Project Management Happy Hour

Our D&D-style project role play was such a hit, we did it again - in a different universe. One far, far away… This time, it's Kim's first day as a project manager working on a secret government project for the Empire. As he shows up, he finds that his predecessor… well, let's just say he didn't get-on well with his exec sponsor. Kim's new project is behind schedule, roadblocked with supply chain issues and is out of funding. Can he get the “RTDU” project back on track by the end of the day, or will he have to give an awkward project update to his black-cloaked project sponsor? You can bet Game Master Kate has some fun in store! And… you can get the mug! For a limited time, you can go to https://pmhappyhour.com/merch and get a commemorative PM Happy Hour mug with an image of the “RTDU” in use! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership  

Ever had a moment where you saw a problem in the world and thought, “Someone should fix that”? What if that someone was you? Mick Ebeling, founder of Not Impossible Labs, joins us to share how he turned a bold promise into world-changing innovation. From helping a paralyzed graffiti artist create art again to launching life-changing tech solutions, Mick's story is a masterclass in fearless problem-solving. In this episode, we dive into what it takes to commit to the impossible, build the right team, and use project management superpowers to change lives. If you've ever doubted your ability to make an impact, this conversation will prove otherwise. Cheers to embracing audacity—tune in now!

We cannot believe it! It's been 100 episodes of PM Happy Hour!  In this very special episode, we have a retrospective, looking back at when we first decided to do this crazy podcast, to our highlights, lessons, and favorite episodes.  We are so filled with gratitude for our amazing community who have supported us these 100 episodes, and the many incredible leaders who have joined us as guests over the years.  Note: we recorded this episode as a Linkedin livestream. If you want to watch the video version, it should be out there on Linkedin!  Cheers! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership  

As a professional in today's working environment, you are constantly bombarded by things that demand your attention, your action, the very limited moments in your finite life. (wow, heavy). OK, so there are infinite demands on our time, but finite time. How do we balance those? SWOT analysis?! Of course not! To help us understand how to effectively prioritize in today's crazy world,  Kate and Kim are joined by James Louttit, author of Leading Impactful teams. We talk about prickly pears, paw-paws, and practical ways to prioritize in today's demanding world. Spoiler: It's not SWOT, MoSCoW or the Eisenhower matrix ;-)  About our amazing guest, James Louttit James Louttit knows what it's like to have to deliver complex projects under pressure, and what it costs when we get it wrong. In 2016 he ended up in hospital because he was trying to run his projects with effort rather than IMPACT. That story, which forms the introduction to his book “Leading Impactful Teams”, inspired him to figure out how to deliver projects better. He learned everything he could around the subject, from the PMP and Agile worlds that we all know and love, to Design Thinking, Facilitation Techniques, Psychology and Human Nature and everything that might be useful to people delivering projects. His career took off. He became the Head of Project management Competency at a large Bank and then Chief Information Officer of a major PLC in Ireland. What he learned, and put into practice made a huge difference to the effectiveness and stress levels in his teams. People kept asking him for help, so he found an artist and started drawing cartoons to explain the concepts in more human, memorable and fun ways. He wrote “Leading Impactful Teams” to help anyone who is managing any type of work or project that involves real, imperfect people in real, imperfect organizations.  Now he works with the biggest companies in Ireland to help their teams cut through the noise, and build a toolbox of practical techniques and approaches that reduce stress, improve outcomes and help people face the challenges of project delivery with confidence and positivity. You can connect with James and check out all his amazing content and the knowledge he shares at the links below:  James' book Leading Impactful teams:  https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0DN7GP2XB?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpv  And on Amazon:  https://a.co/d/9rFmDwt  James Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-louttit/  His website:  https://www.impactfulpm.com/  The Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - https://a.co/d/hM4gfz7  The Brilliant Beaver Audiobook (

AUDIO QUALITY NOTICE!  Apologies, we have a little static on one of the mics during our recording - sorry for the occasional audio issue.  As a project manager, an organizational structure that will have a big impact on your life is the PMO. But if you aren't used to working with a PMO, what should you expect? Are they going to make your life and projects easier, or crush you with red tape? If you are interviewing for a job where they have a PMO, what questions should you ask to get a better understanding of how they work? And, what should you expect from a PMO - and what are they expecting from you?  With all these questions, we thought we should reach out to a couple of the most well known minds in PMO: Lindsay Scott and Eileen Roden. Their UK based “House of PMO” organization does some great things in the PMO space (plus they are a lot of fun!) so we feel very fortunate that Linsay and Eileen agreed to join us and help us understand a bit more about whether PMO's are our friends or foes.    About our amazing guests, Lindsay Scott and Eileen Roden Lindsay has worked in and around project management and PMO for over 20 years and is a Director at PMO Learning, a training company focused on PMO.  She is Co-Founder of the House of PMO, a professional membership organisation for PMO practitioners. Lindsay is the co-author of the PMO Competency Framework and editor of the Handbook of People in Project Management. She speaks regularly on project management and PMO career topics – and provides 1-2-1 coaching for those looking to advance their careers in PMO. Eileen has 15 years practitioner experience in a variety of project management roles (predominantly PMO management) along with IT and functional HR roles, with a variety of UK, EMEA and global responsibilities.  Her practical experience is supported by both academic and professional certifications including a Masters in Applied Project Management (with distinction), AIPMO-E, PRINCE2®, MSP®, MoP®, Managing Benefits®, Better Business Cases®, Programme and Project Sponsorship®.  She is now a Consulting Director of PMO Learning and co-founder of the House of PMO. She is the author of P3O® Best Management Practice and lead author of the PMO Competency Framework, co-author of Knowledge Management in a Project Environment, along with contribution to many APM publications.  She is a frequent conference speaker throughout UK and Europe. You can learn more about all the amazing things that Lindsay and Eileen are doing around PMO and even join their great community at https://houseofpmo.com/    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership

