Summary In this episode, Andy interviews author Anne Morris about key concepts from her book Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trusted Leader's Guide to Solving Hard Problems. She emphasizes the importance of building trust and moving fast in change initiatives. Morris introduces the FIX Map, which illustrates the relationship between trust and speed. She also explores the significance of inclusion and the power of storytelling in driving successful change. Additionally, Morris addresses common misconceptions about speed and shares insights on applying Agile principles to change management. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:25 Start of Interview 02:44 Discussion on the Phrase 'Move Fast and Break Things' 04:18 Introduction to the FIX Map Model 12:30 The Trust Triangle 15:19 Looking at Change Through Different Eyes 21:10 The Role of Storytelling in Change Initiatives 26:10 Overcoming Skepticism and Maintaining Focus 27:26 The Dangers of Delay and the Need for Action 29:40 The Influence of Agile Principles in Leadership 34:04 The Intersection of Leadership and Parenting 35:57 Andy Comments After the Interview 39:26 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Anne and her book at AnneAndFrances.com. And catch her TEDx Talk at https://www.ted.com/talks/anne_morriss_5_steps_to_fix_any_problem_at_work. If you’d like more on this topic, check out my discussion with Anne's co-author Frances Frei in episode 294 where we talk about their book Unleashed. AI for Project Managers and Leaders If you're not actively using AI on a daily basis, you might just be missing out. Join us for our course AI Made Simple. It's specifically tuned to everyday use cases for project managers and leaders. Join other colleagues from around the world who have found it immensely helpful! Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Summer Morning [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11262-summer-morning-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11233-fashion-corporate License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this episode, Andy Kaufman interviews Kayla McGuire, a seasoned project manager and coach who runs a boot camp to help people learn and prepare for becoming a freelancer. They discuss Kayla's journey to project management and freelancing, lessons in leading projects, practical tips for running projects, reasons for pursuing freelancing, common mistakes in freelancing, and the importance of mentors. Kayla also shares insights on using LinkedIn effectively and the value of continual learning and personal development. The episode concludes with information about Kayla's freelancer boot camp. Takeaways Consider the possibility of freelancing or becoming an entrepreneur to experience more fulfillment and freedom in your career. Recognize patterns in team dynamics and use pattern recognition to lead teams through projects more effectively. Empower your teams to get the job done by having conversations about their goals, providing resources for learning and development, and building strong relationships through one-on-one meetings. When considering freelancing, focus your energy on building your network and finding clients rather than spending time on non-essential tasks like website design or office remodeling. Chapters 00:00 Andy's Introduction to the Episode 01:57 Start of Interview 02:09 Kayla's Path to Project Management and Freelancing 06:00 Lessons in Leading Projects 12:06 The Lure of Freelancing: Freedom and Autonomy 15:03 Common Mistakes When Starting Freelancing 17:07 Introducing the Freelancer Bootcamp 19:10 The Importance of Finding Your Niche 19:39 Leveraging LinkedIn for Success 24:18 Continual Learning and Personal Development 31:05 Balancing Work and Personal Life 32:56 Final Thoughts Learn More You can learn more about Kayla and her boot camp at KaylaMcGuire.com. And connect with Kayla on LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/KaylaMcGuire. Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone dealing with career uncertainty? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/5223-tranceverse License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende Website: https://filmmusic.io/song/2992-tuesday License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this in-depth discussion, Andy is joined by Eduardo Briceño, author of The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action, to delve into the concepts of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. The conversation covers how these mindsets are not as binary or mutually exclusive as we may think, but rather can be found within us at different times and in different contexts. The theme of maintaining a balance between having a growth mindset, which holds the belief in the potential for change and improvement, and knowing when to lean into a fixed mindset, is explored. Eduardo advises on how to apply deliberate practice to improve performance and suggests viewing ourselves as evolving and changing. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Start of Interview 02:09 Eduardo's Personal Journey and the Performance Paradox 04:29 Understanding the Performance Paradox 04:33 The Difference Between Learning and Performing 13:40 The Misconception of the 10,000 Hour Rule 16:51 Understanding the Growth Mindset 22:44 Applying Growth Mindset to Personal Goals 24:25 The Role of Identity in Growth Mindset 27:15 Creating a Learning Zone in Teams 32:23 Implementing Growth Mindset in Parenting 35:51 Andy's Comments About the Interview 40:00 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Eduardo and his book at Briceno.com. And catch his TEDx Talk at https://www.ted.com/talks/eduardo_briceno_how_to_get_better_at_the_things_you_care_about. If you’d like more on this topic, check out: Episode 202, Morten Hansen, Great at Work Episode 236, Amy Edmondson about her book on Psychological Safety Episode 240, Jim Detert, also about psychological safety Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone dealing with career uncertainty? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Summer Morning [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11262-summer-morning-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11233-fashion-corporate License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this conversation, Andy Kaufman interviews Micah Solomon, author of the book Can Your Customer Service Do This? Create an Anticipatory Customer Experience that Builds Loyalty Forever. They discuss the importance of customer service and how it applies to project managers and leaders, not just people in hospitality or retail. They explore examples of good and bad customer service experiences, debunk myths about customer service, and provide strategies for improving customer service. They also discuss the concept of gold touch customer service and how it can be applied to internal customer service. The conversation concludes with insights on effective communication and developing a customer service mindset. Takeaways Customer service is important in all industries, not just hospitality or retail. Examples of good and bad customer service can provide valuable insights for improving customer service. There are common myths and misunderstandings about customer service that need to be debunked. Gold touch customer service involves going above and beyond to provide exceptional service. Effective communication and a customer service mindset are key to delivering great customer service. Chapters 00:00 Andy's Intro to the Episode 02:40 Introduction to Micah Solomon and his book 04:46 Myths and Misunderstandings about Customer Service 06:12 Improving Customer Service 09:28 Gold Touch Customer Service 10:51 Internal Customer Service 13:44 Difference between Function and Purpose 18:19 The Service Recovery Paradox 20:15 Dealing with Customer Service Failures 21:21 Phrasing and Language in Customer Service 25:02 Developing a Customer Service Mindset 27:00 Andy's Summary of Key Takeaways 32:03 Outtakes You can learn more about Micah and his book at MicahSolomon.com. Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: The Fantastical Ferret by Tim Kulig Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12070-the-fantastical-ferret License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11233-fashion-corporate License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this episode, Andy Kaufman celebrates the 400th episode of the People in Projects Podcast with special guest Adam Grant. They discuss Adam's new book, Hidden Potential, and the importance of assessing and unlocking potential in individuals. The conversation covers various topics, including keeping projects on track, the truth about hiring based on experience, a lesson Adam learned about feedback that he's a terrible writer, and overcoming criticism. Adam reflects on the past and future, including what he misses (and doesn't miss) about being Adam Grant in 2010 (when Andy and Adam first talked).  Takeaways Assessing and unlocking potential is crucial in various aspects of life, and the judgments people make of our potential can have a significant impact. Perfectionism can hinder progress, and it is important to separate our identity from our work. The value of experience in hiring is often overestimated, and potential should be prioritized over years of experience. Saying no and setting boundaries is essential to avoid overcommitment and maintain focus on important projects. Even if initially difficult, receiving feedback can lead to valuable insights and improvements. A practical AI chatbot use case that Adam tries Expressing appreciation to those who have seen and nurtured our potential is important, and we should also assess the potential of others and encourage their growth. You can learn more about Adam and his book at AdamGrant.net. For More on This Topic To catch Andy's previous conversations with Adam, check out: Episode 31, where we talk about leading teams with meaning, and Episode 93, where we talk about his book Give and Take Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Celebration 02:50 Start of the Interview 03:12 What are You Glad is Getting Attention / Thought Would Get More Attention in Your Book 03:52 Lessons on Keeping Projects on Track 04:46 Something People Think Is True But Is Not Supported With Evidence 05:45 How Adam Decides on Saying Yes or No 06:16 How Does Adam Calm Nerves 07:27 You Suck at Writing, Adam! How to Receive Feedback and Overcome Criticism 08:37 What Adam Recently Used a Chatbot For 09:26 What Does Adam Miss About Being Him in 2010 / Not Miss 10:26 What Would You Ask Future Adam? 11:39 Adam Takes Over as the Host 12:50 Adam Asks About Podcasting 14:07 Adam Says Nice Things About Andy 16:04 Andy Comments after the Interview 20:19 Outtakes from Before We Started the Interview 21:32 Sample Intro from Episode 1 (Man, it was bad!) Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this anniversary episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Celebrate Your Wins [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10381-celebrate-your-wins-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Funky Life by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6040-funky-life License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this conversation, Andy interviews Doug Lennick and Chuck Wachendorfer about their book Don't Wait for Someone Else to Fix It! They discuss the importance of managing ourselves effectively, practicing self-awareness, and mastering our behavior. They also emphasize the significance of integrity and responsibility in leadership. The conversation explores barriers to better decision-making and the importance of continuous learning. The interview concludes with insights on how parents can apply leadership lessons in their role at home. Takeaways Managing ourselves effectively is crucial for effective leadership. Practicing self-awareness and using tools like the freeze game can help us make better choices. Integrity and responsibility are essential for leadership success. Emotional reflexiveness and biases can hinder decision-making. Continuous learning and letting go of what we know are key to personal and professional growth. Leadership lessons can be applied in the home to foster better relationships and decision-making. You can learn more about Doug and Chuck and their work at Think2Perform.com. For More on This Topic For more on this topic, check out: Episode 391, with Adam Bryant on his book about making the leap to leadership Episode 366, with Michael Timms on his book about accountability, and Episode 292, with Jeffrey Scott Miller about his book on leadership. Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: On Point by Steven OBrien Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11694-on-point License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Synthiemania by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11809-synthiemania License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Project Manager Burnout There is so much focus these days on getting more done with less. Delivering faster. Increasing efficiency. Being excellent at work while rocking it all well at home too, right? And though I’m all for staying focused and productive, here’s something I’ve observed. One consequence of trying to stay hyper-productive and being everything you can possibly be--or feel like you should be--can be increased stress. Less downtime. More hours. More caffeine. Less sleep. And all of that can lead to burnout. So what can we do about that? Today I’m excited to introduce you to Dr. Neha Sangwan. She’s the author of a new book entitled  Powered by Me: From Burned Out to Fully Charged at Work and in Life. In this episode, you’ll get a better idea of what leads to burnout, beyond just the typical drivers that come to mind, such as physical exhaustion. Neha provides practical ideas and techniques to help us catch when we’re starting to drift towards burnout. It's a discussion I've been looking forward to sharing with you! You can learn more about Neha and her work at NehaSangwan.com. For more on this topic, check out: Episodes 106 and 132, with Tom Rath about his books on these themes. Episode 395, with Josefine Campbell about her book on helping when you and your team are low on energy, and Episode 397, with Dr. Julia DiGangi about her book on emotions. Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Summer Awakening by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10912-summer-awakening License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11233-fashion-corporate License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

When Emotions Are Rising On Your Project Let’s say you’re sitting in a meeting tomorrow for a project you are leading. You’re looking to get sign-off and, based on the pre-meetings you had with key stakeholders, the meeting should go smoothly. But seemingly out of the blue, a key stakeholder speaks up and starts sharing objections. Right there in front of everyone, which includes your boss, by the way. Things are starting to derail and you can feel some anger starting to build up. If we could see a thought bubble over you, you might be saying, “I can’t believe they’re sabotaging this! They didn’t bring any of this up when we talked about it before the meeting! They’re throwing me and my project under the bus!” That’s a pivotal leadership moment right there. Maybe for you, it’s a demanding boss. Or a deeply emotional situation outside of work. The critical issue is this: How do we respond? Does it help, or do we make it worse? How do we navigate the emotional rollercoaster of leading teams and projects—and families and friendships? Our ability to do that can make an enormous difference in our careers and life. In this episode, we’re continuing a series of discussions on the topic of our emotions. And I’m excited to introduce you to Dr. Julia Digangi. For many years, Julia has worked with individuals who have endured the worst traumas, from survivors of domestic abuse to combat veterans, and helped them transform their energy and rise to powerful new heights. Based on her experience, she has recently published a remarkably insightful new book Energy Rising: The Neuroscience of Leading with Emotional Power. What I love about this book is that it gives a perspective on navigating the emotional challenges of our life in a way I’ve not seen in any other books. It’s deeply based in research and practice but it’s accessible to all of us, even if we don’t know our amygdala from our anterior cingulate cortex. Ha! You can learn more about Julia and her work at DrJuliaDigangi.com/. For more on this topic, check out: Episode 394, with Joshua Freedman about his book on emotional intelligence. Episode 395, with Josefine Campbell about her book on helping when you and your team are low on energy, and Episode 396, with Thomas Curran about his book on perfectionism. Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Underground Shadows by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12024-underground-shadows License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Energetic & Drive Indie Rock by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10443-energetic-drive-indie-rock License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Stop Saying You're a Perfectionist There’s a classic question that is often asked somewhere during a job interview: “So, what’s your biggest weakness?” Perhaps you’ve been asked that somewhere along your career journey. My favorite answer to that is from Michael Scott in the television show The Office: "I work too hard, I care too much, and sometimes I can be too invested in my job." Perfect, right? Oh wait. Did I say Perfect? I did. Because in a sense, the answer that Michael gave there is what a lot of us admit to being one of our biggest weaknesses: we struggle with being a perfectionist. It’s like one of those flaws that, when you admit it, people will knowingly tilt their head, nod, and say, “Yeah, I understand. Me too.” It’s a socially accepted flaw that we might even think has some hidden advantages in driving us to higher performance. But if you think that, you would be wrong--at least about the higher performance part. I know that because I read Thomas Curran’s new book The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough. It’s a book that will challenge your thinking about perfectionism and, if you let it, begin to free you from the ways that it might be hurting you, your mental health, your relationships, and your performance far more than you realize. You can learn more about Thomas and his work at ThomCurran.com/. For more on this topic, check out: Episode 315, with Ethan Kross about his book Chatter. Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because I want you to check out our new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: On Point by Steven OBrien Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11694-on-point License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Synthiemania by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11809-synthiemania License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Your Power Barometer There is so much focus these days on optimizing our time, right? And though I’m all for staying focused and productive, here’s something I’ve observed: one consequence of trying to stay hyper-productive can be increased stress. Less downtime. More hours. More caffeine. Less sleep. And all of that can lead to burnout. A lot of us are leading lives and teams with batteries that are low on power. And that’s a losing proposition for all of us. In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Josefine Campbell, who is taking this problem head on. She’s a top executive coach, former jujitsu champion, and now the author of a new book entitled Power Barometer: Manage Personal Energy for Business Success. In this episode, you’ll learn about practical tools like the Energy Barometer and the Awareness Matrix. Josefine will explain how the opposite of professional is not personal—and why that matters. By the time we’re done, you’ll know how to detect if you’re starting to get hijacked and how to get out of it if you’re already there. And you’ll be in better shape to stay mentally agile, which is one of Josefine’s major messages in the book. I can’t wait to share this discussion with you. NOTE: As of the time of this episode was published, Josefine's book was not available for sale. My understanding is there is a change in distribution partners. But you can learn more about Josefine and the book's resources at JosefineCampbell.com/. For more on this topic, check out: Episode 106, with Tom Rath about his book Eat Move Sleep. Just by the book name you can get a sense of what it's about. I highly recommend this episode! Episode 132, also with Tom, this time about his book Are You Fully Charged? Both of these books provide helpful insights aligned with this episode. Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because we’re rolling out a new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about the next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: E.C.H.O by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9762-echo License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Funny by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11450-funny License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

What Is Emotional Intelligence, Really? You’ve heard of emotional intelligence, right? You know it’s important. But a lot of us haven’t had formal training on the topic--or maybe it’s been a while. In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Joshua Freedman, author of the international best-selling book At the Heart of Leadership: How to Get Results with Emotional Intelligence. Plenty of books can give you an academic understanding of emotional intelligence. But Joshua’s book is immensely practical. It focuses on how to help us navigate situations, like that project meeting, because our lives are filled with situations where the stakes are high with our emotions. And Joshua is here to help us with that. I can’t wait to share this discussion with you! Learn more about Joshua at JMFreedman.com/bio/. For more episodes on this topic, check out: Episode 148, with Daniel Shapiro about his book Negotiating the Nonnegotiable. It's a deeply insightful book that will help you navigate the emotional side of conflicts. I highly recommend this episode! Episode 108, with Doug Stone about his book Thanks for the Feedback, and Episode 185, with Mitch Warner from the Arbinger Institute about their book Leadership and Self-Deception.   Gift a Loved One a Head Start With Their Career Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because we’re rolling out a new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertainty. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether you are wondering about next steps in your career or it's a son or daughter and you'd like to give them a head start as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Colossus by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10494-colossus License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Tropical Vibe by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10446-tropical-vibe License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Inspiring Women in Project Management Most days, you can find me working with a group of people, helping them learn how to improve their ability to lead and deliver. If you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you may recall hearing me saying this previously--in our project management courses, the majority of participants are women. It’s characteristic of a trend we see week in and week out—project management is a rewarding and accessible career path for women to pursue. Because of that, I like to highlight women who are inspiring role models, particularly when it comes to leading teams and delivering projects. And in this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to my friend and colleague Molly Beran, who fits that description perfectly. Molly has not only spent extended time in the trenches, learning how to lead and deliver. Over the last couple of years, she’s also been a valued member of my speaking team. And she has expertly taught some of our biggest clients how to improve their ability to lead and deliver. This episode is a conversation between friends who equally geek out about project management and leadership. I look forward to you hearing some of the lessons that Molly has learned about these topics--I know you’re going to enjoy this. Learn more about Molly at ProjectsByMolly.com. Also, get your copy of (or give it as a gift) From Vision to Vows: Project Management Strategies for Weddings here. No Freaking Idea! Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because we’re rolling out a new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertaity. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether it’s you who is wondering about next steps in your career or a son or daughter and you'd like to give them this as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Brooklyn Nights by Tim Kulig Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11192-brooklyn-nights License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Quantum Sparks [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10996-quantum-sparks-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Leading In The Age of Deep Expertise Not everyone aspires to be a VP or higher someday, nor should they. But could it be that some of us are held back because the deep expertise that got us to our current position isn’t what is needed to get to additional levels of responsibility? Or, if that additional responsibility is given to us anyway, we struggle to thrive because the skills to succeed at that next level are different from what we’re used to? I think so, which is why I’m excited to introduce you to Wanda T. Wallace. Wanda is the author of an insightful book You Can't Know It All: Leading in the Age of Deep Expertise. In this episode, you’re going to hear Wanda describe the difference between being an expert leader vs a spanning leader. She’ll explain how the way we add value is different when we’re a spanning leader. Wanda will talk about how to deal with mistakes--both when others make them as well as when we do. She’ll talk about how to better deal with ambiguity that comes along with greater responsibility as well as how to develop trust across a boarder base of people. Before we’re done Wanda will talk about executive presence and share some advice specifically for women. It’s an engaging discussion with someone who specializes in helping women and men get to the top, stick, and thrive. Learn more about Wanda and her book at Leadership-Forum.com/wanda-wallace. For more episodes on this topic, check out: Episode 75 and 76, with Keith Murnighan about his book Do Nothing. It's about how to not over-manage. Episode 122, with Shane Snow who has some surprising ideas about accelerating your career, and Episode 125, with Liz Wiseman about her book Rookie Smarts.   No Freaking Idea! Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because we’re rolling out a new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertaity. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether it’s you who is wondering about next steps in your career or a son or daughter and you'd like to give them this as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 008 by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7669-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-008 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Energetic & Drive Indie Rock by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10443-energetic-drive-indie-rock License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Do You Really Want to Lead? Making the leap to leadership can be one of the most rewarding--and challenging--moves we can make. And I’m excited in this episode to bring you what I think is the best guide I’ve come across to date on how to make that jump. Adam Bryant joins us to talk about his new book The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership. In this episode, you’ll learn the first question you should be asking about leadership--and why it’s important. Adam shares a practical tool he calls a Leadership User Manual--I’m telling you, you’re going to want to create one of these after listening to this. He discusses why a career pyramid might be a better metaphor than a ladder. Along the way you’ll hear why you should learn to merge into traffic and go play in the traffic! And why some of the most valuable leadership lessons are playing out before your eyes every day. It’s a conversation I can’t wait to share with you. Learn more about Adam and his book at AdamBryantBooks.com/the-leap-to-leader/. For more episodes related to this topic, check out: Episode 360, with Janet Polach about her book The Seven Mistakes New Managers Make. Episode 307, with Ron Carucci about his book Rising to Power, and Episode 261, with David Epstein about his book Range.   No Freaking Idea! Do you know someone who is in college or maybe recently graduated? My experience is there are a growing number of people who dread being asked the question, “So, what’s the plan?” When it comes to their career, they have no freaking idea! I bring this up because we’re rolling out a new course entitled just that: No Freaking Idea: How to Navigate Career Uncertaity. It’s a career guide for people who don’t know what they want to do, and it has been so fun to hear the feedback on the course. Whether it’s you who is wondering about next steps in your career or a son or daughter and you'd like to give them this as a gift, learn more by going to NoFreakingIdea.courses. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Imagefilm 034 by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/2935-imagefilm-034 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Another Good Day by chilledmusic Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8397-another-good-day License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Introducing Jen Dary In most of our episodes, I’m introducing you to an author of a new book, looking for ways to apply key ideas from what they’ve written. But every once in a while, I come across someone who I just think is interesting--someone who brings a fresh perspective to the discussion that would help all of us who want to get better at leading teams and delivering projects. Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Jen Dary. Jen is the founder of a company that champions the concept that all humans are creative, resourceful, and whole… but sometimes they have a hard time moving forward. Jen and her team help people move forward through coaching and manager training. In this episode, Jen shares her insights on issues and situations that we often find ourselves in, like Struggles when moving into a management role Knowing what to hold onto and what to let go of Delivering bad news--as well as how to deal with it when bad news is delivered to us. Jen shares lessons she’s learned about balancing work and life and gives some coaching insights for anyone who’s recently lost their job and wants to move forward. And how about this? We’ve got some ideas for those of you who are still in your job but questioning whether you should stay. Jen shares some perspective on that as well. It's a fun discussion with an insightful human that I can’t wait to share with you. Learn more about Jen and her company at BePlucky.com/About.   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Tropical Vibe by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10446-tropical-vibe License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: It's Funky by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-its-funky License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Your Past as an Asset Have you ever noticed how two people can go through something similar? For one person, it takes them under. And the other person? They seem to get past it—maybe even grow from it. I ask because going through challenging—even traumatic—experiences is part of the human experience. I’m not saying it’s equally distributed. But clearly, life is not always up and to the right. And as you grow as a leader, it’s only a matter of time before you’re put into situations that can cause you to question your abilities, wonder if you’re up to it, and maybe even back down from the challenge. Or, interestingly, those situations may be what propel you forward in your ability to lead and deliver. In this episode, we’re exploring the role of experience and how it shapes us. And I’m excited to introduce you to a new book entitled Experiential Intelligence: Harness the Power of Experience for Personal and Business Breakthroughs by Soren Kaplan. In this discussion, you’ll learn about XQ--Experiential Intelligence--and how it compares to IQ, EQ, and other attempts to understand our intelligences. Soren will talk about self-limiting beliefs and how we can identify them and—more importantly—get beyond them. It’s a great discussion with a guy who has a passion for helping us turn our past experiences into assets for our good—as individuals and for teams. I can’t wait to share this with you. Learn more about Soren and his book at SorenKaplan.com/ExperientialIntelligence. For more episodes on this topic, check out: Episode 185, with Mitch Warner about the Arbinger Institute's book Leadership and Self-Deception   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Ways of Working   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Ignotus by Agnese Valmaggia Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6273-ignotus License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Chillhouse by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11066-chillhouse License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

