The Project Chatter Podcast

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Christine McLean to discuss EQ, IQ, and MQ: Unlocking the Power of Softer Skills Christine is the newly elected president of the ACostE, the professional home for project controls. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the utilities, oil and gas and nuclear sectors. She gained her fellowship in 2018 and is a certified cost engineer. Two years ago she transitioned from working in Project Controls to teaching Project Controls and wrote the first Academic Certificate in Project Controls in the US, which can now be taken as part of university studies. She is also a route panel member for IFATE, RQF Assessor, End Point assessment assessor and governor of her daughter's school. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: There are currently 1,700 members of ACostE. Short term goal is to promote diversity within the industry Schools generally teach students to pass exams rather than focusing on communication skills which are essential for success in the workplace Exam results are not the best way of assessing someone’s capability for a role MQ – Motivation Quotium Seek feedback – always ask trusted friends and family to provide honest feedback Whilst you can train yourself to improve your Emotional Intelligence, it should be done in an authentic way. If you are unsure how someone is feeling, just ask them It is more common to be motivated by development and wanting to change the world Many Gen Z employees are motivated by wanting to make a difference to the world but do not know how to go about this Here are links to some of the topics we discussed: ACostE - https://acoste.org.uk/node/1 Join us next time when we’re re-joined by Hezron Ricketts to discuss Box to Box: the 'Black' boxes of Controls and Systems. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by: InEight - https://ineight.com/ Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it!

In this week’s pod, we welcomed back Alan Mosca to discuss AI in Project Controls – Separating fact from fiction. Alan is the co-founder and CTO of nPlan, where he leads technology, research, and product, whilst developing thought leadership about forecasting and risk. Before nPlan, Alan spent 7 years as a technologist in quantitative finance, on live trading systems, research, and front-office in both high-frequency trading and asset management. Alan has extensive experience in algorithm design and software engineering and holds a BEng in Computer Engineering, MSc in Computer Science, and doctoral research in machine learning theory. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: There needs to be a lot of responsibility with using data from AI toolsets Toolsets are available that can auto-plan a successor activity in a schedule based on previous data Large language models only work based on language. Chat GPT took longer to reach the mainstream because of the data checks to ensure outputs were not inappropriate AI will not replace humans on projects. It will only evolve their current roles In the next 3-5 years we will see models that can internalize the meaning of a project AI could be used to measure schedule compliance with the contract Models can’t self-regulate which can lead to biases in data. We’re past the point of having a common data environment Create better things not faster things! Simulation is harder than AI because it requires a greater level of precision One person’s experience is another person’s bias One of the main fictions of AI is that everything will be possible. It will never predict the future, it will only forecast possible outcomes Be a critic! AI outputs are not infallible Here are links to some of the topics we discussed: David Chalmers – Are Large Language Models Sentient? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BcuCmf00_Y Join us next time when we’re re-joined by Christine McLean to discuss EQ, IQ, and MQ: Unlocking the Power of Softer Skills For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by:  InEight - https://ineight.com/ Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it!

Welcome to this week's episode of the Project Chatter Podcast! In this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeff Quantrill and Jordan Cannon to discuss how to maximise efficiency with NEC cross-functional processes. Jeff brings 15 years of experience in enterprise IT services with IBM, and has recently delved into the AEC sector with PM Information Systems. He has a wealth of experience delivering systems for major projects, including a UK airport expansion and three giga-projects in Saudi Arabia. Most recently, he completed an implementation on the Amaala giga-project and joined InEight in February 2022. Jordan, a graduate of Civil Engineering, has been working in the construction industry for over a decade. He began his career as a field engineer on power plants and has since evolved his role into the process improvement technology space. He currently works for InEight as the EMEA Presales Team Manager. His background in construction and passion for technology drive his success in this field. During the podcast, we delved into several key topics, such as the amount of re-work on projects, the siloed nature of early warning notices, and the role of AI in construction projects. We discussed how AI can help with scope analysis, schedule management, and creating a Work Breakdown Structure. We also touched on the importance of collaborative toolsets and the evolving role of planners. If you're interested in learning more about these topics, be sure to check out the links provided in the show notes. And don't forget to tune in next week when we'll be re-joined by Alan Mosca to discuss AI in Project Controls and separating fact from fiction. To support our podcast and charities, visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com. If you're interested in sponsoring the podcast, please get in touch through our website. And, as always, stay safe, be disruptive, and have fun doing it! A special shoutout to our sponsors JustDo and InEight for their support. Check out their websites at https://www.justdo.com/ and https://ineight.com/.

