5 Minutes Podcast with Ricardo Vargas

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the concept of the OODA loop. The phrase refers to the decision cycle of Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act, developed by military strategist and the United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd. Boyd applied the concept to the combat operations process, often at the strategic level. The OODA loop is also used in many types of business where the decision needs to be...

In this episode, Ricardo starts speaking if the assumptions and constraints should be documented in the Scope Statement or the Project Charter. Then, he reflects about the real relevance of knowing in what “piece of paper” this information will be inserted and reinforce that relevant information is what drives the project to success. Ricardo used in this podcast the word Restriction as a synonym o...

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the Go Horse Process, a “new” paradigm in project management methodologies. :)

In this episode, Ricardo talks about neophobia, or the fear of the new, a natural feeling that afflicts project managers, even those with great experience. He gives tips on how to deal with the problem: face the new with curiosity, as something to explore; know that this feeling is not exclusive, everyone feels it to a greater or lesser degree; know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, and dea...

In this episode, Ricardo gives 5 tips on how we can get a troublesome project back on track: Seek support from the sponsor; Evaluate the scope; Deliver a minimum viable product (MVP); Rebuild the credibility and motivation of the team; Re-negotiate deadlines and costs with the sponsor and the client.

In this episode, Ricardo returns to the subject of the last episode and explains what it is to actually have relevant experience as a project manager, as opposed to simply having years of service.

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the skills of great project managers: having a track record, a history of challenges, failures, and successes throughout his/her career and having a great ability to communicate. He ends up answering the controversial question that always arises: is it a mandatory condition for the project success that the manager holds the technical knowledge, the expertise, a...

In this episode, Ricardo comments on the Pulse of Profession® 2017 , an annual report published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). About 4,000 professionals worldwide were interviewed and one of the key indicators reported is that financial waste on unsuccessful projects has dropped by around 20% ; Until last yet, it was about USD 122 million lost for every billion invested. This year, the...

In this episode, Ricardo, in his traditional annual retrospective of the project management scenario, makes a reflection on how to think about the new year: plan but most importantly, do; seeking to maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

In this episode, Ricardo talks directly from the Zaatari refugee camp located in Jordan, where he is participating in the recordings of the documentary: "Zaatari: The Desert that Became Home" (in a free translation). Zaatari is the largest camp of Syrian War refugees, and, in just four years, it became the third city in the country. Learn more about the documentary .

In this episode, Ricardo explains the differences between project and production/operations management, giving characteristics and examples of both areas.

In this episode, Ricardo explains something that many people still confuse, are risks and problems the same things? He also gives tips on how to manage problems, small or large ones, effectively.

In this episode, Ricardo explains when it's a good idea to split a project into phases/stages. He also pointed out that nothing prevents us from using different methodologies to manage each of these stages, if that contributes to project success, of course.

In this episode, Ricardo explains the differences between the role of an engineer and of a project manager. He tries to answer once and for all the doubts that many people have to understand these two roles in a project environment.

In this episode, Ricardo talks about why statistics is of great importance to the project manager and recommends a free online course at Udacity: “Intro to Statistics” by Sebastian Thrun.

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the most common cognitive biases that may be present in our daily communications, and how can we learn to handle them in negotiations, meetings and presentations. Learn about other biases in this infographic published on Business Insider: http://rvarg.as/bias

In this episode, Ricardo emphasizes that one of the project's main success factors is the project manager's behavior and his sense of purpose, the motivation that drives him/her toward a satisfying future.

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the DICE Framework, developed by Boston Consulting Group members to evaluate the chances of success of your project or of your chance management initiative. The factors on the acronym DICE: D – Duration, I – Integrity, C – Commitment and E – Effort receive a score from 1 to 4 and after a simple calculation, the result will help you compare if your project is mo...

In this episode, Ricardo gives three important tips on how to plan for entropy: knowing when to allow fluctuations in the project tasks; recognize that problems will happen and be prepared; learn how to control the process of disorder.

In this episode, Ricardo explains what is entropy and how it’s related to project management. Next week, he’ll show how we can act in the midst of disorder within a project environment. Watch the video by Prof. Brian Cox: http://rvarg.as/fc

In this episode, Ricardo talks about two terms that appear very often throughout the PMBOK® Guide and usually generate a lot of questions from those who are starting in project management.

In this episode, Ricardo explains what the differences between capital projects, also known as Capex (Capital expenditure) projects, and traditional projects, which are focused on a business operation, also known with Opex (Operational expenditure) projects.

In this episode, Ricardo continues to talk about the "Global Reporting Initiative" and how one can report sustainability aspects in his/her projects and why this is relevant to the organization and to the society.

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the "Global Reporting Initiative", an association that develops standards that help organizations of various sectors to identify and report what they do to build a more sustainable world, which goes beyond the environmental aspect.

In this second episode, Ricardo continues to explain the steps for creating a solid business case and how to 'sell it' within the organization.