People And Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast

Project managers, you know the importance of organization and transparency when it comes to collaborating on a team. This episode is sponsored by Backlog, which is the perfect project management software to keep your projects organized from start to finish. As you’d expect, you can create tasks and track progress with features like Gantt & burndown charts. But beyond that, you can write, revise, and release code right within tasks. You can document processes alongside your work with wikis. And you can do all this and more with one easy to use tool. Try Backlog for your team free for 30 days using the special URL: Backlog.com/projects. Check them out! Thanks!   Unlocking Creativity Most of us are in situations where we regularly face challenges that require creative approaches. Yet here’s an interesting dynamic that I’ve observed with organizations and teams. Managers often say that they want their teams to be creative--to think outside the box--so to speak. Yet when the creative ideas are presented, the

Is project management "the art of creating the illusion that any outcome is the result of a series of predetermined, deliberate acts when, in fact, it was dumb luck"? In Harold Kerzner's classic book on project management, he suggests that many companies run their projects with that mindset. In this 3-minute video, I share a lesson from a drone experiment and include a reference to the "leader attribution error"--something I learned when interviewing the late Harvard professor J. Richard Hackman back in episode 33. (earn some free PDUs by listening). Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What are your thoughts about the leader attribution error? Do leaders tend to get more credit than they deserve when things go well--and more blame than they deserve when things go poorly? What's the role of dumb luck when it comes to delivering projects? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT]

Are there shortcuts? It's a rare week that goes by without seeing a post here on LinkedIn reminding us that success is a game of grit and grind, hard work and perseverance, and all of that is true. But are there shortcuts? In this brief video, I share a lesson told to me by a workshop participant today. It calls back to lessons we've hit in previous episodes with guests such as Shane Snow, Marc Effron, Liz Wiseman, Eric Barker, and Whitney Johnson (check those out and earn some free PDUs by listening). Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What do you think about this idea that you grow faster by spending intentional time with those who are more experienced than you? What are some things you've done to accelerate your growth? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forwar

Hey, you know that conflict you have going on? It's a pain, right? Sucking the life out of you, perhaps? I spoke with a group of leaders today at a Chicago company that I love. One idea during our discussion? When faced with conflict, keep a laser focus on this one principle: don't make the conflict worse. Try to resolve it. Try to make it better. But don't make it worse. In this brief video, I share a couple of ways we unwittingly make conflicts worse. Conflict is inevitable. We don't have to love it, but if we aspire to lead teams and projects, we need to learn to deal with it effectively. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What are examples of how people make conflicts worse? What's one piece of advice you'd share with a new leader to help them better deal with conflict? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our

Is it possible for someone in a leadership position to nearly destroy a company in less than 2 years? Yep. The leader at one of my clients eventually got walked out, but not before leaving the company stripped of some of their best people (and leaving the remaining employees shell-shocked from the experience). In this short video, I share some lessons for us to wrestle with as leaders. That leader was blind to his impact, but could it be that--hopefully at a different level--we have our blind spots as well? Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What are examples you've seen of leaders not understanding the impact they have on their teams? What were the results? Further, what do you do as a leader to try to better understand the impact you have on others? What advice would you have for new leaders? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Check out the discussion on this post on LinkedIn here. Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail

The Case for Generalists Have you heard someone referred to as a jack of all trades, master of none? It’s typically not meant as a compliment--it’s that they tend to know about a lot of things, but none of those things deeply. And the implication is that we often value specialization--the one who is the deep expert. That’s the person to be. Expertise is good and can certainly pay off. But today’s guest makes a compelling argument for why generalists triumph in a specialized world. David Epstein is a New York Times bestselling author and has come out with what is for me one of the top books of this season. It’s entitled Range, and it’s a book that takes the whole 10,000 hours to develop expertise idea and blows it apart. I consider it a must-read book. You'll be glad you did. Learn more about David at his website https://www.davidepstein.com/the-range/. Some additional resources include: You can watch the debate between David and Malcolm Gladwell here. David mentions Herminia Ibarra during our discussion. You