PMeLa Takes the Mic Hi! You will recall back in episode 384 I introduced you to an AI persona I had developed named PMeLa. She's an AI designed to be an expert in project management and leadership. It's been fun to hear the feedback from listeners from around the world who found the discussion to be somewhere between intriguing, hilarious, and frightening. I've been experimenting with automating AI processes and so I thought I would try another experiment with PMeLa. In today's episode, PMeLa is going to interview--wait for it--former US President Abraham Lincoln. As an AI, she comes up with the questions and an AI version of Lincoln responds. Let me be clear--I'm not just doing this to be clever. What's unique about this episode is that it was completely done using automation tools. I had no hand in the questions or the responses. Once I defined the personas and set up the automation, the interview was completely in the hands of the AIs and the automation tool. What you hear from PMeLa and Lincoln has not been changed by me at all. After the brief interview, I share some insights about what I've been learning through these experiments. And definitely listen to the end with a blooper from Lincoln! Learn more about the automation tool I used for this episode: Make.com. Also, check out Lovo.ai and ElevenLabs.io. What's a question you'd like to pass by PMeLa? Send them to show@peopleandprojectspodcast.com. I'd love to include your questions in a future episode! Thanks!   AI for Project Managers and Leaders Take the next step to level up your AI skills. Check out our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen   The following music was used for this episode: Lullaby of Light (feat. Cory Friesenhan) by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11174-lullaby-of-light-feat-cory-friesenhan License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Laughing Children [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10498-laughing-children-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Progress Despite Uncertainty One of our recurring themes on the podcast is decision-making. The reality is you are likely facing some decisions you need to make right now. But one of our biggest challenges when facing forks in the road is how to decide when there are so many unknowns--so much uncertainty. Well, I have personally benefited from a new book that I wanted to introduce you to. The title is Decision Sprint: The New Way to Innovate into the Unknown and Move from Strategy to Action. This Wall Street Journal best-seller is packed with insights that have benefits for CEOs and senior leaders, for sure. But it’s also applicable to all of us who are responsible for leading teams and delivering projects. Learn more about Atif and the Decision Sprint process at DecisionSprint.com/Book.   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Ways of Working   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Fromage by Steven OBrien Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10409-fromage License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Laughing Children [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10498-laughing-children-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Introducing Andy Tryba and John Chmela When you think of artificial intelligence and tools like ChatGPT, what comes to mind? Do you find it intriguing for how it can help us as people who are focused on leading teams and projects? Or maybe you think it’s overly hyped—entertaining for writing haikus and silly stories but not even close to being at a place where it can help us with our jobs. Or, maybe you’re concerned that it’s a threat to our jobs someday. I know people in each group, leading us to this episode. I’m joined by Andy Tryba who is the Co-Founder & CEO of Ionic Partners, and also CEO of Gigster. Andy is a nationally recognized Future of Work & Remote Work expert and his companies help some of the largest brands in the world integrate AI, ChatGPT, QA Automation and more. I'm also discussing AI with my friend John Chmela. John and I met when we worked together years ago and to this day, he's a valued friend. Beyond loving him as a person, I've always admired how John is quick to adapt new technologies and leverage them for good. But beyond our friendship and his tech skills, John is a savvy business leader and investor. In both discussions, you'll pick up on some ideas and perspectives that can guide your exploration of the tools. Learn more about Andy Tryba and follow him on LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/in/AndyTryba. Learn more about John and his operation at Queenslake Farm at Queenslake.com.   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Business Acumen   The following music was used for this episode: Lullaby of Light (feat. Cory Friesenhan) by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11174-lullaby-of-light-feat-cory-friesenhan License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Laughing Children [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10498-laughing-children-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

"Why Did I Say Yes?" We've talked in past episodes about how, unless there’s a compelling reason to say No, say Yes--that there are opportunities for growth and learning when we have a bias for Yes. Yet we’ve all ended up in a trap that was set by saying Yes when No would have been a better answer. So how do we navigate that? Well, I'm excited to introduce you to a fantastic new book entitled The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life. In this episode, you’ll learn why we’re tempted to say Yes when No would be a better answer. If you’ve ever told yourself you’re a people pleaser, Vanessa will tell you why you need to stop saying that! By the time we’re done, you’ll know what a stadium proposal moment is, how the spotlight effect plays into this, and learn to recognize a pattern Vanessa calls “Hey, would you make your famous lasagna?” Even better, you’re going to learn about a potentially life-transforming idea called an empowered refusal. I can’t wait to share this discussion with you! Learn more about Vanessa and her book at VanessaPatrick.net/.   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed a new e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Summer Morning [Full version] by MusicLFilesbr>Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11262-summer-morning-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11233-fashion-corporate License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Introducing PMeLa It’s impossible to avoid hearing about AI these days. From those who praise it to those who warn about an impending apocalypse because of it, there is no shortage of opinions or predictions about it. Instead of talking about the pros and cons or capabilities of AI, we’re going to try something different in this episode. Today I’m going to interview an AI! To my knowledge, this is the first time a podcast focused on project management and leadership has had an AI guest so thank you for joining me on this inaugural experience! My guest today is PMeLa (PM for Project Management and L for Leadership). PMeLA is an AI persona that I’ve been developing for a while now. My goal has been to craft a persona with helpful insights into the world of leading and delivering and in this episode, we’ll find out how she does! I think her best moments are actually in the outtakes so stay around until the very end! What's a question you'd like to pass by PMeLa? Send them to show@peopleandprojectspodcast.com. I'd love to include your questions in a future episode! Thanks!   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed a new e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Lullaby of Light (feat. Cory Friesenhan) by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11174-lullaby-of-light-feat-cory-friesenhan License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Laughing Children [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10498-laughing-children-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Feeling Stuck Can you think of situations when you felt stuck? I recently talked with someone who feels stuck in their career. Some of my MBA students feel stuck--unsure about what path to pursue in their career. I have dear friends walking through difficult medical issues and feeling stuck—unsure about what to do next. Whether it is major situations like those or the smaller ones that confront us as part of life, feeling stuck is a common experience for us, and today I’m excited to introduce you to one of my favorite new books. Adam Alter joined us back in episode 177 to discuss his book Irresistible. If you haven’t listened to that, I highly recommend you go back and check it out--the challenges and the ideas are just as relevant today as they were 5 years ago. Adam returns in this episode to talk about his new book Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most. this book is packed with practical ideas that can help you with your current challenges and those you’ll inevitably encounter in the years ahead. Learn more about Adam and his book at AdamAlterAuthor.com.   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed a new e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Tropical Vibe by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10446-tropical-vibe License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Energetic & Drive Indie Rock by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10443-energetic-drive-indie-rock License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Interview with Giannis Antetokounmpo available on: SBNation.com

Balancing The Now and The Future Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with some amazing bosses. One was a woman named Cindy. What made her stand out? She constantly encouraged us to look beyond our day-to-day tasks. As a Vice President, I was under her guidance, and she, a Senior VP, was persistent in pushing us to plan for the future and break free from the firefighting of the present. This isn't just an issue for me and my colleagues at that time; it's something many of us encounter. Of course, it's important to be present and appreciate the moment, but in various aspects of our lives—be it projects, careers, health, or more—we often fail to look far enough ahead. This preoccupation with the present can hold us back from a better future. In this episode, I'm joined by Hal Hershfield, author of the insightful new book Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today. We all want a brighter tomorrow, whether for our projects, careers, relationships, health, or more. But evidence suggests that our relationship with the future can be a bit tricky. Sometimes we need a "Cindy"--someone to help us learn to look further down the road. Hal is that person, and his book is a valuable resource I'm confident you'll benefit from. I'm excited to share our conversation with you! Learn more about Hal and his book at HalHershfield.com/. For more episodes on this topic, check out: Episode 313, with Brian David Johnson about his book The Future You Episode 87, with Cecily Sommers about her book Think Like a Futurist   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed a new e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Time Is Now by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/395-time-is-now License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Time Of Change by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8915-time-of-change License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Making Wise Decisions Think about some past decisions. Can you recall one that turned out well and another that, in hindsight, didn't go as planned? It's important to analyze these instances - what factors influenced those outcomes? We all make countless decisions in our daily lives, both personally and professionally. Recognizing the patterns behind our successful and unsuccessful decisions can be a powerful tool in enhancing our decision-making skills. Jim Loehr joins us in this episode to discuss his new book Wise Decisions: A Science-Based Approach to Making Better Decisions. It’s such a different book than I expected, and I mean that as a compliment. If you take even a couple of ideas from today’s discussion and Jim’s book, you will be a step ahead on your upcoming decisions. I can’t wait to share this discussion with you! Learn more about Jim and his books at Jim-Loehr.com/books. For more episodes on this topic, check out: Episode 372, with Annie Duke about her book Quit Episode 295, with Don Moore about his book Perfectly Confident   AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed a new e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work. This self-guided course is specifically designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity. Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Quantum Sparks [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10996-quantum-sparks-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Energetic & Drive Indie Rock by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10443-energetic-drive-indie-rock License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Dangerously Divided Times I'd like you to think of some examples of divides in your life. It could be with a friend or relative that has radically different beliefs about politics or social causes. Or it could be someone at work that you just strongly disagree with. The differences have created a divide. The reason I want you to think about them is because we’re having an important discussion today about how to have fearlessly curious conversations in dangerously divided times. Mónica Guzmán joins us to talk about her deeply insightful book I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. If you feel the polarization in culture and in the workplace is just too daunting to do anything about, Mónica's book is packed with practical ideas that you can start implementing right away. This remarkable woman is on a mission to help us address the divides in our life--and she’s been making a difference. I consider this a must-read book and can’t wait to introduce some of the ideas in today’s discussion. Learn more about Mónica and her work at BraverAngels.org/.   Project Management for Students If you’ve listened for a while, you’ve heard me talk about our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. The feedback from the program has been fantastic but here’s what I want you to know. We radically reduced the price to just $49 US. We want to make it available to as many people as possible. If you have a high school or college-age student in your life and want to invest in their ability to lead and deliver, you can do that now for an even better price. Give them a head start to more confidently lead and deliver. Learn more and get a copy for them at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/GettingStuffDone. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: The Gigantic Epic Day After Tomorrow by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/413-the-gigantic-epic-day-after-tomorrow License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fantastic World by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7042-fantastic-world License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

"What's A Risk You're Glad You Took?" I asked this question to my LinkedIn network recently, and it led to a long thread of responses. The two most mentioned examples were job changes and moving to a new place to live. Maybe one of those might be your answer as well. An opportunity came up, you said Yes, and it turned out to be a great decision. Yet changes like these are a risk. Even if you don’t like your current job, you might land in a worse situation by leaping into a new role. The uncertainty associated with risk is why many people stay stuck in situations that are sucking the life out of them. Chances are there is a risk you’ve been considering. Whether it’s with risks on your projects at work, with your career, or with something at home, I’m excited to introduce you in this episode to Angie Morgan Witkowski. She’s the author of a new book entitled Bet On You: How to Win with Risk. It's a great read that helps us reframe how we look at risk and give us the courage to move forward when faced with uncertainty. Learn more about Angie and her work at AngieWitkowski/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Romantic Interlude [Full version] by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10421-romantic-interlude-full-version License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Whiskey on the Mississippi by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4624-whiskey-on-the-mississippi License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Say It Right the First Time So much of what we do when leading teams and projects comes down to communication. Whether it’s written or spoken, with a large audience or an informal conversation or email, much of our success comes down to how effectively we understand others and are understood by them. I’m joined in this episode by one of the foremost communication coaches in the world. Bill McGowan is hired by corporate leaders, athletes, and other celebrities to prepare them for media interviews and significant presentations. And he’s the author of a book we’ll discuss in this episode entitled Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time. Learn more about Bill and his company at ClarityMediaGroup.com/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: One Small Rover by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5107-one-small-rover License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/2992-tuesday/a> License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Focusing On What Really Matters When you don’t have enough time, what’s the first thing that gets cut from your schedule? Now, of course, the answer is “it depends.” But I asked this question recently on LinkedIn and got a flood of responses. The most common category was self-care: exercising, sleeping, even eating. Two other big categories were time with others and time to think. Maybe you can relate to these. Left to my own devices, I sure can. But when you think about it, you would never design your life that way, right? Each of those represents areas that are critical to our success. And I’m not just talking about success with our projects or at work. If we’re not taking care of ourselves, taking time to think and reflect, and investing in others, it impacts nearly every dimension of life. And it can lead us to hitting a birthday and wondering, how did I get here? If that sounds like a depressing start to this episode, I have good news. I’m joined today by the author of one of my favorite new books. Cassie Holmes joins us to discuss her book Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most. What I expected to be just another time management guide turns out to be a book on happiness that I consider a must-read. Learn more about Cassie and her book at CassieMHolmes.com/.   For more episodes related to focusing on what matters most, check out these episodes: Episode 174, with Amy Blankson about her book The Future of Happiness. Episode 136, with Michele Geilen about her book Broadcasting Happiness. Episode 309, with Ashley Whillans about her book Time Smart. These authors are not just writers--they are researchers who make their work accessible and actionable to us all. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Emotionalism by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5867-emotionalism License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: Music: Road Trip by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9761-road-trip License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schroeter.52

Stop Drowning At Work Have you ever heard someone say they are drowning at work? Maybe you feel like that even right now as you start this episode. If a sink is broken and water is overflowing, there are at least two options: you can mop faster or you can fix the sink. Using that as a metaphor for work, many of us are trying to mop faster. Today, we’re going to talk about how to fix the sink. I’m excited to introduce you to Nick Sonnenberg, author of a new book, Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work. The single biggest benefit of Nick's book is he doesn’t just talk about the problem. Or provide vague generalities about how to address them. He gets into detailed recommendations with specific tools and loads of case studies and examples to help you and your team come up for air. He’s already helping me and my team and I can’t wait for you to be introduced to his ideas. Learn more about Nick and his company at GetLeverage.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Cry by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10346-cry License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de Music: Happy Summertime by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9096-happy-summertime License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Permission to Offend Is it possible to be too nice? We have a vigorous discussion around this question in our Essentials of Project Management workshop. There’s almost always a resounding response of “Yes! It is possible to be too nice.” That discussion is based on an idea we covered in episode 320 with Greg Githins. Greg says, "Leadership is a practice of kindness, but it’s not always a practice of niceness.” Hmmm... We're going to build on that idea in this episode. I’m joined by Rachel Luna. She’s the author of a new book entitled Permission to Offend: The Compassionate Guide for Living Unfiltered and Unafraid. Are there times when you feel like you should be speaking up but are afraid to do so? Or when you worry perhaps too much about what other people think? Have you found yourself confounded about why someone reacted the way they did? Stay with us because Rachel will share some insights that you can start putting to work immediately. Learn more about Rachel and her work at RachelLuna.biz. Also, for more on this topic, check out episode 371 with Amanda Ripley and her book High Conflict. It's a great follow-up to this discussion.   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Tarantino 1 by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9573-tarantino-1 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Road Trip by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9761-road-trip License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Building Your Brand Without Being Pushy What comes to mind when you think of personal branding? Some feel that personal branding is superficial. Or inauthentic. Instead of focusing on our brand, we should focus on developing expertise. Doing good work. And that good work will stand on its own. In this episode, we’re taking this topic of personal branding head-on, and I’m joined by one of the most influential voices on the subject. Catherine Kaputa is recognized as one of the top 30 Global Branding Gurus and the author of five books on the topic. Today’s discussion focuses on ideas in her new book, The New Brand You: How to Wow in the New World of Work. By the time we’re done with this discussion, you’ll see how personal branding applies to you, whether you’re a student preparing for the workplace, someone trying to change industries, or someone feeling like you’re just not getting the opportunities or promotions you deserve. Learn more about Catherine and her work at SelfBrand.com.   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program, Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Bouncy Gypsy Beats by John Bartmann Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3189-bouncy-gypsy-beats License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: End Titles (Romeos Erbe) by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3149-end-titles-romeos-erbe License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Navigating Parenting As a dad of 5 kids, I think back to when we had our first child. Those early days were a blur for both my wife and me. And as more kids came along, and then we adopted two more when our oldest three were teenagers, we have lived through the challenges and joys of the project known as parenting. We’re talking about parenting today because it brings some unique challenges to us as leaders. How can we navigate parenting in a way that aligns with who we are and what is meaningful to us? And how can we, as leaders, support parents on our teams in a way that reinforces that we value their commitments and responsibilities at work and home? I’m excited to welcome a new friend to the podcast. Julie Foubert’s life project is to support individuals, future and young parents, perinatal professionals, and organizations to evolve toward a more fulfilled and enlightened parenthood. And her passion for leadership and project management informs how she goes about this. Learn more about Julie and her work at be-the-change.fr/. And contact Julie at julie@be-the-change.fr.   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: A Picnic With My Family by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6644-a-picnic-with-my-family License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Love Beyond Gravity [Original] by German Tretyakov Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9803-love-beyond-gravity-original License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Winners Never Quit? It's an overused cliche that winners never quit, and quitters never win. The only problem with that, of course, is that it oversimplifies the reality of the world we live and lead in. So much of what we do as leaders of projects and teams is to make decisions. And could it be our inability to quit a project, a vendor, a tool, or a team member--could it be that even our career is being hindered because we’re persisting instead of quitting? In this episode, I'm joined by one of my favorite voices on decision-making. Annie Duke is the author of a new book entitled Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away. You may know of Annie because of her previous books on decision-making, such as Thinking In Bets. In this episode, we’re going to discuss something that wasn’t elaborated on in her earlier books. We’re going to talk about quitting--and, assuming you keep listening--you don’t quit--you’re going to walk away with some practical ideas that you can start using this week. Learn more about Annie and her book at AnnieDuke.com/.   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: The Gigantic Epic Day After Tomorrow by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/413-the-gigantic-epic-day-after-tomorrow License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: Music: Road Trip by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9761-road-trip License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schroeter.52 “Rudy (4/8) Movie CLIP - Fortune's Truth (1993) HD” On YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=Qoh3YkxuwVo “Jerry Maguire (2/8) Movie CLIP - Who's Coming With Me? (1996) HD” On YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=6ZZI6-zh0GM

Help for Getting Out of High Conflict When you think of the word conflict, what comes to mind? I ask because I’ve had the opportunity to pose that question to groups around the world. How would you respond? What I hear most often is words like Stress. Arguments. Tension. Avoid! Rarely do I hear Opportunity. Or disagreement. I’m excited to welcome Amanda Ripley to the podcast. Amanda is the author of one of my favorite books from this last year. It’s entitled High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out. It's not just a book about the brain. It's a book that introduces you to your brain. For those of us responsible for leading teams and projects, learning how to avoid the traps of high conflict--and how to get out of them if we’re there--is critical to our success. And in a world of increased political and social polarization, we have a real opportunity to be a force for good instead of just adding fuel to the fire. I consider this book a must-read and I look forward to your feedback after you listen to the episode! Learn more about Amanda and her book at AmandaRipley.com/. For more insights related to this episode, check out: Episode 284 for my conversation with Peter Boghossian about his book How Have Impossible Conversations Episode 276 for my conversation with Buster Benson about his book Why Are We Yelling?   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: The Inner Conflict by The New Geometry YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoeccLie1DU License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: RetroFuture Clean by Kevin MacLeod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWjCZ60gxfI License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Everybody Loves Raymond Uses Active Listening - from Parent Effectiveness Training available on YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=4VOubVB4CTU

Hi! Meet Your Brain Have you ever looked at how someone made a decision and wondered, “What were they thinking?” For me, it’s not just even watching other people. Sometimes I reflect on how I felt about something or a decision and wonder, “Huh… I wonder what was going on there?” Chantel Prat is one of today’s most important researchers and voices in the field of neuroscience. And she’s the author of a fascinating and entertaining new book entitled The Neuroscience of You: How Every Brain Is Different and How to Understand Yours. It's not just a book about the brain. It's a book that introduces you to your brain. If you’ve ever wondered how the brain works but instantly found your eyes rolling back because the material was too boring, you’ll want to get a copy of this book. Chantel is as funny as she is brilliant--I’m looking forward to sharing today’s discussion with you. Learn more about Chantel and her book at ChantelPrat.com/. For more insights related to this episode, check out: Episode 188 for my conversation with Dr. John Medina about his Brain Rulesbooks   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Crime Time by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9136-crime-time License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schroeter.52 Music: Everybody Up by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9244-everybody-up License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de Young Frankenstein Abby Normal available on YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=C9Pw0xX4DXI

Influence and Manipulation Where's the line between influence and manipulation? Well, I’ll save the answer for when you hear from today’s guest. Andres Lares is the Managing Partner at the Shapiro Negotiation Institute and author of a book entitled Persuade: The 4-Step Process to Influence People and Decisions. In this episode, Andres talks about the difference between influence and manipulation, and how to persuade in an ethical way. He explains why persuasion doesn’t just start with logic--or emotion. Rather, it’s with building credibility, and Andres shares some ideas on what that means and how to do it. Along the way, you’ll learn about Borrowed Credibility, Belief Biases, salary negotiating, and more. It’s a discussion that I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Andres and his book at ShapiroNegotiations.com/. For more insights related to this episode, check out: Episode 157 for my conversation with Dr. Robert Cialdini about his books on influence Episode 194 for my conversation with Tim David about his book on influence Episode 347 for my conversation with Zoe Chance about her book Influence is Your Superpower   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Crime Time by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9136-crime-time License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schroeter.52 Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod

Leadership Lessons Over the years of hosting the People and Projects Podcast, we’ve heard from authors from all kinds of backgrounds. I enjoy bringing you insights from researchers and professors and authors from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. But I particularly enjoy talking with people who have been in the trenches--they’ve had to lead in daunting situations, and they have the stories--and the scars--that come from being in the arena. In this episode, you’re going to hear from someone just like that. Jim Wetrich has led teams on three continents for more than 40 years. Jim, who also goes by the name Big Red, has put his top lessons about leading into a new book entitled Stifled: Where Good Leaders Go Wrong. In this episode, Big Red talks about how failing fast is easy to say--and important--but can also be difficult emotionally. He talks about why self-awareness is critical for leaders--and why we probably struggle with it more than we realize. We talk about hypocritical leaders and what we can do to make sure we don’t come off that way to our teams. Big Red shares how he manages the tension between getting his hands dirty but not micromanaging. Before we’re done, we’ll talk about the importance of staying positive, office politics, and more. I can’t wait to share this discussion with you. Learn more about Big Red and his book at JimWetrich.com/.   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Inspiring Advertising by Rafael Krux Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5515-inspiring-advertising License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/ Music: Pop Cinematic Credits by Rafael Krux Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5586-pop-cinematic-credits License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/

Influencing Skills for Project Managers One of the constant challenges for those of us who lead teams and projects is influencing people around us. Whether it’s a boss, our team, clients, or other stakeholders, we’re often in situations where we’re trying to influence an outcome, yet running into a brick wall while doing so. In this episode, we continue a series of discussions we’ve had over the years on the topic of influence. We’re joined by Rene Rodriguez, author of a new book entitled Amplify Your Influence: Transform How You Communicate and Lead. In this episode, Rene discusses what we often don’t get right about influence. He shares a simple way to learn more about influence just by paying attention to the people around us. You'll get an understanding of how the brain can help us be more effective at persuading or others--and how ignoring it can get in the way. And relates ideas from his AMPLIFII process to give us a taste of how we can communicate more effectively while persuading those around us. I’m looking forward to sharing this discussion with you! Learn more about Rene and his book at MeetRene.com/. For more insights related to this episode, check out: Episode 157 for my conversation with Dr. Robert Cialdini about his books on influence Episode 194 for my conversation with Tim David about his book on influence Episode 347 for my conversation with Zoe Chance about her book Influence is Your Superpower   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Lofi Chill Hip-Hop by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6347-lofi-chill-hip-hop License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod Music: Crime Time by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9136-crime-time License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schroeter.52

Accountability on Project Teams In this episode, we’re taking on the subject of accountability. And though fostering accountability among our team members is something we’ll talk about, you’re going to see that developing a culture of personal accountability might have a lot more to do with us than we realize. My guest today is Michael Timms. He’s the author of a fantastic leadership book entitled How Leaders Can Inspire Accountability: Three Habits That Make or Break Leaders and Elevate Organizational Performance. In this episode, Michael helps us get a better understanding of what accountability is--and isn’t. He explains how looking at accountability through the lens of systems thinking can help us better understand why we’re getting the behaviors we’re experiencing. Michael shares his litmus test of whether or not someone is a leader. And he introduces us to some habits that, when done well and consistently, can develop transforming levels of impact on you, your team, and your organization’s results. Learn more about Michael and his book at MichaelTimms.com. For more insights related to this episode, check out: Episode 213 for my conversation with Christopher Avery about his book The Accountability Process Episode 20 for my conversation with John G. Miller, author of The QBQ   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Soft Interlude by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7766-soft-interlude License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/ Music: Road Trip by Frank Schroeter Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9761-road-trip License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.schroeter.52 “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” Scene – Spider-Man (2002) Movie CLIP HD On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y

Career Advice for Women (and Men) Most days you can find me working with a group of leaders, helping them learn how to improve their ability to lead and deliver. This last Thursday I looked around the room that was filled with people in a project management exam prep program. Interestingly, all of the participants were women. That’s characteristic of a trend we see week in and week out--project management is a rewarding and accessible career path for women to pursue. And though that is true, there are barriers that women encounter that can hinder their ability to maximize their career potential. I’m excited to introduce you to the work of Christie Hunter Arscott. Christie is the author of a new book entitled Begin Boldly: How Women Can Reimagine Risk, Embrace Uncertainty, and Launch a Brilliant Career. In this episode, Christie talks about what she means when saying we should reimagine risk. She talks about her research-based, highly practical framework for navigating career risks in a balanced, even agile way. We discuss why the phrase “Good things come to those who wait” is a myth--and why a different way of looking at that phrase can make an enormous difference in your career. Christie talks about courage--being bold--including what it means to take micro-acts of courage. It’s an engaging discussion that I’ve been so looking forward to sharing with you for many weeks. Learn more about Christie and her book at ChristieHunterArscott.com. For more insights related to this episode, check out: Episode 314 for my conversation with the authors of the book Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace Episode 347 for my conversation with Zoe Chance about her book on influence, which includes content for women   Do You Have a High School or College Age Student in Your Family? If so, check out our e-learning program entitled Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students. It provides practical skills to reduce the stress of their school work and help jumpstart their career. Learn more and get access at https://i-leadonline.com/GettingStuffDone. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Love by Ketsa Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7581-love License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://ketsa.uk/ Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/2992-tuesday License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://www.sascha-ende.de