In this episode Dale and Val talk with Susanne Madsen about the value of leadership, the skills and tactics for successful emotional intelligence, as well as how to navigate stress in the post COVID project environment. Susanne Madsen is an internationally recognised leadership coach and mentor for project and change managers. She has partnered and founded the Project Leadership Institute, which runs leadership programmes to help project managers become better leaders in the workplace. During her career, Susanne has worked with many high-profile companies such as JP Morgan, Citigroup, Philips, BAM and NXP to name just a few. She is a fully qualified Corporate and Executive coach, an NLP Practitioner, DISC accredited and a regular contributor to the Association for Project Management (APM) Susanne is the award-winning author of The Power of Project Leadership, which is now in its second edition. It has been translated to Chinese and Polish and has been described as "a must-read for everyone in the project world". In addition, Susanne is a popular key note speaker on the topic of leadership, emotional intelligence and stress management. proudly sponsored by: InEight.com

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Paul Waskett to discuss Project Controls in design and engineering stages. Paul is a Director of Adept Management where he takes responsibility for the development of their Project Controls tools and services, as well as supporting clients and projects across the construction industry. Since 2014, Paul has been supporting two major rail projects. He is a Mechanical Engineer by background and has over 20 years’ experience in Design Management and Project Controls. In addition, Paul has spent time working in central government, where he managed a construction innovation budget, and as a researcher where he developed some of Adept Management's innovative approaches to design planning and management.  The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: There is generally more scrutiny on the construction part of a design and build contract however both need equal attention in order to manage projects effectively Design planning is not as linear as other types of programmes. There are generally more interdependencies and iterations of designs Build a WBS and identify relevant activities and inputs before starting the planning process As the project is delivered, the Last Planner System can be used to monitor progress Using % complete to measure design progress can be difficult to implement consistently Working from home has made it more difficult to promote communication and problem solving in major projects as the relevant stakeholders are not collaborating as often as they would in an office based environment Earned Value Management only works when rules of credit are in place and all stakeholders are aware of the limitations of it being the sole measure of progress Digital twin can help engineers to assess the effect of what may seem like a small scale change on a design It is prudent to have a sole interface between engineering and project management in order to deliver a consistent message One of the key challenges for Engineering Managers is to get the “commitment” from the engineering team(s) to deliver to a specified date or budget Here are links to some of the topics we discussed: The Latham Report – Constructing The Team: https://constructingexcellence.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Constructing-the-team-The-Latham-Report.pdf Adept Management: https://www.adeptmanagement.com/ Last Planner System: https://leanconstructionblog.com/What-is-the-Last-Planner-System.html Join us next week when we speak to Tony Welch to discuss five levers for change. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website.You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by:  JustDo - https://www.justdo.com/  InEight - https://ineight.com/ Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! #ProjectManagement #Engineering #PMO #ProjectControls #Leadership #Culture

In this week’s pod, we were joined by Tony Welch to discuss the five levers for change. Following a career in the Royal Navy, Tony has had a wide and varied career in industry, rooted in project controls, assurance and programme management. He has operated at the senior executive level and has a track record of business/programme turnarounds, transformational change and performance improvement. Military and civilian careers have provided business, profit and loss and programme management experience in defence and aerospace, information technology/systems and transportation. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: Five Levers for change Lever 1: Anticipation and continuity Lever 2: Empowering to deliver Lever 3: Supporting teams Lever 4: Transversal learning Lever 5: Attracting and recognising Businesses are more open to changing their ways of working following the pandemic. People are also working more flexibly which is enabling internal mobility within organisations Anticipating learning and development needs is difficult when trying to implement training across a multi-national organization. It is important to work with Project Management associations and assess competencies across an industry benchmark Peer reviews of projects from a technical and project management perspective should take place throughout the project life-cycle as opposed to only being performed when a project is in difficulty Operational leadership is about creating an environment that is challenging but supportive Task, team, organization – people work for people not organisations For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by:  JustDo - https://www.justdo.com/  InEight - https://ineight.com/ Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! #ProjectManagement #PMO #ProjectControls #Leadership #Culture #ProjectCertifications

