Total Duration: 11:38

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A common theme across my executive coaching clients is related to networking. Often it comes down to the sense there's not enough time to network.

"Nice idea but I'm too busy!"

But when I, as a coach, push back on this bias, here's what I find: It's not a time issue. Rather, it's a perception issue. We prioritize those things that we perceive will provide the best return for our attention.

Bottom-line: networking is often not perceived as sufficiently valuable to justify the investment of time.

Social networking tools provide a technology to facilitate networking. But what are some ways to use these most effectively? How can I make sure I don't waste my time with them? This podcast discusses strategies to help you more actively leverage the power of social networking to enhance your career and improve your ability to lead and deliver.

Total Duration 28:27

Download episode 15

OK, here's the situation....You're the security guard at a data center, giving a new security guard a tour of the facility. Near the end of the tour you point to a button on the wall. The button is labeled "Do Not Push". While looking back at the new guard you remark, "See this button? Make sure you never pu...."

Oops. You accidentally push the button.

What happens? I'll tell you what happens. Lights out. Systems go dead—immediately. No nice shutdown. You turn pale—you know this isn't good.

There's more to the story. The systems people can't get the servers restarted right away. When they do, there are problems with the network. Your company is unable to process transactions.... not for 1 hour. Not for 2 hours. It's not until 15 hours later that transactions are flowing through the system.

Sound scary? This isn't a made up story. It actually happened. Thankfully, you're not in it. But let's say you were... When you get called into the bosses' office, what do you expect them to say?

What are the odds you'd hear them say, "Kelly, get in here. I want to thank you for helping us see how incomplete our disaster recovery plans were. If it wasn't for you, we would have gone on, maybe for years, falsely thinking we had everything buttoned up. You also helped us learn that our shutdown button is too accessible. We'll put together plans to fix that. Kelly, from all of us in senior management, thank you very much!"

Not likely? You're right. In fact, in the real world version of this story, the accidental button-pushing security guard got fired. Enough money was lost that management decided "Someone must die! We need flesh!"

Was this the best way to respond? Though normal, does it fix the problem by firing the guard? My guess is the new guy never pressed the button! But did it really fix things? Or did it just assign blame.

Ralph Heath is the author of Celebrating Failure: The Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes and Thinking Big. Just the name of the book made me want to interview Ralph! How often do you hear Celebrate and Failure in the same sentence?

When things go wrong--even in a big way--what's a leader to do? Can we really celebrate failure without creating a culture of complacence? Could the way we react--such as firing someone in the name of accountability--actually create additional dysfunction?

These are issues that Ralph wrestles with in his book. I look forward to your feedback on the interview with Ralph in this episode.  Have a great week!

Total Duration 20:49

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As you start this new year, let me ask you a personal question: How satisfied are you with your financial situation?

Though it doesn't seem like a question for a podcast on leadership and project management, here's what I've found: there are seemingly endless resources available on the internet to learn more about managing your finances. Yet I find that many of my coaching clients--once I get to know them well enough--confess that financial stress is something they deal with, particularly in this economy.

Since work/life balance is an important objective for all who desire to lead people and projects, I wanted to invest a cast on the topic of our personal finances. The start of a year is often a great time to reboot old habits to start fresh with new ones.

When it comes to financial advice I turn to my friend, author, and personal finance expert Matt Bell. I had the opportunity to talk with Matt recently and look forward to sharing the interview with you in this cast.

To learn more about Matt, check out his website at http://www.mattaboutmoney.com/. 

Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Total Duration: 24:19

Download episode 25

It happens regularly... my phone rings, I pick it up, and on the other end I'm talking with someone who's inquiring about bringing us in to deliver a keynote for a company event or training for their organization.

My first response is not whether I'm available on the dates they're looking for. My first questions are designed to help me understand the problems they're trying to solve. Once I have a good sense of the issues they want to address, I inevitably ask a critical, open-ended question: "Tell me about the culture of your organization?"

How would you respond to that question? How would you describe your company's culture? Or the culture of your team? How about the project culture at your company--how things get done?

This is what I've found: understanding organizational culture is critical to being able to deliver projects and lead teams. If I don't have a decent idea of the culture I'm walking into for a keynote, workshop, or coaching session, I flat out won't be effective. It would be like walking in and finding that everyone speaks a foreign language.

Dr. Ed Schein is a world-renowned MIT professor and expert on organizational culture, and has authored fourteen business books, including The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. When it comes to knowing how to get things done in a company, Ed is one of my heroes, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to speak with him recently.

This episode contains the first part of my discussion with Dr. Schein, with the remaining to be included in the next cast.

See Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Schein will focus on his book Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help.

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

Total Duration: 21:17

Download episode 26

In our last episode, I started an interview with Dr. Ed Schein, Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus at MIT and author of fourteen business books, including The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. Make sure to listen to that episode if you happened to miss it.

In this second part of the interview, we turn our attention to Ed's seminal yet highly practical book entitled Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. Ever wonder why some people find it difficult to ask for help, even when they are "spinning their wheels" with the project tasks? Or why some people just won't take you up on offers to help, even when it's desperately needed?

In this interview, Ed helps us understand the surprisingly complex dynamics around giving and receiving help. I strongly recommend you get a copy of Ed's books we discuss in these two episodes.

Thanks for joining us for this episode! Have a great week!

Total Duration 32:12

Download episode 35

If you've followed this podcast or attended one of my keynotes on project management or leadership, you've likely caught onto my bias that the biggest successes, the biggest joys, the biggest failures, and the biggest stresses often come down to the same thing: people. Project management is ultimately people management.

Success with people management--and thus project management--can significantly depend on our effectiveness in areas such as communication, influence, and building relationships. One of the freshest voices on the people side of project management is consultant Dave Po-Chedley, PMP, author of Client Relationship Management: How to Turn Client Relationships into a Competitive Advantage. I had the opportunity to catch up with Dave recently and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode.

I invite you to learn more about Dave and the work of Cambridge Consulting (http://www.cambridgeconsult.com and http://www.pminsight.us).

One last thing: I received a message from a listener that I wanted to share with you:

Hi Andy,

I attended your 1-day tutorial at Better Software in June. That session was worth the price of the whole trip. Great, transformative stuff! I have since changed my listening habits in the car: I listen to management podcasts now. I decided to propose the Outlaw Team idea to my boss who leads an entire division in my company. He liked the idea and had me present it to his weekly leadership meeting. All the VPs liked the idea, with some suggestions. I then suggested action items to move it forward. My boss volunteered me to carry the ball. Yikes! Now I have to try and be the Andy Kaufman of our company. Nah. I'll just be me and see where we get. Never thought I'd go from eager student to mentoring others in leadership skills.

Thanks for your great work! Charlie

Well, congratulations to Charlie for taking action on the learning! 

Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Total Duration 29:10

Download episode 38

I have the true privilege of helping professionals from hundreds of companies develop their ability to lead people and deliver projects. A common question I hear from leaders as they progress higher in their organizations has to do with their boss.

In effect, they're asking, "How do I manage the person who is supposed to be managing me?"

A clear lesson as you grow in responsibility is that managing is not just something you do with your subordinates--what a terrible word that is! Rather, to be effective you also have to lead and serve peers, stakeholders, and yes, bosses. Managing up is an important part of your ability to successfully deliver. But how do you go about doing that?

For this episode I'm bringing back Bruce Tulgan who was a guest on our show last year (click here to listen to that episode). Bruce recently published Its Okay to Manage Your Boss: The Step-by-Step Program for Making the Best of Your Most Important Relationship at Work. I had the opportunity to speak with Bruce recently and look forward to sharing that interview in this episode.

Learn more about Bruce and his organization at http://www.rainmakerthinking.com. I also recommend you get a copy of his book Its Okay to Manage Your Boss: The Step-by-Step Program for Making the Best of Your Most Important Relationship at Work. While you're at it, check out another one of Bruce's books It's Okay to Be the Boss: The Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming the Manager Your Employees Need. You'll find both helpful in the development of your management skills.