Your Kids Are Project Managers As I’ve often joked on this podcast, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an 8-year-old child telling their parent, “Mommy, someday I want to be a project manager!” On the contrary, it’s something that they got into almost accidentally. They were good in their particular area of expertise and were given the opportunity to lead initiatives in that area. But what if we learned about project management earlier? In fact, what if high school and college students developed expertise in leading and delivering projects? What difference could that make in their schooling and early careers? That’s what we’re talking about in this episode. I’m joined by Grant Johnson, who also happens to be a team member at the company I run. Finding a way to help develop project management capabilities for high school and college-aged students is something he has been tasked with over the last year. And he’s learned a lot in the process. In today’s discussion, Grant talks about why students in this age group should even care. He talks about examples of projects that students take on and how they can start those projects with momentum. Grant shares some tips he’s learned about project management as someone in his early 20s and how it has helped him personally. It’s a discussion I’m looking forward to sharing with you. And let me add that if you’re the parent of someone in this age group, you’re invited to have them listen along with you--or send them a link so they can benefit from this episode as well. Learn more about Getting Stuff Done: Project Management for Students at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/GettingStuffDone. Podcast listeners can use a coupon code of gsd100 to save $100 USD. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Funky Upturn by chilledmusic Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7472-funky-upturn License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Funky Life by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6040-funky-life License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

A New Way to Think Over 300 episodes ago we were joined by Roger L. Martin to talk about ideas from his book The Opposable Mind. In the years since I have personally benefited from Roger’s insights in books such as The Design of Business and Creating Great Choices. Roger joins us again in this episode to talk about his newest book entitled A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness. If you just glanced at the book, you might think it’s only relevant to CEOs and other top leaders. But there are ideas in this book that anyone leading projects and teams would benefit from. In this episode, Roger discusses the value and pitfalls of following popular models. He shares insights on why we need to get closer to the customer and how one of his friends and co-authors did that as CEO of Proctor & Gamble. You’ll hear Roger explain why the familiar solution usually trumps the perfect one and why we just might make better decisions if we focus on what must be true instead of what is true. We talk about all that and more--it’s a conversation I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you for many weeks. Learn more about Roger and his books at RogerLMartin.com. For more insights related to this episode, check out: Episode 54 for my previous conversation with Roger about his book The Opposable Mind Episode 47 for my conversation with Henry Mintzberg, the revered and curmudgeonly expert on management   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   The following music was used for this episode: Music: Hip Hop Flute Chill(loopable} by chilledmusic Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8531-hip-hop-flute-chillloopable License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Funky Life by WinnieTheMoog Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6040-funky-life License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Staying Motivated to Get Things Done How do we stay motivated when we’re pursuing our goals? And what can we learn from motivational science to help us both at work and at home? We’re joined today by one of the most important voices in motivational science, Dr. Ayelet Fishbach. Ayelet is the author of a new book entitled Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. In this episode, Ayelet will talk about some of the biggest myths or misunderstandings about motivation--some that I think you’ll recognize. She’ll talk about the importance of how we frame goals and how putting a number to them makes a big difference. She’ll explain the planning fallacy and how that impacts us individually and with our projects. Ayelet will help us better understand if we should reflect on the progress we’ve made--or how far we have to go yet. And throughout the discussion, we’ll apply the learning to goals like project delivery, team motivation, earning a certification, exercising, losing weight, and even parenting! It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Ayelet and her book at https://AyeletFishbach.com/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   I Am Running with Temporary Success from a Monstrous Vacuum in Pursuit by Chris Zabriskie Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heo0oXDa8ck License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Early Riser by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2315niU5WBY License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In The Trenches With Yasmina Khelifi Every once in a while we have a type of episode that we call In the Trenches. It’s an episode that interviews someone who is actively working in a project leadership role, allowing us to benefit from the lessons they have been learning over the years. I’m glad to welcome our guest today, Yasmina Khelifi, from Paris, France. Yasmina has been a leader in the telecom industry for many years and is an active blogger on projectmanagement.com. She has extensive experience working with international teams, providing her unique insights into how culture factors into leading and communicating. Learn more about Yasmina on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasminakhelifi-pmp-telecom/ and on ProjectManagement.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management   Le Baguette by Alexander Naka Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4784-le-baguett License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Let Me Be Free by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/164-let-me-be-free License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Mistakes (New) Managers Make If you are currently in a management role, do you remember what it was like when you first took on that new position? Do you remember what your struggles were? Janet Polach joins us today to talk about her book The Seven Mistakes New Managers Make: How to Avoid Them and Thrive. Though it’s a book for new managers, my take is that we could all benefit from being reminded about the traps we can easily fall into as we seek to become more effective leaders. Learn more about Janet and her book at InTheLead.co.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Crime Time by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9136-crime-time License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Developing Culture Beyond the Theory You know that the culture of your team and organization is critical to your ability to get work done. But here’s my observation: most books on culture stay too theoretical. They share models for understanding what culture is. They have high-level processes for transforming culture. And despite nodding my head while reading these books, I find they’re often not sufficiently practical. How do we, in practice, develop culture over time? That’s the focus of Brad Federman’s new book entitled Cultivating Culture: 101 Ways to Foster Engagement in 15 Minutes or Less. Brad joined us way back in episode 36 to talk about engaging our team members and he’s back with a new book to help us develop our team culture. Learn more about Brad and his book at BradFederman.com. For more on this topic of culture, check out the following episodes: Episode 25 with MIT Fellow Ed Schein Episode 251 with former Facebook leader Mike Rognlien Episode 252 with Marcus Buckingham   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Funky Corporation by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8072-funky-corporation License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license We Have Fun by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9161-we-have-fun- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

What Is Compassionate Leadership? In this episode, we’re continuing a series about rehumanizing the workplace. From conversations with so many of you, I know that you desire to lead in a way that builds people up and delivers results. It’s not one or the other--it’s both. Well, that idea of leading with empathy while delivering results is the premise of a new book by Donato Tramuto entitled The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results. In this episode, Donato will talk about what compassionate leadership means--and what it doesn’t mean. He’ll talk about how empathy is part of the equation--but not enough. He’ll talk about the role trust has in compassionate leadership--and how we can take practical steps to increase trust with those we lead. Donato will talk about why he doesn’t particularly like the term feedback, but also how we can help someone improve their performance in a compassionate way. Throughout it all, you'll get to know a genuinely interesting person--someone who is making this world better through his focus on compassionate leadership. Learn more about Donato and his book at DonatoTramuto.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Life of a Dog by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5130-life-of-a-dog License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Switch by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/489-switch License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Don Quixote - Act I finale (Marianela Nuñez and Carlos Acosta, The Royal Ballet) on YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=5fKxzQ8ARTQ

The Crisis of Loneliness One of my least favorite phrases over the last couple of years is the term Social distancing. I understand the idea and I worked to be diligent about keeping others safe. But that’s physical distancing--and that had its place. Social distancing, on the other hand, has been arguably devastating. My guest today says that, without even realizing it, we are subtly turning our backs on humanity every day. Steven Van Cohen joins us today to talk about his new book entitled Connectable: How Leaders Can Move Teams From Isolated to All In. It’s a book about the crisis of loneliness and in today’s discussion, Steven talks about the difference between loneliness and solitude. He shares some of the biggest contributors to modern-day loneliness and how we, as leaders, can strive to foster more belonging on our teams. Steven includes ways to help us more easily spot lonely workers and invest in connection. It's a conversation I can't wait to share with you. Learn more about Steven, his co-author, and their book at LessLonely.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Helium Is In High Demand by Tim Kulig Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9168-helium-is-in-high-demand License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Long Way by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8245-long-way License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby (From “Yellow Submarine”) on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y

The Dirty Little Secret of Business For years I’ve been telling coaching clients that the dirty little secret of business is that everything comes down to relationships. I know: It’s not dirty. It’s certainly not little. And I suppose it’s not a secret--you know relationships are important. But the statistics about relationships are not encouraging and it’s not just because of social distancing during COVID. Maybe it’s just that we’re busy. Or maybe it’s that what we think we know about relationships is wrong. Eric Barker joins us again, this time to talk about his new book entitled Plays Well with Others: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong. In this episode, Eric talks about why the fundamental core of relationships is the stories we tell ourselves. He explains why we stink at reading people--despite thinking we’re awesome at it. Before we’re done with this episode, you’ll know what costly signals are and why it’s important to know about Negative Sentiment Override. Eric will even share some insights on conflict, that can be applied in love relationships as well as at work. Learn more about Eric and his book at https://bakadesuyo.com/. Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   BusmansHoliday by Lilo Sound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7398-busmansholiday License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Love by Ketsa Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7581-love License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Friendship Scenes from Movies on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=b4ld-p0jSvI

A How-To Guide for Psychological Safety Fear is something that can impact us as individuals for sure, and it spreads to teams and organizations. In this episode, we’re going to take this topic of fear head-on to help empower us as leaders to deal with it. My guest today is Mark Minukas, co-author of a book entitled Unfear: Transform Your Organization to Create Breakthrough Performance and Employee Well-Being. In this episode, Mark talks about what unfear means--and doesn’t mean. He shares some of the less effective approaches we might be tempted to take when it comes to fear—and why they don’t work. Mark explains why the story we create about fear matters more than the fear itself. And he gives us some ideas on how we can start dealing better with fear ourselves so we can start to help our team as well. It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Mark and his book at UnfearBook.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Romantic Contemplative Nature by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8033-romantic-contemplative-nature License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Everybody Up by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9244-everybody-up License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license FDR Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself 1933 Inaugural Address on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=nHFTtz3uucY

Rehumanizing the Workplace A couple of years after COVID first hit, I can think of so many examples of how we’re becoming less human at work. It’s not just due to automation or outsourcing or remote work. Whether it’s because of social media, political polarization, or a host of other factors, I feel like there’s increasing pressure to not speak up. To not be yourself. To blend in. To not rock the boat. In a way, to be less human. I’m excited to introduce you to Dr. Rosie Ward, co-author of a book entitled ReHumanizing the Workplace. In this episode, Rosie talks about how the disruptions we’re experiencing today don’t just go away once COVID is a distant memory. She talks about authenticity and why it’s critically important to humanizing the workplace, yet why it’s a struggle for us. It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Dr. Rosie Ward and her book at DrRosieWard.com/About.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Boost My Business by Horst Hoffmann Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9170-boost-my-business License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Crime Time by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9136-crime-time License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license HAL 9000s interview on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=BDha7nj4s10

Staying Focused One of the biggest challenges we face in day-to-day living is staying focused. There are so many things vying for our attention. In fact, right now, even as you’re listening to this episode, you’re probably doing something else, right? Like driving, working out, going for a walk, maybe even going through email. To help fight back against those challenges, I’m excited to introduce you to Erik Qualman, author of a book entitled The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less. Learn more about Erik and his book at Equalman.com/The-Focus-Project/. For more content on this topic, check out: Episode 242 with James Clear about his book Atomic Habits Episode 309 with Ashley Whilans about her book Time Smart Episode 140 with Cal Newport about his book Deep Work   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   We Have Fun by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9161-we-have-fun- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Energetic Upbeat by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6033-energetic-upbeat License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Psychological Safety on Project Teams It is likely not a new idea to you that there are so many benefits to our projects and our teams when we foster a culture of psychological safety. The idea of psychological safety is straightforward. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Because of that, I’m always on the lookout for resources that can help us make progress in developing trusting relationships with teams and organizations. In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to LaTonya Wilkins, author of a book entitled Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You. In this episode, LaTonya will talk about her notion of a below-the-surface leader and how that’s different from being a surface leader. She’ll talk about the Terrible Three and how they can get in the way of us seeking to be a below-the-surface leader. Before we’re done today, you’ll understand how bridging and micro-habits can help us on this journey. And LaTonya will share some ideas about how to be a below-the-surface leader when you’re working in a culture that is far more comfortable at the surface level. Learn more about LaTonya and her book at LaTonyaWilkins.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Urban Beauty by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8439-urban-beauty- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Another Good Day by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8397-another-good-day- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Scrappy Project Management Too much project management education--including what you find on bookshelves at stores--is dry. Seemingly impractical and irrelevant. I'm constantly on the lookout for people who are practical and inspiring voices in helping us get better at leading teams and delivering projects. In this episode, I'm excited to introduce you to Kimberly Wiefling, author of Scrappy Project Management. In today's discussion, Kimberly will help us understand what it means to be scrappy--and why it's important. We'll talk about some of the predictable and avoidable pitfalls that plague our projects. You'll learn what her Project Success Scorecard is and how it can help you and your team. Kimberly will share insights on dealing with risks and assumptions AND why she recommends you never say No, even to the most ridiculous demands. Kimberly is as fun as she is brilliant. Learn more about her work at Wiefling.com. For more content related to today's episodes, check out: Episode 274 with J. Scott about his book The Irreverent Guide to Project Management Episode 336 with Clint Padgett about his book How Teams Triumph   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management   Workout by Brian Holtz Music Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8600-workout License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Disco of the '70s by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8298-disco-of-the-70-s License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Hiring: Your Most Important Responsibility It could be argued that there is nothing more important than hiring outstanding people. But the sad fact is we generally stink at hiring people. For a host of reasons, we often end up hiring what our guest in this episode calls the 90-Day Wonder—someone who, after 90 days, makes us wonder, “Why in the world did we hire this person?” How do we avoid that? Well, today I’m excited to introduce you to Lou Adler. Lou is the author of a book entitled Hire With Your Head: Using Performance-Based Hiring To Build Outstanding Diverse Teams. The 4th edition of this classic book has recently been published and it’s filled with ideas that have been perfected over the years. In this episode, Lou shares some of the biggest myths and mistakes that we make in the hiring process. He explains what Win-Win Hiring is and why it’s critical to the hiring process. Lou explains the difference between a great candidate and a great hire—they’re not the same. And he explains what a performance profile is and why you need to have that before you write out a job description to fill. And beyond all the advice about hiring, Lou shares insights to help you if YOU are looking for a job. It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Lou and his book at LouAdlerGroup.com. Also, if you're in the job market, consider checking out Lou's book The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired. His course Win-Win Hiring™ for Job Seekers – Getting Ready to Be Interviewed is available for $5 USD--highly recommended!   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Jazzi 3 by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8069-jazzi-3 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Long Way by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8245-long-way License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license The Internship: The Big Interview on YouTube at Youtube.com/watch?v=ewek-6TudOM

Communicating With Difficult Personalities One of the biggest complaints people have when working on projects is related to communication. Often people feel out of the loop or they just don’t understand what is being written or said. It’s been suggested that up to 90% of what we do when we’re leading projects is communicating. And I think it’s fair to say, we all would benefit from leveling up our ability to clearly, and effectively communicate with our teams, colleagues, and management. In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Tina Kuhn. Tina is the author of a book entitled The Manager’s Communication Toolkit: Tools and Techniques for Leading Difficult Personalities. In today’s discussion, Tina will share why those of us who lead teams and projects are tempted to default to email or other less-rich mediums—and why that causes problems. Tina will share some insights on how to communicate more effectively in your next Zoom or Teams meeting. She’ll help us see that effective communication is not just adjusting to the personality, but also to the situation and relationship. Tina will introduce a few of the difficult behavior types we face and share some advice on how to communicate with them. And we’ll wrap up with some thoughts about dealing with conflict. It’s a conversation I’m looking forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Tina and her book at TinaKuhnCommunication. For more episodes on communication, check out these two episodes with Dr. Nick Morgan: Episode 237 regarding his book Can You Hear Me? which offers helpful insights on communicating in virtual settings Episode 112 regarding his book Power Cues, which provides intriguing insights on how body language and voice impact communication   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Tutorial 2 by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8072-funky-corporation License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Endless Summer by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8933-endless-summer License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Cool Hand Luke - Failure to Communicate on YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=V2f-MZ2HRHQ

Thursday Is The New Friday If you ask someone about how things are going at work, what’s a typical response? What I most often hear is “Busy! We are busy!” Ask someone how they’re feeling, and many people will say, “Fine.” But if they get more transparent, what they’ll often say is, “I’m tired.” Busy and exhausted. Can you relate to that? In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Joe Sanok. Joe is the author of a book entitled Thursday is the New Friday: How to Work Fewer Hours, Make More Money, and Spend Time Doing What You Want. Does that subtitle sound like overselling? Or at least something that sounds nice but isn’t practical? Well, Joe is here to challenge that suspicion. Learn more about Joe and his book at JoeSanok.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Strain by Mikael Hellman Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9002-strain License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Positive Sentimental Uplifting Piano by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8764-positive-sentimental-uplifting-piano License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Just Chilling by Mikael Hellman Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6294-just-chilling License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Improving Your Ability To Influence One of the common concerns I hear from clients and podcast listeners is related to influence. How can I convince a boss or colleague or stakeholder or loved one to agree to something, especially when I don’t have authority in the situation? I can confidently tell you that my new favorite book on the topic of influence has just hit the shelves and I can’t wait to introduce you to it. Zoe Chance is the author of Influence Is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen. If you love behavioral economics, you’re going to love Zoe’s approach. But what causes this book to stand out is how she makes the science so practical and engaging. By the time we’re done listening to this episode, you’ll be using terms like the Gator and the Judge—and you’ll know what the mother of all misunderstandings is. Zoe shares the bedrock principle of behavior and how you can use that to be more influential. You’ll be more motivated than ever to just ask—but not just make an ask—she’ll share some nuance that’s often missed when we talk about asking. You’ll learn about how to deal with resistance and so much more—it’s a conversation that I’ve been looking forward to for weeks. Learn more about Zoe and her book at ZoeChance.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Funky Corporate by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8072-funky-corporation License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Workout by Brian Holtz Music Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8600-workout License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Lessons from a Successful Project Manager (and Business Analyst) One of the joys of hosting this podcast is introducing you to a wide group of authors and practitioners. I’m constantly on the lookout for resources to help us on this mission and in this episode, I’m glad to introduce you to Donna Gregorio. Donna is a practicing PM and wrote an easy-to-read book entitled The Successful Project Manager: Practical Guidance from Lessons Learned. In today’s discussion, Donna will tell us how her background as a business analyst feeds her ability to be a better project manager. And vice versa. She’ll talk about what it means to really lead a project—and to be a trusted advisor—not just a task tracker. Donna will share some lessons learned about work breakdown structures, change management, and agile. And she wraps up the conversation with some career advice that I think you’ll find helpful. It's a fun, practical discussion that I look forward to sharing with you today. Learn more about Donna at DonnaGregorio.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management   Science for Hope by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8814-science-for-hope License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Improving Your Ability to Lead We often joke in our project management workshops that participants have signed up for a leadership class cloaked as a project management class. So much of our ability to deliver projects comes down to our ability to lead people and teams—regardless of our title or whether team members report to us directly. That’s a core premise of the People and Projects Podcast--that we’re all leaders—and I’m constantly on the lookout for resources to help you and me develop our ability to lead. Darren Reinke reached out to me last year to talk about his book The Savage Leader: 13 Principles to Become a Better Leader from the Inside Out. After browsing a copy of the book, I knew this was a guy I wanted to talk with. His passion for leading is clear and his advice is practical. Learn more about Darren at TheSavageLeader.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Workout by Brian Holtz Music Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8600-workout License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Urban Music by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8439-urban-beauty- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Can You Change Other People? We’re continuing a series of episodes on the topic of change. Back in Episode 339, we talked with Katy Milkman about her book How to Change, which provided some helpful insights into the behavioral science of change. Then we talked with Gary Lloyd in Episode 343 about his book Gardeners Not Mechanics to get practical insights on how to lead change in organizations. I wanted to add one more episode in the series to focus on a key aspect of what we need to do as leaders: help others to change. Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson have written a remarkable new book entitled You Can Change Other People: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees—Even Family—Up Their Game. Did you catch that title? You can change other people. Isn’t there something about the phrasing that just seems wrong? Isn’t it true that you can’t change other people—you can only change yourself? Peter and Howie are going to challenge that idea today. They’ll share why changing others might just be the most important capability a leader can develop. They’ll share some examples of how NOT to try to get someone to change. More importantly, they’ll give us a taste of what their four steps are and how to use them. It’s a fun conversation with two people who are actively using these ideas every day to help people change. I can’t wait to share this discussion with you. Learn more about Peter and Howie at BregmanPartners.com/change/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Workout by Brian Holtz Music Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8600-workout License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Urban Music by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8439-urban-beauty- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Leading in an Ecosystem We’re continuing a series of episodes on the topic of change. Back in episode 339 we talked with Katy Milkman about her book How to Change, which provided some helpful insights into the behavioral science of change. But what if you are planning to lead a change initiative. Beyond what Katy brought us from behavioral science, I wanted to bring you a process—something that is practical, memorable, and tested across industries. And I’m glad to say I found it! In this episode I’m excited to introduce you to Gary Lloyd, author of Gardeners Not Mechanics: How to Cultivate Change at Work. I’m not a gardener but I find Gary’s approach to be practical for changes you want to lead at work and in your personal life. I can’t wait to share the discussion with you. Learn more about Gary at GardenersNotMechanics.com/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Funky Corporation by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8072-funky-corporation License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Googly Eyes Gardener by Saturday Night Live is available on YouTube at YouTube.com/watch?v=zc7qJE9Nzo8

Little Changes Can Make A Big Difference It’s interesting to me how little changes can have outsized benefits. For example, how something is said. There’s a difference between a boss saying, “You can hit this date, right?” and “Here’s what we need to get done. How much time do you think this would take? What do you need from me to make that happen?” Sometimes it’s just little shifts in what we say. How we make an ask. How we look at a situation. And with just a little shift, we can sometimes reap enormous benefits in our relationships at work and at home. I’m excited to introduce you to Krister Ungerbock. Krister is the author of one of my most gifted books recently. It’s entitled 22 Talk SHIFTs: Tools to Transform Leadership in Business, in Partnership, and in Life. It's a book I probably would have never picked up, but I'm so glad the publisher reached out to introduce me to it. I look forward to introducing you to Krister and his work! Learn more about Krister at Krister.com/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Golden Age of Computers by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8379-golden-age-of-computers License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Urban Music by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8439-urban-beauty- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Help For Leading and Delivering Projects Part of leading and directing projects is influencing--ethically using the tools and techniques at our disposal to deliver the intended results. Could it be that, at times, we might even need to be a bit pushy? That's something that my guest mentions here in episode 341. I’m excited to be joined by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez to talk about his new book, the Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook. In addition to being an author, Antonio is a practitioner and consultant with a heart for teaching and raising up a new generation of project leaders. He’s the former chairman of the Project Management Institute and is a highly respected researcher and management consultant. Learn more about Antonio at AntonioNietoRodriguez.com/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Modern Jazz Samba by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4063-modern-jazz-samba License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Notanico Merengue by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4145-notanico-merengue License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

80-20 Is Everywhere You’ve certainly heard of the Pareto Principle, right? It’s the 80-20 rule that says, for example, 80% of the value of our projects comes from 20% of the scope. Why do I bring this up? Because most of us know about 80-20 but we don’t leverage it to our advantage. And today’s guest is going to challenge us on that. Perry Marshall is joining us to talk about his book Detox Declutter Dominate. Learn more about Perry at PerryMarshall.com. Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Drifting in Time by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7539-drifting-in-time- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