In this episode, Kat and Kim talk to Erik Rueter about design thinking in our projects.  What's design thinking, you may be thinking? Design thinking is a methodology that focuses on the end users of a system when we are problem solving. Erik will share 5 different design thinking methods for understanding user needs in a way that not only helps your project provide better deliverables but can also help build a better project team.   About our amazing guest, Erik Rueter Erik K. Rueter, PMP, PMI-ACP, has over 20 years of experience in diverse industries, including tech startups, academia, healthcare, and entertainment. Currently, he serves as a senior project manager at the American Marketing Association and has held multiple senior staff positions at various organizations. Erik holds a BA in neuroscience from Wesleyan University, with further education in digital design, Irish studies, and MicroMasters in Design Thinking and Project Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is also certified in diversity and inclusion by Cornell. Erik's contributions to the field include co-authoring papers on health inequity, lecturing at Boston and Emerson Colleges, and advocating for diversity and inclusion with organizations like Medtronic, VSP, and the San Antonio Spurs. He has spoken, in person and virtually, at PMI Greece, PMI Michiana, and PMI Western Michigan, among others. He has appeared on podcasts such as “Confessions of a Higher Education CMO”; and “I Wanna Work There!” and contributed to “The Evolution of the PMO”, a key resource for project managers. He founded Human-Centered Success LLC to promote inclusive leadership which is National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce certified as an LGBTQIA+-owned business. Residing outside Pittsburgh with his husband and two dachshunds, Erik enjoys marathons, gaming, and sharing his insights. Contact: erik@humancenteredsuccess.com. To learn more about the amazing things Erik is up to:  Check out his website at: www.humancenteredsuccess.com Learn about solution delivery: Mastering Solution Delivery Erik's Upcoming Speaking Engagement: PMI Global Summit 2024 Rock Lobster Leadership: Lessons from The B-52s Resilience and Relatability: A New Paradigm for Project Leadership (With Jake McGaffin and Olivia Montgomery)   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Although an essential part of our project-driven world, most project leaders didn't set out to be one. For many of us, our first steps into project leadership won't come with an official title. So, if we are not ‘officially' project managers, how are we supposed to lead the project?  There are a lot of answers to this question, but one approach all project leaders need to master is the art of managing with informal authority. Without being people's ‘boss,' we need to pull a team of seemingly random people, give them common purpose, build a team and help them successfully deliver a project.  But, seriously, what really is ‘informal authority?' What's involved and how can I master this mystical art? To help us understand this superpower, we are joined on this episode by Kory Kogon, author of the book, “Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager.” Kory takes us through the 5 pillars of informal authority which include:  Demonstrate respect Listen first Clarify expectations Extend trust Practice accountability About our amazing guest, Kory Kogon Kory is FranklinCovey's Vice President, Content Development, and a Senior Leadership Consultant. She is a co-author of the #4 Wall Street Journal bestseller, The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity, in addition to Project Management Essentials for the Unofficial Project Manager, and Presentation Advantage. Kory has been featured on Inc.com and in its Productivity Playbook online series, on Fast Company.com, Forbes.com, and in Investor's Business Daily. She has also appeared on NBC's TODAY with Hoda Kotb. Kory has over 25 years of business expertise from frontline positions to serving as an executive team member for a global franchise organization. This provides her a unique perspective on the application of FranklinCovey's world-renowned content within organizations. Kory not only understands the strategy and principles necessary to build great leaders, systems, and winning cultures, but she understands how FranklinCovey's blended learning offerings deliver practical solutions that enable the behavior changes required for transformational results in organizations with both formal and informal leaders. To learn more about the amazing things Kory is doing and to get her great book: Book: Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager | FranklinCovey Learn about the Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager Course: Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager™ | FranklinCovey About Kory Kogon: FranklinCovey Speaker: Kory Kogon | FranklinCovey Connect to Kory Kogon on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kory-kogon   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

For the first time, Kate and Kim find an Agilist brave enough to join them on the podcast to talk about some really hard questions about working Agile vs Waterfall. Let's get it on! We ask the questions that PM's want to ask - frustrated, annoyed PM's who are told to work “agile” by people who maybe don't even understand Agile - or Waterfall, for that matter. In this refreshingly honest talk about the reality of ways of working, Kate, Kim and their guest Agilist, David Asch, talk in real-world terms about Agile, Predictive and the reality in-between. About our amazing (and brave) guest, David Asch David Asch has a 36-year career in startup and mid-stage commercial software companies. He's worked in various industries, including transportation, supply chain, retail analytics, scientific marketing, blockchain, and secure communications. From his experience with the challenges and successes of delivering software over a long career, David founded 10xPrinciples, a management/organizational consulting company, to help technology companies navigate the transition from startup to mid-stage.  During a time of rapid growth and change, teams typically find that the ”wearing many hats” culture from their startup days is no longer the best approach to honoring commitments. David helps these companies weave Agile practices into the fabric of their cultures. David's recognized expertise in companywide Agile-driven management makes him invaluable to clients who need to implement Agile principles and methodologies into their unique business environments. Get David's book, The Agile Enterprise: Applying Agile Principles to Drive Organizational Success, on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Agile-Enterprise-Applying-Principles-Organizational/dp/1637425473/  Connect to him on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidasch1/  And check out his website: https://10xPrinciples.com    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Project Management is weird. You can have the same job title and be a very tactical execution-minded project manager - which is the way most of us start. Or you can be a strategic part of the leadership team, recognized for your ability to help executives make their vision a reality.  So, how do you develop yourself from tactical implementer to strategic partner?  This episode we are joined by two experienced leaders, Ralph Kliem and Gregg Richie, who have made this transition, and rose to provide pivotal strategic partnership roles with executive teams to help them develop Disaster Recovery capabilities. In fact, they wrote the book on it: Business Continuity Planning: A Project Management Approach. Ralph and Gregg will talk us through how to step beyond the mindset of a tactical project manager and engage with our leadership teams as a strategic partner. About our amazing guests, Ralph Kliem and Gregg Richie Ralph Kliem, M.A.,PMP, CBCP, is the author or co-author of twenty books, including the Management Lessons of the Great Explorers; Political Risk Management and the Global Supply Chain; Business Continuity Planning; and Leading High Performance Projects. He has also published in the Project Management Journal and PM Network.  He managed numerous business continuity projects and programs for major airplane programs at The Boeing Company as well as financial, operational auditing, and information systems projects. He is now retired after over 40 years in the private and public sectors.  Gregg D. Richie, has over 40 years of experience in project management.  His education includes a MBA with a specialization in Project Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, a BS in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and a Master's Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University. He has managed, participated in, or consulted on more than 1200 projects in his career, and  He authored three books on Microsoft Project.  As a retired member of the US Navy SEABEES, he uses real-world experiences in teaching project management concepts. You can follow or connect with Gregg at:   @GreggDRichie https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggrichie/   You can find their book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Business-Continuity-Planning-Management-Approach/dp/1482251787/  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Meetings. Love them or hate them, they are core to what we do as project leaders. We need to pull people together (real or virtually) to discuss, plan, check-in, and get things done. But as we know, when we get people together, sometimes their misbehaviors - “goblins” - tag along, too! Being able to manage effective meetings can make or break us as PMs. And learning how to manage these misbehaviors in meetings can make or break each meeting. Fortunately, we have help! This episode we are joined by Rich Maltzman of Boston University. Rich and his colleague Jim Steward wrote the book, “Great Meetings Build Great Teams: A Guide for Project Leaders and Agilists.” In this book, Rich and Jim write about these “meeting goblins” - how to identify them, and how to respond effectively to keep your meeting on track.  Join us and learn how to tame the meeting goblins!  You can find Rich's book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Meetings-Build-Teams-Agilists/dp/1637424752/ And check out the website here: http://projectmeetings.us You can connect directly with Rich and his co-author, Jim on linked in here:  Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/exclaim/ Jim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimstewartpmp/   And if you would like to study project management with Rich at Boston University, you can read about their globally respected program here: https://www.bu.edu/met/programs/project-management/   About our amazing guest, Rich Maltzman Rich considers himself a ‘pracademic' – and is now Master Lecturer at Boston University, an author, and a consultant, providing clients with a deep learning experience and improved results. He had a 40-year career in telecom, mainly in engineering and project management.  At the University level, his focus is always on converting weaknesses into strengths while teaching clients/students how to apply learned skills to everyday situations.  Rich co-founded EarthPM, LLC, a company devoted to integrating sustainability thinking into project management. His integration of a holistic, global view of project management has resulted in international consulting and speaking engagements in which the focus is the long-term success of projects, with an eye towards ecological and social systems. His blog at the projectmanagement.com site has become very popular. A co-author of seven books on project leadership, Rich is a former VP of Professional Development for PMI Mass Bay (the Boston area PMI Chapter), and was on the Review Committee for the 7th Edition PMBOK® Guide, helping to assure that sustainability thinking finally made it into the Standard and the Body of Knowledge. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