In recent episodes I've been telling you about our growing list of Premium Subscribers. I want to invite you to join! You'll get additional materials with each episode to help you and those around you get even more value out of the topic we talk about. You'll not only be automatically enrolled in freebies, you'll also have the opportunity to actually participate in upcoming interviews with experts.

Sometimes as a year ends there's a little extra training budget that needs to be spent. Whether that's true or not, how about investing in your learning for the year ahead? Click here for details and join as a Premium Subscriber.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

What do you think of when I say the term "networking"? If your first response was TCP/IP or Ethernet, you have even more work than I expected! But kidding aside, when you think of networking in terms of developing relationships, what comes to mind?

Frankly, for many years I knew I should be networking more but I tended to see it as a rather sleazy endeavor--an activity that people did just to get stuff from other people. Yet in a struggling and unpredictable economy, there are more reasons than ever to actively develop relationships.

The problem is that most relationship-building books seem to be written for extroverts. But what about the rest of us?

Well, to help you come up with a relationship building strategy for the year ahead I'm excited to introduce you to Devora Zack, author of a recently published book entitled Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed and the Underconnected.

Learn more about Devora and Only Connect Consulting at http://www.onlyconnectconsulting.com.

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

Total Duration: 26:19

Download episode 39

Total Duration 18:23

Download episode 47

When it comes to management, it's easy to find books that pontificate theory. But every once in a while you come across one that is a breath of fresh air, where the author says it how it is instead of how it should be.

An example of one of those books is the latest from Professor Henry Mintzberg, entitled Management? It's Not What You Think! It's a thought-provoking, at times irreverent look at this craft we call management.

To give you a taste of what you'll find in this new book, I'm excited to share a recent discussion I had with Henry in this episode.

Learn more about Henry at http://www.mintzberg.com and http://www.coachingourselves.com.

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

Total Duration 30:48

Download episode 51

Last week I facilitated a tutorial and delivered a new keynote to over 800 people at the STAREAST conference in Orlando. It had been a while since our family had visited Florida so I had the opportunity to bring my wife and three children along, which was great! Between speaking engagements we had the opportunity to spend time at Disney and if you've spent any time at a Disney park, chances are customer service and quality come to mind. People at Disney know how to be great on the job. They are patient with demanding customers and seemingly cool under the heat of the Florida sun.

Learn more about Jodi's organization at http://greatonthejob.com. You can also find her HBR posts at http://blogs.hbr.org/glickman.

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

Total Duration 26:35

Download episode 52

When was the last time you wanted to make a change at work? Maybe it was an approach on a project or something bigger, like wanting to introduce a new way of doing projects, such as using principles from agile project management. Chances are you faced some resistance to your proposed changes.

Yet one of our key responsibilities is to lead change, even when our ideas are getting shot down. Well, to give us insight on this topic, you could argue one of the best people in the world to talk to is Professor John Kotter. John's most recent book is entitled Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down and is a great follow-on to his classic books on change.

I had the opportunity to spend some extended time talking with John earlier this year and look forward to sharing that discussion with you over the course of two episodes.

For our premium subscribers, your extra coaching podcast episode will come out with the second cast. In this first cast, John and I focus on the topic of change. Enjoy the interview!

To learn more about John's organization, check out http://www.kotterinternational.com/. You can follow John's Harvard Business Review blog at http://blogs.hbr.org/kotter/.

By the way, my two favorite (and highly recommended) John Kotter books on change include:

• Leading Change
• The Heart of Change

Join me in our next cast when John tells us more about how to avoid letting our ideas get shot down. Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Total Duration 23:55

Download episode 53

In this episode I continue my conversation with Professor John Kotter. If you haven't listened to the first part of this interview, make sure to check that episode out! Our focus in this cast is on John's most recent book entitled Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down.

To learn more about John's organization, check out http://www.kotterinternational.com/. You can follow John's Harvard Business Review blog at http://blogs.hbr.org/kotter/.

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

Total Duration 25:33

Download episode 56

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!

Total Duration 27:26

Download episode 66

In this episode I'm going to share a conversation I had recently with Wayne Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for Linkedin Success: Kick-start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search. Wayne is my favorite expert on LinkedIn and I know you'll enjoy his insights.

You can learn more about Wayne and his book at http://www.powerformula.net/. I strongly recommend you sign-up for Wayne's free newsletter with tips and tricks.

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

So let me ask you.... What does your Facebook profile really say about you? Or maybe you're not a Facebook person. How about LinkedIn? If a prospective employer was to scan your online presence, what conclusions would they draw?

Earlier this year a study was published that indicates your life online could be saying more than you realize about your personality, your likelihood of getting hired, and even your future job performance. Since using social media sites can be part of our strategy as leaders to build and maintain relationships, it's critical that we understand whether or not our online presence is helping or hurting us.

To help us better understand the study, I got a hold of Don Kluemper, the lead researcher on the study. In this interview, you'll hear from Don about what he found and his advice to help us avoid the landmines in social media.

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

Total Duration 19:36

Download episode 73

In this premium episode, I'm going to share some additional thoughts to help us personally apply this learning. I talk about why you need a social media strategy, why you need to be using social media if you're not, and why a solid understanding of personality styles is critical for those who seek to deliver projects and lead teams.

Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast!

Total Duration 9:03

Download the premium episode

Total Duration 38:49

Download episode 87

Let's Talk About.... The Future

Well, it's time to say good-bye to this year and welcome a new one. So, how do we wrap what's been a very busy year? We're going to talk about... the future.

Ah, yes. The future. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect. It provides an opportunity to look at where you've been heading and consider what changes you'd like to see in the year ahead.

Project Managers as Futurists

In many ways, project managers and leaders are futurists. We try to anticipate what's ahead and navigate our projects in a way that allows us to successfully deliver. But how do you do that? How can you think like a futurist?

In this episode, I speak with Cecily Sommers who an author and futurist Ever wonder how someone becomes a futurist? Well, you'll find out! Cecily just recently published an intriguing book entitled Think Like a Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn't, and What's Next. The book is on a lot of must read lists for executives so we're giving you a taste of the book in this episode.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!  

 STARS, GALAXIES AND UNIVERSES and GLIDING....SOMETIMES, both by Jared C. Balogh, are licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

You're a Salesperson. Seriously.

So, when you think of a salesperson, who comes to mind? For many people, it's someone closer to Kenny the Sales Weasel from Dilbert (see the video below).

Good thing you and I aren't salespeople! We're project managers. Team leads. Department heads. Scrum Masters. But salespeople? No way!

Or are we? Though we may not be salespeople by title, we spend concerted time on a weekly basis trying to move people--influence people--getting them to take action or agree to something or sign off on a document or hire you or show up for a meeting, or finish a task on time.

To Sell is Human

Our guest in this episode is Daniel Pink, author of the new book entitled To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. Dan's new book can help us all be much more successful at helping move people without resorting to sleazy tricks.

Help Getting Your PMP®Certification

Whether you need contact hours for PMP®certification or PDUs, we can help! Our e-learning is engaging, informative, and even fun. Go to http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/advanced-project-management to get 20 PDU's for a great price. If you need contact hours to prepare for your PMP, check our PMP®Prep e-learning at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/bundles/pm-certification-exam-prep.

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

Total Duration 38:58

Download episode 88

A Little Fun

In Dan's book he refers to the Dilbert character Kenny the Sales Weasel. Here's a video version of the cartoon!

In the book, Dan talks about the benefits but also limitations of psyching yourself up. Interrogative talk is more powerful. The discussion on positive affirmations reminded me of my favorite Stuart Smalley skit on Saturday Night Live. Enjoy!

Finally, here's Dan with one of my favorite past podcast guests, Dr. Adam Grant. Adam and Dan provide a great 20 minute summary of To Sell is Human.

ANYTHING BUT THE TRUTH by Phil Reavis is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

IF I COULD CHANGE YOUR MIND by Sloan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

Can I Ask You a Favor?

So let's say someone asks you for help. For a favor, let's say. What's your first reaction? Is it, "Sure! No problem! I'd love to help!"

Perhaps most of us would like to think that's how we respond. Could your response vary, based on the situation?