How to Change There's a change you’ve probably been wanting to make. It could be that you know what to do. The problem is doing it. Remembering it. Following through. And perhaps not beating yourself up because you haven’t made progress. Whatever it is that you’d like to change, we have good news for you in this episode. Katy Milkman joins us to talk about her fantastic new book How to Change. If you enjoyed our conversation with James Clear about his book Atomic Habits, you're going to love this conversation with Katy--this book shares the underlying research behind popular books on habits. Learn more about Katy at KatyMilkman.com.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Disco Of The 70’s by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8298-disco-of-the-70-s License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The ROI of Kindness Is it possible to be too nice? Is niceness the same as kindness? In today’s discussion, we’re going to drill in on that idea. I’m excited to introduce you to Brian Biro who wrote a book entitled The ROI of Kindness. In today’s discussion, Brian will talk about the difference between being nice and being kind. He’ll explain what a Kindness Value Proposition is and why you might want to consider developing one. We have an extended conversation about one of the kindest things you can do, which is to be present with other people. And make sure you stay around for the outtakes because Brian was a friend with legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Outside the official interview, Brian shares some inspiring insights about who many consider to be the Greatest Basketball Coach of All Time. Learn more about Brian at BrianBiro.com. John Wooden TED Talk In the outtakes of this episode, Brian and I talk about Coach John Wooden. Here's an insightful TED Talk that highlights some of Wooden's perspectives: youtube.com/watch?v=0MM-psvqiG8. Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Rocking Day (without Lead Guitar) by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7965-rocking-day-without-lead-guitar- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Love by Ketsa Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7581-love License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Managing Projects and Teams One of my favorite voices in the world of leading and delivering is Johanna Rothman. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Johanna for a couple of decades now and throughout that time she’s been a clear voice in how I think about managing teams and projects. And her writing, coaching, and consulting have helped project teams around the world. In this episode, she joins us to talk about her new book series entitled Modern Management Made Easy. It’s a series of 3 books that address some pervasive myths about management. Learn more about Johanna and her book series at jrothman.com/modern-management-made-easy-a-three-volume-set/. Additional Resources In this episode, I refer to these other interviews that you might find helpful: My discussion with Johanna in episode 207 about her book Create Your Successful Agile Journey My discussion with Annie Murphy Paul in episode 335 about her book The Extended Mind Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Long Way by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8245-long-way License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license New Happy Day by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8161-new-happy-day License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

How to Deliver Projects Let’s say a boss comes up to you and says, “Hey, our senior leadership team just authorized this big new project. I’m assigning it to you and need it delivered in the next 14 weeks. We’re counting on you. Good luck!” What’s going through your mind at this point? Maybe you’re excited about the opportunity, which is great. But a lot of times people are thinking, “How in the world am I supposed to deliver all of that, in that timeframe, when I’m already overbooked with other projects! And so is everyone else I’ll need!” So what do you do? Clint Padgett joins us again to talk about his new book entitled How Teams Triumph: Managing By Commitment. If you're looking for insights on how to deliver challenging projects, this is a book you'll want to read. Learn more about Clint and his book at ProjectSuccess.com.   Additional Resources You can find my previous discussion with Clint in episode 29.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management   When I'm Gone by Ramol Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6794-when-i-m-gone License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Chilled Summer Piano by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8145-chilled-summer-piano- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Much Of How We Think About the Brain is Wrong Today we're having a discussion about the brain. Actually, it’s more than that--we’re going to talk about how a lot of what we think we know about the brain might just not be so! Science writer Annie Murphy Paul joins us today to talk about her remarkable new book entitled The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside The Brain. It’s a book that has expanded how I think about the mind and I can’t wait to introduce you to what I consider a must-read book. Learn more about Annie and her book at AnnieMurphyPaul.com.   Additional Resources In my comments after the interview, I mention a follow-up interview you may want to check out. It's with Dr. John Medina, author of a series of books called Brain Rules. You can find my discussion with John in episode 188.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Clouded Minds by Musikhalde Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7636-clouded-minds License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license If I Only Had a Brain - The Wizard of Oz (4/8) Movie CLIP (1939) HD available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=nauLgZISozs

Preparing for the Next Rogue Wave We’re continuing a series of episodes on the topic of the future. It’s hard to imagine that we can be effective at leading others if we’re not forward-thinking. But after getting slammed by the COVID tsunami and subsequent recurring waves, the future can feel so unsure. So how do we prepare ourselves and our teams for the future despite the challenges of understanding it? To help us with that, we’re joined in this episode by Jonathan Brill, author of a new book entitled Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change. Jonathan is the former Global Futurist at HP and has led companies that have substantially improved the world in many domains. Not to mention he invented the machine that makes frozen coffee slurpees! Learn more about Jonathan and his book at JonathanBrill.com.   Additional Resources In the outtakes of the episode, Jonathan mentions an HBR article that he wrote with Dorie Clark about how to future-prep your career. You can find that article here. My discussion with Brian David Johnson, former Chief Futurist at Intel, can be found in episode 313 My discussion with Deborah Westphal from Toffler Associates can be found in episode 329 My discussion with Michael Solomon about preparing your career for the future can be found in episode 304 My discussion with Cecily Sommers about how to think like a futurist can be found in episode 87   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management   Back To The Future by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6090-back-to-the-future License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

How much fun would you say you and your team have as you go through your day-to-day work? When you look back over the pandemic experience thus far, there are plenty of reasons for the word fun to not come to mind. There has been a great loss, much fear, and though working from home may have its advantages, it can definitely have an impact on how a group of people experiences the idea of being a team and having fun together. In this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo, authors of a new book entitled Work Made Fun Gets Done. It's an insightful book on trust that I look forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Dr. Bob and Mario and their book at DrBobNelson.com/. If you found this episode helpful, here are some recommended follow-up episodes: Episode 316 with the authors of the book Humor, Seriously Episode 109 with Peter McGraw about his book The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Funny & Cheerful by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7124-funny-cheerful-play License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license It's Funky by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8061-it-s-funky License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Jerry’s Gift to Elaine vs Kramer’s Gift | Seinfeld S02E09 available at youtube.com/watch?v=daMjZP1pjFc

Leading Virtual Teams That Work Though many people are slowly starting to return to the office for at least part of the week, there’s reason to think that we’ll be leading teams and projects with stakeholders that are not co-located. And though we’ve gained some experience with that now since the global pandemic began, I continue to hear from people about the challenges they experience, both as a leader of teams and as members of teams. I’m excited to introduce you to the work of Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel. They are authors of the books The Long-Distance Leader and The Long-Distance Teammate. Both are insightful books on how to navigate leading virtual teams and I look forward to sharing ideas from the books with you. Learn more about Kevin and Wayne and their books at KevinEikenberry.com. Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Time to 808 by MusicParadise Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5069-time-to-808 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license End Titles Extended Version (Romeos Erbe) by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3158-end-titles-extended-version-romeos-erbe- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The Power of Trust A key aspect for us to grow in our ability to lead and deliver comes down to trust. It’s difficult to follow someone we don’t trust, right? Yet trust can be one of those topics that can be difficult to get our arms around. We know it when we see it and we know it’s important. And we certainly know when it’s lost. But how do we intentionally develop trust in an authentic and lasting way? That’s what we’re talking about today. Harvard Management Professor Sandra Sucher joins us in this episode to talk about her new book The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It. It's an insightful book on trust that I look forward to sharing with you. Learn more about Sandra and her book at ThePowerOfTrustBook.com/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Warm Sunset by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8070-warm-sunset License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Tranceverse by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5223-tranceverse License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg Address is available at https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2019-04-04-Boeing-CEO-Dennis-Muilenburg-Addresses-the-Ethiopian-Airlines-Flight-302-Preliminary-Report#assets_20295_130416-115 BP CEO Tony Hayward clip available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=MTdKa9eWNFw

The Working Project Manager Mom A common struggle I see is the challenges and expectations faced by working moms. I think it’s challenging for any working mom, but since many of our listeners are in project-related roles, I wonder if it’s even more difficult for you? Your days are filled with planning, task management, getting things done, being efficient, and my guess is that mindset doesn’t shut off when it comes to parenting. In many ways, that mindset probably helps you in your parenting. But it also might leave you exhausted as you wrestle with trying to do it all--trying to be all--when the demands of work and life make that an impossible fairy tale. In this episode, we’re talking with Dr. Whitney Casares, author of a new book entitled The Working Mom Blueprint: Winning at Parenting Without Losing Yourself. It’s a book packed with wisdom that I can’t wait to introduce you to. Learn more about Whitney at ModernMommyDoc.com/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Fantasy Corporation by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6179-fantasy-corporation License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license New Beautiful Day by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6176-new-beautiful-day License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Preparing for the Convergence It's hard to imagine that we can be effective at leading others if we’re not forward-thinking. But the future is so unsure--clouded at times by apocalyptic visions of machines taking over and life ruled by algorithms. So how do we prepare ourselves and our teams for the future despite the challenges of understanding it? To help us on this journey, we're joined today by Deborah Westphal, author of a new book entitled Convergence: Technology, Business, and the Human-Centric Future. In this episode, Deborah will talk about what it means for us to be human-centric as we look to the future. She’ll challenge how we use the term stakeholder when we’re leading our teams and projects. She’ll expose some of the obsolete ideas and models that we too easily hold onto. And she’ll give us some perspectives to think differently about what it means to be a human-centric, future-focused leader. Learn more about Deborah and her book at DeborahWestphal.com/convergence-book/.   Join our Global LEAD52 Community Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? LEAD52 is your 5-minute weekly pass to leadership intelligence. You get 52 weeks of learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it's all for free. Join us at https://GetLEAD52.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   History and Future by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/67-history-and-future License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Things by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4860-things License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Patch Adams Complete Speech from the movie Patch Adams, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=KDEjgOFOLho

Strategic Project Management There's a good chance that right now, as you listen to this episode, you’ve been tasked with delivering something that feels big. Perhaps even intimidating. Even if this isn’t you right now, it will be eventually, and today I can’t wait to introduce you to an approach that can help lead you out of the fog. Terry Dean Schmidt is the author of Strategic Project Management Made Simple. Though that title might sound like it’s over-selling--that strategic projects can be made simple--I think you’re going to find Terry’s approach to be something that is straightforward and can apply to just about any type of project and life cycle. Learn more about Terry and his company at https://www.managementpro.com/about-us/meet-terry/. You can get your own free P.R.O.J.E.C.T.S. Daily checklist to serve as a reminder of the beliefs, attitudes, and mindsets to keep you focused. Get yours here.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management   Dionysos by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6991-dionysos License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license On Fire by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5147-on-fire License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Sustainable Project Management Insights One of my favorite voices on how to lead projects is Rich Maltzman. Rich contributed to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) Seventh Edition in the areas of sustainability and value delivery. In this episode, Rich talks about what sustainable project management is (and isn't). Perhaps more importantly, he talks about what we can do at our level, especially when we feel we don’t have much influence to make a difference. And Rich shares some project and career lessons that he’s gleaned over the years. It’s a great discussion with a guy I consider a friend. Here are some resources that Rich mentions during the interview: His book Green Project Management, co-authored with David Shirley His book How to Facilitate Productive Project Planning Meetings: A Practical Guide to Ensuring Project Success, co-authored with Jim Stewart His blog on projectmanagement.com Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management   Corona [instrumental] (feat. Klangkommune) by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7102-corona-instrumental License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Lessons in Project Leadership One of my favorite voices on how to lead projects is Kiron Bondale. He joined us back in episode 92 for an In the Trenches episode, and I’ve been a fan of his writing ever since. Kiron recently launched a new book entitled Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice: 100 Lessons in Project Leadership. It's a book packed with insights to help you lead and deliver. Learn more about Kiron and his work at https://kbondale.wordpress.com/. Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Tranceverse by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5223-tranceverse License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Two Interviews in One I've been looking forward to sharing this interview with Dana Brownlee for many weeks. In many ways, it's two interviews wrapped up into one. We start by talking with Dana about her book entitled The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up: Project Management Techniques from the Trenches. It's a book packed with insights to help manage those who manage us! But I didn't want to miss the opportunity to have a conversation with Dana about race. She's a valued voice in my life on many topics--including race--and I so appreciate the insights she shares with us today. Learn more about Dana and her work at https://professionalismmatters.com/. Also, check out her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfFT3dbydRwGM2_qBz-lt_A. Finally, in the interview, she mentions an article she wrote about Martin Luther King's letter from the Birmingham jail. Click here to read that article.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Tuesday by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/2992-tuesday License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Back To The Sun by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6945-back-to-the-sun- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Building Resilience After a Pandemic For most of us, living through a crisis like a global pandemic has taken a toll. As leaders, we not only have to navigate difficult times well ourselves—we also have a responsibility to help those we lead. Jim Harter is Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Wellbeing at Gallup. He joins us here in episode 324 to talk about his new book entitled Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams. It's a book packed with research-driven insights to help you and me build resilient and thriving teams at work. Learn more about Jim and his work at Gallup at https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/349547/wellbeing-at-work-what-gallup-has-learned-about-thriving.aspx.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you follow me, I'll follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Particles by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5696-particles- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Upbeat & Happy by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7809-upbeat-happy- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Job Satisfaction Management Clip from the movie Horrible Bosses, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=As9bbkvjuxo

Leading in Anxious Times In this episode, we’re taking on the subject of anxiety at work, and I’m excited to welcome Adrian Gostick to the conversation. Adrian and his co-authors Chester Elton and Anthony Gostick have written an insightful and timely book entitled Anxiety at Work: 8 Strategies to Help Teams Build Resilience, Handle Uncertainty, and Get Stuff Done. The book is filled with practical ways that we, as leaders, can do our part to reduce anxiety at work. Learn more about Adrian and his work at https://AdrianGostick.com/. Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Depression by Sascha Ende® Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4927-depression License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Black Night by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5617-black-knight- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Michael's Stress Relief from the Office US, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=aiMcewLra2g

The Rules Have Changed World-renowned CEO coach and business thinker Ram Charan joins us to talk about new rules for the digital age from his book Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age. It's a discussion that will help guide how you see your business through the lens of the digital giants while helping you prepare for the future. Learn more about Ram and his work at https://ram-charan.com/books/.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you follow me, I'll follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic & Business Management   Creating Future Technologies by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7057-creating-future-technologies License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Back to the Future by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6090-back-to-the-future License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Balancing the Budget scene from the movie Dave, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=ZARAldXlSyA

Asking Instead of Telling Dr. Ed Schein returns back to the podcast, along with his son Peter, to talk about the recently released Second Edition of their book Humble Inquiry, Second Edition: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling. It's a book about asking questions--for sure. But it's a remarkably good book about how to have conversations--real conversations--instead of two people talking at each other. Learn more about Ed, Peter, and their Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute at https://www.scheinocli.org/. Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Inspiring Advertising by Rafeal Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5515-inspiring-advertising- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Inspiring Orchestra by Rafeal Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5671-inspiring-orchestra- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Making Sense of Weak Signals Greg Githens joins us to talk about his insightful book How to Think Strategically: Sharpen Your Mind. Develop Your Competency. Contribute to Success. Greg's book is packed with ideas to build your ability to think more critically--more strategically--and develop your ability to lead teams and projects. Learn more about Greg, his book, and his coaching practice at https://strategicthinkingcoach.com/. Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   A Day Of Happiness (loopable) by chilledmusic Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7653-a-day-of-happiness-loopable- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The Head of Certification from PMI Joins Us Sierra Hampton-Simmons joins us in this episode to talk about the recent changes to the PMP exam. In addition, she gives us a glimpse at what to expect with certifications in the future. In the discussion, she mentions the following handbooks: PMI website: pmi.org PMP Exam Content Outline CAPM Exam Content Outline I would love to help you earn your PMP or CAPM certification exam! To learn more about our programs, click here.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic Business Management The Happiest Day of My Life by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6916-the-happiest-day-of-my-life License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

You Can't Advance If They Don't Know About You I'm joined by John Stepper to talk about his new book entitled Working Out Loud: A 12-Week Method to Build New Connections, a Better Career, and a More Fulfilling Life. It’s a great read and in today’s discussion, you’re going to learn specific strategies for developing relationships and future-prepping your career. Learn more about John and the Working Out Loud movement at WorkingOutLoud.com/.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Golden Star by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5657-golden-star- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Pop Cinematic Credits by Rafael Crux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5586-pop-cinematic-credits- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Sale Anxiety scene from Tommy Boy, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=_FBsbZzxaG8

Managing Up is Not Sucking Up I'm joined by Mary Abbajay to talk about her book entitled Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed With Any Type of Boss. It’s a great read and in today’s discussion, you’re going to learn specific strategies for dealing with different types of bosses. Learn more about Mary and her company at ManagingUpTheBook.com/.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Funny Adventures by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6048-funny-adventures License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license The Final Battle of Superheroes by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7418-the-final-battle-of-superheroes License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license The Company Way scene from How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying (1967), available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=SKC8iPeIvEA

The Power of Levity for Project Teams We’re talking about humor today and I'm joined by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas. They’re the authors of a new book entitled Humor, Seriously. It’s a great read and in today’s discussion, you’re going to learn how bringing more levity to your team pays back in a big way. Learn more about Jennifer and Naomi at HumorSeriously.com/.   Accelerate Your Ability to Lead We've opened up applications for this year's Leadership Fast Track Program. Join other listeners from around the world who are committed to accelerating their ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Puppet Dance by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7235-puppet-dance License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Look Busy by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4000-look-busy License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Lost in Translation scene from Oceans 12, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=UUQd55xFbfw I Love to Laugh scene from Mary Poppins, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=yNHRXNvFmZ8

Evidence-based Ways to Stop Ruminating and Worrying After working with hundreds of coaching clients from around the world through our Leadership Fast Track Program, I can confidently say that I probably know who your worst critic is. Yep, it’s probably you. People leading teams and projects typically have plenty to worry about. We ruminate about the past and can stay awake at night about risks that are lurking. Those voices in our head--that chatter, so to speak, can start to weigh heavy on us, and current events in the last year certainly haven’t made this easier. In this episode, I have a conversation with Ethan Kross, author of a new book entitled Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. It's a must-read--I can't wait for you to learn more about it. Learn more about Ethan at ethankross.com.   Accelerate Your Ability to Lead We've opened up applications for this year's Leadership Fast Track Program. Join other listeners from around the world who are committed to accelerating their ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Emotional by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5481-emotional- License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Innerspace by Lilo Sound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5966-innerspace License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license A Family Dinner scene from Inside Out, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=Cjgdiy_SGjA

Being Allies for Women in Project Management Project management is a fantastic career path for us all, and especially women. As much progress as women have made in the workplace, there remain many barriers that, quite frankly, many men are blind to. In this episode, we’re going to focus on this in a way that I hope you will find empowering, encouraging, and actionable. It’s not a discussion that is blaming or shaming men. It’s about helping us see that there’s work to do, and I think both men and women are going to walk away from today’s discussion with ideas you can take action on right away. My guests in this episode are David Smith and Brad Johnson, authors of the new book Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace. Learn more about Brian and David at wbradjohnson.com/books.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, contact us about having Andy speak at your company. Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Brothers Unite by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4864-brothers-unite License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Uplifting Ballad by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4725-uplifting-ballad License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license What Do You Ladies Do for NASA scene from Hidden Figures, available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=HFNakraGHYk

Project Managers Are Futurists My guest in this episode is the former Chief Futurist of Intel: Brian David Johnson. Brian joins us to talk about his book The Future You: Break Through the Fear and Build the Life You Want. Brian is going to help you see that project managers are perfectly positioned to benefit from thinking like a futurist. Learn more about Brian at threatcasting.asu.edu/.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, contact us about having Andy speak at your company. Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management   Back to the Future by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6090-back-to-the-future License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Fjeld by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7242-fjeld License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Back to the Future-We Don't Need Roads (1989) scene available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=fCjsUxbNmIs

Lessons About Delays In this brief episode, I share a lesson from a recent assignment for my project management MBA students. Episodes that I refer to are: Episode 249, with Aaron Dignan about his book Brave New Work Episode 306, with Gary Hamel about his book Humanocracy I strongly recommend you add those episodes and books to your learning plan for the new year!   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, I'd love to speak at an upcoming event at your organization! Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Favorite by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4855-favorite License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Picking my favorite episodes from this last year was not easy, but if you're looking for the top 5, check out this episode! Episodes that I refer to are: Episode 284, with Peter Boghossian about his book How to Have Impossible Conversations Episode 294, with Frances Frei about her book Unleashed Episode 301, with Peter Kozodoy about his book Honest to Greatness Episode 302, with Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg about his book What's Your Problem? Episode 306, with Gary Hamel about his book Humanocracy I strongly recommend you add those episodes and books to your learning plan for the new year!   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, I'd love to speak at an upcoming event at your organization! Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Favorite by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4855-favorite License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license New Year's Eve speech scene from the movie New Year's Eve available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=OiAotrd-_Gk

What If Your Next Job Could Find You? My guest in this episode is Jeff Gothelf. He woke up on his 35th birthday in a cold sweat about his career. He hadn't been laid off (yet), but he realized that the future wasn't as bright as it might seem. Jeff joins us to talk about his book Forever Employable: How to Stop Looking for Work and Let Your Next Job Find You. Whether you're currently looking for a job or want to future-prep your career, this is an episode you'll want to catch. Learn more about Jeff and his book at jeffgothelf.com. Also, check out his new Becoming Forever Employable Program at jeffgothelf.com/foreveremployable/becoming-forever-employable-workshop   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, contact us about having Andy speak at your company. Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you follow me, I'll follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Celestial Navigation by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License Reborn by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5040-reborn License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Job Interview scene from The Wedding Singer available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=mQ2OHv2hOrE

Help for Busy Leaders A common theme I hear from listeners is how overwhelmed many of us feel. Between the demands of your projects and stakeholders, demands at home, the stress of all that’s going on in culture, it’s just an overwhelming time for so many people. That's why I invited Harvard professor Ashley Whillans to join us in episode 309 to talk about her new book Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life. She shares some perspectives and tips that will help you reclaim some time from your crazy schedule.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, contact us about having Andy speak at your company. Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Time Is Now by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/395-time-is-now License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Time Travel by Frank Schröter Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6784-time-travel- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 George's Toast scene from Funny People available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=p8CPTHEAfJc

Stepping Back to Reflect Perhaps more than ever, we need to find ways to reflect. Yet how do we do that in the hectic pace we're living? Harvard professor Joe Badaracco joins us in episode 308 to talk about his insightful book Step Back: How to Bring the Art of Reflection into Your Busy Life. Joe shares practical insights that make reflection possible (and you don't have to book a meditation retreat!).   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, contact us about having Andy speak at your company. Our project management and leadership related keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Epic Emotional Trailer by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5345-epic-emotional-trailer- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Dream Culture by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3675-dream-culture License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 How Will the World Speak My Name scene from Gladiator available on WingClips at wingclips.com/movie-clips/gladiator/how-will-the-world-speak-my-name

Rising to Power The good news? You're getting opportunities for more responsibility. The bad news? It might just be more painful than you think. Ron Carucci joins us for episode 307 to talk about his insightful book Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives. Ron shares insights to help you prepare for increasing levels of responsibility that will both inspire and challenge you. And he shares some insights about his upcoming book about honesty. I can't wait to share this episode with you! Learn more about Ron at navalent.com/. After you listen to this episode, check out our discussion with Peter Kozodoy about his book on honesty in episode 301.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company Whether live in-person or virtually, contact us about having Andy speak at your company. Our keynotes and workshops can help improve your teams' ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/workshops.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   SuccessfulTransitions by Lilo Sound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6581-successfultransitions License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Beatback#1 by Lilo Sound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6766-beatback-1 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Work Hard scene from Creed available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=gM2utA01vRo

Fighting Back Against Bureaucracy So, what does it take to get ahead at work? If you’ve ever worked for a corporation of almost any size, you’ve had a front-row seat to the life-sucking waste that happens because of bureaucracy. It’s certainly an issue as organizations get larger, but I’ve seen it bog down small companies as well. Gary Hamel joins us for episode 306 to talk about his new book Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them. Gary doesn't just talk about the problems--he also shares ideas that you and I can start using to start building our own humanocracies. Learn more about Gary at garyhamel.com/.   Join Us for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us this fall for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Can't Gallop Without You and The Sweet Potato Shuffle by The Polish Ambassador are licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License Big Presentation Scene from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=1GbNS7IcCj0  

We Too Often Self-Limit It's been a jam-packed speaking season, but in this short video, I share a quick lesson we need to hear. Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Summer Ambient Piano by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5504-summer-ambient-piano- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Future-Prepping Your Career Something we all need to wrestle with is this: how are we preparing ourselves for the future? With the continuing advancements in AI and automation, how can you continue to set yourself up to be relevant in the future of disruptions? Michael Solomon joins us to talk about his new book Game Changer: How to be 10x in the Talent Economy. Michael shares his perspectives on what it means to be a 10xer--someone who provides out-sized results--and how that prepares you for whatever is coming next. Learn more about Michael at 10xmanagement.com/. You can find the Lifestyle Calculator that Michael talks about in the interview at 10xAscend.com/Calculator.   Join Us for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us this fall for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership Banana Bread Break by The Polish Ambassador is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License Vienna Beat by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License 1.21 Gigawatts from Back to the Future available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=f-77xulkB_U We Don't Need Roads from Back to the Future II available on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=fCjsUxbNmIs  

Advocate for Women in Project Management I'm excited to share this conversation with my friend Elise Stevens. Her work advocating for women in project management is an inspiration to me personally, and the insights she shares today are helpful to both men and women. Learn more about Elise at elisestevens.co.   Join Us for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us this fall for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management   I Dare You and The Dweller on Coyote Hill by Little Glass Men is licensed under an Attribution License  