I flew out to Baltimore Thursday night to deliver an early Friday morning keynote. As it turns out, there was a mixup with company contracted to take me to the venue. In this brief episode, I share a quick lesson about how the owner of the limo company responded to the screw up, and there's a lesson for all of us when you and I inevitably make our next mistake. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What have you learned about how to respond when you make big mistakes? What's a situation where you saw a mistake handled well? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast! Take our Listener Survey at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey. Thank you! Thank you for joining me for

We are surrounded by people who are discouraged. In this under 3-minute video, I share a lesson I learned recently about encouragement and discouragement. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What do you think about this idea? What's an example of how you try to encourage people? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast! Take our Listener Survey at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey. Thank you! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership Total Duration 2:44 Download episode 259

Check out LiquidPlanner This episode of The People and Projects Podcast is sponsored by LiquidPlanner. LiquidPlanner gives teams a better way to plan and execute work. What most impresses me about LiquidPlanner is its predictive, resource-based scheduling technology. It accounts for priorities, resources, and uncertainty, allowing teams to focus on the right work at the right time and make informed decisions. Over 2,000 technology, development, and manufacturing teams use their online project management solution to get more done. Learn more and request a free demo at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/liquidplanner. Thanks!   Make the Ask As people who are responsible for leading teams and projects, we are often in the position of having to make an ask. Maybe it's an ask of a team member or a colleague in a different side of the business. Maybe we have an ask of our boss or sponsor. One of the differences I see between those who go from point A to point B faster is their willingness to make the ask. Life is filled

"You're not thinking far enough down the road." One of the best bosses I ever hated to work used to say that me and my peers. A lot. And the boss was right. Which is why they were one of my best bosses! We're too easily focused on the short-term at the cost of the long-term. In this 2.5 minute video, I share a lesson I learned this week from my friend Austin. It's advice worth heeding, whether you're a parent or a leader of teams. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What's an example of where we too easily think about the next 20 minutes instead of the next 20 years? What do you think about this 20 years, not 20 minutes idea? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast! Take our Liste

Video doorbells give an interesting look at the age-old question: "Who are you when no one is watching?" In this brief video, I talk about a key lesson about leadership: we cast a longer shadow than we often realize. Let Me Hear From You! Hey, this isn't just about free PDUs, right? Let's start a discussion! I'd love to hear from you! What are some things you've seen people do differently when they think people aren't watching? Or how they act differently when they know someone is? What do you think about this idea that leaders cast a longer shadow than we realize? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast! Take our Listener Survey at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey. Thank yo

Good work should stand on its own. It should. But it doesn't always, right? In a world that is filled with distractions, how do you make sure your good work gets 'seen'? In this brief video, I share some ideas for your consideration. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! You're not just here for free PDUs, right? Let's learn together! What are some mistakes you've seen people make trying to be seen? What are some more respectable ways to do it, in your experience? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast! Take our Listener Survey at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey. Thank you! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a grea

How do you win the hearts of your clients? Win the hearts of your team members. That was the core message of a keynote I delivered this morning to a group of business owners. The idea is straightforward--and so easily missed. We get focused on the customer or client, and that's a good thing. But does it make sense to you that if you win the hearts of your team, they'll do a better job of taking care of your clients? Let Me Hear From You! We had a great discussion this morning and I'd love to hear from you. What have you seen leaders do that ends up LOSING the hearts of their team members? What advice do you have for WINNING the hearts of your followers? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast!