Let's modify the scenario. Let's say this person who is asking for help seems, in your mind, to have very little potential to help you in any meaningful way--now or in the future. Regardless of how you made that assessment, in economic terms, this favor would appear to have very little perceived return on investment.

So, would you still help? Or would you scramble for an excuse to step away?

Welcoming back Dr. Adam Grant

My guest in this episode is Dr. Adam Grant. We talk about his new book released just this week entitled Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. In this episode you'll hear Adam talk about givers, takers, and matchers, three reciprocity styles that form the basis of the book.

I invite you to visit the book's website at at http://www.giveandtake.com. You can take his self-assessment on that site to learn your preferred style. Also, Adam mentions work done by Alison Fragale at University of North Carolina. Here's a link to an article summarizing her work regarding powerless communication: http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/news/2010/07/the-power-of-powerless-speech

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

Total Duration 44:25

Download episode 93

Adam Grant on Success

Here's a 5 minute clip of Adam summarizing the reciprocity styles.

How can you avoid being a doormat?

Magic of Fog by Rushus is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

The Giving and the Taking by Dolly Parton from the album Kenny & Dolly

Additional music from Music Alley.

Download episode 97

Total Duration 25:59

Does Your Work Suck?

So how would you describe your excitement level about your job? Would you say, "It's awesome Andy! I love my job!" Or would you be more on the side of...

"Work Sucks."

Insights from Jody Thompson

In this episode you'll hear from Jody Thompson, co-author of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: The Results-Only Revolution and Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It: A Results-Only Guide to Taking Control of Work, Not People. Looking for fresh insights on how to look and work and leading teams? You'll get it in this episode!

Join our Facebook Page

I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and the join the discussion.

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

PIECE FOR DISAFFECTED PIANO TWO by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

BATTY MCFADDIN by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Total Duration 35:16

Download episode 100

The Project Named You

A key project management lesson is that we need to define success. What does success look like for a project? That's a question we need to ask far more often than we do. Getting clarity on objectives can make an enormous difference when it comes to delivering our projects successfully.

Well, how about applying that lesson to our lives? Our guest for this episode is G. Richard Shell, who recently published Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success.

Do you think success for you is about being happy? In this episode you'll be challenged to think again, or at least differently about what happy even means. We'll talk about meaningful work and why having a detailed career plan may just not be what you need right now.

Our 100th Episode!

As it turns out, this is our 100th episode! Thank you for being a part of this learning journey with me. Feedback from listeners over the years has always been very encouraging to me. So here's a request: would you take a couple minutes and send me a note about what you've found helpful with The People and Projects Podcast? You can contact me at . Also, I'd love to have you leave a review on iTunes about this podcast. It's a helpful way to get the word out to others. Thanks!

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

OUR HAPPY LIFE by Maps & Transit is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

HAPPY by Obilivian Substanshall is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

Episode Duration 20:29

Download episode 101

Introducing Mike Durbin, PMP

We continue our In the Trenches series with this discussion with Mike Durbin, PMP.Mike shares insights and lessons he's learned in his years of leading teams and delivering projects.

Get PDUs or Contact Hours For Less!

Want to get 35 PDUs or contact hours for a great price? Check out our PMP®Exam Prep e-learning at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/bundles/pm-certification-exam-prep. This is a great option, whether you're preparing for the exam or want to refresh your knowledge for PDU's.

Add Your Voice to Our Podcast!

Are you a regular listener to The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to have your voice added to the beginning or end of the cast. Just send me an e-mail saying "I'd love to help!" I would love to have the opportunity to talk with you directly so contact me today and we'll set up a time to record your piece.

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

Drive by Management

Some Zig Quotes

Mike mentions a Zig Ziglar quote during the interview. Here's a sampling of the wisdom of the late Zig Ziglar.

GOODWILL COWBOYS RIDE AGAIN by Michael Chapman & The Woodpiles is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

MARATHON MAN by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.

ACOUSTIC BLUES by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.

CHIADO by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

LEARNED MY LESSONS by Jenny O is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

Total Duration 31:38

Download episode 102

How to Succeed In Business Without Even Trying

That makes for the name of a funny movie but success in business is not quite that simple. If you're familiar with the play or movie, the main character reads a book and jets from window washer to the top of his organization through manipulative techniques that makes for fun business satire. But success in business is not a matter of tricks.

In this episode, I talk with Dan Schawbel who recently released his newest book Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success. Especially if you are relatively new in your career or manage a team with millennials, you'll find Dan's insights helpful.

Join our Facebook Page

I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and the join the discussion.

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

Total Duration 33:32

Download episode 103

The Year Without Pants

Scott Berkun has written one of my favorite books in recent months. Despite the provocative title, The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and The Future of Work offers some refreshing insights on the world of work that all of us can benefit from. In this episdoe you'll hear Scott's insights about the workplace of today and the future of work.

Learn more about Scott at http://www.scottberkun.com/blog. You can find all his books and his blog there.

Join our Facebook Page

I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and the join the discussion.

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

EUPHORIC by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

NO PANTS FRIDAY by Lee Rosevere is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Total Duration 37:35

Download episode 106

Happy New Year!

I love new things! I love the start of a new project. Working with a new team or new client. Trying out a new tool or a new gadget.

I love new.... It's a chance to start over, to learn from the past and apply it to the future.

As we fire up another year, it's a great time to look for a fresh start. To consider what we'll do differently. And my advice for you this year? Well, you'll have to listen to the episode to get the answer!

Our New Year's Guest: Tom Rath

You've likely heard of Tom and his books. He's a senior scientist and advisor to Gallup, where he led their research and consulting on employee engagement, strengths, and well being. If you read How Full Is Your Bucket?, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, StrengthsFinder 2.0 or took the StrengthFinders assessment, you're among the millions of people who have been impacted by his work.

Tom's most recent book is Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes. As we head into a new year, your ability to lead and deliver starts with you! How can you sustain the energy needed for all the stress and demands you'll face this year? How can you not only survive the year but set yourself up for perhaps even decades of better health?

How about this? What if we forgot about coming up with big, hairy, audacious New Year's resolutions this year? What if your New Year's resolutions were actually attainable this time around--you know, still relevant two months from now.... Or two days from now!

What if we did that by identifying small changes to make? Small changes about how you Eat. Move. And Sleep.

In this episode, Tom Rath will tell you how to do that.

Resources from Tom

Learn more about Tom and Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by visiting the book's website at http://www.eatmovesleep.org.

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

{youtube}YKqrMkDNba8{/youtube}

IN A DREAM WHERE I'M SLEEPING by Shatterfreak is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

HOW TO GO TO SLEEP by Mr. and Mrs. Smith is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

GOOD VIBES OVERFLOW by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Total Duration 40:07

Download episode 108

"Feedback is a Gift?"

Our guest for this episode is Doug Stone. Doug and his co-author Sheila Heen teach negotiation and conflict negotiation at Harvard Law School and they've written a terrific new book entitled Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well. They were also co-authors of a previous best-seller entitled Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

Learn more about Doug and Sheila and their company by visiting http://triadconsultinggroup.com.

I Want to Hear From You!

Speaking of feedback, I'd love to hear from you! I'm inviting you to call our podcast listener feedback line and leave a message!

Why do you listen to this podcast? What have you found helpful? And how about this question, straight from the Thanks for the Feedback book: "What do you hear me doing, or failing to do, that is getting in my own way of producing a podcast that best helps you?"

There are two ways to leave me a message:

• First, you can call our Podcast Listener Feedback Line at (847) 550-3747.
• Or you can call me on Skype and leave a message. My Skype ID is andy.kaufman.i-lead.

Make sure to leave your name and where you're calling from. 

So give me a call and leave your feedback! I can't wait to hear it! Thanks!

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

NETHERLAND by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

OPERATIVES by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

WALLPAPER by Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com) is licensed under creative Commons by Attribution 3.0.

Total Duration 37:47

Download episode 111

Pulling Back the Curtain on Management Consultants

Our guest in this episode is Karen Phelan, author of an entertaining book entitled I'm Sorry I Broke Your Company: When Management Consultants Are the Problem, Not the Solution. Karen pulls back the curtain on an industry from the perspective of an insider. This book is a fun read that, in truth, goes beyond just management consultants. It looks at the ridiculousness of what we call best practices in organizational leadership and management. I look forward to your feedback after you listen to this discussion with Karen.