Becoming an Expert Problem-Finder Chances are, you have a reputation as a good problem-solver. That reputation very well could be one of the factors that has led to your success thus far. But here’s the problem--and perhaps you’re already seeing it. The higher you get up in an organization, the larger the scale of your projects and responsibilities, the more difficult the problems you face. I'm joined today by Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, author of a new book entitled What's Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve Learn more about Thomas and his book at wedellsblog.com/.   Join Us for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us this fall for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back!) Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Georgia Overdrive and Vienna Beat by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License Sherlock Deduction-A Study in Pink scene, BBC Link: youtube.com/watch?v=v0rC-twlrfg

The Truth Will Set You Free We often think about honesty as "don’t tell lies", and that’s certainly part of it. But in today's episode, Peter Kozodoy helps us see that a big part of brutal honesty is seeing things honestly. Peter has just released an intriguing book released just this month. It’s entitled Honest to Greatness: How Today’s Greatest Leaders Use Brutal Honesty to Achieve Massive Success. Learn more about Peter and his book at PeterKozodoy.com/. Click here to see the Quicken Loans ISMs that Peter refers to in the discussion.   Join Us for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us this fall for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!   The Only Opinion That Matters Is Yours We've learned so much by publishing the first 300 episodes. But we are committed to making the next 300 even better! Share your thoughts by answering this 2-minute survey at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/300. We're holding a drawing for a $50 USD gift card as a Thank You! Take a few minutes right now to help. Thank you!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and Follow me (I've maxed out the connections but if you Follow me, I'll Follow you back! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Nuh Na Nuh by Kevin MacLeod Link: Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6429-nuh-na-nuh License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Be Open To New Experiences by WinnieTheMoog Link: Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6393-be-open-to-new-experiences License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Truth Will Set You Free scene, from the movie Liar, Liar Link: youtube.com/watch?v=1jQP0Y2T2OQ

Thank You! There are so many reasons why I want to say thanks to you. This is a special month for me and my team. We’re celebrating 19 years in business, for which we’re immensely thankful. And, with this, we’re celebrating episode 300 today! That's not something that could happen without your support! In this episode, I share five things I've learned from the first 300 episodes.   Help Make The Next 300 Episodes Even Better We’ve created a short survey--it will take just a few minutes. And to add a little incentive, we’re doing a drawing for a $50 USD gift card to Starbucks or Amazon. Just go to PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/300 and share your insights.  The drawing is on 28 August 2020 so do it today! Check out the instructions at the end of the survey to be entered into the drawing. Thank you so much!   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 click "Follow". Thank you for joining me for this 300th episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Camp Fermin, Floating Whist, and Great Great Lengths by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License

Learning to Scale as a Leader If you lead teams and projects, one of the challenges we eventually face is scale. Inevitably, we’re faced with bigger challenges, larger teams, more complexity, and--as we do that--we start to get in our own way. We become the bottlenecks ourselves, or we allow an insidious swamp of policies and procedures to grow to the point that everything takes longer. And in the process, we start to suck the life out of our people. In this episode, we're joined by Ron Lovett to talk about his book Outrageous Empowerment. Learn more about Ron and his book at RonLovett.ca/book.   You Are Earning Free PDU's If you hold a certification from Project Management Institute, you are earning free PDUs! Learn more how to report them at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/FreePDUs. Thanks!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership Just Chilling by Mikael Hellman Link: Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6294-just-chilling License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ AnotherRainyDay by Lilo Sound Link: Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6138-anotherrainyday License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Did You Get the Memo scene, from the movie Office Space Link: youtube.com/watch?v=jsLUidiYm0w

Becoming The Go-To Person Being the go-to person has a lot of career value, and in times of uncertainty, being the go-to person can seem like it brings a lot of job security. But as our guest Bruce Tulgan says in the opening clip, the problem with becoming a go-to person is that you become the go-to person! It can turn into becoming a Yes person, which can lead to over-commitment, stress, and eventually dropping enough balls, so to speak, that we’re no longer the go-to person! Bruce makes his third appearance with us here on episode 298 of the People and Projects Podcast. He joined us way back in episode 38 to talk about managing our bosses and even earlier in episode 10 to talk about managing Generation Y. 10 years later he joins us to talk about his new book The Art of Being Indispensable at Work. Learn more about Bruce and his book at RainmakerThinking.com.   Increase Your Ability to Influence We teach leaders at the UN and other global organizations how to increase their influence. I'd love to have you join our upcoming virtual Advanced Project Management Masterclass! Save your spot at courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/advanced-pm-masterclass. Thanks!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   The Lagoon by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4911-the-lagoon License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Ambient Corporate by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6188-ambient-corporate License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Loved Every Minute scene, from the movie Burnt Link: youtube.com/watch?v=HIrIMwKkHKE

Glain Roberts-McCabe joins us for episode 297 to talk about her new book The Grassroots Leadership Revolution: Build a Peer Coaching Community and Own Your Career. Learn more about Glain and her book at GoRoundTable.com.   Join me for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership

Stop Being a Bystander Veteran economist and corporate leader Sylvia Ann Hewlett joins us to talk about her book #MeToo in the Corporate World: Power, Privilege, and the Path Forward. Learn more about Sylvia and her book at SylviaAnnHewlett.com/. Listen to earn half a free leadership PDU while being challenged to stop being a bystander to inappropriate behavior.   Join me for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Whether you have a live or virtual event, we can help you invest in your team. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership

Author Don Moore joins Andy for episode 295 to talk about his new book Perfectly Confident: How to Calibrate Your Decisions Wisely. Learn more about Don and his book at PerfectlyConfident.com. Earn a free leadership PDU while learning practical tips on making better decisions.   Join me for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program! This episode is sponsored by University of California Irvine Continuing Education, who has been developing adult learners for over half a century. UC Irvine has a Project Management Certification Program that is available to you, regardless of whether you’re in their neighborhood or around the world. Visit ce.uci.edu/PeopleAndProjects to learn more and reserve your seat. Thanks!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requiring travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership Pulse by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4250-pulse License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Notanico Merengue by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4145-notanico-merengue License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ You Want something? Go get it scene, from The Pursuit of Happyness Link: youtube.com/watch?v=MPnudujlBZI

Leadership Is Not About You Harvard Professor Frances Frei joins us for episode 294 to talk about her new book Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. Learn more about Frances at https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6587/.   Join me for our Virtual Project Management Training Program! Learn how to improve your ability to lead and deliver! Join us for the same project management program we deliver in-house at organizations around the world! Learn more at PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/learning. Use a coupon code of VirtualPM20 to save $150 USD on the entire program!   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our other workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requiring travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Limit 70 by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5710-limit-70 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Power from the Ground Up scene, from Robin Hood Link: youtube.com/watch?v=if34bKbBqXI

The global pause created by COVID-19 will eventually be over, and it will be easy to go back to the same habits that were exhausting you before it. Celeste Headlee joins us to talk about her new book Do Nothing. Special thanks to University of California Irvine (UCI) Continuing Education for sponsoring episode 293. Check out their Project Management Certificate Program at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/uci

Check Out the Project Management Certificate Program at UC Irvine This episode is sponsored by University of California Irvine Continuing Education, who has been developing adult learners for over half a century. UC Irvine has a Project Management Certificate Program that is available to you, regardless of whether you’re in their neighborhood or around the world. UC Irvine’s program aligns with standards set out by Project Management Institute and satisfies the education requirements for the Project Management Professional certification. Summer registration is now open! Visit https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/uci to learn more and reserve your seat. Thanks!   Become The Leader You Would Follow FranklinCovey Executive Vice President Scott Jeffrey Miller joins us for episode 292 to talk about his book Management Mess to Leadership Success. Learn more about Scott at https://ManagementMess.com.

A Leader's Guide to Walking in Fog Trying to lead and deliver in the midst of stress can feel like walking in the fog. Carole Osterweil joins us to talk about her book entitled Project Delivery, Uncertainty and Neuroscience. Learn more about Carole and her book at visibledynamics.co.uk.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requiring travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Magic Drops by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5685-magic-drops- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Tribal Joy by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4743-tribal-joy License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ We walk in a fog by Lauluyhtye Rajaton Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQyhZUYuO2w

The Leadership Journey Part of the journey for all of us is learning how to become better at leading teams and projects. I like to think of leading a bit like cooking or playing golf--it’s not something most of us will ever master--we’re just trying to burn less dishes or to improve our scores, so to speak, as we continue this wonderful journey of leadership. In this episode, I'm excited to introduce you to Alain Hunkins. He's the author of a new book entitled Cracking the Leadership Code: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders. Learn more about Alain and his book at CrackingTheLeadershipCode.com.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requiring travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Inspiring Orchestra by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5671-inspiring-orchestra- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Inspirational Piano and Orchestra by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5666-inspirational-piano-and-orchestra- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/     Empathy Song by Mosaic Project Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDQeGKP8qYU  

Check Out the Project Management Certificate Program at UC Irvine This episode is sponsored by University of California Irvine Continuing Education, who has been developing adult learners for over half a century. UC Irvine has a Project Management Certificate Program that is available to you, regardless of whether you’re in their neighborhood or around the world. UC Irvine’s program aligns with standards set out by Project Management Institute and satisfies the education requirements for the Project Management Professional certification. Spring registration is now open! Visit ce.uci.edu/PeopleAndProjects to learn more and reserve your seat. Thanks!   Lead Like a Child Being childlike is not exactly typical advice you hear dished out for leaders, but before this episode is done, I trust you’ll see exactly what my guest John O'Leary is talking about. John is the author of a new book entitled In Awe. It's a book I highly recommend, and look forward to hearing from you after you listen to this episode. Learn more about John and his book at johnolearyinspires.com/shop/in-awe-book/.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requireing travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Children Play by AlekSound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5929-children-play License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Inspiring Advertising by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5515-inspiring-advertising- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Audio clip of child asking questions: Uncle Buck Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZMWgW6QNuw

Total Duration 2:19 Download episode 288 What's Holding You Back? We often miss the fact that we hold back our own progress. Let's use this time well for reflection, learning, and growth. Let's Stay In Touch! What are some things you've seen block people's career progress? What is something that you've personally done during the COVID-19 lockdown that has enhanced your skills? Improved your opportunities? 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership

A Job Transition is a Project Job risk and change is not something just reserved for global pandemics. People listening to this episode years from now will still face the same reality: going through the process of looking for a new job is challenging, especially if you’re looking to transition from one industry to another. But hey, we’re project managers! So how about we look at job transition as a project? That’s the mindset shared by my guest today. Herb Thompson is the author of The Transition Mission: A Green Beret’s approach to transition from the military. Though Herb’s mission is focused on helping veterans, you’ll find today’s discussion relevant regardless of whether you have a military background. Learn more about Herb and his non-profit at www.sf2biz.com.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requireing travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management   Humanity by AlekSound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6003-humanity License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/   Uplifting Ballad by Alexander Nakarada Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4725-uplifting-ballad License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Check Out the Project Management Certificate Program at UC Irvine This episode is sponsored by University of California Irvine Continuing Education, who has been developing adult learners for over half a century. UC Irvine has a Project Management Certification Program that is available to you anywhere around the world. UC Irvine’s program aligns with standards set out by Project Management Institute and satisfies the education requirements for the Project Management Professional certification. Spring registration is now open! Visit ce.uci.edu/PeopleAndProjects to learn more and reserve your seat. Thanks!   The Power of Character Strengths The idea of strengths-based leadership is not new to you, right? You’ve likely been taught that you should focus on your strengths, and lead that way with your team members. We’ve talked about strengths from multiple angles, but today I want to share yet another. Ruth Pearce is a friend--someone I dearly respect as a colleague. She’s a strong advocate not only for strengths in general, but specifically with character strengths, and how they apply to those of us who lead people and teams. Beyond all that, she’s just a wonderful person. In this episode, you’ll hear Ruth talk about her book Be a Project Motivator. Learn more about Ruth at projectmotivator.com/. Take the free Character Strengths Assessment at https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register    Related Episodes If you would like additional ways to earn free PDUs while learning about agile, check out these episodes: Episode 252 with Marcus Buckingham, the father of the strengths movement Episode 283 with Tom Rath, author of StrengthsFinder 2.0   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requiring travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Eurasia by AlekSound Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5991-eurasia License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Inspiring Advertising by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5515-inspiring-advertising- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Check Out the 120VC Project Leadership Program (PLP) This episode is sponsored by the 120VC Project Leadership Program, led by my friend J. Scott from 120VC. You may recall my discussion with J back in episode 274 about his book The Irreverent Guide to Project Management. There are so many things I appreciate about J, but one is his passion for the people side of our profession. 120VC has been driving large global transformational Projects successfully for the last 20 years for fortune 500 clients like Trader Joes, Sony Pictures, T-Mobile, & AT&T. J's Project Leadership Program is a practical 14-week virtual & instructor-led learning opportunity. It qualifies for 30 PDUs while teaching you techniques that get proven results. J's next cohort starts up on April 22 and he's offering $200 USD off for listeners of the podcast. Register at 120vc.com/plp and use the coupon code People-0422. I highly recommend it!   Agile: Not Just for Software Projects We often think of agile approaches being used for systems or software-related projects. Our guest today is Gil Broza, who recently published a book entitled Agile for Non-Software Teams. In today’s discussion, Gil and I talk about his agile journey, what he means when he refers to agile, and some of the common mistakes people make when embarking on an agile journey. Gil will even share some thoughts about applying agile at home. I look forward to sharing that discussion with you today. Learn more about Gil at 3pvantage.com/.   Related Episodes If you would like additional ways to earn free PDUs while learning about agile, check out these episodes: Episode 84 with Gil, talking about his book The Human Side of Agile Episode 74 with Andy Crowe for his perspectives on about agile Episode 95 with Cornelius Fichtner about the PMI-ACP certification Episode 207 with Johanna Rothman about her book Create Your Successful Agile Project   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requiring travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management   Adding the Sun by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5708-adding-the-sun License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Pop Cinematic Credits by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5586-pop-cinematic-credits- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Being Agile is our favourite thing by ThoughtWorksUK Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALWHCUNU8Nw

Check Out the 120VC Project Leadership Program (PLP) This episode is sponsored by the 120VC Project Leadership Program, led by my friend J. Scott, founder of 120VC. You may recall my discussion with J back in episode 274 about his book The Irreverent Guide to Project Management. There are so many things I appreciate about J, but one is his passion for the people side of our profession. 120VC has been driving large global transformational Projects successfully for the last 20 years for fortune 500 clients like Trader Joes, Sony Pictures, T-Mobile, & AT&T. J's Project Leadership Program is a practical 14-week virtual & instructor-led learning opportunity. It qualifies for 30 PDUs while teaching you techniques that get proven results. J's next cohort starts up on April 22 and he's offering $200 USD off for listeners of the podcast. Register at 120vc.com/plp and use the coupon code People-0422. I highly recommend it!   Impossible Conversations Globally, we’re at a challenging time with the coronavirus pandemic still growing in most countries. Challenges like this can cause difficult conversations, where people can disagree vehemently on policy decisions at a national level—or on whether or not groceries should be sprayed down at the household level. In my home country, it’s an election year, which increasingly causes people to lose their minds when talking with people who think differently than them. But beyond the current events of the day, let’s face it.... If you lead projects and teams, there are difficult stakeholders. There are difficult bosses and clients, and in order for us to successfully move initiatives along, we need to find a way to make sure we have shared understanding and expectations, and we often need to find a way to get the buy-in of people who just aren’t buying in! I’m excited to introduce you to a remarkable person. Peter Boghossian is co-author of a new book entitled How to Have Impossible Conversations. It’s a book about influence, conversations, and so much more, and I can’t wait to share this discussion with you. Follow Peter on Twitter at twitter.com/peterboghossian.   Related Episodes If you would like additional ways to earn free PDUs while improving your influence and conversation skills, check out these episodes: Episode 282 with Jonah Berger about reducing roadblocks to influence Episode 276 with Buster Benson about productive disagreement Episode 268 with Oren Klaff about new approaches to influence Episode 195 with Celeste Headlee about having conversations with anyone Episode 194 with Tim David about how to get to Yes without manipulating Episode 157 with Dr. Robert Cialdini about influence and persuasion Episode 88 with Dan Pink about selling skills (non-salespeople)   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requireing travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Dawn Of The Apocalypse by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5627-dawn-of-the-apocalypse- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Upbeat Piano by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5444-upbeat-piano- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Difficult Conversations by Columbus Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xuUmps5PUQ

Check Out the Project Management Certificate Program at UC Irvine This episode is sponsored by University of California Irvine Continuing Education, who has been developing adult learners for over half a century. UC Irvine has a Project Management Certification Program that is available to you, regardless of whether you’re in their neighborhood or around the world. UC Irvine’s program aligns with standards set out by Project Management Institute and satisfies the education requirements for the Project Management Professional certification. Spring registration is now open! Visit ce.uci.edu/PeopleAndProjects to learn more and reserve your seat. Thanks!   Life's Great Question Tom Rath joins us for episode 283 to talk about his newest book entitled Life's Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World. At a time filled with great uncertainty, Tom's book is a helpful read, reminding us to look outward--how we can contribute. In this episode, you can earn free PDUs while getting practical insights from one of the top leadership thinkers today. Learn more about Tom's Contribify website at https://contribify.com.   Past Episodes With Tom Here are some additional episodes to earn free PDUs while learning from Tom: Episode 106, discussing Tom's book Eat, Move, Sleep Episode 132, discussing his book Are You Fully Charged? Episode 140, discussing the movie version of Are You Fully Charged? In the outtakes, you'll hear me talk with Tom about how this book reminded me of Clayton Christensen's book How Will You Measure Your Life?. Check out our discussion on that book in Episode 77.   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requiring travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Summer Ambient Piano by Rafael Krux Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5504-summer-ambient-piano- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Canneloni by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/561-canneloni License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Meaning of Life by Kelly Clarkson Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BspHjvU11y4

Check Out the Project Management Certificate Program at UC Irvine This episode is sponsored by University of California Irvine Continuing Education, who has been developing adult learners for over half a century. UC Irvine has a Project Management Certification Program that is available to you, regardless of whether you’re in their neighborhood or around the world. UC Irvine’s program aligns with standards set out by Project Management Institute and satisfies the education requirements for the Project Management Professional certification. Spring registration is now open! Visit ce.uci.edu/PeopleAndProjects to learn more and reserve your seat. Thanks!   Leaders Have to Influence An ongoing theme over our now 282 episodes is about influence. How can we influence those around us, especially when we’re doing that without a position of authority? In this episode, you can earn free PDUs while getting evidence-based insights from Jonah Berger. Jonah joins us again, this time to talk about his new book The Catalyst: How To Change Anyone's Mind Learn more about Jonah and his book at https://JonahBerger.com.   More Episodes on Influencing Skills Here are some additional episodes to earn free PDUs while improving your ability to influence: Episode 157 with Dr. Robert Cialdini about influence and persuasion Episode 88 with Dan Pink about selling skills (non-salespeople) Episode 276 with Buster Benson about having productive disagreements Episode 194 with Tim David about how to get to Yes without manipulating Episode 268 with Oren Klaff about new approaches to influence   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and send me an invite! Also, all of our workshops and keynotes are available in a virtual format. Concerned about travel with the coronavirus pandemic? We can help you invest in your team without requireing travel. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/keynotes. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership   Daily Beetle by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3579-daily-beetle License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Catalyst by Linkin Park Link: https://amzn.to/2ICJRxk

I just wrapped up the first day of our 2-day Essentials of Project Management workshop at one of my favorite biotech clients. A topic that came up today is how to deal with team members that suffer from bad morale. Of course there are no easy answers, but in this brief video, I share a story and some research that was reported in Bob Sutton's Wall Street Journal article (subscription may be required to read) years ago. Could it be that just one slacker or jerk could drop team performance by 30-40 percent? Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What advice do you have for dealing with withholders of effort and violators of interpersonal norms? 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! Interested in helping your teams get better at successfully delivering projects? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership Total Duration 3:17 (audio version) Download episode 281

I just wrapped up another week of workshops and keynotes. In this 3-minute snippet, I share a thought from our keynote entitled Developing Your Ability to Influence (Even When You Don't Have Authority). Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! How do you personally differentiate influence from manipulation? What are some examples of each that you've seen project managers and other leaders use? 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! Interested in helping your leaders develop their ability to influence (and not manipulate!)? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership Total Duration 2:58 (audio version) Download episode 280

Getting a shared understanding of what's in (and out) of scope is critical for successfully delivering our projects. In this 2-minute snippet, I share some thoughts from an exam prep class I taught today. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! How do you help keep expectations about scope aligned between your team and your stakeholders? What advice would you share with a new project manager about managing scope? 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! Interested in helping your teams learn how to lead and deliver projects? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Technical Project Management Total Duration 1:53 (audio version) Download episode 279

How To Master The Most Important Skill For Success What is one thing that, if you did it more often, and encouraged your team to do it more often as well, would make a significant difference in your success, personally and with your projects? Earn more free PDUs? No, you are doing that right now! Dr. Wayne Baker suggests it's this: we need to ask more often. Wayne is the author of the new book All You Have to Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success. I consider it a must-read book and look forward to sharing this discussion with you. Learn more about Wayne and his book at https://www.waynebaker.org/. During this episode, I mention some episodes that would be good follow-ups: Kari Mirabal, regarding her book You Already Have the No, in episode 258. Adam Grant, regarding his book Give and Take, in episode 93. Amy Edmondson, regarding her book The Fearless Organization, in episode 236.   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership Music from https://filmmusic.io. "Spy Glass" and "Funkorama" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Closing song: Ask, from The Smiths, available on Amazon.com

Total Duration 2:30 Download episode 277 We Often Aren't Clear What the Argument Is About "Though many arguments seem to be about matters of substance, they're often just disagreements about the meanings of words." That's from Peter Boghossian, and I'm prepping for an interview with Peter on Friday about his book How to Have Impossible Conversations. In this brief video, I discuss that quote and a couple of ideas around 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership

Sometimes Christmas Isn't So Merry! I'm publishing this episode at a time of year when there are often family gatherings, and in today's polarized, politically correct culture, there can easily be anxiety about someone--you know, that person--bringing up a controversial subject and things devolving into an argument. Whether it's gatherings with friends and family or difficult stakeholders, we need to get better at having productive disagreements. Our guest today, Buster Benson, suggests it's the most important meta-skill to develop. Buster is the author of the new book Why Are We Yelling? The Art of Productive Disagreement. I consider it a must-read book and look forward to sharing this discussion with you. Learn more about Buster and his book at https://busterbenson.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership Music from https://filmmusic.io. "Krampus's Workshop" and "Christmas Rap" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Do Project Managers Need Fans? So what are you a fan of? Hmmm. Maybe a sports team comes to mind. Or a musical artist. For example, I’m going through a Chance the Rapper phase right now—really enjoying his music. I’m a fan. Maybe it’s a local restaurant or a celebrity or, ahem, a podcast host. Ha! But when we think of fandom, we often think of someone famous, or a famous brand. But could it be that leaders of projects could get benefit from learning about how fandom works? That’s the premise of today’s episode. We’re hearing from David Meerman Scott today about his book new Fanocracy. It’s a book that probably wouldn’t have otherwise come up on your radar screen since it would appear it’s directed more towards brand managers and marketers. But how about this? What if you could turn your stakeholders into fans of what your team is creating? Further, what if your team members were walking billboards for your company and your products? The science around fandom might just be more relevant to you than initially apparent, which is why we’re talking with David today. Learn more about David and his services at https://www.davidmeermanscott.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership RAY GUN - FASTERFASTERBRIGHTER by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License 1400 by Yung Kartz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

Sponsor: Earlier this year we started using a time tracking solution called Hubstaff and, I have to tell you, it’s amazing. They now offer a project management app called Hubstaff Tasks. It utilizes the best parts of Agile to help you and your team get work done in a way that removes the hassle and just makes sense. Hubstaff Tasks utilizes Kanban boards like so many other PM tools out there but they’ve added extra features like automated workflows that let you move projects through the workflow and automatically assign tasks to whoever needs to work on them next, all with one click. Hubstaff Tasks also has a Sprints feature that allows you to organize all your tasks into a true agile weekly Sprint. Oh, and here’s a new feature they just added where you can set daily Standups to cover the three golden questions in the agile world: “What did you work on today?”, “What will you work on tomorrow?”, “Have you run into any roadblocks?” Hubstaff Tasks only launched this past June and there are already thousands of organizations already using it. And here’s the cool thing: since they’re still so new, anyone can start using Hubstaff Tasks today completely free, regardless of team size. Head over to hubstafftasks.com/projects to learn more. Thanks!   It's About Leadership I often say in our project management workshops that they’re really leadership workshops cloaked as project management workshops. I say that because so much of our ability to successfully lead projects doesn’t come down to our ability to define and calculate the critical path. It isn’t just having a project charter. It’s more about how to facilitate and influence stakeholders to get an agreed-upon charter. It’s not about having the perfect risk register format. It’s about fostering a culture that allows risks to be talked about and dealt with. My guest today is J. Scott, author of The Irreverent Guide to Project Management. J shares some helpful insights in this episode about how to lead and deliver. Learn more about J and his company at https://120vc.com/who-we-are/.   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership LUXE by Jahazzar under a Attribution-ShareAlike License NO PANTS FRIDAY by Lee Rosevere is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License

