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PPP 057 | Rescuing the Problem Project, with author Todd C. Williams, PMP

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Published: Monday, 25 July 2011 18:47
Written by Andy Kaufman

Total Duration 33:53

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Lead projects long enough and eventually you'll have to deal with the problem project. Whether you were involved with the project from the beginning or inheriting problems from someone else, the reality is we need to be able to rescue the problem project.

That's not only true--it's also the name of a new book from Todd C. Williams, PMP. In this episode I talk with Todd about ideas and recommendations from his book Rescue the Problem Project: A Complete Guide to Identifying, Preventing, and Recovering from Project Failure.

You can learn more about Todd by visiting http://ecaminc.com/. His blog Back From Red can be found at http://ecaminc.com/index.php/blog.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

PPP 056 | Improving Your Success through Little Bets, with author Peter Sims

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Published: Monday, 18 July 2011 17:28
Written by Andy Kaufman

Total Duration 25:33

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One of the great challenges of business is how to go from idea to delivery. It's easy to talk about ideas but turning those into a finished product requires much more than talk. It can be daunting to deliver. There's the risk of failure. There's the fear of unknowns--of surprises that can create obstacles to success. Going from idea to delivery is truly challenging!

Ultimately project management is about how to deliver results but leaders of projects and teams need more than just work breakdown structures and Gantt charts. One of my favorite books of this year provides great insights for all of us who seek to lead and deliver. I recently had the real privilege of spending some time with Peter Sims, author of a great new book entitled Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries, and look forward to sharing that discussion with you in this episode.

You can learn more about Peter by visiting http://petersims.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Taking Action on Your Crazy Ideas

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Published: Tuesday, 05 July 2011 10:00
Written by Andy Kaufman

Ever get a crazy idea and decide to act on it? Too often I just sit on the idea instead of taking action. In late May I had a crazy idea: to produce a Father's Day Rap with some friends.

Though Father's Day is in the rear view mirror, I thought I'd share yours truly making a fool of myself trying to lay down some rap tunes. After all, it's good to be humbled, isn't it?

Regardless of your aspirations to rap or not, here's my question for you.... What's a crazy idea you've had lately but not acted on? Why not make it happen?

Too often we're held back because we're afraid we will fail. I appreciated Peter Bregman's recent HBR post that recommends we don't ask, "Will I succeed?"  Rather, a better question is "Is it worth the risk?" 

I'm not worried about succeeding as a rap artist or cinematographer.  And I certainly realize there's a risk of acting so silly, publishing it on YouTube, and letting you know about it!  But was it worth the risk? It was a great memory, not the least of which for my friend Bob--the oldest guy in the video--who is now in his late 80's. And we all had an enormous amount of fun.

What's your crazy idea? Is it worth the risk? Treat it like a project and start working on delivering it. Whether at work or home, you might be surprised by what happens when we take action on ideas instead of just thinking about them....

Here's to a great second half of the year!

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PPP 055 | Change Anything, with best-selling author Kerry Patterson

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Published: Thursday, 30 June 2011 14:36
Written by Andy Kaufman

Total Duration 27:07

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So let me ask you a question: How strong is your willpower? When you want to make a change, how successful are you at not only making it but also sustaining it?

Whether at work or outside, whether personally or with a group of people, learning how to effectively change is critical. And it needs to start with us individually.

One of my favorite books of the year just came out. It's entitled Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success and it is from the authors of Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations, and Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. I had the real pleasure of talking with author Kerry Patterson earlier this month and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode.

You can learn more about Kerry's organization by visiting http://www.vitalsmarts.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

PPP 054 | Become a Better Problem Solver, an interview with author and management thinker Roger L. Martin

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Published: Wednesday, 08 June 2011 08:00
Written by Andy Kaufman

Total Duration 40:48

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I recorded this episode on the road this week, while in Las Vegas speaking at the Agile Development Practices and Better Software Conference. I greatly enjoy talking with the people from many different companies about the challenges they face on their projects and teams.

Here's a recurring them I hear from leaders who are responsible for delivering projects.... "Should we ship or delay?" "Keep trying or ask for help?" "Invest in a new product or milk the existing cash cow another year?"

Whether you're leading teams or projects, we're often faced with what seems like unpleasant trade-offs. It's not a matter of which option is the best. Sometimes it feels like we need to figure out which option is the least evil! Success with a project, team, or even organization can come down to how effectively we lead when we're seemingly stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place.

To help us navigate these situations I turned to Dr. Roger L. Martin. Roger has been named one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world and is the author of two thought-provoking books, entitled The Opposable Mind and The Design of Business.

Want to be a better problem solver or improve your ability to innovate? This episode is for you!