Learn more about Karen and her book by visiting http://imsorryibrokeyourcompany.com/.

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

Talent Triangle: Leadership, Strategic and Business Management

I'M SORRY by Ian Sutherland is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

I'M SORRY by Los Llamarada is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Total Duration 53:49

Download episode 113

The 'Me Monster'

We live in an age of relentless self-promotion. Some people in the workplace remind me of comedian Brian Regan’s sketch entitled I Walked On The Moon (see below).

Ever worked with the 'Me Monster?' Whether we realize it or not, we might actually be on the way to becoming one of those 'Me Monsters' as we struggle to stand out in the noise of those who are trying to out do each other.

The Invisibles

Yet not everyone is trying to out do others. In this episode author David Zweig shares his research into those he calls Invisibles. They love their job. Their satisfaction is in the work itself, not the volume of praise the comes with it.

Have you ever felt invisible? That the work you do goes unnoticed? Or at least that there's a lack of appreciation for all that it takes for you to successfully deliver a project?

One of the joys of hosting this podcast is finding resources to help you that might not otherwise have come up on your radar screen. I've found David Zweig to be one of those up-and-comers that will inspire us to do our craft better. Enjoy today's discussion with Dave about his book Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion.

Learn more about Dave, his book, and his music by visiting http://davidzweig.com/.

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

On a regular basis, we invite listeners of The People and Projects Podcast to gather for a follow-up webinar. These webinars allow us to go into more detail on the content from one or more previous episodes.

This video episode is a replay of our follow-up webinar on Power Cues and Invisibles. Please join us for future webinars!

Total Duration 55:19

Download episode 114

COVERT AFFAIR by Kevin McLeod is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Total Duration 7:10

Download episode 115

Introducing Our Coach Cast Episodes

With this episode we introduce a new type of episode that we're calling Coach Casts. Instead of a 30-45 minute episode centered around a book or author, I'll be sharing a 5-10 snapshot of something that I've been learning and what to share with you.

In this first Coach Cast, we start with what can be a controversial subject. We're not really supposed to talk about age when it comes to hiring. Or promoting. Or delegating responsibility. But biases can exist. Whether it's a bias that someone seems too old or too young, it's easy for that bias to keep us from making the best decision.

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

SUNDAY AFTERNOON by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

BLANKS by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Total Duration 27:05

Download episode 116

Never Had a Failed Project?

Have you ever had a project that failed? Be careful--this is a truth test! If someone tells you they always deliver on time, on budget, with all the specified scope, be wary! Delivering projects successfully every time sounds great in an interview but a challenge in the real world.

My guest today is Jim Johnson, Founder and Chairman of The Standish Group. Jim has a passion to understand why things break and how to fix them. In this discussion we talk about why projects break, and some ideas on how to improve the likelihood of successfully delivering.

You can learn more about Jim and The Standish Group at http://www.StandishGroup.com.

Call Me!

Why do you listen to The People and Projects Podcast? What has helped you? What questions do you have for me? I love hearing from listeners and I want to hear from you! So call me! You can leave a message on our Podcast Listener Feedback line by phone or Skype. You can leave a message by phone at 847-550-3747 or by Skype at andy.kaufman.i-lead. Thanks!

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

SKIPPY by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

LIES by Devora Clark is licensed under a Creative Commons License Agreement.

CANDLEPOWER by Chris Zabriskie is licensed by Attribution License.

Total Duration 53:02

Download episode 117

On a regular basis, we invite listeners of The People and Projects Podcast to gather for a follow-up webinar. These webinars allow us to go into more detail on the content from one or more previous episodes.

This video episode is a replay of our follow-up webinar on Episodes 115 and 116. Please join us for future webinars!

DAYDREAM HEARTBEAT by Podington Bear is licensed under Attribution-NonCommerical 3.0 International License.

Total Duration 45:09

Download episode 118

Seeing What Others Don't

How is it that we can so easily not see things? When making decisions, we can be blind to better options. When planning a project, we can be blind to risks that are lurking. When listening to a problem from a team member, we can be blind to the fact there's actually a problem!

My guest today is Dr. Gary Klein, author of Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights. Gary has written a wonderful book that we explore in this discussion.

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

SEARCHING by Emily Lacy is licensed by Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

DIVIDER by Chris Zabriskie is licensed by Attribution License.

BAILE by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Total Duration 34:17

Download episode 119

Do You Feel Influential?

Project managers are influencers, though we often think of other sides of the business as the ones who influence the most: senior executives, lawyers, salespeople, etc.

Our guest today is Alfonso Bucero, MSc, PMP, PMI-RMP, and PMI Fellow. He is the author of a new book entitled The Influential Project Manager: Winning Over Team Members and Stakeholders (Best Practices and Advances in Program Management Series). Alfonso shares insights to help you improve your ability to influence your boss, sponsor, team, and other stakeholders.

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

MODERN JAZZ SAMBA by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

NOTANICO MERENGUE by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Total Duration 34:17

Download episode 120

Who is an example of someone that has significantly impacted who you are today? Whether they were a formal mentor or not, who is someone that has notably contributed to the person you are and the success you enjoy today?

My guest today is Dr. Mark Goulston. You may recognize Mark as the author of a very special book entitled Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone. With the recent death of one of his mentors, the concept of mentoring is top of mind so we spent some time together discussing the topic. Make sure to check out Mark's website at http://www.MarkGoulston.com. 

15 PDU's

Are you preparing for certification? Or need some PDU's? Check out our Essentials of Project Management e-learning program. You can earn 15 contact hours or PDU's for a great price! Use a coupon code of ESS-199-FALL14 to save $100. That offer is good through end of September 2014.

I'd Love to Listen To You!

Who has impacted you as a past mentor? What feedback do you have about the podcast? I want to hear from you! So call me! You can leave a message on our Podcast Listener Feedback line by phone or Skype. You can leave a message by phone at 847-550-3747 or by Skype at andy.kaufman.i-lead. Thanks!

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

CROSSING THE DIVIDE by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

MAMBO BATIRI by Orquesta El Sabor de Nacho is Licensed under a Attribution License.

Total Duration 36:57

Download episode 121

We are Family?

Most companies no longer feel like 'family'. But the 'free agent' approach has limitations as well.

My guest today is Ben Casnocha. He is the co-author of a new book entitled The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age. Ben and his co-author Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn) discuss a new model for managing talent in this new age. Learn more about Ben by checking out his blog at http://casnocha.com/blog.

Helping Your Organization Deliver

We help organizations around the world improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams. Who in your organization is responsible for planning out next year's training? Have them contact me at . We have training classes designed for helping every role in your organization to get better at successfully delivering their work. I look forward to hearing from you!

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

BLACK VORTEX by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

CAREFREE by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Total Duration 42:05

Download episode 122

Smartcuts, Not Shortcuts

We go to 'work', not 'play'. Success typically takes work, not sitting back and visualizing wonderful things. But what if there were ways to hack the 'pay your dues' route? What if there were recurring themes from those who accelerated their success?

My guest today is Shane Snow, author of Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success. Learn more about Shane by checking out his Contently blog at https://shanesnow.contently.com/.

20 PDU's for a Great Price

If you are aiming for certification or need PDU's, check out our Advanced Project Management e-learning. 

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

THE SMALL by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

HAPPY ALLEY by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Other piano music played by Zachary Kaufman.

Total Duration 48:05

Download episode 123

Stop Procrastinating!

I have so looked forward to sharing this episode with you! It's just that.... I kept finding other things to do! But the wait is over!

My guest today is Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done. Learn more about Piers by checking out his blog at http://procrastinus.com/.

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

SOME OTHER TIME by Tony Bennett and Bill Evans

PUT IT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW by The Kendalls

DEAD by They Might Be Giants

Total Duration 49:15

Download episode 124

Adam Smith, Project Manager

If you studied economics at some point you most likely learned about Adam Smith. He's often revered as the Father of Modern Economics, but could it be that project managers could learn more than economics from Adam Smith? Is it possible that his lesser known book The Theory of Moral Sentiments, published in 1759, could help us become better project managers and leaders?