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!   OK, We're Not Spies, But... I don’t know about you, but I like a good spy movie. Start a Jason Bourne movie and I’ll sit and enjoy it all night long. My guest today is Jason Hanson, a former CIA spy who has written some intriguing books about applying spy skills to those of us who aren’t spies. In this episode, we talk about his most recent book, which is entitled Agent of Influence: How to Use Spy Skills to Persuade Anyone, Sell Anything, and Build a Successful Business. And though you and I aren’t spies--or at least that’s our story and we’re sticking with it--there are lessons that can be applied by those of us who are responsible for leading teams and projects. Learn more about Jason at https://spyescapeandevasion.com/jason-hanson-biography/.   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership SPY GLASS from https://filmmusic.io by Kevin Macleod License: CC BY http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ SPY GROOVE from https://filmmusic.io by Kevin Macleod License: CC BY http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Two people. Both go through stressful situations. One seems to go through it well. The other crumbles. Why is that? I'm wrapping up a 2-week speaking tour in Europe with UN leaders. In this 3-minute video (plus a quick blooper), I share a lesson about stress and resilience from a discussion with one of these leaders who attributes her stressful job to greater resilience. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What's a situation that was stressful but helped develop resilience in you? What advice would you share with someone newer in their career about how to face stressful situations? 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! Interested in helping your chapter, association, or leaders learn how to build resilience? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership Total Duration 4:53 Download episode 272

This tour guide was so good I almost wanted to move to Turino. I'm on a two week speaking tour in Europe with the UN. In this brief video, I share a lesson about influence from our tour guide in Turin, Italy. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What's an experience where the messenger made it so easy to buy into the message? What did the messenger do to be so effective? What's your take on the balance of facts & emotion? 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! Interested in helping your chapter, association, or leaders learn how to improve their influence? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership Total Duration 2:59 Download episode 271

It's not a newsflash that most of us need more sleep. The question is "How?" One of our most-requested keynotes is called Help for the Crazy Busy. In this brief video, I share a story and lesson related to the keynote and sleep. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! How many hours of sleep would you say you get on average? What do you do that helps you get the sleep you need? What advice would you share with someone who feels like they just can't get more sleep? 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! Interested in helping your executive leaders learn more about agile and their role in fostering project success? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership Total Duration 3:46 Download episode 270

Project managers, you're not just here for the free PDUs, right? You're looking for ways to improve your ability to lead! 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!   Leading in an Age of Distractions We live in an age of distractions. Back in episode 144, we talked with Cal Newport about his book Deep Work. In episode 177 we talked with Adam Alter about his book Irresistible. Both books provide helpful insights into how to stay focused when we’re surrounded by so many distractions. As much as I benefited from those books and the discussions with the authors, I recently came across a book that I personally think is even more effective at giving us tangible skills to deal with the distractions around us. The title is Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, by Nir Eyal. In this discussion with Nir, you’ll get an insightful look at what distraction is and what’s really causing it--spoiler alert--it’s not just the tech we’re surrounded by. Nir will make it clear why just banning all tech and going back to brick phone is not the answer. That’s good! He’ll discuss a deeply researched technique called ACT that I’ve been personally using to help overcome distractions. And, if you’re a parent, he shares some ideas on how to help your kids to become indistractable. I consider Indistractable a must-read, and I can’t wait to share that discussion with you today. Learn more about Nir at https://nirandfar.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership RAMBLING by Blue Dot Sessions Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. GREAT GREAT LENGTHS by Blue Dot Sessions Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.

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!   We're All Project Managers (And Salespeople) For years I've been on a mission to help people realize we're all project managers. Regardless of title, if you have a job, you have deadlines you have to hit, with multiple steps required to get there. Maybe not by title, but by role, we're all project managers. It's a basic skill set we all need. In this episode, we talk with Oren Klaff about his newest book, Flip the Script: Getting People to Think Your Idea Is Their Idea. Oren made his mark in the book world with his blockbuster Pitch Anything. Flip the Script picks up where Pitch Anything left off, and today the bundle of energy and ideas that is Oren Klaff is here to share some ideas for how you can be more persuasive. Learn more about Oren at https://pitchanything.com/. During the episode, I mention some previous discussions, including: Episode 157 with Dr. Robert Cialdini about influence Episode 88 with Dan Pink about selling skills   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership NO PANTS FRIDAY by Lee Rosevere Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. CRYSTAL ECHOES by Sergey Cheremisinov Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Wasted time. Wasted energy. Wasted stress. In our project and organizational environments, we're surrounded by waste. In this When you look at the world through the lens of eliminating waste, there's no shortage of opportunities. Good project management practices seek to eliminate waste, regardless of whether you're using a formal agile approach or not. Let Me Hear From You! I'd love to hear from you! What are some examples of where you've seen waste recently? Whether within your organization or--as I share in the video--somewhere in the general public, such as an airport. Where do you see opportunities to reduce waste? And what are some lessons you've learned about identifying and eliminating waste? Let's connect on LinkedIn and discuss! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, what have you been learning lately? What are you reading? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). I look forward to hearing from you! Interested in helping your executive leaders learn more about agile and their role in fostering project success? Contact me to learn more about our keynotes and workshops! Thanks!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management Total Duration 2:54 Download episode 267

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 leaders effectively shut them down. We want innovation but we don’t. That’s kind of weird, right? We're joined again today by one of my favorite guests, Mike Roberto. Mike's most recent book is entitled Unlocking Creativity, and, in typical Mike Roberto fashion, it's packed with evidence-based insights that are entertaining to read. Learn more about Mike at his very active blog at http://michael-roberto.blogspot.com/. Also, check out our previous discussions with Mike: Episode 14, about his book Know What You Don't Know. Episode 61, about becoming a better problem finder. Episode 99, about making better decisions.   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership CREATIVE DESTRUCTION by Nihilore Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

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] 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 3:14 Download episode 265

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 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 2:41 Download episode 264

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 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 1:54 Download episode 263

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 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 3:27 Download episode 262

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 can catch our interview with Herminia in episode 130.   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!   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. Try Backlog for your team free for 30 days using the special URL Backlog.com/projects. Check them out! Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership FLUFFING A DUCK and CELEBRATION by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 License. JACK OF ALL TRADES by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN available on YouTube

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 this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership Total Duration 3:23 Download episode 260

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 with opportunities to ask, and because of that, we ought to be good at it, but do you know what I find? We often don’t make the ask. Why? Why have you been putting off asking for a raise? Why have you been dragging your feet about reaching out to a potential mentor? Why do we hold off on making the ask? In this episode, I share a recent discussion with Kari Mirabal, one of my favorite voices when it comes to networking and relationship-building. Kari has a new book coming out soon and there are practical ideas that can help you when it comes to relationship-building, for sure, but also with any time you have to make an ask. Here's how you can learn more about Kari: On the web: http://karimirabal.com TEDx talk: (click here) Kari's book: http://karimirabal.com/books/   Let's Stay In Touch! I hear from listeners almost every day and I love it! How about you and I connect on LinkedIn? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LinkedIn and 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Leadership SPY GROOVE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 License. FEELIN GOOD by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 License.

"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 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 2:21 Download episode 257

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 you! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 3:17 Download episode 256

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 great week! Total Duration 3:43 Download episode 255

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! 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! Total Duration 2:13 Download episode 254

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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! PEACEFUL DISRUPTION by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. NETHERLAND by Podington Bear Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

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. Learn more about Marcus and his book at https://www.marcusbuckingham.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! LIES by Single Bullet Theory Licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDrivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. CANDLEPOWER by Chris Zabriskie Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution License.

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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! SEMI FUNK by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. NOTANICO MERENGUE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

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 episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!     Total Duration 3:04 Download episode 250

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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! FLUTTERBEE by Poddington Bear Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. IMPROVE YOURSELF by Marcos H. Bolanos Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License

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 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! Total Duration 2:40 Download episode 248

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 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! Total Duration 3:05 Download episode 247

The Science of Meetings We too easily tolerate bad meetings. We begin to settle. We eventually resign ourselves to the fact that meetings are a necessary evil that will never change. We don't drift towards good meetings. To the contrary, it's like entropy. On its own, we drift to dysfunction and waste. Part of our role as leaders is to steward our own time and the time of those we lead, and if we can make even small improvements to how we gather, there’s a big payoff for all of us. That's why we're investing another episode on the topic, to arm you with insights to help set you and your teams up for better meetings. We're joined in episode 246 by Steven G. Rogelberg, author of a new book entitled The Surprising Science of Meetings. The Washington Post has it as their number one leadership book for this year and it shows up on many other recommended lists, and I'm excited to introduce you to some ideas in the book. Learn more about Steven and his book at https://www.stevenrogelberg.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! CHIPPER DOODLE v2 by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. RETRO FUTURE CLEAN by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. A SONG 'MEETINGS' by CLEANERWYJ available on YouTube

Do Your Meetings Suck? When you think of meetings, what thoughts come to mind? Words like productivity, efficiency, and great use of time isn’t what I normally hear. But if you look over your last week, you’ve likely spent a significant amount of your time in meetings so in the next couple full-length episodes, we’re going to be talking about how we gather to help you and your teams maximize that time together. In this episode, we talk with the J. Elise Keith, author of the new book Where the Action Is, and I'm excited to introduce you to some ideas in the book. Learn more about Elise and her book at https://www.lucidmeetings.com/book.   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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! WASTING TIME by DAY WAVE available on YouTube CHEERY MONDAY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

How do you deal with endings? This was a week of endings for me. We moved my dad into assisted living. He's excited about the change. For anyone who has had to go through this with an unwilling parent, I can only imagine how much more trying that is. But endings are not easy, right? He moved out of the house he built. He lived in it for over 50 years. It's the home we grew up in, soon to be refurbished and lived in by someone we've never met. They'll never know the memories that were made in that home. Whether with a home, with a parent, a relationship, a job, a project, and in so many other ways, we have to navigate endings. Some are easier than others, but endings offer up challenges as well as opportunities. In this brief video, I share some important lessons about dealing with the endings we face. For my LinkedIn article on the topic, see https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-do-you-deal-endings-andy-kaufman-pmp-pmi-acp/ Let Me Hear From You! What do you think about these ideas on endings? How do you try to end 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 this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 3:06 Download episode 244 FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

I was never a proponent of throwing one of our young kids into the deep end and saying, "OK, swim!" But could it be that the best way to learn how to lead is to, well, have to lead? We continue our series of short videos to share something that I've recently taught or learned, and in this episode, I share an important lesson learned from our discussion with Marc Effron back in episode 226 regarding his book 8 Steps to High Performance. Let Me Hear From You! What's your take on the 70/20/10 idea? What's an example of how you've learned by doing or by spending time with people who are doing it? What questions do you have about the 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 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! Total Duration 3:18 Download episode 243 FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

How to Create Better Outcomes This Year One of the most powerful ideas I've learned in the last year is the relationship between habits and outcomes. If you're not happy with your outcomes—look to your habits. Outcomes are lagging measures of your habits. Change your habits and you will, eventually, change your outcomes. In this episode, we talk with the guy I learned that idea from. James Clear is the author of the powerful new book Atomic Habits, and I'm excited to introduce you to some ideas in the book. Learn more about James and his book at https://jamesclear.com/, where you can download the first chapter for free.   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! SEMI-FUNK by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 License. CRYSTAL ECHOES by Sergey Cheremisinov Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution License.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" Though the Christmas songs may say that, your experience as we end the year may not exactly line up with the sentiment. In this short video, I share a lesson that I've learned in the last couple of weeks when it comes to disappointment. Let Me Hear From You! What do you think about this idea of disappointment being a function of what we put our hope in? 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! Total Duration 2:45 Download episode 241

Speaking Up When It's Risky How do you speak truth to power? In episode 236 we talked with Harvard's Amy Edmondson, who made the evidence-based case for how important it is to foster psychologically safe environments for those we lead. But most of us don't work in such environments. What do we do then? How do you speak truth to power when it's not a psychologically safe environment? In this video episode, we're joined by Jim Detert from the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia. Jim shares four principles to improve your ability to affect positive change when speaking truth to power. Click here to read Jim's HBR article entitled "Cultivating Everyday Courage." Also, click here to take the assessment survey that Jim talks about in the interview.   Let Me Hear From You! What have you learned about speaking up, even when your point could be considered controversial? 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!   FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Taught Today The last time you said "I love meetings!" was probably, when? Never? Hah! To the contrary, meetings seem like an enormous waste of time in too many situations, right? I recently interviewed Elise Keith about her new book Where The Action Is. The full interview will be published in January, but in this 3-minute episode, I share two ideas from the book and a challenge for you to consider while in meetings in the next couple weeks. Let Me Hear From You! What do you think about the idea of meetings as anthropology and the "game changer" discussed in this episode? How would things change if every meeting was optional? What's something you do to make your meetings more valuable? 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! Total Duration 3:02 Download episode 239

What I Taught Today You're likely making this mistake when building your network. Whether it's your connections social media or how you build relationships at work or with your projects, left to our own devices we fall into the trap that I learned from Herminia Ibarra when discussing her book Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader back in episode 130. Let Me Hear From You! What do you think about Herminia's point? What do you do specifically to not fall into the trap? 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! Total Duration 3:24 Download episode 238

Hello? Can You Hear Me? Project teams are increasingly made up of team members that are not co-located. Even if that's not your situation now, it likely will be in the future. How do you connect with people in a virtual world? That's what Dr. Nick Morgan's new book Can You Hear Me? is all about. Join us for the "virtual" discussion with Nick about the book, and let me know what you think! What did you like about what he said? What concerns or questions do you have? Learn more about Nick at https://www.publicwords.com/. I highly recommend his blog for anyone who has to make presentations. Let Me Hear From You! 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! {youtube}https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT1w1-mz-_I{/youtube} Total Duration 31:06 Download episode 237 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

Would You Speak Up? Let's say your manager's boss is proposing an idea. It's not a terrible idea, but you have some concerns. Some questions. You're in a meeting, hearing about that idea, along with your peers, your boss, and other leaders of the company. Do you speak up? Do you keep quiet? What would you do? In this episode, we talk about one of the most important concepts I've learned this year: psychological safety. We're joined by Harvard Professor of Leadership Amy C. Edmondson to talk about her new book The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, and I'm excited to introduce you to some ideas in the book. Learn more about Amy and her book at https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451.   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! SKYE CUILIN and CHEERY MONDAY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Taught Today On my way to teach an MBA class this morning, I tried and tried to give away a free donut. And I couldn't get a taker. OK, I admit, maybe it's a little creepy to have someone you don't know offer a donut. But in this 2.5 minute video, I share a quick thought that can help accelerate your learning. Let Me Hear From You! What's an example of how you've engaged on platforms like LinkedIn to help you with your projects or career? Who is someone you follow that you'd recommend to others? 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! Total Duration 2:32 Download episode 235

What I Taught Today Recently I heard a presenter talk about what he referred to as "the happiness formula". In this 4-minute video, I talk about what I like and don't like about the formula as we seek to apply it to our projects. Let Me Hear From You! What do you like about this happiness formula? What concerns do you have? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 4:27 Download episode 234

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. While prepping for an interview with James Clear about his book Atomic Habits, I came across some ideas that apply to our ability to lead teams and deliver projects. In this 3-minute video, we discuss the relationship between outcomes and habits, and what goals that are not supported by habits and systems are less likely to be achieved. Let Me Hear From You! What do you think about this idea of outcomes and habits? What are some specific habits that help you be successful with your career and projects? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 3:37 Download episode 233

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. Could it be that when things go great, leaders get too much credit (and too much blame when things go poorly)? In this 3-minute video I talk about the leader attribution error, which you should keep in mind the next time your project goes perfectly (or poorly). Let Me Hear From You! What do you think about the leader attribution error? How have you seen it play out in business? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 3:00 Download episode 232

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. Today is a 90 second lesson from a morning bike ride on a brisk and windy Chicago morning. The lesson can help you prioritize your morning to help the rest of your day go more easily. Let Me Hear From You! What do you think about this "ride into the wind" idea? How do you prioritize your morning? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 1:35 Download episode 231

Surviving the Messy Middle We celebrate beginnings. We celebrate endings. But according to Adobe Chief Product Officer Scott Belsky, it's the middle of our boldest initiatives that can be the toughest to endure. In this episode, Scott joins us to talk about his new book The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture, and I'm excited to introduce you to some ideas in the book. Learn more about Scott and his book at http://www.scottbelsky.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! {youtube}mSAp6aa0u6Y{/youtube} DEADLY ROULETTE and ENTER THE PARTY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. This week we wrapped up an 8-month leadership development program at a Fortune 50 company. In this 3-minute video, I share a couple lessons from our program graduation. Let Me Hear From You! How you are intentionally developing your leadership skills? How you helping your team members to become better leaders? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 2:57 Download episode 229

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. One of my best bosses perfectly illustrated an influence technique by the way she responded to status reports. In this 2-minute video, I share some lessons about that technique to help you in the week ahead. Let Me Hear From You! What questions have you learned to ask? What do you think about the concept of asking questions to drive behavior? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 2:26 Download episode 228

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. Generally speaking, I've found having a bias for "Yes" is good. Instead of saying "No, we can't do this" find a way to say "But we can do this by that timeframe." A bias for Yes can be good in many situations, yet when we're crazy busy, the art of knowing how to say "No" is more important than ever. In this 2-minute video, I share a quick idea to try in the week ahead. Let Me Hear From You! What have you learned about saying No? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 2:16 Download episode 227

High Performing Project Managers What does it mean to be a high performer? In a world where everyone seems to think they're above average, what does it take to truly stand out? And what advice has multiple research studies backing it up, making it more reliable for you to focus on? In this episode, I'm joined by Marc Effron, author of 8 Steps to High Performance: Focus on What You Can Change (Ignore the Rest), and I'm excited to introduce you to his ideas in the book. Learn more about Marc and his organization at https://www.talentstrategygroup.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! FUN IN A BOTTLE and ACES HIGH by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 2-minute video, I share some thoughts from a recent keynote I delivered entitled Help for the Crazy Busy. Let Me Hear From You! What habits have you developed to help you stay on top of all your demands? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 2:36 Download episode 225

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 2-minute video, I share some thoughts from two leadership keynotes I delivered today. Do you aspire to lead or aspire for a paycheck? The difference is critical. Let Me Hear From You! Why do you aspire to lead? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 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! Total Duration 2:15 Download episode 224

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 3-minute video, I share two lessons from a conversation with a pilot, including how you talk about your colleagues and the danger of indecision. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 3:18 Download episode 223 FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 1:55 Download episode 222 FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 4 and half minute video, I share some lessons for dealing with stakeholders that drive you crazy. Let Me Hear From You! How do you, despite your crazy schedule, carve out time to invest in relationships? How have friendships helped you be a better leader? 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! Total Duration 4:41 Download episode 221

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. I'm preparing to interview Scott Belsky about his upcoming book The Messy Middle. It's a book filled with wisdom for those leading projects and companies, and in this 4-minute video, I share a quick lesson to remember when hiring someone. Let Me Hear From You! How do you, despite your crazy schedule, carve out time to invest in relationships? How have friendships helped you be a better leader? 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! Total Duration 3:43 Download episode 220

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. Jeffrey Pfeffer joined us back in episode 200 to talk about his book Dying for a Paycheck. You can't read the book and lead the same. In this 100-second video, I share a lesson from the book that is important for all of us who are so busy leading that we need to be reminded to do this one thing. Let Me Hear From You! How do you, despite your crazy schedule, carve out time to invest in relationships? How have friendships helped you be a better leader? 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! Total Duration 1:44 Download episode 219

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. Earlier today I was interviewed for an upcoming PMO Virtual Summit. Our discussion was about managing difficult stakeholder situations, and in this 3.5-minute video, I share an idea about the difference between keeping someone informed and keeping them satisfied. The difference is critical when managing your stakeholders. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 3:24 Download episode 218

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 2-minute video, I share an idea I use to up my game just a little when I'm on my bike, and that you can use to make progress on any goal you're working on. Here's a quick read from the Heath brothers about the idea of whisker goals: https://www.fastcompany.com/1150180/set-smaller-goals-get-bigger-results. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 2:14 Download episode 217

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 90-second video, I share a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson and a mission that I'd love you to join me on! Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 1:37 Download episode 216

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 99 second video, I share a lesson that helps me up the biggest hills I have to climb on my bike--and hopefully can help you up a hill you're facing right now. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 1:39 Download episode 215

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. Earlier today I was interviewed by Laura Barnard about her upcoming PMO Impact Summit. In this 2-minute video, I share a lesson about how to make better choices (and it's only three words--easy to remember!). Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 2:09 Download episode 214 FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Taking Responsibility Think back over the last week or so, when something went wrong. Maybe you had a team member or other stakeholder who dropped the ball. They were supposed to deliver and they didn’t and now it's impacting your project. Or something didn't go well in a meeting you were running--perhaps there was a problem with the A/V or the video conferencing system. Or something at home. Something went wrong--different from what you wanted and expected. And you are not happy. What's your first response? Our guest today says that, for most people, the response is predictable: lay blame. In this episode, I'm joined by Christopher Avery, author of a The Responsibility Process: Unlocking Your Natural Ability to Live and Lead with Power, and I'm excited to introduce you to some ideas in the book. Learn more about Christopher and his Leadership Gift program at https://www.christopheravery.com/the-leadership-gift.   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! BAMA COUNTRY and CHIPPER DOODLE v2 by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. I BLAME YOU by Franklin Bruno Licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 4-minute video, I share a habit that is critical for us all to develop: deciding where to draw the line with our time and attention. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 3:50 Download episode 212

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 4-minute video, I share a reminder about ending well. What endings do you have this week? End them well. In this episode, I mention the interview with Dan Pink, which you can find at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/197. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 3:52 Download episode 211

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 2-minute video, I share a question that I'm talking with executive coaching clients today. Your answer to the question can pinpoint a key area to focus on for your personal and team productivity. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 1:44 Download episode 210

What I Taught Today We continue our series of brief videos about something I've recently taught or learned. In this 2-minute video, I share a lesson learned while walking to teach an MBA class on an early Saturday morning in Chicago. It's a lesson you can apply every day. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 2:17 Download episode 209

What I Taught Today We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was recently learned or taught. In this episode, I share some thoughts about how to apply an idea from Scrum to your meetings and management practices. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 3:19 Download episode 208 FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Your Agile Journey If you spend enough time leading projects, you can't miss the fact that agile approaches continue to gain in popularity. What seemed initially relevant to only software development projects is now increasingly being used outside of software. Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, agile is not a passing fad. It's also not a cure-all. There are plenty of skeletons and shipwrecks on some people’s journey to agile. In this episode, I'm joined by one of my long-time friends and favorite experts when it comes to leading agile projects: Johanna Rothman. Johanna is the author of a new book entitled Create Your Successful Agile Project, and I'm excited to introduce you to some ideas in the book. Learn more about Johanna and her work at https://jrothman.com/. {youtube}_nuiOncpmxs{/youtube}   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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! HARD BOILED and STREET PARTY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned Today We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned or taught this week. In this episode, I share some thoughts about not missing out on some of the most important learning opportunities. When we're feeling defensive, anxious, or upset, we often miss the fact that this is an enormous learning opportunity! Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 2:55 Download episode 206

What I Taught Today We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was recently taught. In this episode, I share some thoughts about one of my favorite ways to coach someone. Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 3:27 Download episode 205

How To Build an 'A' Team A continual challenge for those of us who lead teams and projects is this: how can we help our team perform at their best? Project demands are only growing and the only way to meet those demands is to have a high-performing team, yet how do you do that? How do you build an 'A' team? Whitney Johnson has some ideas about that and includes them in her new book Build an A Team: Play to Their Strengths and Lead Them Up the Learning Curve. Once you hear how her S curve works, you're going to find yourself calling back to it over and over. Learn more about Whitney and her work at https://whitneyjohnson.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/278655398{/vimeo} SLOW CURVES and JISHMA by Split Phase Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. In this episode, I share some thoughts about pluralistic ignorance--a concept that can change how you experience meetings as a participant and as a leader. Click here to watch a video of Daniel Ariely demonstrate the idea in his class at Duke's business school, Let Me Hear From You! 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! Total Duration 6:41 Download episode 203 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

