and I discuss this very real topic of Post-Project Blues and give our thoughts on knowing how to identify when you are going through this depression type and coping mechanisms we have used to manage it. Have you ever experienced post-project blues? If so, what are some tips and techniques you utilized to manage your feelings? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!   ***  Follow Our Hosts on LinkedIn:  Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP | Worldwide Readiness Program Manager, Apple, Inc. | Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries.    Christina Olivarria, MSPM, PMP, HACP, LBBP | Project Manager/Communications Manager, Yellow Brick Consulting, Inc. | A well-organized, task-orientated project manager, who takes initiative in delivering the highest quality services to both peers and clients alike.

Since 1996, PMI has set the standard of terminology and guidelines for the project management profession. It's been four years since the Project Management Institute (PMI) published the The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide – Sixth Edition. Deemed as one of the most thorough and detailed editions of them all, the Sixth Edition was rigid, outlining the project lifecycle complete with all of the EEFs (Enterprise Environmental Factors) and OPAs (Organizational Process Assets) that fed into and out of each process group. Project managers would be tested on this and much more to be deemed certified project management professionals.   However, in the last four years, the project management industry has seen tremendous growth. According to PMI, the profession's labor force is expected to expand by 33% globally through 2027, creating approximately 22 million jobs worldwide. We have also seen the emergence of hybrid project approaches that capture both agile and waterfall methodologies. With the demand for project managers growing faster than the demand for workers in other occupations over the next 10 years, it is by no surprise that PMI deemed it time to release The PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition to capture this rapid change.   In this week's podcast, Christina, Brian and I breakdown The PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition and give our thoughts on the changes. To see a quick rundown of what's changed in the Seventh Edition, check out my video on 7 Facts about The PMBOK® Seventh Edition. For our in-depth video review and to see whether or not we agreed with the changes, tune in to our newest episode of The Everyday PM (video edition) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PdM-tpHDfw   Have you had a chance to review The PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition? If so, what are your thoughts on the changes? Don't forget - if you're a PMI member, you have access to the digital copy of the The PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition as part of your membership. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!   *** More About Our Hosts:   Ann Campea, MSPM, MPH, PMP | Worldwide Readiness Program Manager, Apple, Inc. | Program/Project management professional with 10 years of experience in product development, physical retail launches, health care, and tech industries.    Christina Olivarria, MSPM, PMP, HACP, LBBP | Project Manager/Communications Manager, Yellow Brick Consulting, Inc. | A well-organized, task-orientated project manager, who takes initiative in delivering the highest quality services to both peers and clients alike.    Brian Summons, Senior Project Manager | MSPM | PMP | CSM | CSPO | Iraq Combat Veteran | Senior Project Manager, CHOC Children's Senior-Level Project Leader, Combat Veteran, and USC ✌🏾 Alumnus who has a passion for leading impactful technology projects. A seasoned leader, and polished communicator with the required experience to ensure project success.