My guest today is Russ Roberts, author of How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. I'm a big fan of Russ' EconTalk podcast, and I think you're going to find his new book about Adam Smith very intriguing!

Please e-mail me ( or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747), letting me know what you think about this conversation with Russ. How do you implement these ideas? What questions do you have? I look forward to hearing from you!

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

"Nothing Broken” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"The Path of the Goblin King v2” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Total Duration 44:58

Download episode 125

Expert Judgment

In the Project Management Body of Knowledge--the PMBOK® Guide--there's a recurring tool and technique entitled Expert Judgment. How can you develop a more effective project charter? Come up with more accurate cost and time estimates? Identify risks? Project Management Institute (PMI) says we should use expert judgment.

Their point is that you can develop better plans and estimates if you tap into the wisdom of those with established expertise. Makes sense, right?

Put Your Rookie On

My guest today is Liz Wiseman, author of Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work. Liz suggests there are times when having a rookie mindset trumps expert judgment.

Give Me a Call!

Please e-mail me ( or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747), letting me know what you think about this conversation with Liz. What questions do you have? I look forward to hearing from you!

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

SILVER by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

LUXE by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

CANDLEPOWR by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Attribution License.

Total Duration 31:53

Download episode 126

What Did You Learn Last Year?

What's something specific you've learned in the last 12 months that you either didn't know before then or you had to re-learn it? That's a question I asked some of my favorite continual learners--friends and colleagues who are committed to developing their abilities.

In this episode you'll hear from:

• Sarah Green, editor at Harvard Business Review
• Elizabeth Harrin, from A Girl's Guide to Project Management
• Peter Taylor, The Lazy Project Manager
• Ginger Levin, program management author and guru
• Carl Pritchard, principal and founder of Pritchard Management Associates
• Susanne Madsen, project manager coach and author
• Nick Morgan, author and speaker coach

Share Your Lesson!

Please e-mail me () or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What did you learn last year? I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Here's to a great start to the year!

WONDER CYCLE, CGI SNAKE, I AM RUNNING DOWN THE LONG HALLWAY OF VIEWMONT ELEMENTARY, CANDLEPOWER, I AM RUNNING WITH TEMPORARY SUCCESS FROM A MONSTROUS VACUUM IN PURSUIT, and DIVIDER by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Attribution License.

Total Duration 47:15

Download episode 127

Need Vision? Got Vision?

I'm excited to introduce you to Rob-Jan de Jong, author of Anticipate: The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead.  Too often we only talk about vision--Rob shows us how to actually create one. Learn more about Rob and his book at http://robjandejong.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! I'm back to my vacation. Have a great week!

LAID BACK GUITARS by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed underCreative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Gladiator, by Warner Brothers.

Total Duration 42:11

Download episode 137

Aspire to be Time Wealthy

Can you relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed, with more commitments at work and home than you have time to handle? Many project managers tell me that's a rather normal existence for them. Elizabeth Grace Saunders calls that being time impoverished. We are spending more than we've earned. It's part of her analogy in her new book How to Invest Your Time Like Money

To learn more about Elizabeth and the work of her organization, visit http://reallifee.com/.

Join My Periscopes This Month!

Join me for our series of Project Management Periscopes during the month of October 2015. Each Friday I'm broadcasting a periscope from 12:15pm Central in the US (GMT-5). Just download the mobile app at https://www.Periscope.tv. Then go to my Periscope home page at https://www.Periscope.tv/andy_kaufman. Join me for these 15-minute Periscopes this month!

Let Me Hear From You!

I love hearing from listeners! Please leave a message to let me know what you think about The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us:

• Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747
• Call me directly at 847-579-9174
• Contact me by email at

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

I WANNA BE RICH by Calloway, available here on Amazon.com.

Learn more about MAD MONEY and JIM CRAMER at CNBC

WONDER CYCLE by Chris Zabriskie Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution License.

HAPPY ALLEY by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Total Duration 56:19

Download episode 138

The People Side of Project Management

In this video episode, I share a discussion with three colleagues who are experts in the people side of project management. To learn more about my guests, please visit their websites at:

• Susanne Madsen: http://susannemadsen.com/
• Kevin Ciccotti: http://humanfactorformula.com/
• Kim Wasson: http://ivybay.com/

What Do You Think?

Please leave a message to let me know what you think about this video episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us:

• Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747
• Call me directly at 847-579-9174
• Contact me by email at

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

SKIPPY by Podington Bear is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

NOTANICO MERENGUE by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Total Duration 34:43

Download episode 139

Do The Good Guys Win?

There’s something inside us that wants to believe that the good guys win in the end, right? We want to believe that if you treat people well, keep your promises, and work hard, that it all pays off with increased opportunity and reward.

Fred Kiel has data to support that you don't have to be Gordon Gecko from the movie Wall Street to win. In this episode, we talk with Fred about his new book Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win

To learn more about Fred and take the Character Predictor Quiz, visit http://www.krw-intl.com/characterquiz/.

Join Our Year-End Podcast Listener Hangout!

Join other listeners for a Google Hangout session on Thursday, 17 December at 11:30am Central Standard Time (GMT-6). You'll earn a free PDU while we talk about issues related to leading and delivering. Go to http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/hangout to learn more!

Leadership Fast Track Program

In this episode, I mention our Leadership Fast Track Program. I encourage you to check out http://LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com to see if it's a good fit for your development plan in 2016. If so, talk to your boss about getting it in the budget for next year. Let me know if you have any questions about the program. It would be a privilege to work with you directly!

Let Me Hear From You!

I love hearing from listeners! Please leave a message to let me know what you think about The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us:

• Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747
• Contact me by email at

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

WALL STREET available here on Amazon.com.

FACEOFF by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

CHIPPER DOODLE v2 by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Total Duration 32:32

Download episode 144

Out of the Shallows

Project managers are constantly tasked with juggling priorities and managing interruptions. We live in the shallows, so to speak, not the deep. Getting time for focused work seems increasingly difficult. In his new book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport offers 4 rules to help us out of the distraction:

• Work Deeply. There are strategies to get more concentrated work time.
• Embrace Boredom. Don't try to cram in something to every spare moment.
• Quit Social Media. Give Cal a chance to make his case before writing this one off!
• Drain the Shallows. There's some low-hanging fruit we can get rid of to gain more focused time.

To learn more about Cal and his book, please visit his website at: http://calnewport.com/books/deep-work/. Make sure to check out his popular blog.

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

P.S. For a follow-up article on Cal's book, check out my LinkedIn post by clicking here. Thanks!

THE COMPLEX by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

WALLPAPER by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Total Duration 27:58

Download episode 145

Introducing Bruce Harpham

In this episode I welcome Bruce Harpham from ProjectManagementHacks.com. Bruce is a regular blogger on topics related to career advancement for project managers. Check out his website and sign-up for a free copy of his Career Advancement Workbook.

Give the Gift of Learning to Your Administrative Assistant!

On April 27, 2016, administrative assistants around the world will be celebrated as part of Administrative Professionals' Day. Here's a bit of advice: take your assistant out to lunch! Treat them extra special! And how about this--give them the gift of learning!

Our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series starts up on April 14. I'll be leading a series of two-hour webinars designed especially to help your admin improve their ability to get things done. Learn more at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/the-effective-administrative-assistant-webinar-series. Use a coupon code of admin-gift-16 to save $59 USD off the price. Thanks for spreading the word about this!

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

MEATBALL PARADE by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

OVERTURE-HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING by Frank Loesser available on Amazon.com.

Total Duration 42:12

Download episode 146

How Culturally Intelligent Are You?

In this episode I welcome Dr. Tom Verghese from Cultural Synergies to talk about the importance of raising our cultural intelligence (what he calls CQ). Check out his website for videos and other resources to improve your ability to interact productively with people from other cultures.