In this week’s pod, we welcomed back Paul Goodge to discuss why we’re bad at promoting the industry. Paul is internationally regarded as a Programme Management and Change Management specialist. He is noted for his ability to swiftly and accurately diagnose issues and evolve solutions both from a technical and a behavioural point of view. In all of his most senior roles he successfully implemented Capability Improvement Plans that received significant praise both internally and with the customer base. Over his career he held a variety of roles both in line leadership and a number of functional responsibilities, providing him with insights across the whole of the enterprise. He has Chaired or sat on a wide variety of internal and external committees and steering groups. An ex-Board member of the Association of Project Management he has continued to work very closely with the organisation and was in the first cohort to achieve Chartered Project Professional status. He achieved an MBA from Cranfield University in 1994. Paul retired from full-time employment in 2012 and enjoys a wide range of interests. His portfolio encompasses consultancy work to various companies, the P3M profession, Executive Coaching and extensive work with various charities, operating locally, nationally and internationally. He is an avid long-distance walker, world-wide traveller, and greatly enjoys music, reading, sport, fine food and wine in his spare time. He has recently commenced studying for a PhD.  The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: Whilst there isn’t much quantitative data on the subject, most Project Management professionals would agree that we are not great at promoting the industry There are not many case studies that people can refer to that show the benefit of project management Whose responsibility is it to promote the industry? Everyone’s! The associations also have a role to play in sharing knowledge within the industry as well as promoting it Not enough is currently done in terms of outreach programmes to attract graduates and students into the profession. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) have done this successfully in the UK Failure to entice a diverse range of candidates into the profession will cause issues in years to come Gamification and simulation of projects could be a way of promoting the benefits of project management to schoolchildren Groups such as Project Connect Group are helping to promote networking within the industry. The associations also have a role to play in this We are all ambassadors for the industry – be proud! Join us next week when we speak to Paul Waskett to discuss Project Controls in design and engineering stages For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by:  JustDo - https://www.justdo.com/  InEight - https://ineight.com/ Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! #ProjectManagement #PMO #ProjectControls #Leadership #Culture #ProjectCertifications

In this week’s pod, we welcomed Dr Alan Barnard to discuss the theory of constraints & decision-making. Dr. Alan Barnard is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, strategy advisor, research scientist, app developer, author, coach, lecturer, podcaster, and lifelong learner. Alan is considered one of the world’s leading Decision Scientists and Theory of Constraints experts. Alan is the CEO of Goldratt Research Labs, which he co-founded in 2009 with Dr. Eli Goldratt, author of THE GOAL, creator of Theory of Constraints and Critical Chain Project Management. Dr. Alan's research focuses on understanding why good people make, and often repeat bad decisions, and how best to avoid these. From this research, Alan and his team at Goldratt Research Labs have developed a range of award-winning Decision Support Apps that help organizations and individuals make better faster decisions when it really matters. Their clients include Fortune 500 companies, Government Agencies, and people from over 70 countries that are using their apps to make difficult life and business decisions. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: There is a massive amount of invisible simplicity on major projects How do you decide on a goal if you do not know what resources will limit you reaching that goal? Many people become successful due to factors outside their control such as luck and good genes, however almost all successful people make good decision and are hard working, which is in their control To create a stable system, have a single constraint that doesn’t move Projects are always looking for the inherent but invisible simplicity. Critical path methodology enabled projects to simplify how they represent project delivery, however this usually ignores resource and capacity constraints Many people are better at estimating work durations in big chunks rather than at a lower level / individual task based detail Hard to quantify capacity, availability and capability of resources in a project plan. The easiest thing to track is whether a project is waiting for resource The main planning mistake is to ignore capacity when making commitments and launch too many projects at the same time AI is better suited to production environments where there is repetitive information A key skill of a manager is the ability to keep the team “in flow” Here are links to some of the topics we discussed: Flow Theory: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/flow-theory Impossible Unless: https://www.impossibleunless.com/special-copy-registration Project Portfolio Digital Twin: https://www.projectdigitaltwin.com/sale1648625245366 Goldratt Research Labs: www.goldrattresearchlabs.com Harmony Apps: https://harmonyapps.com/ Dr Alan Barnard Website: www.dralanbarnard.com Critical Chain - Eliyahu Goldratt: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Critical-Chain-Business-Eliyahu-Goldratt/dp/0566080389 How to Improve Work Flow in any Environment - keynote by Dr. Alan Barnard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AkrjO55VBQ&feature=youtu.be Join us next week when we speak to Paul Waskett to discuss Project Controls in design and engineering stages For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com  If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast.  Proudly sponsored by:  JustDo - https://www.justdo.com/ InEight - https://ineight.com/

