5 Minutes Podcast with Ricardo Vargas

On this episode, Ricardo talks about the attention we must have with how we communicate because the characteristics of personality, culture and values of the receiver can dramatically change the meaning of the original message.

In this podcast, Ricardo makes his retrospective of 2014. Two of the points highlighted by Ricardo, among others, are the growing popularity of project management and the availability of various types of software to help the project manager, from the amateur to the professional.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about managing conflicts. Are conflicts always bad? Listen to the answer of this question and know the different types of conflict that can arise during a project.

In this podcast, Ricardo continues to talk about Highly Effective Teams, the subject of his new book. He comments on the trust between members, effective decision-making, conflict management, and how to recognize the work and create opportunities for the team and for each member.

In this podcast, Ricardo gives tips on how to transform a group of people in a highly effective team, a subject he addresses in his new book, in partnership with the author Michael Nir. Stay tuned for continuation of this podcast next week.

In this podcast, Ricardo raises one question and makes assumptions about why some organizations sometimes provide different titles for whom is responsible for the project management.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the danger of performing multiple tasks without understanding the implications. He explains that we must always consider the residual time between tasks and the real time (or Takt Time) of each task. The Takt Time concept, according to the www.businessdictionary.com, is an adjustable time unit used in lean production to synchronize the rate of production with t...

Ricardo comments on the PMI Global Congress North America, held in October 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. He highlights the more informal approach of the event and the inspirational talk by former basketball player, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. He also gives an overview of the main topics presented by project managers from all over the World.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the responsibility assignment matrix – RACI, a handy information tool in Human Resources, Communications and Stakeholders management. This matrix associate tasks and the people/functions responsible for them using the categories: Responsible (R), Accountable (A), Consulted (C) and Informed (I).

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about when a project has sponsorship issues. He explains how to proceed in two scenarios: when there is a sponsor with little interest in the project or when the sponsor does not have enough power to fulfill his role.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the relationship between the risks and the project scope. Not just the clarity of the scope, but also its amplitude, contribute to the amount of risk that must be managed.

In this podcast, Ricardo continues to talk about the Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA), a very good graphical tool used in executive reports. Today, he explains how to analyze the graphic you built last week, understanding the evolution trends of your project.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA), a very good graphical tool used in executive reports. He shows how to make it step-by-step using pencil, paper and a ruler. Don’t forget to see the presentation related to this podcast.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about a type of project that is often special to certain people but does not show real benefits and offer significant value. He gives tips on how to handle this kind of pet project in a portfolio selection.

In this podcast, Ricardo gives tips on how to create your WBS to better communicate key project deliverables to the project stakeholders.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about what characterizes an early closure of a project. He clarifies that it is not the same as abandoning the project. He mentions possible causes and explains that there's an entire closing process to follow after making the decision.

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the importance of self-motivation. He explains that in addition to worry about keeping his/her team motivated the project manager must think about her own motivation and make decisions for the sake of the project and his/her career.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about projects as change agents. How can a project help us to improve the way to run our business or to change the business components in the face of a new competitor?

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the types of contracts of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). These contracts are widely used in engineering projects and published as books. Ricardo explains that the contracts are well prepared, bringing best practices that can be applied to various types of projects. Visit the site of the federation at http://fidic.org/

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the effort driven tasks. He explains their advantages and how we can use them in our project management.

In this last episode of the series of 5 podcasts on career, Ricardo closes the 10 dimensions of career in project management subject, now addressing the ethics and relationship dimensions. He also gives his final messages about this series.

In this fourth episode of the series of 5 podcasts on career, Ricardo continues talking about the 10 dimensions of career in project management, now addressing the flexibility and self knowledge dimensions. He says that we need to be flexible to increase the options for career growth. Additionally, we must know our flaws, as well as our strengths, to know how to get around them.

In this third episode of the series of 5 podcasts on career, Ricardo continues talking about the 10 dimensions of a career in project management, now addressing the persistence and dynamism dimensions. He says that these two dimensions are crucial to success in any career stage in which you find yourself.

In this second episode of the podcasts series on career, Ricardo continues talking about the 10 dimensions of career in project management, now addressing the focus and planning dimensions. He explains how to focus and how to plan realistically your career.

In this podcast, Ricardo begins a special series of five episodes on a career in project management. In this series, he will address the perspectives of those who are at the beginning, going through a transition, or are looking to expand their horizons. See also the related presentation.