“What percent done are you?”  Status reporting is a core skill (and responsibility) of project managers. It is an opportunity for you to check in with your team, and to build rapport and engagement with stakeholders. But it's also something we often take for granted.  In this episode, Kate and Kim talk about how to approach status reporting whether your project is big or small, and how to leverage this key communication point to help with overall project success.   Why Status Reporting?  Essential for communicating project progress and challenges Builds trust with stakeholders by demonstrating progress Tailoring Status Reports Reports should be adapted to audience needs Understanding the audience (executives, team members, stakeholders) is crucial! Components of an Effective Status Report Executive Summary: A clear, concise overview Accomplishments: Completed tasks or milestones Upcoming Tasks: Planned activities or next steps Risks and Issues: Key challenges and potential problems Go-to-Green Plan: Strategy for addressing significant off-track areas RAG Status: Red, Amber, Green indicators for project health Budget Status: Financial overview (where applicable) Timeline Overview: High-level graphical representation of key events Approaches to Percent Complete Debate on the utility and accuracy of percent-complete metrics Preference for tying status to key milestones over percent completion Status Report Frequency and Medium Weekly status meetings with teams Different report cadences for different audience levels (e.g., executive status monthly) Possible mediums: Email, PowerPoint, Slack, or other communication tools Challenges in Status Reporting Ensuring stakeholder engagement and consumption of reports Potential pushback on RAG status, especially when reporting red or amber Importance of team input and alignment on report content Additional Recommendations Focus on highlighting value and progress in reports Importance of clear, effective communication in status reports Using status reports for accountability and project alignment   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Being a project manager is tough. You are assigned a team of people who may never have with each other (or you) before, and you need to lead them to accomplish a task, solve a problem, or create a new deliverable. And by definition, this is a unique task - so it hasn't been done before, at least not in this way, for these stakeholders.  In among these challenges is perhaps the toughest one: you have to lead this group of people. As project managers, these people almost never report to us - someone else is their boss. So, how do we provide leadership and direction to a group of people when you are not their boss? How do you tell them what to do?  Sure, we could talk about servant leadership and how a PM is a facilitator, who should be working to enable, motivate and coach the team. But in the real world, you need to get these people to get stuff done, or you are all going to fail.  In today's episode, Kate and Kim talk about this conundrum, and offer advice based on their real-world challenges trying to get people to do things - who don't report to them.  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

It can be hard getting a project started correctly: getting the right executive and stakeholder sponsorship and support, getting them all to agree on the scope and approach, getting funding, approvals, and all the other things required to get a project off the ground. You negotiate with other departments and get committed resource assignments and timelines. You finally get your amazing project off the ground, you're humming along then, BOOM! The organization changes.  Your stakeholders change. Your executive sponsors change. The structure or ownership of the organization changes. Your resources are all moved to different teams.  And you're caught-out like a PM with a flip-phone at an iphone convention.  What now? What do you do? How do you re-align your project and ensure its success in the new (or ever changing) organizational environment? This is the problem that Kate and Kim are painfully familiar with, and tackle on this episode.  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Projects are hard. And a lot of them - maybe most of them - fail to live up to their expectations. Missed timelines, quality issues, budget overages, customer dissatisfaction - it seems sometimes like projects miss the mark more often than they hit it. But why is that? What can we learn from all those past projects that can help us make future projects more successful?  This is the question Jim Johnson set out to understand. In his years with the Standish Group, he and his team set the benchmark for one of the most respected analysis on project outcomes: the CHAOS Report. Join us in this short chat with Jim, as he tells us about the CHAOS report and some of his most important findings over the years. And maybe like Kate and I, you can also learn some important lessons from all those past project challenges. About our esteemed guest, Jim Johnson Jim Johnson is the retired founder and past chairman of the Standish Group, a globally respected source of independent primary research and analysis of IT project performance. He is best known for his research on why projects fail, as well as on system costs and availability. He is also a pioneer of modern research techniques such as virtual focus groups and case-based analytical technology. Get your copy of the CHAOS report here:  https://standishgroup.myshopify.com/    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Creative decision making is key to what we do in all our projects. According to FourSight, there are 4 distinct voices in the decision making process. Do you have these voices in the room when you make decisions? Do you know when you need all 4 voices - or only a couple specific ones?  We are joined today by Teresa Lawrence who gave one of the most fun and engaging talks at this past year's PMI Global Summit in Las Vegas. She talks us through the FourSight approach to creative problem solving, the 4 voices in decision making, and also reveals the results of Kim and Kate's FourSight assessment on the air!  Best of all, you can do this too! Check out our page at https://pmhappyhour.com/foursight and sign up to get your own FourSight assessment and join Kim, Kate, Teresa and your fellow Happy Hour fans as we get our results and learn how we can better approach creative problem solving ourselves and with our teams.  About our amazing guest, Teresa Lawrence, PhD, PMP, CSM Teresa Lawrence is an influencer and SME on the integration of creativity and Creative Problem Solving (CPS) into Project Management. Since 2017, she has facilitated, trained and consulted to over 85K people since 2017. Investing years of experience in you.  She was a 2019 Small Business Administration Home-based Business of the Year. A cognitive diversity trainer, she joins us today from Florida. Find out more about the Teresa's work and FourSight You can read more about Teresa's work and even engage her to help facilitate your team here: http://internationaldeliverables.com/  You can read about the FourSight assessment here: https://www.foursightonline.com/  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