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

VADODARA CHILL MIX by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

ZANZIBAR by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

The comedy bit at the end was not Tom! See A SAUDI, AN INDIAN, AND AN IRANIAN WALK INTO A QATARI BAR by Maz Jobrani (TED Talk) available on YouTube

Total Duration 40:49

Download episode 147

Beyond Gantt Charts and Critical Path

In this episode, I welcome Dave Wakeman from Wakeman Consulting Group to talk about Strategic and Business Management. This is a leg of PMI's Talent Triangle™ that often doesn't get enough focus. Dave shares insights on strategy and operations that show our success goes far beyond our technical project management skills. Check out his website to sign-up for Dave's newsletter and read his blog.

Transform Your Ability to Lead This Year

Join me for this year's Leadership Fast Track Program. You and I will work directly to transform your ability to lead and deliver. See LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com

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

SCHEMING WEASEL FASTER by Kevin Macleod Licensed underCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

STRATEGY by Something for Kate available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/23yvo8t

Total Duration 55:18

Download episode 158

Gotta Love Millennials

When the topic of millennials comes up in my workshops, it's sure to evoke strong opinions, from older leaders who complain millennials are entitled, to the millennials who resent being stereotyped.

In this episode, Lee Caraher joins us to talk about both sides of the issue. Lee is the author of the book entitled Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide to Making it Work at Work. You can learn more about Lee at her website http://LeeCaraher.com/.

Have Andy Speak at Your Company!

I spend most of my weekdays delivering project management and leadership workshops and keynotes at companies and conferences. Visit http://www.i-leadonline.com/keynotes to learn more about how we can help you and your teams learn how to lead and deliver.

Also, learn more about our conflict management e-learning by visiting http://courses.i-leadonline.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Merry Christmas!

MARTY GOTS A PLAN and CHRISTMAS RAP by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

YOU'VE GOTTA LOVE MILLENNIALS by Micah Tyler available onYouTube

A Little Millennial Fun

Total Duration 39:48

Download episode 159

What Did You Learn Last Year?

What's something specific you've learned in the last 12 months that you either didn't know before then or you had to re-learn it? That's a question I asked some of my favorite continual learners--friends and colleagues who are committed to developing their abilities.

In this episode you'll hear from:

• Peter Taylor, The Lazy Project Manager
• Elizabeth Harrin, from A Girl's Guide to Project Management
• Johanna Rothman, management and project management author and consultant
• Andy Crowe, project management speaker, author, and founder of Velociteach
• Glen Alleman, host of the Herding Cats blog
• Susanne Madsen, project manager coach and author
• Mark Swiderski, project manager speaker and consultant
• Nick Morgan, author and speaker coach
• Peter Martin, CEO, TeenPact Leadership Schools
• Dave Stachowiak, host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast

Share Your Lesson!

Please e-mail me () or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What did you learn last year? I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Here's to a great year ahead!

WONDER CYCLE, CGI SNAKE, I AM RUNNING DOWN THE LONG HALLWAY OF VIEWMONT ELEMENTARY, CANDLEPOWER, I AM RUNNING WITH TEMPORARY SUCCESS FROM A MONSTROUS VACUUM IN PURSUIT, DIVIDER, WHAT DOES ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING, AND ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Attribution License.

THIS IS THE NEW YEAR by A Great Big World available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2idlj1U

Total Duration 56:02

Download episode 166

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 Age of Distraction. Read more of Derek's work at https://www.theatlantic.com/author/derek-thompson/

The Perfect Gift for Your Administrative Assistant

Administrative Professionals Day is celebrated by companies around the world each April, and I have an idea for how you can celebrate the admins who serve your area! Check out our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series. It's a 5-week course that I've shared with admins around the world, and I would love to help the admin who serves your team. We help your admin grow in areas, such as influence, conflict management, time management, and even project management! Visit http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/Admin today to learn more and sign-up.

I Want To Hear From You!

I'm constantly looking for ways to improve the podcast. Would you be willing to take 2 minutes and share your thoughts? Go to http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey and help me know how I can help deliver exactly what you're looking for. Thanks!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

HELLO by Adele available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2kRMsGh

FUNIN' and SUNIN' by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Total Duration 38:05

Download episode 184

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 Boot Camp. You can participate anywhere in the world and I personally guarantee you will find it worth your investment.

Also, check out:

• Steve's series of short videos at http://OneMinuteProductivity.com
• His free Workday Planning Guide at http://www.workdayplanningguide.com/ 

Additional Episodes

If you would like more insights on managing your time more effectively, check out these episodes:

• Cal Newport regarding his book Deep Work: http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/144. 
• Elizabeth Grace Saunders regarding her book How to Invest Your Time Like Money: http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/137. 
• Kory Kogon regarding her book The Five Choices: http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/129. 
• Bob Pozen regarding his book Extreme Productivity: http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/83. 
• Peter Bregman regarding his book 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done: http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/64. 
• Piers Steel regarding his book The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done: http://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/123. 

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

OUT OF TIME by Samuell, John Marcus, & Vicky D. available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2vrbP7I

TECH LIVE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Wasted time. Wasted energy. Wasted stress. In our project and organizational environments, we're surrounded by waste.

In this < 3-minute video, I share some thoughts from a recent keynote to a group of global leaders regarding agile.

When you look at the world through the lens of eliminating waste, there's no shortage of opportunities. Good project management practices seek to eliminate waste, regardless of whether you're using a formal agile approach or not.

Let Me Hear From You!

I'd love to hear from you! What are some examples of where you've seen waste recently? Whether within your organization or--as I share in the video--somewhere in the general public, such as an airport. Where do you see opportunities to reduce waste? And what are some lessons you've learned about identifying and eliminating waste?

Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me () or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you!

Interested in helping your executive leaders learn more about agile and their role in fostering project success? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks!)

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

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Total Duration 2:54

Download episode 267

Total Duration 37:07

Download episode 287

A Job Transition is a Project

Job risk and change is not something just reserved for global pandemics. People listening to this episode years from now will still face the same reality: going through the process of looking for a new job is challenging, especially if you’re looking to transition from one industry to another.

But hey, we’re project managers! So how about we look at job transition as a project?

That’s the mindset shared by my guest today. Herb Thompson is the author of The Transition Mission: A Green Beret’s approach to transition from the military. Though Herb’s mission is focused on helping veterans, you’ll find today’s discussion relevant regardless of whether you have a military background. Learn more about Herb and his non-profit at www.sf2biz.com.

Let's Stay In Touch!

I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite!

Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requireing travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Humanity by AlekSound
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6003-humanity
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Uplifting Ballad by Alexander Nakarada
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4725-uplifting-ballad
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Total Duration 32:31

Download episode 303

Advocate for Women in Project Management

I'm excited to share this conversation with my friend Elise Stevens. Her work advocating for women in project management is an inspiration to me personally, and the insights she shares today are helpful to both men and women.

Learn more about Elise, her podcasts, and her books at elisestevens.co.

Join Us for our Virtual Project Management Training Program!

Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us this fall for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!

Let's Stay In Touch!

I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!)

Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

I Dare You and The Dweller on Coyote Hill by Little Glass Men is licensed under an Attribution License

Total Duration 42:17

Download episode 313

Project Managers Are Futurists

My guest in this episode is the former Chief Futurist of Intel: Brian David Johnson. Brian joins us to talk about his book The Future You: Break Through the Fear and Build the Life You Want. Brian is going to help you see that project managers are perfectly positioned to benefit from thinking like a futurist.

Learn more about Brian at threatcasting.asu.edu/.

Have Andy Speak at Your Company

Whether live in-person or virtually, contact us about having Andy speak at your company. Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.

Let's Stay In Touch!

I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!)

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Back to the Future by WinnieTheMoog
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6090-back-to-the-future
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Fjeld by Alexander Nakarada
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7242-fjeld
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Back to the Future-We Don't Need Roads (1989) scene available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=fCjsUxbNmIs

Total Duration 18:57

Download episode 319

The Head of Certification from PMI Joins Us

Sierra Hampton-Simmons joins us in this episode to talk about the recent changes to the PMP exam. In addition, she gives us a glimpse at what to expect with certifications in the future.

In the discussion, she mentions the following handbooks:

• PMI website: pmi.org
• PMP Exam Content Outline
• CAPM Exam Content Outline

I would love to help you earn your PMP or CAPM certification exam! To learn more about our programs, click here.