In this week’s pod, we welcomed Rita Arrigo to discuss AI in Infrastructure and how it is going to change our cities.As a natural storyteller excited by the opportunities the tech world brings, Rita can translate complex technical ideas across the ‘IT divide’ to those less tech-minded, an enthusiastic advocate and sought-after speaker for many years on all thing's innovation and digital.The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: AI, Machine Learning and Spatial Computing are moving at a fast pace Most construction projects are using paper based documents on site despite the prevalence of digital technology There is not enough diversity in engineering which has led to a lack of challenging the status quo which is stifling disruption Digital Twin seeks to connect the past and predict the future AI can be used by governments to help them monitor and achieve COP 26/27 commitments Maturing of toolsets will give us higher capability and reduce the workload CEO’s now need to understand the digital technology their company provides rather than simply relying on the technical experts AI will never replace human interactions Blockchain help accelerate investment cycles for companies People always need visualizations – AI will support and enable this Technology will change the way we collect and store information on projects which will make the traditional “filing” system redundant We don’t perceive the world, we only see what we perceive Here are links to some of the topics we discussed: Project Hack 17: https://www.projectdataanalytics.co.uk/projecthack/ Click – BBC Tech show: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n13xtmd5 NeRF Technology: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2022/03/25/instant-nerf-research-3d-ai/ Responsible Metaverse Alliance: https://responsiblemetaverse.org/ Quantum Computing: https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-time-crystal-built-using-googles-quantum-computer-20210730/ Checkmate Humanity: https://checkmatehumanity.com/ Atlas of AI: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atlas-AI-Kate-Crawford/dp/0300209576 Join us in two weeks when we speak to Dr Alan Barnard to discuss the theory of constraints & decision-makingFor more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.comIf you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website.You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast.Proudly sponsored by:  JustDo - https://www.justdo.com/  InEight - https://ineight.com/Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it!

In this episode Val and special co-host Joseph Ballouz talk about connecting and shaping cities with bike and placemaking enthusiast Chris Bruntlett. Chris Bruntlett is Marketing and Communication Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, a public-private partnership that represents the best knowledge, experience, and experts from the Netherlands. As a long-time campaigner in Vancouver, he fell in love with Dutch bike culture in 2016, inspiring him to co-author the book, “Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality”. Chris uses his knowledge and passion to share practical lessons for global cities wishing to follow their footsteps, and become better places to live, work, and—of course—cycle. His latest book is “Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in our Lives”. You can reach out to Chris and the Dutch Cycling Embassy below; website: http://www.modacitylife.com/ Available books: http://www.modacitylife.com/books Dutch Cycling Embassy: https://dutchcycling.nl/ Chris Bruntlett's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbruntlett/ Proudly sponsored by: InEight.com  JustDo.com