“I know the world is ending, but do you have wifi here?” Sounds funny, but it's deadly serious. Natural disasters impact critical infrastructure that we depend on every day: shelter, fresh water, food distribution, and power. These are the ones we think about.  But what about communication?  How do relief agencies, police, fire, and government coordinate a disaster response when there is no power, no cell signal, no wifi? How do community members communicate with each other, find out where to get aid, or reach out to loved ones who are worrying about them if there is no functioning communication infrastructure - or even a place to charge your phone?  Enter the ITDRC! The Information Technology Disaster Resource Center is a non-profit organization that sends teams and equipment to disaster areas to provide communication and technology services. The PM's involved are truly project management heroes, and we get to hear from one of them today, Charis Mayhorn.   About our amazing guest, Charis Mayhorn Charis Mayhorn is a Network Architect.  In her day job, she designs IP networks, advises leadership and boards on infrastructure best practices, and guides cross-team collaboration.  In her free time, she volunteers with ITDRC. Find out more about the ITDRC here: Volunteer and read more about the ITDRC on their website, https://itdrc.org/  Check out this video of a 2 day ride along during Hurricane Ian response:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgbzRiqHnvE   Read about the ITDRC's other activities at https://medium.com/@ITDRC  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Decisions make or break your project - starting with the decision of whether or not to even do your project. Beyond that, we have planned decisions / phase gates and ad-hoc decisions that happen throughout the entire life of our project. And if you've been around long enough, you know that one bad decision can sink your whole project - or at least have it taking on water, fast.  So, how should we approach decision making in a logical way which helps ensure that: The right decisions get made Decisions get made by the right people Decisions are not revisited any more than they absolutely have to To help answer these questions, this episode we are joined by Project Management mentor, consultant and YouTube PM star Kandis Porter! If you don't know Kandis, you must check out her extensive youtube channel covering a lot of great Project Management topics.  In today's episode, Kandis will help us understand:  Why should we care so much about project decisions?  How should you approach decision making?  Kandis shares her “D.I.D.I.” framework for decision making How do you ensure your decisions stick?  What are some “worst practices” for decision making that we should avoid And along the way, we may throw in some horror stories about bad decision making that we can hopefully learn from About our amazing guest, Kandis Porter Kandis Porter is the Founder and Managing Director of Effective Flow Connections (EFC), a management consulting company that helps transform organizations through project management, process improvement, change management, facilitation of key meetings, and training. Kandis also works one-on-one with clients, focusing on Leadership development and growth. EFC enables organizations to do what they do, even better!  Kandis Porter has more than 18 years of experience managing people and large projects in both the government and private sectors. She has supported clients in various industries, to include the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, utilities, medical device, health care, non-profit, and learning & development.  Kandis has a Master of Science Degree in Project Management (MSPM) from The George Washington University and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Human Resources. In addition, she is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), PMP Exam Prep Course Instructor through Project Management Institute, Prosci Change Manager, and Six Sigma Green Belt. She is also certified as a Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner, Thomas-Kilmann Instrument (TKI) Practitioner, and is a Wiley DiSC Workshop facilitator.  Before joining the consulting industry, Kandis proudly spent more than seven years on Active Duty in the United States Air Force and is passionate about giving back to veterans and their families.  Check out some of Kandis' amazing content here: YouTube: Kandis Porter - YouTube Website: Kandis Porter - effectiveflowconnections.com Kandis also has a book being released in early 2023 called ‘Good Decisions Equal Success'; coauthored with good friend and CEO, Damon Lembi   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Yeah! One of our favorite guests, Tim Creasey, returns! This time we are talking about what happens if you realize, too late in the game, that you really didn't consider Change Management enough in your planning cycle.  It's such a universal experience of a project manager to not have change management, and so many of us end up in these situations where we struggle to see the real benefits of a change we've implemented.  We figured: why not start where most of us end up: in trouble! Join Kate and Kim as we talk with Tim about how to recover. About our amazing guest, Tim Creasey An author, researcher, change expert and human, Tim focuses on the people-side of change with process, wit and vigor. Tim's work forms the foundation of the world's largest body of knowledge on change management. His role as Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci gives him unparalleled insight into change management challenges, trends and futures. Having spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, Tim is authentic, knowledgeable and unassumingly funny. He enables audiences with valuable data and actionable information. And here are some links to some of Tim's other amazing content: 8 Alignment Hacks That Enhance Change Management Today While formal approaches to Change Management are a must for people-dependent projects and complex transformations, sometimes simple adjustments can help teams and colleagues remove roadblocks and enable rapid change during uncertain times. Why Change Management People are the common denominator for achieving project success and business outcomes and the research is clear: Initiatives with excellent change management are six times more likely to succeed. Taking Charge of Change Training Program Prosci's Taking Charge of Change 1-day program will help you get started on delivering change success through people. Tim's LinkedIn Profile Connect with Tim on LinkedIn and keep the change management conversation going! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

As a project manager, the time you get with an executive sponsor is critical: you don't get much of it and you cannot blow it! For many of our listeners, you may be new to executive meetings. But, how do you get the most out of these meetings and give a good impression so you can get the confidence of your executive sponsors? It's something we ALL struggle with and can all get better with.  On today's show, Kate and Kim talk through how to win with these meetings. Jokingly the 30/60/90 minute plan (30 minute meeting after 60 hours of preparation and 90 pounds of stress eating), we talk you through:  Knowing your audience How to present to execs  How to tell your story JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Tech startups drive the technology around us, and a good bit of the economy. They use creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit to solve problems and build the world of tomorrow. But how do they do that? Is it really like the “Shark Tank” or “Dragon's Den” tv shows? Today we are joined by a real-life tech founder who has successfully built his company and introduced a new tool to the market - a PM tool, no less! Pete Bernardo, founder of Punchlist tells us about the project behind founding a startup and bringing his product to market. And, no, it's not quite like the TV show :-)  AND you can get your first month free & 10% off the price of Punchlist by signing up here and using the coupon code: PMHAPPYHOUR   OUR AMAZING GUEST: Pete Bernardo, Founder of Punchlist Pete Bernardo is the Founder & CEO of Punchlist, the #1 client feedback layer over your creative work. Pete is also a TechStars Atlanta Mentor, a father of two, and an occasional pizza maker.  Former EVP of Product & Growth at Three Five Two, Pete has 20 years of design & development experience across clients like CNN, Porsche, American Express, and Microsoft.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petebernardo/     JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