Work Smarter, Not Harder? Organizations are constantly trying to find ways to do more with less. How often have you heard someone say that we need to work smarter, not harder? It's a cliché that U.C. Berkeley Management Professor Morten Hansen decided to tackle with rigorous research--what does it mean to work smarter, not harder? The results are now available in Morten's book Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More. The book is filled with evidence-based insights that align very nicely with good project management practices. Learn more about Morten and his work at https://www.mortenhansen.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 organization that would like to improve their ability to lead and deliver, let them know about the podcast! We have practical engaging workshops that I would love to facilitate at your company. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/workshops. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! DIVIDER by Chris Zabriskie Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. I recorded this before hopping on a red eye back to Chicago after a great day of speaking and learning at PMI Mile Hi's Symposium in Denver. I share some lessons from a conversation with a podcast listener as well as from a keynote from Marcus Buckingham. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? 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! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/265866234{/vimeo} Total Duration 6:36 Download episode 201 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

Sustainable Pace There are so many ideas in agile project management that I appreciate, and one of my favorites is the principle of sustainable pace. The idea of sustainable pace is that whatever effort we’re putting into our projects, we should be able to sustain it for the long haul. This agile principle acknowledges that our ability to deliver value is harmed when we’re not maintaining a sustainable pace. Now we all would nod our heads that sustainable pace is a good idea, but in practice, many work cultures are far from it. In fact, in conversation after conversation I hear executive coaching clients and audience members talk about dealing with the other extreme—long hours, working on weekends, and high levels of stress. The problem is serious and to mark this special occasion of episode 200, we are joined by Stanford Business School professor Jeffrey Pfeffer. Jeff is the author of Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance--And What We Can Do About It. If you lead people, I believe this is a must-read. Learn more about Jeffrey and his work at https://jeffreypfeffer.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/265112639{/vimeo} TIKOPIA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT by Johnny Paycheck available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2H48Wmr RETRO FUTURE CLEAN by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. As we celebrate episode 199, I talk about some lessons based on a New York Times Opinion piece. There's so much to love about convenience. Yet where can convenience creep into our lives as leaders, in a way that actually hinders us? You can read the article at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/opinion/sunday/tyranny-convenience.html. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? 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! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/264345927{/vimeo} Total Duration 11:36 Download episode 199 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

Leadership Lessons I'll bet you recently walked by a beautifully landscaped area—maybe it was someone's home, or on a college or corporate campus. You walked by that beautiful area and perhaps you told yourself, "Wow. That's stunning." But here's something I bet you didn't say to yourself: "Wow. That's stunning! This place must have an amazing program to develop outstanding leaders!" I bring this up because beautiful landscaping doesn't just happen. And today you'll hear about leadership lessons from someone whose teams have won national championships when it comes to the most beautiful college campuses. Jeff McManus is the author of Growing Weeders into Leaders, a little book packed with leadership lessons that apply to all of us. Learn more about Jeff and his work at http://jeffmcmanusspeaking.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 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 me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/263089330{/vimeo} THE FOREST AND THE TREES by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. NONSTOP by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

'When To' Instead of Just 'How To' We are faced with all kinds of decisions that require us to figure out what to do. The world is filled with books that tell us How to do things, but here's a thought.... Could it be that When To is just as important--maybe even more important--than How to? That's the premise of a new book from my guest today, Daniel Pink. Dan joined us back in episode 88, and he's back to talk about his new book entitled When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Learn more about Dan and his work at http://www.danpink.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, let your head of sales know about us! I'd love to help their sales teams to improve their ability to lead and deliver. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/GreatSalesPros. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! CARPE DIEM by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. TIMING IS EVERYTHING by Garrett Hedlund available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2FVKL4N

Learn How to Learn Learning to learn is what experts call the ultimate survival tool, one of the most important talents of the modern era, the skill that precedes all other skills. The idea is that once you know how to learn, you can learn almost anything. And in today's world of constant disruption and automation, if you and I are not learning, it's only a matter of time before our current skills lose relevance. The best person I know to help us learn how to learn is Ulrich Boser, author of a great new book entitled Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything. Learn more about Ulrich and his work at http://ulrichboser.com/.   For Your Administrative Assistant! If you have an administrative assistant, here's an idea for how you can invest in them! Our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series starts up soon. Learn more at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/Admin Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! ACES HIGH by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. ENTER THE PARTY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

The Lost Art of Conversation George Bernard Shaw once said "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." As leaders of teams and projects, that's a serious problem since so much of our success depends on our ability to communicate effectively with those around us. For all the wonders of technology, one of the unintended consequences is we're getting worse at the art of conversation. There are plenty of studies to back this up, but I think the point is intuitive to us all—-there's more talking, for sure, yet perhaps less true conversation than ever. To help us become better at conversing with even the most difficult stakeholder, we're joined in this episode by Celeste Headlee to talk about her new book We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter. It's related to her famous TED Talk, which I've included below.   For Your Administrative Assistant! If you have an administrative assistant, here's an idea for how you can invest in them! Our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series starts up soon. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/Admin Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! {youtube}https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1vskiVDwl4{/youtube} WE NEED TO TALK by Bachman available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2CuoGYA HARD BOILED by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Influencing Skills for Leaders For those of us responsible for leading teams and projects, there are a core set of skills we need to develop. We need to manage our time. Deal with conflict. Develop relationships across the organization. We need to think strategically and learn to deal with change. Oh yeah, and develop confidence as we do all of that! All of these are true. But one area that I see over and over that most of us need to develop has to do with our ability to influence. Regardless of your level in the organization, project managers and leaders are constantly faced with situations where we need to influence team members, bosses, customers, and other stakeholders. And more often than not, we have to do that influencing without authority. To help bolster your ability to influence without being a jerk, I’m joined today by Tim David to talk about his new book TRUE Influence: The Magic of Human Connection. It's packed with practical lessons to help you further develop your influencing skills.   For Your Administrative Assistant! If you have an administrative assistant, here's an idea for how you can invest in them! Our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series starts up soon. Learn more at https://i-leadonline.com/Admin Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! TECH LIVE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. ENTER THE PARTY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Everything Comes Down to Relationships It's the dirty little secret of business. Your career will be boosted or restrained by how well you build and maintain relationships. In this episode, FranklinCovey's Chief People Officer Todd Davis joins us to talk about his new book Get Better: 15 Proven Practices to Build Effective Relationships at Work. It's packed with practical lessons that can help you in the year ahead. What questions do you have after listening to Todd? Contact me at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com.  Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER by Cannonball Adderley and Milt Jackson available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2GijKsS A BETTER TOMORROW by Lee Rosevere Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial License.

What Susanne Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I invite my friend and highly esteemed colleague Susanne Madsen to share lessons from her recent business trip to Italy. Learn more about Susanne at https://www.susannemadsen.co.uk/ Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? 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! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/247921667{/vimeo} Total Duration 4:03 Download episode 192 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share some thoughts during a bike ride about the tradeoffs between playing it safe by blending in and taking the risk of standing out. Let Me Hear From You! What's your take? Let me know how you've wrestled with the issue of blending in and standing out. What have you been learning lately? 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! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/242814528{/vimeo} Total Duration 5:54 Download episode 191 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share some thoughts from two quotes that I came across this week. Where we focus makes all the difference, and there's a danger if we focus too much on ourselves instead of the customer. The second quote is related to getting support and buy-in. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? 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! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/242333640{/vimeo} Total Duration 4:03 Download episode 190 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

"Calm Down" Doesn't Work What is something in your near future that's causing you to feel nervous? For example: A certification exam that you'll be taking soon A presentation you need to make to your senior management A tough conversation with a team member of stakeholder An interview for a job you really want When you're faced with having to perform and the stakes are high, it's normal to start feeling nervous. But there's little evidence that just telling someone to "calm down" will provide any benefit. In fact, it might make it worse. So, what does work? HBR Senior Editor Dan McGinn has a new book that takes on this very topic. In Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed, Dan shares evidence-based insights on how you can overcome your pre-performance anxiety. What allows you to walk onto the stage or into the testing center or into that meeting room with the eye of the tiger? Dan shares his insights in this episode. During the recap of the interview, I mention the following episodes, which I recommend for further learning: Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges, by Amy Cuddy. Amy builds off her ever-popular TED Talk about using the "super hero" pose and shares ideas on how to be more confident and assertive. My interview with Amy is at http://www.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/142 Performance Breakthrough: A Radical Approach to Success at Work, by Cathy Salit. Shakespeare wasn't kidding when he said "All the world's a stage!" Cathy suggests that every interaction is a performance, and when we can see life through that lens, much growth and learning is possible. Our video discussion is at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/149. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! DARKENING DEVELOPMENTS by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. EYE OF THE TIGER by Survivor available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2yhMZaR

Hacking Your Brain Since the first Brain Rules book came out in 2009, I've been a big fan of Dr. John Medina. John is one of the clearest voices on how we can leverage our brain to achieve peak performance at work and beyond. John recently released the newest book in the Brain Rules franchise: Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp John's 10 principles that apply to all of us, regardless of age, include: Social Brain Your friendships Your happiness Thinking Brain Your stress Your memory Your mind Your mind: Alzheimer's Body and Brain Your food and exercise Your sleep Future Brain Your longevity Your retirement You'll find out what brain science says is the best age to retire. And regardless of your age, you'll find practical insights to help you thrive. Learn more about the Brain Rules books at http://brainrules.net/. Here are the other books in the Brain Rules family: Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. It's one of the best evidence-based, completely accessible books on how to live a brain-friendly life. Brain Rules for Baby (Updated and Expanded): How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five. This is a fantastic book filled with insights on how to raise a child in a brain-friendly way. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! 100 YEARS by Five for Fighting available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2l1GmY8 BRAINWAVES by Strong Suit is Licensed under a Attribution-ShareALike License.

The State of the PMO In this video episode, I invite Peter Taylor, Bill Dow, and Hussain Bandukwala to a roundtable discussion about project management offices (PMOs). We have a great interaction about the state of today's PMOs, how to start one and keep it relevant, how to market the PMO and get executive support, how agile is impacting the PMO, and predictions about the future. Here's where you can learn more about my guests: Peter Taylor: http://www.thelazyprojectmanager.com/peter-taylor. You can find Peter's books on Amazon here. Bill Dow: https://www.billdowpmp.com/. You can find Bill's book on Amazon here. Hussain Bandukwala: http://www.parwaazcc.com/. Let Me Hear From You! What's working with the PMO's you see these days? What's not working? What questions do you have from this episode? 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! {youtube}https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtgpqYFgDoA{/youtube} Total Duration 41:05 Download episode 187 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share a lesson from a conversation with Howard Silver at a recent keynote at the PMI Chicagoland Symposium. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? 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! {vimeo}https://vimeo.com/235813120{/vimeo} Total Duration 4:52 Download episode 186 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

A Must-Read Book You know that boss that's driving you crazy? Or that stakeholder? We all have them--people who most charitably could be referred to as challenges. If only we could get them to change, then we could deliver our project, or make progress as a team. If only we could change them.... You might not say it that way, but when we face obstacles in the form of people, we're apt to consider them the problem. But what if I told you there's a way to improve the likelihood of getting that other person to change? And it starts with you? In this episode we're talking with Mitch Warner from The Arbinger Institute about their book Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. It's a must-read book that I look forward to introducing you to in this episode. Learn more about The Arbinger Institute at http://arbingerinstitute.com/. Also, here's where you can find the other books that Mitch mentions in the interview: The Anatomy of Peace. This is a continuation of the story that starts in Leadership and Self-Deception. The The Outward Mindset. This takes the ideas and presents them in a form to help you implement the ideas from the fictional story. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU by Skillet available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2wjOc1h IN A DREAM WHERE I'M SLEEPING by Shatterfreak Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

Overwhelm Does Not Have to Be Normal I'm regularly challenged by the Henry Cloud quote that "You get what you tolerate." Too often we tolerate overwhelm as normal. My guest in this episode is out to help you fix that. Steve Kahle is founder of Gray Wolf Workflow and he is on a mission to help you and your team get more done with less stress. Click here to learn more about Steve's Proactive Lane Boot Camp. You can participate anywhere in the world and I personally guarantee you will find it worth your investment. Also, check out: Steve's series of short videos at http://OneMinuteProductivity.com His free Workday Planning Guide at http://www.workdayplanningguide.com/    Additional Episodes If you would like more insights on managing your time more effectively, check out these episodes: Cal Newport regarding his book Deep Work: https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/144.  Elizabeth Grace Saunders regarding her book How to Invest Your Time Like Money: https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/137.  Kory Kogon regarding her book The Five Choices: https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/129.  Bob Pozen regarding his book Extreme Productivity: https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/83.  Peter Bregman regarding his book 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done: https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/64.  Piers Steel regarding his book The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done: https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/123.  Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! OUT OF TIME by Samuell, John Marcus, & Vicky D. available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2vrbP7I TECH LIVE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share lessons from finishing an MBA course and a 162 mile bike ride. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning lately? 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! {youtube}https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LT1qatzfJU{/youtube} Total Duration 11:08 Download episode 183 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

Expert Insights From a Brilliant Project Manager One of the true joys I have in my role is the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over the world. And when I have the opportunity to spend some time talking with people who have a passion for leading teams and delivering projects, it's particularly fun! One of my new friends in the last year is a brilliant project management thought leader from the UK: Dr. Mike Clayton. In this episode, Mike and I talk about subjects including: Stakeholder management, including how to keep stakeholders engaged. Influencing challenging stakeholders and team members. How organizational politics impact how we lead projects. How to manage risks on projects (and what aspect of risk management gets too little attention). Learn more about Mike and his online PM courses at http://www.onlinepmcourses.com/about/.   It's All About Relationships As Mike and I talk in this episode, a lot of success leading projects comes down to building relationships. Learn how to more effectively build relationships by signing up for our Dirty Little Secret of Business e-learning course. Earn 1.5 PDUs while learning how to more effectively develop relationships. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! ENTER THE PARTY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. CHIPPER DOODLE v2 by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share lessons from a son moving out of the home and a book I'm reading for a future episode. Get a head start on the book Leadership and Self-Deception by clicking here. Let Me Hear From You! What lessons have you learned about ending well? How have you seen self-deception hold a leader back? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? 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! {youtube}KvaGSzYXWrM{/youtube} Total Duration 6:56 Download episode 181 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

Do Nice Guys Finish Last? Common wisdom tells us that we will be successful if we work hard. Be nice. Show up. It all makes sense, right? The project manager who reliably shows up each day and delivers should be the one who gets promoted, right? Eric Barker took a deep dive into the research of success and found that it's not quite that simple. In this episode, we talk with Eric about his new book Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong. It's an enjoyable, evidence-based look at the success that will have some surprising findings of any leader. Learn more about Eric at http://www.bakadesuyo.com/about/.   Practical Project Management Training Take the next step in developing your ability to lead and deliver by going through our Advanced Project Management e-learning course. 20 PDUs for a great price! Check it out! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! BUMMIN ON TREMELO by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. L & H by Jahzzar Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution-ShareAlike License.

Just Take the Leap? It can be uncomfortable to confront a team member or a peer. We can face demanding challenges, wondering if we have what it takes, hesitating to go "all in" because of the risk of failure. Delivering bad news is something leaders have to do, but rarely do we look forward to it. These are just a few of the challenges we face as leaders--each requiring us to reach beyond our comfort zone. It's one thing to know that good things are on the other side of our comfort zone. But just telling someone to "take the leap" seems to be insufficient, right? Andy Molinsky has studied why we hesitate to go beyond our comfort zones, and he's written a practical, evidence-based book on how to make the leap. In this episode, Andy and I talk about his new book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge and Build Confidence. Learn more about Andy at https://www.andymolinsky.com/.   Practical Project Management Training Take the next step in developing your ability to lead and deliver by going through our Advanced Project Management e-learning course. 20 PDUs for a great price! Check it out!   Comfort Zone Example At the very end of the outtakes in this episode, I share the story of my son Barrett Kaufman going way beyond his comfort zone. He runs a company that does video production and was hired for an adventure shoot. Listen to the episode for the story, but here's the picture of him way atop of his comfort zone! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! COMFORT ZONE by REBELUTION available on YouTube TOO COOL by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Have a Mentor--Common Wisdom Right? Talk to enough highly successful leaders and project managers and eventually you'll hear them mention the value that one or more mentors have provided over their career. It's obvious, right? Common wisdom, for sure. But why isn't it common practice? Ken Blanchard is one of my all-time leadership heroes and he joins us in this episode to talk about his new book One Minute Mentoring: How to Find and Work With a Mentor--And Why You'll Benefit from Being One, co-authored with Claire Diaz-Ortiz. In classic One Minute Manager style, this easy-to-read book provides a helpful guide for how you can develop a meangingful mentoring relationship. Learn more about Ken and his organization at http://www.kenblanchard.com/.   Learn How to Lead Projects! Regardless of your title, you lead projects. Learn practical insights in our Essentials of Project Management e-learning course. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! TECH LIVE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Do You Know Where Your Phone Is? Most leaders these days know the answer to that question. Of course we know where our mobile devices are! And if we didn't, we might be at risk of nomophobia! But the reason this question is easy is that too often, the device is in front of our face! And our addiction to tech is having a real impact on our ability to lead and connect with others. Adam Alter joins us to talk about his new book Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. Adam provides a brilliantly written look at how our obsession with technology is controlling our lives more than we realize. And he offers tools and approaches we can use to take back our teams, families, and lives. Learn more about Adam at adamalterauthor.com/.   The Dirty Little Secret of Business Project managers know that managing our stakeholders is critical to our project success. But how can we take time to develop relationships when we're slammed with an overwhelmed schedule? Check out our Dirty Little Secret of Business e-learning course. Learn practical skills to develop stakeholder relationships by visiting http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/the-dirty-little-secret-of-business. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! TWO FINGER JOHNNY and MARTY GOTS A PLAN by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. I LOVE MY COMPUTER by BAD RELIGION available on YouTube TECHNOLOGIC by DAFT PUNK available on YouTube

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week we discuss why someone telling you to "Get Lost!" might just be good advice! During this episode, I mention the following interviews: Cal Newport, regarding his book Deep Work, in episode 144 Amy Blankson, regarding her book The Future of Happiness, in episode 174 Let Me Hear From You! How do you get away, to get deeper thinking? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? 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! {youtube}znF6UFDzan8{/youtube} Total Duration 3:23 Download episode 176 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week we discuss some key lessons from a keynote that Andy delivered a couple times this week regarding decision-making. Let Me Hear From You! What have you been learning about decision-making? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? 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! {youtube}W1jiTKbgMjY{/youtube} Total Duration 9:50 Download episode 175 FUNKORAMA by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

Is Tech Making Life Better or Worse? Tech is ruining our life. Or at least that's what plenty of people are suggesting. There's evidence showing that culturally we're more depressed and distracted than ever, and tech has at least some responsibility for that. Yet at the same time tech is providing rich opportunities to grow and learn. So which is it? Is tech making it more difficult to thrive? Or is it helping us thrive? According to Amy Blankson, the answer is both, depending on how you use it--today and in the future. Amy joins us to talk about her new book The Future of Happiness: 5 Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being in the Digital Era. In Amy's research, she's found that ultimately the most balanced, satisfied, and happy individuals use five key strategies, not just to survive but also to actually thrive in the Digital Era: They stay grounded in the face of distraction. They use technology to know themselves on a deeper level. They know when and how to use technology to train their brains to reach their full potential. They structure their surroundings to create a habitat for happiness. They innovate consciously to enrich the world around them. I look forward to sharing Amy's insights with you in this episode. Learn more about Amy and her company at GoodThinkInc.com.   The Dirty Little Secret of Business Project managers know that managing our stakeholders is critical to our project success. But how can we take time to develop relationships when we're slammed with an overwhelmed schedule? Check out our Dirty Little Secret of Business e-learning course. Learn practical skills to develop stakeholder relationships by visiting http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/the-dirty-little-secret-of-business. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! RETROFUTURE CLEAN and LIFE OF RILEY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What Could the Extreme Version of You Do? What if you didn't play it so safe? What could a more extreme version of you acccomplish? In this episode, Sarah Robb O'Hagan joins us to talk about her new book Extreme You: Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat. The provocative title gives you a sense of Sarah's style, and I trust this interview will spur you on to stop playing it so safe. Learn more about Sarah at https://extremeyou.com/.   Invest In Your Administrative Assistant Administrative Professionals Day is celebrated by companies around the world each April, and I have an idea of how you can celebrate the admins who serve your area! Check out our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series. It's a 5-week course that I've shared with admins around the world, and I would love to help the admin who serves your team. We help your admin grow in areas, such as influence, conflict management, time management, and even project management! Visit https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/Admin today to learn more and sign-up.   Introduce a Video Episode! In this episode, I invite you to send me your favorite breakfast spot in your town (it will make more sense when you listen to the episode!). Also, I invite you to send me a video of you or you and your team introducing an upcoming video episode! Let's do this! Just email me an .mp4 file from your smartphone--no editing or high-production value required! Include your name, where you're from, and a welcome to the podcast. That's it! Email the file to show [AT] peopleandprojectspodcast [DOT] com. Thanks!   Listener Survey I'm constantly looking for ways to improve the podcast. Would you be willing to take 2 minutes and share your thoughts? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey and help me know how I can help deliver exactly what you're looking for. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! {youtube}-s7j2s6bJaQ{/youtube} EXTREME DAYS by TobyMac available on http://amzn.to/2nX1Kef. PYRO FLOW by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What's So Critical About Critical Path? If you're preparing for taking the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam, you need to know how to calculate critical path by hand. Beyond the exam, what's important is to truly understand how critical path can help you manage your project. Too often, critical path is a red line on a Gantt chart, with little attention paid to it. In this episode, I share a video from our project management e-learning course entitled The Essentials of Project Management. Here's what you need to know about critical path! Let Me Hear 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! {youtube}aMTDZiORNz0{/youtube} Total Duration 21:24 Download episode 172 ENTER THE PARTY by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week we discuss a quote I heard from Michael Hyatt, that "all the good things in life are on the other side of fear". Let Me Hear From You! What examples can you think of that relate to Michael's quote? What have you been learning? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? 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! {youtube}IQ3DV4oxUTA{/youtube} Total Duration 4:13 Download episode 171 COVERT AFFAIR by Kevin McLeod Licensed under an Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I share an experience about a workshop participant that was struggling with confidence. What Did You Learn This Week? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? 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! {youtube}kXp2gZibwHQ{/youtube} Total Duration 7:18 Download episode 170 GOOD VIBES OVERFLOW by Podington Bear Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License..

Leading a Remote Team Increasingly project managers tell me they are responsible for a team that is not completely co-located. Whether it's just a few people who are remote or the entire team, thriving in a virtual environment is critical for you and me as we seek to lead and deliver in the years ahead. To help us further develop our ability to lead virtually, we're joined today by one of my favorite voices on the topic: Emily Luijbregts. You can contact Emily with follow-up questions at Emily [DOT] luijbregts [AT] gmail [DOT] com   Invest In Your Administrative Assistant Administrative Professionals Day is celebrated by companies around the world each April, and I have an idea of how you can celebrate the admins who serve your area! Check out our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series. It's a 5-week course that I've shared with admins around the world, and I would love to help the admin who serves your team. We help your admin grow in areas, such as influence, conflict management, time management, and even project management! Visit https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/Admin today to learn more and sign-up.   Introduce a Video Episode! In this episode, I invite you to send me your favorite breakfast spot in your town (it will make more sense when you listen to the episode!). Also, I invite you to send me a video of you or you and your team introducing an upcoming video episode! Let's do this! Just email me an .mp4 file from your smartphone--no editing or high-production value required! Include your name, where you're from, and a welcome to the podcast. That's it! Email the file to show [AT] peopleandprojectspodcast [DOT] com. Thanks!   Listener Survey I'm constantly looking for ways to improve the podcast. Would you be willing to take 2 minutes and share your thoughts? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey and help me know how I can help deliver exactly what you're looking for. Thanks!   Related Episodes In this discussion with Emily, I mention the following episodes: Harvard teams expert J. Richard Hackman: Episode 33 Cultural intelligence expert Tom Verghese: Episode 146 Virtual teams expert Karen Sobel Lojeski: Episode 9 Author of Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It, Jody Thompson: Episode 97 Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! LONG DISTANCE CALL by Muddy Waters. CRYSTAL ECHOES by Sergey Cheremisinov Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution License. BRIAN REGAN LIVE FROM RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL by Brian Regan available on Amazon.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. This week I'm prepping for an interview with Adam Alter about his book Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. We'll hear from Adam in the coming weeks, but this week I have a challenge for you. Check it out! What Did You Learn This Week? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? 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! {youtube}yspHIeL0Lqs{/youtube} Total Duration 2:51 Download episode 168 BAILE by Podington Bear Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License..

