People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast

"Calm Down" Doesn't Work What is something in your near future that's causing you to feel nervous? For example: A certification exam that you'll be taking soon A presentation you need to make to your senior management A tough conversation with a team member of stakeholder An interview for a job you really want When you're faced with having to perform and the stakes are high, it's normal to start f...

Hacking Your Brain Since the first Brain Rules book came out in 2009, I've been a big fan of Dr. John Medina. John is one of the clearest voices on how we can leverage our brain to achieve peak performance at work and beyond. John recently released the newest book in the Brain Rules franchise: Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp John's 10 principles that a...

The State of the PMO In this video episode, I invite Peter Taylor, Bill Dow, and Hussain Bandukwala to a roundtable discussion about project management offices (PMOs). We have a great interaction about the state of today's PMOs, how to start one and keep it relevant, how to market the PMO and get executive support, how agile is impacting the PMO, and predictions about the future. Here's where you...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share a lesson from a conversation with Howard Silver at a recent keynote at the PMI Chicagoland Symposium. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Lis...

A Must-Read Book You know that boss that's driving you crazy? Or that stakeholder? We all have them--people who most charitably could be referred to as challenges . If only we could get them to change, then we could deliver our project, or make progress as a team. If only we could change them.... You might not say it that way, but when we face obstacles in the form of people, we're apt to consider...

Overwhelm Does Not Have to Be Normal I'm regularly challenged by the Henry Cloud quote that "You get what you tolerate." Too often we tolerate overwhelm as normal. My guest in this episode is out to help you fix that. Steve Kahle is founder of Gray Wolf Workflow and he is on a mission to help you and your team get more done with less stress. Click here to learn more about Steve's Proactive Lane Bo...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share lessons from finishing an MBA course and a 162 mile bike ride. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I l...

Expert Insights From a Brilliant Project Manager One of the true joys I have in my role is the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over the world. And when I have the opportunity to spend some time talking with people who have a passion for leading teams and delivering projects, it's particularly fun! One of my new friends in the last year is a brilliant project management though...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share lessons from a son moving out of the home and a book I'm reading for a future episode. Get a head start on the book Leadership and Self-Deception by clicking here . Let Me Hear From You! What lessons have you learned about ending well? How have you seen...

Do Nice Guys Finish Last? Common wisdom tells us that we will be successful if we work hard. Be nice. Show up. It all makes sense, right? The project manager who reliably shows up each day and delivers should be the one who gets promoted, right? Eric Barker took a deep dive into the research of success and found that it's not quite that simple. In this episode, we talk with Eric about his new book...

Just Take the Leap? It can be uncomfortable to confront a team member or a peer. We can face demanding challenges, wondering if we have what it takes, hesitating to go "all in" because of the risk of failure. Delivering bad news is something leaders have to do, but rarely do we look forward to it. These are just a few of the challenges we face as leaders--each requiring us to reach beyond our comf...

Have a Mentor--Common Wisdom Right? Talk to enough highly successful leaders and project managers and eventually you'll hear them mention the value that one or more mentors have provided over their career. It's obvious, right? Common wisdom, for sure. But why isn't it common practice? Ken Blanchard is one of my all-time leadership heroes and he joins us in this episode to talk about his new book O...

Do You Know Where Your Phone Is? Most leaders these days know the answer to that question. Of course we know where our mobile devices are! And if we didn't, we might be at risk of nomophobia! But the reason this question is easy is that too often, the device is in front of our face! And our addiction to tech is having a real impact on our ability to lead and connect with others. Adam Alter joins u...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week we discuss why someone telling you to "Get Lost!" might just be good advice! During this episode, I mention the following interviews: Cal Newport, regarding his book Deep Work , in episode 144 Amy Blankson, regarding her book The Future of Happiness , in episod...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week we discuss some key lessons from a keynote that Andy delivered a couple times this week regarding decision-making. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning about decision-making? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave...

Is Tech Making Life Better or Worse? Tech is ruining our life. Or at least that's what plenty of people are suggesting. There's evidence showing that culturally we're more depressed and distracted than ever, and tech has at least some responsibility for that. Yet at the same time tech is providing rich opportunities to grow and learn. So which is it? Is tech making it more difficult to thrive? Or...

What Could the Extreme Version of You Do? What if you didn't play it so safe? What could a more extreme version of you acccomplish? In this episode, Sarah Robb O'Hagan joins us to talk about her new book Extreme You: Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat. The provocative title gives you a sense of Sarah's style, and I trust this interview will spur you on to stop playing it so safe. Learn more abou...

What's So Critical About Critical Path? If you're preparing for taking the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam, you need to know how to calculate critical path by hand. Beyond the exam, what's important is to truly understand how critical path can help you manage your project. Too often, critical path is a red line on a Gantt chart, with little attention paid to it. In this episode, I shar...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week we discuss a quote I heard from Michael Hyatt, that "all the good things in life are on the other side of fear". Let Me Hear From You! What examples can you think of that relate to Michael's quote? What have you been learning? Please e-mail me (show [AT] People...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share an experience about a workshop participant that was struggling with confidence. What Did You Learn This Week? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you...

Leading a Remote Team Increasingly project managers tell me they are responsible for a team that is not completely co-located. Whether it's just a few people who are remote or the entire team, thriving in a virtual environment is critical for you and me as we seek to lead and deliver in the years ahead. To help us further develop our ability to lead virtually, we're joined today by one of my favor...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I'm prepping for an interview with Adam Alter about his book Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked . We'll hear from Adam in the coming weeks, but this week I have a challenge for you. Check it out! What Did You Le...

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. In American football, a quarterback sometimes needs to make an audible. Back in the huddle, they called a play, but now that they see how the defense has lined up, they see an opportunity to make a change. They make an audible, and as project managers, there are times we...

What Makes A Hit Song? Or Idea? Why does one artist pull down a Grammy and another go without notice? Why do some products skyrocket in popularity when better ones never make it to production? Derek Thompson is a senior editor at The Atlantic magazine and a weekly news analyst for NPR's "Here and Now." Derek chases down these questions in his new book Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Ag...

Constraints are.... Good? Timeframes. Budgets. Staffing. Project managers constantly face confounding constraints on their journey to deliver a project. Constraints limit our options. They seem to make it more difficult to deliver. And they might be exactly what we need, according to author Scott Sonenshein. Scott is the author of the new book Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less--and Achieve More Th...