When the first Covid vaccinations were released, massive vaccination sites were launched, seemingly overnight, to vaccinate millions of people. If you volunteered or were vaccinated at one of these sites, you may have witnessed how huge, sophisticated and well run these sites were. But how did they do that? How (and who) planned, organized, stood up and ran these massive sites vaccinating thousands of people a day - at a time when you couldn't even hardly hold an in-person meeting?  Kim volunteered at one of these early sites at a football stadium parking lot with dozens of lanes of people getting vaccinated, thousands and thousands a day. Since then, we've been trying to find someone to come on the show and talk about how these were organized so well, so quickly. And he had no luck doing so - until now!  Our guest, Aaron Bellinger, was project manager for one of these emergency Covid vaccination sites and walks us through how the whole process went down, from conception to execution, operation and tear-down. It's an impressive, once-in-a-lifetime project that affected the lives of thousands.    OUR AMAZING GUEST: Aaron Bellinger, PMP Aaron Bellinger was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ where he lives with his beautiful wife Tanya and their sweet dog Ollie. Aaron has an extensive background in project management where most of his experience was gained “on the job”. His first job was roofing houses with his dad where he learned you can survive 110 degree days outdoors. Aaron also helped business users with technical computer hardware support which gave him great insight into the “customer”. Most recently Aaron has been a project manager in a healthcare environment where he is helping improve end user experiences and serving his community for impact. It didn't take Aaron long to realize that by asking “do you want it good, fast or cheap, pick two”, he could turn anyone's plan into action ensuring he executed for impact and mitigated risk with a purpose.  Aaron is a certified Project Management Professional who believes that a defined scope will set you up for success.  When Aaron isn't Project Managing something at work, he is taking his truck off road, SCUBA diving, or competing in the United States Practical Shooting Association matches at the gun range in a fierce, blasting competition.    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Linkedin and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

This episode is based on feedback we've had from our member 1:1 coaching sessions, one of the benefits we provide our PM Happy Hour members. Many PM's find themselves in a position where they are the first project manager in their organization. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced pro, this will be a challenge. The organization probably has a low (or no) level of project management maturity, no organizational concept of what project management is or how to make projects succeed, and probably as many different expectations of what a PM should and shouldn't do as there are people in the organization. Where do you even start?! Before you whip out your PMBOK or Agile Practice guide and start reading it to your team, let's step back a moment and talk about how to approach this situation pragmatically. And let's do it with one of our favorite PMO mentors Joe Pusz, “PMO Joe!”  In this episode, we talk with PMO Joe about how to approach you new role as the pioneer project manager in your organization and how to set yourself, your team and your organization up for success - in the short and long term. OUR AMAZING GUEST: JOE PUSZ, “PMO JOE” Joe Pusz, PMO Joe is an internationally recognized leader in the Project Management and PMO community. He is a frequent Keynote Speaker, Author, Project Management Innovator and was recently named one of the Top 8 PMO Influencers in the World by the PMO Global Alliance. He is the Founder and President of THE PMO SQUAD, a Phoenix based PMO and Project Management Consulting firm serving clients across the United States. He is host of the Project Management Office Hours Radio Show and Podcast providing Project Management Leaders a voice within our community. Now in the 5th season the show has over 40 million plays and downloads featuring guests from around the world. Joe is also Co-Founder of VPMMA, the Veteran Project Manager Mentor Alliance which is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization assisting Veterans seeking to transition into civilian Project Management careers. Joe is the Founder of The PMO Leader global community.  The site is the only global ecommerce community for PMO Leaders and teams to share content, gain knowledge and exchange experiences. He is a Judge for the Global PMO Awards, a member of the PMI Executive Roundtable on PMOs, and is a long-time member of the Project Management Institute. He has been a PMI Volunteer, Sponsor and Mentor. Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepusz/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pmo-squad/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-management-office-hours/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vpmma/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pmo-leader/ https://twitter.com/THEPMOSQUAD https://www.instagram.com/thepmosquad/   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

OK, originally this was going to be an April Fool's goof podcast, but it turned out to be a lot of fun and maybe a bit educational. But, nope, it's not your usual PMHH episode, and DEFINITELY not your typical PM podcast. So, if you are looking for something serious and academic, this episode is not the one for you. Kate will be your dungeon master in this fun (and, yeah, weird) episode! Kate walks Kim through building his PM character, then takes him through a tabletop RPG (role playing game) of managing a project. Is it as dorky as it sounds? YES!! “Roll your negotiation check.”  Will Kim be able to complete his quest? Or will the Dragons, Facilities Managers and other monsters stop his party in their tracks?  I don't know about you, but I think Kate needs to start hosting public versions of these! Talk about a fun way to PDU! Give us a shout if you think so too!  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

PMs are accountable for project success. As such, we are keenly aware when things are failing! And because most PM's are process and goal oriented, we can think of a lot of ways to improve an organization. But how do you propose a change in a way that gets support - instead of damnation? If you don't do it right, pitching a change can sound a lot like giving a bunch of other people more work to do, or telling everyone else that they've been doing it ‘wrong' for the last 10 years, and you as a fresh-faced PM is here to tell them how to do it right.  In this episode, we're going to try to help you learn from our hard lessons learned and effectively pitch changes to help your organization succeed the way you know it can.  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Wouldn't it be cool if everyone followed all the processes we built? If everyone on our team followed the PMBOK or SCRUM methodologies perfectly every single time and every estimate we ever received was perfectly accurate?  Of course that doesn't happen. But did you ever stop to think - why? Well, our guest today has. Dr. Josh Ramirez has combed the scientific literature on human behavior and combined that with his love of project management to help explain why people do the things they do - and don't. Today he shares with us how to use human psychology to change the way we approach project delivery to account for the weird ways humans behave. OUR AMAZING GUEST DR. JOSH RAMIREZ Dr. Josh Ramirez is the founder and CEO of the Institute for Neuro & Behavioral Project Management Building an organization (www.nbpmi.com) that is working on redesigning project management with behavioral, social, cognitive, and neuroscience, toward an emerging field of Behavioral Project Management. In addition, he is currently researching application of science to project management to build a foundation of project science under existing practices. The future of project management is in redesigning around the beings that predict and deliver projects: humans.  He is also co-author of NeuralPlan with Dr. Shari De Baets, and an adjunct professor of project management, with experience that includes business operations management, project management, and project controls, including work at several national laboratories and other projects throughout the U.S. Department of Energy complex, as well as private sector project work.  Read more about Josh's great contributions to PM here: The Institute for Neuro & Behavioral Project Management: https://www.nbpmi.com/  Behavioral PM Membership Site: behavioralpm.com (new membership site) https://www.behavioralpm.com/  Neural Plan: https://www.neural-plan.com/    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