Let's Stay In Touch!

I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!)

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

The Happiest Day of My Life by MusicLFiles
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6916-the-happiest-day-of-my-life
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 36:57

Download episode 322

The Rules Have Changed

World-renowned CEO coach and business thinker Ram Charan joins us to talk about new rules for the digital age from his book Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age. It's a discussion that will help guide how you see your business through the lens of the digital giants while helping you prepare for the future.

Learn more about Ram and his work at https://ram-charan.com/books/.

Let's Stay In Touch!

I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!)

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Creating Future Technologies by MusicLFiles
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7057-creating-future-technologies
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Back to the Future by WinnieTheMoog
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6090-back-to-the-future
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Balancing the Budget scene from the movie Dave, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=ZARAldXlSyA

Total Duration 32:02

Download episode 327

Sustainable Project Management Insights

One of my favorite voices on how to lead projects is Rich Maltzman. Rich contributed to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) Seventh Edition in the areas of sustainability and value delivery. In this episode, Rich talks about what sustainable project management is (and isn't). Perhaps more importantly, he talks about what we can do at our level, especially when we feel we don’t have much influence to make a difference. And Rich shares some project and career lessons that he’s gleaned over the years. It’s a great discussion with a guy I consider a friend.

Here are some resources that Rich mentions during the interview:

• His book Green Project Management, co-authored with David Shirley
• His book How to Facilitate Productive Project Planning Meetings: A Practical Guide to Ensuring Project Success, co-authored with Jim Stewart
• His blog on projectmanagement.com

Let's Stay In Touch!

I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!)

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Corona [instrumental] (feat. Klangkommune) by Sascha Ende®
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7102-corona-instrumental
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 31:45

Download episode 334

Preparing for the Next Rogue Wave

we’re continuing a series of episodes on the topic of the future. It’s hard to imagine that we can be effective at leading others if we’re not forward thinking.

But after getting slammed by the COVID tsunami and subsequent recurring waves, the future can feel so unsure. So how do we prepare ourselves and our teams for the future despite the challenges of understanding it?

To help us with that, we’re joined in this episode by Jonathan Brill, author of a new book entitled Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change. Jonathan is the former Global Futurist at HP and has led companies that have substantially improved the world in many domains. Not to mention he invented a machine that makes frozen coffee slurpees!

Learn more about Jonathan and his book at JonathanBrill.com.

Additional Resources

• In the outtakes of the episode, Jonathan mentions an HBR article that he wrote with Dorie Clark about how to future-prep your career. You can find that article here.
• My discussion with Brian David Johnson, former Chief Futurist at Intel, can be found in episode 313
• My discussion with Deborah Westphal from Toffler Associates can be found in episode 329
• My discussion with Michael Solomon about preparing your career for the future can be found in episode 304
• My discussion with Cecily Sommers about how to think like a futurist can be found in episode 87

Join our Global LEAD52 Community

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Back To The Future by WinnieTheMoog
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6090-back-to-the-future
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

It's Funky by Frank Schröter
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 44:56

Download episode 361

In The Trenches With Yasmina Khelifi

If you’re a long-time listener of the People and Projects Podcast, you may recall that every once in a while we have a type of episode that we call In the Trenches. It’s an episode that interviews someone who is actively working in a project leadership role, allowing us to benefit from the lessons they have been learning over the years.

I’m glad to welcome our guest today, Yasmina Khelifi, from Paris, France. Yasmina has been a leader in the telecom industry for many years and is an active blogger on projectmanagement.com. She has extensive experience working with international teams, providing her unique insights into how culture factors into leading and communicating.

Learn more about Yasmina on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasminakhelifi-pmp-telecom/ and on ProjectManagement.com.

Join our Global LEAD52 Community

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management

Le Baguette by Alexander Naka
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4784-le-baguett
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Let Me Be Free by Sascha Ende®
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/164-let-me-be-free
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 52:12

Download episode 386

Introducing Andy Tryba and John Chmela

When you think of artificial intelligence and tools like ChatGPT, what comes to mind?

Do you find it intriguing for how it can help us as people who are focused on leading teams and projects? Or maybe you think it’s overly hyped—entertaining for writing haikus and silly stories but not even close to being at a place where it can help us with our jobs. Or, maybe you’re concerned that it’s a threat to our jobs someday.

I know people in each group, leading us to this episode. I’m joined by Andy Tryba who is the Co-Founder & CEO of Ionic Partners, and also CEO of Gigster. Andy is a nationally recognized Future of Work & Remote Work expert and his companies help some of the largest brands in the world integrate AI, ChatGPT, QA Automation and more.

I'm also discussing AI with my friend John Chmela. John and I met when we worked together years ago and to this day he's a valued friend. Beyond loving him as a person, I've always admired how John is quick to adapt new technologies and leverage them for good. But beyond our friendship and his tech skills, John is a savvy business leader and investor.

In both discussions, you'll pick up on some ideas and perspectives that can guide your exploration of the tools.

Learn more about Andy Tryba and follow him on LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/AndyTryba.

Learn more about John and his operation at Queenslake Farm at Queenslake.com.

AI for Project Managers and Leaders

With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.

This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.

Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Lullaby of Light (feat. Cory Friesenhan) by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11174-lullaby-of-light-feat-cory-friesenhan
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Laughing Children [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10498-laughing-children-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 18:34

Download episode 388

PMeLa Takes the Mic

Hi! You will recall back in episode 384 I introduced you to an AI persona I had developed named PMeLa. She's an AI designed to be an expert in project management and leadership. It's been fun to hear the feedback from listeners from around the world who found the discussion to be somewhere between intriguing, hilarious, and frightening.

I've been experimenting with automating AI processes and so I thought I would try another experiment with PMeLa. In today's episode, PMeLa is going to interview--wait for it--former US President Abraham Lincoln. As an AI, she comes up with the questions and an AI version of Lincoln responds.

Let me be clear--I'm not just doing this to be clever. What's unique about this episode is that it was completely done using automation tools. I had no hand in the questions or the responses. Once I defined the personas and set up the automation, the interview was completely in the hands of the AIs and the automation tool. What you hear from PMeLa and Lincoln has not been changed by me at all.

After the brief interview, I share some insights about what I've been learning through these experiments. And definitely listen to the end with a blooper from Lincoln!

Learn more about the automation tool I used for this episode: Make.com. Also, check out Lovo.ai and ElevenLabs.io.

What's a question you'd like to pass by PMeLa? Send them to . I'd love to include your questions in a future episode! Thanks!

AI for Project Managers and Leaders

Take the next step to level up your AI skills. Check out our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.

This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.

Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Lullaby of Light (feat. Cory Friesenhan) by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11174-lullaby-of-light-feat-cory-friesenhan
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Laughing Children [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10498-laughing-children-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 33:55

Download episode 393

Inspiring Women in Project Management

Most days, you can find me working with a group of people, helping them learn how to improve their ability to lead and deliver. If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you may recall hearing me saying this previously--in our project management courses, the majority of participants are women. It’s characteristic of a trend we see week in and week out—project management is a rewarding and accessible career path for women to pursue.

Because of that, I like to highlight women who are inspiring role models, particularly when it comes to leading teams and delivering projects. And in this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to my friend and colleague Molly Beran, who fits that description perfectly.

Molly has not only spent extended time in the trenches, learning how to lead and deliver. Over the last couple of years, she’s also been a valued member of my speaking team. And she has expertly taught some of our biggest clients how to improve their ability to lead and deliver.

This episode is a conversation between friends who equally geek out about project management and leadership. I look forward to you hearing some of the lessons that Molly has learned about these topics--I know you’re going to enjoy this.

Learn more about Molly at ProjectsByMolly.com. Also, get your copy of (or give it as a gift) From Vision to Vows: Project Management Strategies for Weddings here.

No Freaking Idea!

Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated?

My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea!

I bring this up because we’re rolling out a new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertaity. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course.

