Projects and Systems Podcast

Is there such a thing as being over-prepared? And if so, can it be dangerous? In today's episode I explain why the answer is, "Yes!" to both questions.

Ever think you're doing the right thing, only to find out it was precisely wrong? Today I talk about how we do that in our organizations.

One reason why you may not be getting the results you expect in your projects, is that your standard of what it takes to hit excellence is far too low. What you think it takes to get an A+ on your paper, might really be what it takes to get a C+, or a B-.

When you estimate what you can pull off in the next iteration, are you basing that on a running average? Or the reality of the moment?

Are you inadvertantly creating your own bottlenecks? In this episode, I discuss one common way this can happen, and what to do about it.

There's a time for dreaming, and then there's a time to get our feet firmly back on the ground. As PM's, we need to guide our teams to meet project objectives with our existing resources.

I know it's comfortable to speak in generalities and, "We might want to's..." and, "...Maybe we should consider's...". There's a time for that in the beginning. But then, we need to put that verbiage behind us and hold ourselves to a higher standard of speaking clearly and directly.

How a little bit of situational awareness, up front, can help us avoid taking our project teams on unnecessary side trips that cause delays and lower morale.

A quick tip on something that often confuses people using Agile/Scrum to manage their projects.

As project managers we are paid to hit the objective--even if that means getting there in a way that wasn't part of our original plan.

When we're trying to adopt a new methodology at work, and we hit some friction, we sometimes jump to the conclusion (pun intended) that we chose the wrong approach. That can happen, but more often we just have not given it time to really sink in.

When we try and take shortcuts, it ends up taking longer. When we're deliberate, and we take the time it takes, that's as fast as that task can be done.

Episode 043 - Three questions our team members are asking themselves by Projects and Systems Podcast

How often have you been frustrated by last-minute changes in your project scope? In today's episode I shed some light on why that happens, and how we need to anticipate vs. complain about changes.

Sometimes we act like some policies or ways of doing things are just givens--something we just need to work around. However, often they are not as permanent as we think, and the real solution is to just tear it down.

Can you and your project measure up to the equivalent of what my general contractor is doing on my home remodel?

Ever get frustrated as to why all of your process improvement efforts just don't seem to move the needle? You know you're doing the right things, but can't figure out why you don't see the results? This quick listen may be the answer you're looking for.

A quick lesson we can learn about managing our systems from boxing

One key mindset and skill we need to develop as PM’s is to be willing to question all assumptions and achieve the objective in creative ways.

How did that project that has been, "Doing just great!" for the past several weeks just go into panic mode so quickly--and with no notice?! Chances are, it's been getting worse for a while, but you haven't been getting the straight story from your team. In today's episode, I talk about four reasons why this often happens, and one, key way to avoid it.

Frustrated by seeing your project teams work really hard, but never get anything done? In this episode we talk about the most common reason for why this happens and how to fix it.

Have you ever been frustrated because you have to chase down your project manager for basic project information? Embarrassed when you can't put your finger on the latest project update in a few clicks? This is for you.

If I told you there was a literal fortune sitting nearby, what would you do? What if you had to move a mountain to get it? That's a real situation here in the present-day Salt Lake Valley.

I found myself explaining a four-part framework to my 13-year old in order to help him with his algebra word problem homework one night, and then a few days later sitting in a meeting to learn about a new project I'll be overseeing, and using almost the exact same framework. This is the quick story of how these two dots connect.

Today I take you on location with me as my boys and I prepare to go fly fishing up a local canyon. We talk about how we have the "game" of what time management is backwards sometimes, and how we might need to slow down in order to be more productive.

In today's episode I describes a common frustration I see with how people try to manage their time, and offer a suggestion on how to incorporate a few tricks from the old paper planner days using modern tools.

Today we talk about a very useful tool that helps you reframe your work when you need to prepare a project schedule. Listen to this, and stop the procrastination! It's not that bad. Really! And join me over on my new website: www.RandyCox.tv for a new, free, online mini course!

When you start studying how to improve the flow of a system, you start seeing opportunities for improvement everywhere--including the McDonalds drive through! Be sure to visit RandyCox.tv for a free worksheet you can download after the episode.

So what happens when you combine an adolescent pit bull on a hot, summer day, working on the sprinklers, and a clueless pit bull owner (me)? You guessed it! A four-part model you can apply in your professional life!

This episode was originally shot on video and uploaded to YouTube. However, that version is actually a product demo of a great little tool I've used for years called Casual.pm (no endorsement deal involved). However, that episode didn't lend itself to an audio-only format, so I recorded this one to go over the major ideas.

Today we talk about a very common mistake PM's make (new and experienced, alike), and how to avoid it by applying a simple lesson from Corporate Communications

A short discussion on how to determine what is in and out of scope. This podcast episode is the audio track of a video available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ihnks-Sf2s&t=33s

Today we continue the short series on Scope that we started in Episode 022 with another technique: how to apply the MECE (pronounced mee-see)approached from McKinsey Consulting to scope definition.

Today we begin a short series on the all-important topic of project scope. Specifically, we talk about how to take something huge, overwhelming, and stress-inducing and break it down into something manageable.

This episode was shot as a video, on-site, from Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah. The topic is the point where you've planned, and planned (and maybe want to plan some more), but you just need to jump!

Think there's no connection between these two things? Think again. I thought I knew the problem with a situation, but was wrong. Twice.

Today we talk about how important it is to make the work visible and transparent not only to leadership, but the whole team.

Today I am very happy to have a special guest on the show. Find out how tow trucks, learning a second language, and requirements analysis can help you in your project.

Do you have a pile of decaying leaves in your project? Probably. We explore how to find and remove it in today's episode.

We know one size does not fit all when it comes to getting the rain off our windshields. But, have we learned this same lesson in terms of how we approach projects?

An important, but embarrassing lesson I learned about leadership from my blender.

What we can learn from cheetahs about how we set up and optimize our projects and systems.

We don't realize we're drifting, but we are. Today, we talk about how we compensate for that while out surfing and how it applies to business.

We continue our podcast mini-series, on location, from San Diego. This time, we look at a behavior from antelopes that represents some of the first principles of risk management.

Today I talk about a lesson I learned from our San Diego Zoo Safari Park tour guide about giraffes and what parallel that has to being a project manager.

Today I draw an analogy between monitoring the effectiveness of a cardio workout and how we monitor the health and performance of our projects.

Today we discuss how making an investment in getting some key activities done up front enhances the quality of

I describe an important lesson I learned from Alistair Cockburn, one of the "founding fathers" of the Agile Manifesto and movement, that still sticks with me today.

In today's episode I talk about how leaders serve as batteries for their teams, the effect that can have on the leader, and how she/he needs to find ways to replenish and recharge.

Today we talk about a hard lesson I learned about time slotting, how it applies to business, and we end by showing how this applies to Dr. Goldratt's insight around management time and attention.

In today's episode we talk about what we can learn about project planning from cooking a simple meal.