“I am in way over my head.”  “I have no business doing this job” “I am totally not worthy of this role” “There is no way I'm qualified to do this”  Have you ever told this to yourself? You may be infected with Imposter Syndrome! That's OK - all highly capable people, especially project managers, find themselves with this affliction at one time or another - and again and again :-)  Not only can Imposter Syndrome take the fun and motivation out of your job, we see it holding many professionals back from their potential. So, get treatment today!  We were going to do an episode on Imposter syndrome, but then thought, are we really qualified to do that? Seems like it would take someone with much more experience than us to do it. :-) In this episode, Kate and Kim share their experience dealing with their own Imposter Syndrome, and share how we deal with it and over come it, and how we coach our mentees to shine in spite of self doubt. Get after it!    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

The same way sports teams have coaches to help optimize their performance, organizations can engage PM coaches to help their project management team win.  In this episode, we are joined by Heather Gates, a PM coach who has worked to help develop project managers across many organizations. In this episode, Heather shares a few of her top coaching tips in some key areas: Self Awareness Communication  Time Management Stakeholder Management Cross functional Collaboration About our amazing guest, Heather Gates Heather Gates is an entrepreneur, consultant and certified project manager who values collaboration, productivity and service. As a former NCAA Kodak All-American in basketball and amateur beach volleyball player who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio USA, Heather has established a global reputation for being a diligent and thoughtful leader while advocating for effective project management amongst her peers, colleagues, project teams, and customers. Certified as a women's business enterprise (WBE) from WECONNECT International in its first year, Heather launched PM Rehab in 2020. PM rehab is re-launching as PM Connect in Jan 2022, and has the mission to provide real-time project management learning experiences and support services that help companies retain existing project professionals and optimize traditional business functions. Using relatable scenarios, Heather sheds light on how individuals and businesses can quickly introduce effective and quality project management for their projects, teams and customers.   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Did you ever watch the credits at the end of a movie and think, “wow, that's a lot of people?” You're right. Hundreds or thousands of people engaged to deliver a massive, multi-million dollar project that is a feature film. How do they do that?  Our guest today walks us through the project behind a feature film: how do they plan a movie? How do they get funding? Who is really the PM in charge of pulling this thing off? (hint: it's not the director) This episode is a trial of a new format, “The Project Behind It” where we explore the projects behind the amazing every-day things around us. Like the format and want to see more? Let us know!  About our amazing guest, Eli Aultman Eli Aultman is a production and development executive in film and television and an award winning independent producer whose projects have premiered at festivals such as SXSW, TriBeCa, Slamdance, and XOXO.  Their credits include projects in both the Star Wars and Marvel universes. They are a cofounder of Doubletake Entertainment, which leverages strategic partnerships with foreign governing bodies and private equity to develop and finance cutting-edge location-based entertainment, audiovisual content, and interactive media, and they are currently working as a consultant in the emerging field of virtual production. They hold a Juris Doctor in Intellectual Property from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Macalester College. You can find out more about Eli via IMDb, LinkedIn, and Clubhouse JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

We are joined again by one of our favorite guests, Tim Creasey, Organizational Change Wizard. This time he shares 12 different methods for creating better alignment with your team and your stakeholders. In this first part of a 2 part episode, we share the first 6 of these hacks to help get two people on the same page.   7- Marathon Measures 8- Context and Contrast 9- Zoom 10- Top of Mind Not Top Priority 11- Progress Over Perfection 12- Time and Place   If you missed part 1, you can find it here. About our amazing guest, Tim Creasey An author, researcher, change expert and human, Tim focuses on the people-side of change with process, wit and vigor. Tim's work forms the foundation of the world's largest body of knowledge on change management. His role as Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci gives him unparalleled insight into change management challenges, trends and futures. Having spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, Tim is authentic, knowledgeable and unassumingly funny. He enables audiences with valuable data and actionable information.   And here are some links to some of Tim's other amazing content: 8 Alignment Hacks That Enhance Change Management Today While formal approaches to Change Management are a must for people-dependent projects and complex transformations, sometimes simple adjustments can help teams and colleagues remove roadblocks and enable rapid change during uncertain times. Why Change Management People are the common denominator for achieving project success and business outcomes and the research is clear: Initiatives with excellent change management are six times more likely to succeed. Taking Charge of Change Training Program Prosci's Taking Charge of Change 1-day program will help you get started on delivering change success through people. Tim's LinkedIn Profile Connect with Tim on LinkedIn and keep the change management conversation going!   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

We are joined again by one of our favorite guests, Tim Creasey, Organizational Change Wizard. This time he shares 12 different methods for creating better alignment with your team and your stakeholders. In this first part of a 2 part episode, we share the first 6 of these hacks to help get two people on the same page.   Pivot around Purpose “To What End?” To _____ By_____ statement Name it to tame it Matching Matters Solution Laps About our amazing guest, Tim Creasey An author, researcher, change expert and human, Tim focuses on the people-side of change with process, wit and vigor. Tim's work forms the foundation of the world's largest body of knowledge on change management. His role as Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci gives him unparalleled insight into change management challenges, trends and futures. Having spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, Tim is authentic, knowledgeable and unassumingly funny. He enables audiences with valuable data and actionable information. And here is some amazing content from Tim!  8 Alignment Hacks That Enhance Change Management Today While formal approaches to Change Management are a must for people-dependent projects and complex transformations, sometimes simple adjustments can help teams and colleagues remove roadblocks and enable rapid change during uncertain times. Why Change Management People are the common denominator for achieving project success and business outcomes and the research is clear: Initiatives with excellent change management are six times more likely to succeed. Taking Charge of Change Training Program Prosci's Taking Charge of Change 1-day program will help you get started on delivering change success through people. Tim's LinkedIn Profile Connect with Tim on LinkedIn and keep the change management conversation going! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

The Ironman Triathlon. Without exaggeration, it is truly one of the most epic endurance events that a mortal human can participate in: 140.6 miles covered in a single day by swimming, biking and running.  As epic as it is to participate in an Ironman, it may be even more daunting to plan and manage one. 140+ miles of race course. 3 totally different disciplines (Swim, Bike, Run). As many as 2,000 - 3,000 participants. Literally tons of food and drink to get out across the course.  Thousands of volunteers. City permits, police, medics, media... By any measure, each and every Ironman event is an extraordinary project and major logistical feat, and one the Ironman group does extremely well. We are joined by Paul Huddle, Senior Regional Director for Ironman, who walks us through what's involved in planning and running an Ironman event. Whether you are a Project Manager, an Ironman athlete or just amazed by extraordinary endeavors, you are going to dig this episode!    About our amazing guest, Paul Huddle Paul Huddle is a Seasoned Event Operator with more than 20 years of experience in the fast-paced mass participation endurance sport industry. He is a Senior Regional Director for the Ironman Group, and is responsible for triathlons from sprints to the Ironman Championship, mountain biking, and running events - including the Rock & Roll marathons.  Paul is also the author of:  The Athlete Minded Traveler, Ironman - Start to Finish and Starting Out Triathlon JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.  