Whether it’s you who is wondering about next steps in your career or a son or daughter and you'd like to give them this as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Brooklyn Nights by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11192-brooklyn-nights
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Quantum Sparks [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10996-quantum-sparks-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 33:40

Download episode 403

Summary

In this episode, Andy Kaufman interviews Kayla McGuire, a seasoned project manager and coach who runs a boot camp to help people learn and prepare for becoming a freelancer. They discuss Kayla's journey to project management and freelancing, lessons in leading projects, practical tips for running projects, reasons for pursuing freelancing, common mistakes in freelancing, and the importance of mentors. Kayla also shares insights on using LinkedIn effectively and the value of continual learning and personal development. The episode concludes with information about Kayla's freelancer boot camp.

Takeaways

• Consider the possibility of freelancing or becoming an entrepreneur to experience more fulfillment and freedom in your career.
• Recognize patterns in team dynamics and use pattern recognition to lead teams through projects more effectively.
• Empower your teams to get the job done by having conversations about their goals, providing resources for learning and development, and building strong relationships through one-on-one meetings.
• When considering freelancing, focus your energy on building your network and finding clients rather than spending time on non-essential tasks like website design or office remodeling.

Chapters

• 00:00 Andy's Introduction to the Episode
• 01:57 Start of Interview
• 02:09 Kayla's Path to Project Management and Freelancing
• 06:00 Lessons in Leading Projects
• 12:06 The Lure of Freelancing: Freedom and Autonomy
• 15:03 Common Mistakes When Starting Freelancing
• 17:07 Introducing the Freelancer Bootcamp
• 19:10 The Importance of Finding Your Niche
• 19:39 Leveraging LinkedIn for Success
• 24:18 Continual Learning and Personal Development
• 31:05 Balancing Work and Personal Life
• 32:56 Final Thoughts

Learn More

You can learn more about Kayla and her boot camp at KaylaMcGuire.com. And connect with Kayla on LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/KaylaMcGuire.

Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career

Do you know someone dealing with career uncertainty?

My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea!

I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course.

Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende
Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/5223-tranceverse
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende
Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/2992-tuesday
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 57:19

Download episode 422

Summary

In this episode, Andy interviews Nigel Creaser, an active project professional and author of the book Project Manager Productivity Hacks. Nigel shares insights from his career and discusses strategies for managing interruptions and improving productivity. They also touch on the use of mobile devices and AI tools in project management.

Overall, the conversation emphasizes the need for project managers to go beyond technical skills and prioritize the human aspect of their work. If you're looking for practical insights on how to lead teams and deliver projects, this is a great episode for you!

Sound Bites

• "Productivity isn't about winning. It's not like a sport... It's more like yoga and that you can always be a bit more stretched."
• "Project management, I think, is messy, and we try to control the mess rather than go with the flow with the mess and kind of direct it."
• (Nigel, about being a podcaster) "I try to be that person who's being cheeky and getting free consultancy."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:23 Start of Interview
• 01:58 Nigel's Backstory
• 06:26 How Nigel Seeks to Minimize Interruptions
• 11:18 Nigel's Advice About Email
• 16:45 Mobile Devices and Productivity
• 21:38 How Nigel and Andy are Using AI
• 31:02 Project Management Lessons Nigel Has Learned
• 36:29 Career Advice from Nigel's Journey
• 45:31 About the Sunday Lunch Project Manager Podcast
• 49:15 Wrap-Up
• 49:34 Andy Comments After the Interview
• 51:55 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Nigel, his books, and his Sunday Lunch Project Manager Podcast at NigelCreaser.com.

If you’d like more on this subject, check out:

• Episode 346 with Donna Gregorio. It's another in the trenches episode, and
• Episode 169 with Emily Luijbregts. She is also a practicing project manager and we discuss challenges and lessons about leading virtual teams.

Project Management for Students

You know how valuable it is to know how to lead and deliver projects. But students often aren't taught these skills. We've taken some of our best content on project management and put into a course Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. The feedback has been so positive. Give the gift of a headstart to a student you know by going to PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/GettingStuffDone

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Funny by Frank Schroeter
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 35:58

Download episode 424

Summary

In this episode, Andy interviews Karla Eidem, the Managing Director of North America region at Project Management Institute (PMI). The discussion focuses on the latest trends and developments in project management. They explore the evolution of project managers from executing technical aspects to becoming strategic partners in organizations. They also discuss the shift towards hybrid and agile approaches in project management and the impact of different work arrangements on team collaboration and project performance. Finally, they also touch on the role of AI in project management and the resources offered by PMI to support project professionals.

If you're looking for insights on how to keep up with the latest trends in leading and delivering projects, this episode is for you!

Sound Bites

• "The role of the PMs has definitely shifted away from executing the technical aspects of a project to a strategic partner in the organization."
• "Project managers must also be adaptable and resilient to the well ever-changing business environment and be very competent in risk management."
• "A good project manager should know which tools to pull from their PM toolbox almost like a mechanic knowing what to do."
• "Work location does not have a negative impact on project performance. In fact, project performance rates for in-person, hybrid, and remote work actually yield similar results."
• "We need to be better storytellers. If we're not able to communicate effectively the value of what we do, then it'll be hard for the leaders of their organizations to even understand why they need to invest in project management."
• "A hybrid approach is actually gaining ground as the fit-for-purpose approach."
• "Performance levels are comparable for hybrid, agile, and predictive approaches."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:24 Start of Interview
• 04:39 How to Decide Between Traditional and Hybrid Approaches
• 11:15 Findings About Remote, Hybrid, and In-Person Work
• 14:41 Karla's Personal Experience With Remote Work
• 16:45 Mobile Devices and Productivity
• 19:56 How AI is Transforming Project Management
• 25:00 Strategies for Continuous Learning Despite Busy Schedules
• 28:56 Communicating the Value of Investing in Project Management
• 32:41 Wrap-Up
• 33:01 Andy Comments After the Interview
• 34:35 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Pulse of the Profession® at pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse.

AI for Project Managers and Leaders

With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.

This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.

Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Quantum Sparks Full Version by MusicLFiles
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Chillhouse by Frank Schroeter
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Total Duration 28:20

Download episode 426

Summary

In this episode, Andy talks with Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, about his new book Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing). They discuss Sal's journey from tutoring his cousin to creating a global educational platform and the evolving role of AI in education. Sal emphasizes the importance of transparency and adaptability in using AI tools and shares his thoughts on productive strategies for teaching and learning in an AI-integrated world. The conversation also explores leadership lessons and efficient time management in both educational and professional settings.

If you're curious about how to think about learning in the age of AI, Sal is one of the best voices to listen to!

Sound Bites

• "ChatGPT did not introduce cheating on essays. This happened well before. There are many ways to cheat that aren't plagiarism."
• "I wasn't confrontational enough."
• "I scrutinize every meeting, do I really need to be here? Do other people need to be here? Why are we meeting every week? Maybe we could do this three times a week or every second or third week."
• "AI is an amplification of human intent. Bad actors are going to use it to amplify their bad intent. And no matter how many rules and laws and regulations we pass, they will ignore them and they will amplify their bad intent."
• "People who work very long hours are the most unproductive people I know."
• "Educated bravery is this idea of when something has potential risks, you shouldn't ignore those risks. That makes you complacent. That's irresponsible, but you should write those risks down and you shouldn't view those risks as reasons to run away or to not go in that direction, but you should manage those risks. You should be aware of them and maybe even turn them into features. Every problem is, you know, people famously say is an opportunity and that's the mindset that we've tried to take on."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:52 Start Of Interview
• 02:01 How Is Education Currently Looking At AI?
• 05:32 The Role Of AI Tutors And Khanmigo
• 08:35 Educated Bravery
• 10:20 What People Aren't Talking About Enough From The Book
• 13:01 Sal's Project Management Lessons
• 14:35 Advantage Of Looking At Things Through A Star Trek Lens
• 16:58 Does More AI Lead To More Leisure?
• 19:43 The Need To Be More Confrontational
• 21:37 Wrap Up
• 22:05 Andy Comments After The Interview
• 27:07 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Khanmigo at Khanmigo.ai.

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Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: The Fantastical Ferret by Tim Kulig
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Synthiemania by Frank Schroeter
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license