To learn more about Roger L. Martin and to get links to his articles, books, and blog, visit http://rogerlmartin.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

More Articles ...

  1. PPP 053 | Saving Your Good Ideas From Getting Shot Down, with John Kotter
  2. PPP 052 | Leading Change, an interview with John Kotter
  3. PPP 051 | Great on the Job, with author and Harvard blogger Jodi Glickman
  4. PPP 050 | Managing Project Risks (Part 2) with Dr. David Hillson
  5. PPP 049 | Managing Project Risks (Part 1) with Dr. David Hillson
  6. PPP 048 | Get Free PDUs for Listening to the People and Projects Podcast
  7. PPP 047 | Management: It's Not What You Think! An interview with Henry Mintzberg
  8. PPP 046 | Get Your PMP®, an interview with Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
  9. PPP 045 | Being a Student of PM, with Josh Nankivel
  10. PPP 044 | Think Small! An interview with Phil Simon, author of The New Small
  11. PPP 043 | The Way We're Working Isn't Working, Part 2
  12. PPP 042 | The Way We're Working Isn't Working, Part 1
  13. PPP 041 | New Year's Resolutions for Project Managers
  14. PPP 039 | Networking for People Who Hate Networking: An interview with author Devora Zack
  15. PPP 038 | How to Manage Your Boss, an interview with author and speaker Bruce Tulgan
  16. PPP 037 | Making Better Decisions through 10-10-10
  17. PPP 036 | Engaging Your Employees, with author Brad Federman
  18. PPP 035 | Delivering Projects Through People, with author Dave Po-Chedley, PMP
  19. PPP 033.1 | Premium: Discussion Questions for Leading Teams, with Harvard Professor Dr. J. Richard Hackman
  20. PPP 033 | Leading Teams, with Harvard Professor Dr. J. Richard Hackman
  21. PPP 032 | Become a More Effective Leader Using the Latest Brain Science
  22. PPP 031 | Leading Teams with Meaning, with Dr. Adam Grant
  23. PPP 030 | Wired to Care, with author Dev Patnaik
  24. PPP 029 | The Project Success Method, with author Clint Padgett
  25. PPP 028 | Influence Without Authority Scenarios, Part 2
  26. PPP 027 | How to Influence Without Authority, an interview with author Dr. Allan Cohen
  27. PPP 026 | How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. Part 2 of an Interview with Dr. Ed Schein
  28. PPP 025 | Corporate Culture Survival, with Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus, Dr. Ed Schein
  29. PPP 024 | PDUs for PMPs, with guest Cornelius Fichtner, PMP
  30. PPP 023 | Steve Martin and Andy Kaufman on Influence
  31. PPP 022 | Who's Got Your Back? An interview with bestselling author Keith Ferrazzi
  32. PPP 021 | The New Year Money Episode, with author and speaker Matt Bell
  33. PPP 020 | Accountability That Works! An interview with author and speaker John G. Miller
  34. PPP 019 | Making New Year's Resolutions StickK! An interview with Jordan Goldberg, CEO of stickK.com
  35. PPP 018 | Project Management Beyond PMI, an interview with Bill Duncan, primary author of the original PMBOK(R) Guide
  36. PPP 017 | Take Back Your Life! An interview with author John Wittry
  37. PPP 016 | World of Thanks, a special Thanksgiving podcast episode
  38. PPP 015 | Is Failure an Option? An interview with Ralph Heath, author of Celebrating Failure
  39. PPP 014 | How to Know What You Don't Know, an interview with author Michael Roberto
  40. PPP 013 | Managing Politics and Conflict in Projects, with author Brian Irwin, PMP
  41. PPP 012 | Why Feedback Doesn't Work, with Charles Jacobs, author of Management Rewired
  42. PPP 011 | Fierce Leadership, an interview with author Susan Scott
  43. PPP 010 | Managing Generation Y, an interview with author and speaker Bruce Tulgan
  44. PPP 009 | Why New Systems Fail, an interview with author Phil Simon
  45. PPP 008 | Managing Extreme Projects, with author and consultant Doug DeCarlo
  46. PPP 007 | Leading and Delivering with Virtual Teams, with guest Dr. Karen Sobel Lojeski
  47. PPP 006 | Getting More Done with Less Stress, with guest Jason Womack
  48. PPP 005 | How Engaged Are Your Teams? Got Conflict? A conversation with Kenneth W. Thomas, author of "Intrinsic Motivation at Work"
  49. PPP 004 | Increasing Your Charisma, with guest Dr. Nick Morgan, author of "Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma"
  50. PPP 003 | The Myth of Multitasking, with guest author Dave Crenshaw
  51. PPP 002 | Project Sponsorship, with guest Alfonso Bucero, PMP
  52. PPP 001 | Why Social Networking Matters

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