A Giant in our Field It's one thing to make a difference in the short term. It's one thing to be on top for a moment. In today's culture, we cheer for the winner—the one who makes the big splash or wins the big game. In business, it's one thing to show up on, say, Jim Collins' list of Built to Last companies in 1994. It’s a whole different thing to still be exemplary decades later. Back in episode 131, we honored the legacy of the truly amazing Max Wideman. Today, I want to celebrate another legacy in our industry. He's not a guy who's made a difference for a day or a year or even a decade. He's building a legacy that's continuing to this day, and for that reason, we're talking with PMI fellow Lee Lambert. Learn more about Lee and his work at https://www.lambertconsultinggroup.com/.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day, and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, if you know of a group at your

Lies About Work? There are ideas about leadership and management that you and I have learned over the years that sound reasonable. We do them all the time. Surely they must work, right? For example, having competency models to identify what makes, let’s say, an effective project manager or team leader. Using 360-degree feedback instruments to understand our strengths. That strengths are things we’re good at, weaknesses are things we’re bad at, and that we should focus on the things we’re good at. That people need feedback to improve performance, and that annual cascading goals from the top down to teams is a responsible way to run a business. But what if those, as in all of those, were wrong. Or at least wanting for evidence that they’re right. Or, in the words of today’s guest, they’re actually lies? Marcus Buckingham is the co-author of a new book entitled Nine Lies About Work, and he takes a provocative look at work as it is--not how we’d like it to be. And the results are both challenging and refreshing.

Our Culture Series Continues Your company culture? Yeah, it probably has some problems, right? And our guest Mike Rognlien has a message for you and for me. If your company culture sucks, it's at least in part because you’re part of it. And since you’re part of it, it’s at least partly your responsibility to help make it better. Mike is the author of a book entitled This Is Now Your Company: A Culture Carrier's Manifesto. It's a provocative, in-your-face look at organizational culture and what you can do about it.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day, and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, if you know of a group at your organization that has an upcoming large group gathering and uses outside speakers, let them know about the podcast! I'd love to work with them to help improve their ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining

Could it be that you are one Yes away from a significant opportunity? 25 years ago today, I had every reason to say No to an opportunity. There was almost no reason to say Yes. And yet that one Yes has provided a career path that I can't imagine being more fulfilling. If you don't have a compelling reason to say No to the next opportunity that comes your way, consider a Yes. You never know where it will take you. Let Me Hear From You! How about you? What's an example of when you said Yes and it provided an opportunity for you? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast! Take our Listener Survey at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey. Thank you! Thank you for joining me for this ep

We Would Never Design Work Like This "What is keeping you from doing the best work of your life?" That's a question we're going to tackle in this episode. It's critical because the way we're doing work--at most organizations--is keeping us from doing our best work. We're joined in episode 249 by Aaron Dignan, author of a new book entitled Brave New Work. I put this book in the "must read" category for anyone interested in organizational culture. Learn more about Aaron and his book at http://www.aarondignan.com/.   Check Out Backlog Backlog is project management software trusted by over 9,000 companies worldwide. Learn more about our sponsor at Backlog.com/projects.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day, and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, if you know of a group at your organization that has an upcoming large group gathering and uses outside speakers, let them know about the podcast! I'd

I know. I know. What I talk about in this video episode will sound crazy at first. But the next time you face a ranting stakeholder, I share one thing to avoid and one thing to try. Special thanks to Dr. Mark Goulston in episode 143 for these ideas. There are definitely more things to keep in mind than just these things when we face difficult people and situations. But if nothing else, these ideas can help you avoid making things worse--and maybe help make 'em better! Let Me Hear From You! How about you? What advice do you have to share? When you're facing someone who is emotionally charged and starting in on a rant, what can we do to make things worse? What do you do to try to make things better? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us fe

Have a decision to make, whether on your projects, about your team, maybe outside of work? There are some predictable reasons why we don't make better decisions. I'm giving a keynote today in Anaheim, California on the topic, and in this video I share a couple ideas from the session. In the video, I mention two books that I recommend you get on your reading list when they come out: Aaron Dignan's book Brave New Work Marcus Buckingham's book Nine Lies About Work Let Me Hear From You! What are some traps you've seen people fall into when it comes to making bad decisions? What are some lessons you've learned about making better decisions? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Please give us feedback about The People and Projects Podcast! Take our Listen