Project Managers are agents of change. Whether your project changes organizations, technologies, infrastructure or processes, the success of your project likely depends on *people* actually using your deliverables. But how much of your project is really focused on those people and helping them understand and make those changes?  Spoiler: Kate *totally* nerds out on this one :-) After we recorded this, Kate and Kim quoted Tim to just about everyone they met. Mic drops!  In this podcast we are joined by one of the most influential thought-leaders in Change Management today, Tim Creasey, the CIO of Prosci. Tim will take us through the 5 tenets of change management, and their corresponding plain language questions: We change for a reason Plain language question: Why are we changing?  Who has to do their job differently, and how?  Organizational change requires individual change How much of our outcomes depend on adoption and usage?  Organizational outcomes are the collective result of individual change What will we do to support adoption and usage?  Change Management is an enabling framework for managing the people side of change How will driving adoption and usage improve results?  We apply change management to realize the benefits and desired outcomes of change   About our amazing guest, Tim Creasey An author, researcher, change expert and human, Tim focuses on the people side of change with process, wit and vigor. Tim's work forms the foundation of the world's largest body of knowledge on change management. His role as Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci gives him unparalleled insight into change management challenges, trends and futures. Having spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, Tim is authentic, knowledgeable and unassumingly funny. He enables audiences with valuable data and actionable information. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

You're a PM and you have landed on a strange new world where you don't know the industry, the organization the people or the subject matter. How do you get oriented enough to intelligently deliver a project? How do you succeed in this alien environment?  In this episode, Kate and Kim talk about how to approach getting up to speed when you are faced with leading a project in a new department, new company, new domain or totally new industry where you don't know the subject matter.  In summary:  Get a head start where you can Stand on what you know Build trust then ask for help Fake it ‘til you make it   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Whether you are hiring project managers or hope to get hired, do you know what hiring managers should be looking for? What’s going on in a hiring managers mind when they look at your resume and when they interview you?  In this episode we are joined by Matt Henderson - a long time PMO manager who has hired hundreds of project managers. In fact, at one point he managed both Kate and Kim. How on earth did he manage two such unruly PMs?! We’ll maybe cover that in another episode. In this episode, Matt shares tips on interviewing and selecting PM’s for hire. This will be useful to you whether you are a hiring manager yourself, or being interviewed yourself.  Our amazing guest, Matt Henderson Matt Henderson is a Senior Executive with over 25 year of experience in Project Management.  He has worked globally within Startup and Fortune-500 Services organizations, helping clients achieve business-critical outcomes from their Projects.  In these roles, Matt has built and managed several PMO’s and has hired 100’s of PM’s.   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

If you are a PM working in or with a large enterprise, you may have heard of ITSM, or the ITIL framework. And you may well have been asked to create additional deliverables and go through some processes to support ITSM. But what is it? How does it work? Why is it good for organizations? And as a PM, what do I typically need to do to support it? And, what's the difference between ITSM and ITIL?  To help us better understand ITIL and ITSM, we are joined today by one of the most respected experts in the area of ITSM, Erika Flora of BEYOND20. Erika not only helps us understand ITIL and ITSM, but also how this framework can help your project and your organization succeed in the long term.   Our amazing guest Erika Flora, PMP, PgMP, ITIL Expert Erika is President/CEO with BEYOND20. For more than 15 years, Erika has worked with global organizations to define and launch PMOs, provide Project Management training and coaching, and implement Enterprise Project Management platforms. She holds several Project Management certifications including PMP, PgMP, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).  Erika has a Master’s Degree in Microbiology from the University of Florida, served as an Adjunct Professor of Project Management at San Diego State University, volunteered as a PMI board member in Phoenix and San Diego, and is a Lead Editor/author for the core publication “ITIL 4 Leader: Digital & IT Strategy”, released in Q4 2020. When she’s not working or on social media (@erikaflora), you can find her performing with her improv comedy team, Swoonface.   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

If your project customers are external to your organization, you have a lot more to worry about than the success of your project. You also have the carry the weight of building and maintaining a relationship with your organization's customer. And if you do it wrong... you are toast!  In this episode, Kim shares some points from training that he gives to new Project Managers that are transitioning from "internal" facing projects to "external," customer facing projects. Follow along and learn how to be a PM consultant!    JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

As PM’s we are often privy to confidential information. How do you manage that info, even when you know it will impact your friends and colleagues?    This week Kate and Kim share some of their experience managing confidential information - how to do it, and how to react when you or someone else inadvertently lets the cat out of the bag   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Are you trying to get into the field of Project Management? Or, are you ready for the next step and to move out of the PM field?  This week Kate and Kim have a very special guest, Ben Aston, the host of The Digital Project Manager podcast - one of our favorite PM podcasts. Kate, Kim and Ben talk about how to break into the field of Project Management, and talk about what may lay beyond project management. In either case, we share our experience and some examples to help you with your transition. Cheers!  OUR AMAZING GUEST BEN ASTON Ben Aston is a digital project manager and online entrepreneur – the founder of Black + White Zebra, an indie media company on a mission to help people and organizations succeed.   Ben brings over 15 years of experience in both strategic thinking and tactical implementation from a career at top digital agencies including TAG, FCV, Dare, Wunderman, DLKW Lowe and DDB. He's been fortunate enough to work across verticals including transit, utilities, FMCG, consumer electronics, eCommerce, automotive, financial services, public sector, and retail brands. Ben's a Certified Scrum Master, PRINCE2 Practitioner and founder of the digital project management blog, The Digital Project Manager.  Check out some of Ben’s amazing content -    The Digital Project Manager -  https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/ DPM School -  https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/project-management-training/  DPM Membership -  https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/membership/ Black & White Zebra -  https://blackandwhitezebra.com/ Indie Media Club -  https://indiemedia.club/     JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Are you looking for a PM job? If not now, one day you may be. So, why not talk to a pro who knows the market and help you find the right job? A Project Management Recruiter!    Building a relationship with a recruiter can be a gateway to a great PM career, or to your next step in that career. In this episode we speak with Norma Gutierrez, an experienced Project Management recruiter who shares with ous what you can expect from a recruiter, how they can help you, and what they look for.    OUR AMAZING GUEST NORMA GUTIERREZ Norma Gutierrez is an Account Manager at TEKsystems focused in the Phoenix Valley.  She is involved in the PMI Chapter Group as well as in Agile Anonymous and a fan of our podcast. Yeah!    She’s has specialized her time in the Staffing Industry in the Project Management space and is very excited to share some of her perspective on recruiting.    Teksystems.com www.linkedin.com/in/normajgutierrez JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Do I need a Project Management Office (PMO)? Does anyone REALY need a PMO? Why, aren’t those all going away because of Agile? What value can a PMO give to an organization? And when does it not make sense to have a PMO? We go through all this and more on this 2 part podcast - check it out! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Do I need a Project Management Office (PMO)? Does anyone REALY need a PMO? Why, aren’t those all going away because of Agile? What value can a PMO give to an organization? And when does it not make sense to have a PMO? We go through all this and more on this 2 part podcast - check it out! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

We get asked a lot about what project management is about, what it’s like to get into the profession, and what are the most important things to do as you get into the field. There are so many things to think about, so many considerations that it can be hard to think of a simple answer to ‘what is project management like?’ But one answer we fall back on often is that Project Management is about: Saying what you are going to do Do what you said you did, Say what you did   We of course didn’t come up with that, but it so accurately describes the life of PM that we thought we’d make a podcast of it and go into the details. Join us as we talk about Say-Do-Say paradigm of project communication   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Project Management can be tough - full of stress, emotion, passion and… more stress. You, your team and your stakeholders are trying to make big changes happen in the intense pressure cooker that is a project. And if you’ve been around long enough you will know that tears sometimes happen in the workplace. But how do we handle that - if we work with someone and they shed tears, or if it’s us? In this episode, we get real and honest about tears in the workplace - that it’s not a sign of weakness, and talk about how to handle it. And how NOT to handle it.  JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Many of us are suddenly finding that we - and our teams - are working remotely from home. While this is normal for a lot of our workforce, it can represent a very big change for a lot of teams. How do we stay focused and stay productive - and help our team stay focused as well? And how do we do that in a way that keeps us all sane?  In this webinar, Kate and Kim talk through this process from how to setup a productive workspace from home, what tools you can use to optimize collaboration to how to treat ourselves and our team with compassion and help keep them motivated.    Get the webinar video! If you want to see the webinar with video, you can do so by registering on this page: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/3115849828526/WN_YlN8JVMBT_S5fwqh_rhogA JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Projects are about change - but what are you doing to manage that change in your project? Fortunately, there’s an entire field of practice to make changes stick - Organizational Change Management Today our guest walks us through the Prosci ADKAR model for implementing change - one of the most well known and popular methodologies for managing change.  OUR AMAZING GUEST AND PM HAPPY HOUR MEMBER Kornelia Homewood, Kori for short, is passionate about all things project management. She is a certified PMP, Professional Scrum Master (PSM), and most recently a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner. She has a Masters of Science in Project Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a portfolio leading diverse projects spanning multiple industries including – Higher Education, EdTech, FinTech, and IT. Her current role is that of a Project and Portfolio Management Consultant with Kolme Group. When she is not heads down on a project, you’ll find Kori indulging in her favorite hobby – all things yarn! Knitting, crocheting, spinning and weaving.  Find out more about Kori on her Linked in Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korneliahomewood/  Read more about Prosci here: https://www.prosci.com/  And to find out more about ADKAR, check out Jeffrey M. Hiatt’s book: ADKAR: A model for change in business, government, and our community JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

Whether we realize it or not,  we all have bias in the way we think about things. Maybe you have a bias to be overly optimistic in your estimates, or under estimate the impact of risks. Planning fallacy, illusion of control, confirmation bias - the list goes on of different ways bias can mis-shape our perceptions and our decisions   This week’s amazing guest, Jennifer Chandler, brings her depth of experience as a project manager and expertise in organizational leadership to help us understand bias and how to manage it   OUR AMAZING GUEST! This week’s guest, Jennifer Chandler, received her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute in 2008, even though she had been managing projects for decades before that. She managed information technology projects for federal agencies (e.g., the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U. S. Secret Service; the U. S. Navy; and the U. S. Army), international corporations (e.g., Motorola), and for national not-for-profit professional associations (e.g., the Association of American Medical Colleges). She has also managed and mentored teams of project managers as well as one-on-one mentoring of project managers.  She has also conducted assessments of other organizations' project management practices and developed curriculum and taught project management in organizations. JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour

Hiya listeners, in this episode we share what we’ve been up to and why we’ve been a bit quiet, some amazing PDU stats and share some things that we’re thankful for.  Cheers! And thanks to our amazing listeners   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

For this episode the tables are turned - Kate and Kim get interviewed! Arizona State University student Krystal Ebadi contacted us and asked if she could interview us for her PM class about the realities of studying PM and getting a job. Of course we said yes! And Krystal let us share that interview with our listeners. Thanks Krystal! Join us as we talk about studying project management in a University, how to prepare to get a PM job, and how to break into the field. This episode covers some of our most frequent listener questions ABOUT OUR AMAZING GUEST KRYSTAL EBADI Krystal Ebadi is currently a junior at Arizona State University (Go sun devils!!!!!!) She is majoring in organizational leadership project management, and aspires to become a future Project Manager APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE! Kim was getting his house painted on recording day (OOPS!) and there's a bit of noise in the background. Sorry! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

This episode we talk with one of our amazing listeners, Josh Mildren, who shares his story about how he became a project manager - or rather, how he realized he was a project manager all along. Like a lot of our Happy Hour listeners, Josh was looking for new ways to address challenges his organization was struggling with, and found that a pragmatic approach using Project Management principles has a huge impact - so much so, that it propelled him to employee of the year! Congrats Josh!  Join us as Josh shares his journey - one that we think a lot of Happy Hour listeners can identify with! We'll talk about how to recognize how and when to leverage Project Management disciplines in your job - and how to recognize if you are, actually, a Project Manager even if that's not your official job title. ABOUT OUR AMAZING GUEST JOSH MILDREN Josh Mildren has been working in helpdesk services for 15 years and has been a Client Onboarding Engineer for the past 2 and half years with Dataprise out of Rockville MD. Josh has taken his experience with helpdesk support, client services and documentation to provide new client information and expectations of support services to his company, while setting up managed solutions and monitoring support services for their new clients. In order to ensure our clients have a smooth transition, Josh trains both his TEC staff and the client on submitting issues, reports and escalations and answer questions all while trying to meet Go-Live dates for support.     JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.

This episode we talk about that make-or-break moment in project closing: handing over your project deliverables. If you plan your project right, this can be a moment of victory for your team, your stakeholders, and for yourself. But if you don’t plan for it, handover can become a never ending death march to nowhere. Kate and Kim talk about how to setup this key transition for success, and talk about some pitfalls you are going to want to avoid! JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership  STUMP THE PM’S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at podcast@pmhappyhour.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we’ll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we’ll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.