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. In American football, a quarterback sometimes needs to make an audible. Back in the huddle, they called a play, but now that they see how the defense has lined up, they see an opportunity to make a change. They make an audible, and as project managers, there are times we need to do the same. What Did You Learn This Week? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? 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! {youtube}6X210cyOfQs{/youtube} Total Duration 3:18 Download episode 167 EARLY RISER by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What Makes A Hit Song? Or Idea? Why does one artist pull down a Grammy and another go without notice? Why do some products skyrocket in popularity when better ones never make it to production? Derek Thompson is a senior editor at The Atlantic magazine and a weekly news analyst for NPR's "Here and Now." Derek chases down these questions in his new book Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction. Read more of Derek's work at https://www.theatlantic.com/author/derek-thompson/   The Perfect Gift for Your Administrative Assistant Administrative Professionals Day is celebrated by companies around the world each April, and I have an idea for how you can celebrate the admins who serve your area! Check out our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series. It's a 5-week course that I've shared with admins around the world, and I would love to help the admin who serves your team. We help your admin grow in areas, such as influence, conflict management, time management, and even project management! Visit https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/Admin today to learn more and sign-up.   I Want To Hear From You! I'm constantly looking for ways to improve the podcast. Would you be willing to take 2 minutes and share your thoughts? Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/ListenerSurvey and help me know how I can help deliver exactly what you're looking for. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! HELLO by Adele available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2kRMsGh FUNIN' and SUNIN' by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Constraints are.... Good? Timeframes. Budgets. Staffing. Project managers constantly face confounding constraints on their journey to deliver a project. Constraints limit our options. They seem to make it more difficult to deliver. And they might be exactly what we need, according to author Scott Sonenshein. Scott is the author of the new book Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less--and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined. Scott relates why being MacGyver-like, adaptable to the constraints we encounter, can help us not only be more successful, but happier as well. Learn more about Scott at http://www.scottsonenshein.com/   Have Andy Speak at Your Company! I spend most of my weekdays delivering project management and leadership workshops and keynotes at companies and conferences. Visit https://www.i-leadonline.com/workshops to learn more about how we can help you and your teams learn how to lead and deliver. Also, learn more about our e-learning course about developing stakeholder relationships by visiting http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/the-dirty-little-secret-of-business. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! OCTOBLUES, PORCH BLUES, and MATT'S BLUES by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Work...Without Stress? There are many satisfying aspects of jobs that require us to lead teams and deliver projects. Yet they are careers that often include elevated amounts of stress. Or is it pressure? Our guests today will talk about the difference! Nick Petrie and Derek Roger are authors of the new book Work Without Stress: Building a Resilient Mindset for Lasting Success. You can learn more about Nick at https://www.nicholaspetrie.com/. Learn more about Derek at https://challengeofchange.co.uk/about-derek-roger.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company! I spend most of my weekdays delivering project management and leadership workshops and keynotes at companies and conferences. Visit https://www.i-leadonline.com/workshops to learn more about how we can help you and your teams learn how to lead and deliver. Also, learn more about our e-learning course about developing stakeholder relationships by visiting https://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/the-dirty-little-secret-of-business. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Here's the clip from the movie Bridge of Spies that Derek refers to in our discussion: {youtube}Yylz3pHE5Vc{/youtube} SATIATE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. CANDLEPOWER by Chris Zabriskie Licensed under an Attribution License. SUPERSTANDIN by Podington Bear Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our series of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. In this episode I talk about a conversation I overheard in an airport lounge before heading to Madrid on a family vacation. It's an important lesson for us all: dig the well before you're thirsty. What Did You Learn This Week? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {youtube}1fzYFDHHnlc{/youtube} Total Duration 2:51 Download episode 163 MINSTREL GUILD by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Our View of Authority How you and I think about authority matters. It impacts how we go about our roles as leaders. And understanding the impact we have on others is critical. In this episode, Jonathan Raymond joins us to talk about his new book entitled Good Authority: How To Become The Leader Your Team Is Waiting For. You can learn more about Jonathan and his work at http://refound.com/.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company! I spend most of my weekdays delivering project management and leadership workshops and keynotes at companies and conferences. Visit https://www.i-leadonline.com/workshops to learn more about how we can help you and your teams learn how to lead and deliver. Also, learn more about our conflict management e-learning by visiting http://courses.i-leadonline.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! I'M SORRY by Ian Sutherland Licensed under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. DISTRICT FOUR by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week We continue our experiment of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. In this episode I talk about influencing by asking instead of telling. What Did You Learn This Week? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {youtube}xENWgGbQgV0{/youtube} Total Duration 6:24 Download episode 161 CHILLIN HARD by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

What I Learned This Week This episode kicks off our experiment of short videos talking about an idea or observation that was learned this week. In this episode I talk about what I learned prepping for a discussion with Derek Roger and Nick Petrie regarding their book on stress. My interview with Nick and Derek will be published in the coming weeks. After a couple of these "What I Learned" videos get released, I'd love your feedback on their value. Thanks! What Did You Learn This Week? Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What have you been learning? I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great weekend! {youtube}F_W8H36jerY{/youtube} Total Duration 6:24 Download episode 160 CAREFREE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Total Duration 39:48 Download episode 159 What Did You Learn Last Year? What's something specific you've learned in the last 12 months that you either didn't know before then or you had to re-learn it? That's a question I asked some of my favorite continual learners--friends and colleagues who are committed to developing their abilities. In this episode you'll hear from: Peter Taylor, The Lazy Project Manager Elizabeth Harrin, from A Girl's Guide to Project Management Johanna Rothman, management and project management author and consultant Andy Crowe, project management speaker, author, and founder of Velociteach Glen Alleman, host of the Herding Cats blog Susanne Madsen, project manager coach and author Mark Swiderski, project manager speaker and consultant Nick Morgan, author and speaker coach Peter Martin, CEO, TeenPact Leadership Schools Dave Stachowiak, host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast Share Your Lesson! Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What did you learn last year? I look forward to hearing from you!   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Here's to a great year ahead! WONDER CYCLE, CGI SNAKE, I AM RUNNING DOWN THE LONG HALLWAY OF VIEWMONT ELEMENTARY, CANDLEPOWER, I AM RUNNING WITH TEMPORARY SUCCESS FROM A MONSTROUS VACUUM IN PURSUIT, DIVIDER, WHAT DOES ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING, AND ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Attribution License. THIS IS THE NEW YEAR by A Great Big World available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2idlj1U

Gotta Love Millennials When the topic of millennials comes up in my workshops, it's sure to evoke strong opinions, from older leaders who complain millennials are entitled, to the millennials who resent being stereotyped. In this episode, Lee Caraher joins us to talk about both sides of the issue. Lee is the author of the book entitled Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide to Making it Work at Work. You can learn more about Lee at her website http://LeeCaraher.com/.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company! I spend most of my weekdays delivering project management and leadership workshops and keynotes at companies and conferences. Visit https://www.i-leadonline.com/keynotes to learn more about how we can help you and your teams learn how to lead and deliver. Also, learn more about our conflict management e-learning by visiting http://courses.i-leadonline.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Merry Christmas! MARTY GOTS A PLAN and CHRISTMAS RAP by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. YOU'VE GOTTA LOVE MILLENNIALS by Micah Tyler available on YouTube   A Little Millennial Fun {youtube}hLpE1Pa8vvI{/youtube}

Project Managers Influencing Without Authority Increasingly, project managers need to influence but do so without authority. Often, without much, if any positional power, we need to get a sponsor or team member or other stakeholders to say "Yes". There's no shortage of books on influence, but there's a new one I have been so excited to tell you about. If you've participated in any of our project management or leadership keynotes, workshops, or e-learning, you've heard me talk about Dr. Robert Cialdini, the acclaimed influence expert and author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. In this episode, Dr. Cialdini joins us to talk about his newest book entitled Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. You can learn more about Bob and his company at http://www.influenceatwork.com/.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company! I spend most of my weekdays delivering project management and leadership workshops and keynotes at companies and conferences. Visit https://www.i-leadonline.com/workshops to learn more about how we can help you and your teams learn how to lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! YES by Hecuba is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. THE BEAT INFLUENCE by Cullah is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License

What Good is a Mess? As a profession, project managers have a tendency toward the tidy. Would you agree? I'm not talking about tidy in terms of cleanliness. I'm talking about tidy in terms of organized. Buttoned up. In control. In this episode, Tim Harford joins us to argue for the value of messiness. Tim is the author of the new book entitled Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives. You can learn more about Tim at his website http://timharford.com/.   Have Andy Speak at Your Company! I spend most of my weekdays delivering project management and leadership workshops and keynotes at companies and conferences. Visit https://www.i-leadonline.com/workshops or https://www.i-leadonline.com/keynotes to learn more about how we can help you and your teams learn how to lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Here's Tim's TED Talk on the subject: {youtube}N7wF2AdVy2Q{/youtube} MESS and ZERO by Steve Combs are licensed under a Attribution License. THE CAMPAIGN by Warner Brothers available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2eC0NTa

You Have More Stakeholders Than You Realize One of the primary reasons so much of our emphasis on The People and Projects Podcast is on the people side of our profession is because that is often the biggest struggle. In many ways, project management is really people management, and learning how to navigate the people side of our projects is critical for sustained success. In today's episode, we focus on the topic of stakeholder management. We're joined by Dr. Lynda Bourne, author of Making Projects Work: Effective Stakeholder and Communication Management. You can learn more about Lynda, including information about the Stakeholder Circle® at http://www.stakeholdermapping.com/.   Get Your PDUs Want to get your PDUs for listening to The People and Projects Podcast? Click here to learn everything you need to know. Also, contact me to get a coupon code that takes $100 USD off the price of our Advanced Project Management e-learning (worth 20 PDUs). You can contact me at show [AT] peopleandprojectspodcast [DOT] com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! FUNKORAMA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. STAKEHOLDER by Tofubeats available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/23yvo8t

Playing the Game or Just Getting Played? In this episode, I welcome Dan Rust, author of Workplace Poker: Are You Playing the Game or Just Getting Played? If you get sick of office politics, join the crowd. But the reality for project managers is we need to be effective with a wide range of stakeholders, and there are complex human dynamics that must be navigated. This is one of the best books I've read on the topic in a while. Learn more about Dan and his book at WorkplacePoker.com. Special thanks to TeenPact Leadership Schools for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about TeenPact at http://TeenPact.com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! THE COMPLEX by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. CHIPPER DOODLE V2 by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. HOW TO from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2bYRpLO

How to Become a Better Leader In this episode, I welcome back leadership researcher and author Jim Kouzes. Jim joined us back in episode 62 to talk about the book Credibility. Jim and his writing partner Barry Posner have published a new book entitled Learning Leadership: The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader. If you truly want to accelerate your ability to lead, I highly recommend you get a copy.   Helping You Lead In this episode I mention the Leadership Practices Inventory® (LPI®). It's a powerful tool for receiving the feedback you and your leaders need to raise the bar in your effectiveness. Learn more about our LPI 360 at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/LPI. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! WHISKEY ON THE MISSISSIPPI by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. CHILLIN HARD by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Too Good to Be True? In this episode, I welcome Scrum inventor and co-creator Jeff Sutherland. He's the author of Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time. Does getting twice the work done in half the time sound like a promise that's too good to be true? Well, read Jeff's book and you'll find this isn't just conjecture. There's evidence that Scrum could radically help you and your team more reliably deliver your projects. Learn more about Jeff and his company at http://ScrumInc.com. Also, you can find the Scrum Guides at http://ScrumGuides.org.   Join me for a Free Webinar Want to learn more about how to deliver successfully when you're faced with uncertainty? I'm leading a free webinar for listeners of The People and Projects Podcast. Join me on Thursday, 4 August, 2016 at 11:00am Central (GMT-5). Register for free at https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/Webinar. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {youtube}s4thQcgLCqk{/youtube} DEADLY ROULETTE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. DISTRICT FOUR by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. TOO GOOD IS TRUE by Rascal Flatts available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2acevzE

Tough Boss or Bully? In this episode, I welcome workplace bullying expert Paul Pelletier. He's a lawyer, a PMP, and author of Workplace Bullying: It's Just Bad for Business: Prevention, Management, & Elimination Strategies for Organizations & Everyone Else. Paul shares helpful insights about what bullying is and isn't, and strategies to help you deal with the bullies on your project team. Learn more about Paul and his organization at http://www.paulpelletierconsulting.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! THE INNER CONFLICT by The New Geometry is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. L&H by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License. MEAN by Taylor Swift available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1UpLXwJ

Ask More, Talk Less In this episode, I welcome Michael Bungay Stanier, founder and Senior Partner of Box of Crayons. Michael is the author of a new book that details how project managers can be more effective coaches. In The Coaching Habit, Michael proposes that coaching is not a formal event, such as a one-on-one meeting. Rather, it's something we can do regularly, informally, in 10 minutes or less.   Improve Your Ability to Deal with Conflict Conflict comes with the role of leading people and projects. Our e-learning program entitled Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place is designed to help you learn how to negotiate conflicts in more productive ways. Learn more at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/beyond-the-rock-and-the-hard-place. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {vimeo}270426392{/vimeo} QUESTIONS ANSWERED by Track Jackit is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. TELL ME WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND by Allah-Las is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

All the World's a Stage Could it be that everything we do is a performance? Every interaction, at work and at home? That's the premise of Cathy Salit's new book Performance Breakthrough: A Radical Approach to Success at Work. In this episode, we'll talk with Cathy why this performance idea can make all the difference in your ability to learn and grow. To learn more about Cathy, please visit her website at: http://PerformanceOfALifetime.com/. Thank you for joining me for this video episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   ROYAL BANANA by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. IMPROVE YOURSELF by Marcos H. Bolanos Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution-ShareAlike License.

Negotiating Emotionally Charged Conflicts In this episode, I welcome Harvard's Daniel Shapiro to talk about his new book Negotiating the Nonnegotiable: How to Resolve Your Most Emotionally Charged Conflicts. If you lead projects and teams, conflict is inevitable and can make negotiating for resources and changes a real challenge. Dan gets past the typical teaching on conflict, focusing on the most challenging conflict and negotiation situations we face: where emotions and identity are at stake.   Transform Your Ability to Lead This Year Join me for this year's Leadership Fast Track Program. You and I will work directly to transform your ability to lead and deliver. See LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! THE INNER CONFLICT by The New Geometry is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. CAN I BELONG TO THE TRIBE by Juanitos is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 France License. LIFE OF RILEY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Beyond Gantt Charts and Critical Path In this episode, I welcome Dave Wakeman from Wakeman Consulting Group to talk about Strategic and Business Management. This is a leg of PMI's Talent Triangle™ that often doesn't get enough focus. Dave shares insights on strategy and operations that show our success goes far beyond our technical project management skills. Check out his website to sign-up for Dave's newsletter and read his blog.   Transform Your Ability to Lead This Year Join me for this year's Leadership Fast Track Program. You and I will work directly to transform your ability to lead and deliver. See LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SCHEMING WEASEL FASTER by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. STRATEGY by Something for Kate available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/23yvo8t

How Culturally Intelligent Are You? In this episode, I welcome Dr. Tom Verghese from Cultural Synergies to talk about the importance of raising our cultural intelligence (what he calls CQ). Check out his website for videos and other resources to improve your ability to interact productively with people from other cultures.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! VADODARA CHILL MIX by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. ZANZIBAR by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. The comedy bit at the end was not Tom! See A SAUDI, AN INDIAN, AND AN IRANIAN WALK INTO A QATARI BAR by Maz Jobrani (TED Talk) available on YouTube

Introducing Bruce Harpham In this episode, I welcome Bruce Harpham from ProjectManagementHacks.com. Bruce is a regular blogger on topics related to career advancement for project managers. Check out his website and sign-up for a free copy of his Career Advancement Workbook.   Give the Gift of Learning to Your Administrative Assistant! On April 27, 2016, administrative assistants around the world will be celebrated as part of Administrative Professionals' Day. Here's a bit of advice: take your assistant out to lunch! Treat them extra special! And how about this--give them the gift of learning! Our Effective Administrative Assistant Webinar Series starts up on April 14. I'll be leading a series of two-hour webinars designed especially to help your admin improve their ability to get things done. Learn more at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/the-effective-administrative-assistant-webinar-series. Use a coupon code of admin-gift-16 to save $59 USD off the price. Thanks for spreading the word about this! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! MEATBALL PARADE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. OVERTURE-HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING by Frank Loesser available on Amazon.com.

Out of the Shallows Project managers are constantly tasked with juggling priorities and managing interruptions. We live in the shallows, so to speak, not the deep. Getting time for focused work seems increasingly difficult. In his new book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport offers 4 rules to help us out of the distraction: Work Deeply. There are strategies to get more concentrated work time. Embrace Boredom. Don't try to cram in something to every spare moment. Quit Social Media. Give Cal a chance to make his case before writing this one off! Drain the Shallows. There's some low-hanging fruit we can get rid of to gain more focused time. To learn more about Cal and his book, please visit his website at: http://calnewport.com/books/deep-work/. Make sure to check out his popular blog.   Celebration Special Discount We're celebrating the launch of our e-learning on a new platform! You can now find our courses at http://courses.i-leadonline.com. The first 25 people who purchase our Essentials of Project Management or Advanced Project Management e-learning offerings using the coupon code FEBRUARY-16 will get $200 USD off the price. This offer is good until the end of February 2016, or when 25 people have enrolled. Celebrate with us while getting PDUs/contact hours for a great price! Join us in this year's Leadership Fast Track Program! There's an early bird discount available for listeners to the podcast. To learn more, go to http://LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! P.S. For a follow-up article on Cal's book, check out my LinkedIn post by clicking here. Thanks! THE COMPLEX by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. WALLPAPER by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Talking To Crazy Spend enough time in the workplace and eventually, you have to deal with the stakeholder who drives you crazy. Whether full-time or just under certain circumstances, their irrational behavior becomes a thorn in your side. How do you deal with these people? Though there are no simple answers, Mark Goulston shares his insights in his new book entitled Talking to Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life. To learn more about Mark, please visit his website at: http://goulstongroup.com/.   Let's Learn Together We have just launched our project management e-learning on a new platform, and to celebrate, we're making the first 25% of the learning free! Learn more at http://courses.i-leadonline.com. Thank you for joining me for this video episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {vimeo}153641039{/vimeo} DOUBLE DRIFT by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. CAREFREE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Super Hero Poise Project managers regularly face daunting situations. In Amy Cuddy's new book Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges, you'll find evidence-based strategies to help you rise to your challenging situations. To learn more about Amy, please visit her website at: http://AmyCuddy.com. You can also watch her TED Talk (and a parody of it) below.   Let's Learn Together Join us in this year's Leadership Fast Track Program! There's an early bird discount available for listeners to the podcast. To learn more, go to http://LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com. Contact me at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com to save $100 USD on our Essentials of Project Management e-learning program. 15 PDU's for a great price! Contact me for details! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {youtube}Ks-_Mh1QhMc{/youtube} For a funny parody of power posing, check out Vooza's video here. ALL THE BEST FAKERS by Nick Jaina is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. SUPERSTANDIN by Podington Bear is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. SUPER HERO by King Louie's Missing Monuments is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

Looking Back In this video episode, I share a recent Google Hangout on Air that was held with listeners of The People and Projects Podcast. I review a challenge from Tom Peters about trying new stuff. Then I share some content from a new workshop on the topic of decision-making.   Have a Great Start to the New Year! Thank you for being a regular listener to The People and Projects Podcast! I look forward to learning with you in the year ahead! If you celebrate the holiday, I wish you a very Merry Christmas! Have a great start to the New Year! HAPPY ALLEY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. SILVER by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

  Total Duration 27:31 Download episode 140 Business Book at the Movies You may recall our previous discussions with Tom Rath about his book Eat Move Sleep (episode 106) and Are You Fully Charged (episode 132). In this episode, we talk with Tom about the new movie he's produced that takes Are You Fully Charged and turns it into a documentary. You can find the movie at: Vimeo (streaming): https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fullycharged VHX (streaming): http://fullychargedfilm.vhx.tv/ Amazon (DVD) Or, you can watch the trailer here (and even rent it): {vimeo}141288644{/vimeo} One idea: rent a copy of the movie and stream it during a staff meeting! To learn more about Tom and the movie, visit http://www.tomrath.org/fully-charged/ Join Our Year-End Podcast Listener Hangout! Join other listeners for a Google Hangout session on Thursday, 17 December at 11:30am Central Standard Time (GMT-6). You'll earn a free PDU while we talk about issues related to leading and delivering. Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/hangout to learn more! Let Me Hear From You! I love hearing from listeners! Please leave a message to let me know what you think about The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us: Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747 Contact me by email at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! THE SHOW MUST BE GO by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Do The Good Guys Win? There’s something inside us that wants to believe that the good guys win in the end, right? We want to believe that if you treat people well, keep your promises, and work hard, that it all pays off with increased opportunity and reward. Fred Kiel has data to support that you don't have to be Gordon Gecko from the movie Wall Street to win. In this episode, we talk with Fred about his new book Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win. To learn more about Fred and take the Character Predictor Quiz, visit http://www.krw-intl.com/characterquiz/.   Join Our Year-End Podcast Listener Hangout! Join other listeners for a Google Hangout session on Thursday, 17 December at 11:30am Central Standard Time (GMT-6). You'll earn a free PDU while we talk about issues related to leading and delivering. Go to https://PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/hangout to learn more!   Leadership Fast Track Program In this episode, I mention our Leadership Fast Track Program. I encourage you to check out http://LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com to see if it's a good fit for your development plan in 2016. If so, talk to your boss about getting it in the budget for next year. Let me know if you have any questions about the program. It would be a privilege to work with you directly!   Let Me Hear From You! I love hearing from listeners! Please leave a message to let me know what you think about The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us: Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747 Contact me by email at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! WALL STREET available here on Amazon.com. FACEOFF by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License. CHIPPER DOODLE v2 by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

{youtube}b-9y2TQ8x7o{/youtube} Total Duration 56:19 Download episode 138 The People Side of Project Management In this video episode, I share a discussion with three colleagues who are experts in the people side of project management. To learn more about my guests, please visit their websites at: Susanne Madsen: http://susannemadsen.com/ Kevin Ciccotti: http://humanfactorformula.com/ Kim Wasson: http://ivybay.com/ What Do You Think? Please leave a message to let me know what you think about this video episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us: Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747 Call me directly at 847-579-9174 Contact me by email at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SKIPPY by Podington Bear is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. NOTANICO MERENGUE by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

Aspire to be Time Wealthy Can you relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed, with more commitments at work and home than you have time to handle? Many project managers tell me that's a rather normal existence for them. Elizabeth Grace Saunders calls that being time impoverished. We are spending more than we've earned. It's part of her analogy in her new book How to Invest Your Time Like Money To learn more about Elizabeth and the work of her organization, visit http://reallifee.com/.   Join My Periscopes This Month! Join me for our series of Project Management Periscopes during the month of October 2015. Each Friday I'm broadcasting a periscope from 12:15pm Central in the US (GMT-5). Just download the mobile app at https://www.Periscope.tv. Then go to my Periscope home page at https://www.Periscope.tv/andy_kaufman. Join me for these 15-minute Periscopes this month!   Let Me Hear From You! I love hearing from listeners! Please leave a message to let me know what you think about The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us: Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747 Call me directly at 847-579-9174 Contact me by email at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! I WANNA BE RICH by Calloway, available here on Amazon.com. Learn more about MAD MONEY and JIM CRAMER at CNBC WONDER CYCLE by Chris Zabriskie Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution License. HAPPY ALLEY by Kevin Macleod Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 License.

The Happy Project Manager Most people who know me would say I'm generally a happy guy--rather optimistic by nature. I've always been a bit skeptical about books on the subject of happiness. My concern is that they would be filled with shallow platitudes, assuming that the ultimate goal for ourselves is self-focused pleasure. Thankfully, that bias didn't keep me from agreeing to read Michelle Gielan's new book Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change. To learn more about Michelle and the work of her organization, visit http://BroadcastingHappiness.com/.   Join My Periscopes This Month! As part of our ongoing experimentation here at the People and Projects Podcast, we're going to be conducting some Periscopes during the month of October 2015. Each Friday, starting October 9, 2015, for 4 Friday's, I'll be broadcasting a periscope from 12:15pm Central in the US (GMT-5). If you haven't downloaded the app, please do so and then join me for these brief, 15-minute discussions. You can find my Periscope home page at https://www.Periscope.tv/andy_kaufman. I would love to have the opportunity to connect with you in this way so join me in October!   15 PDU's for Podcast Listeners Check out our Essentials of Project Management e-learning workshop! Use a coupon code of ESSENTIALS-50 to save USD $150. Go to http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/essentials-of-pm to learn more.   Let Me Hear From You! I love hearing from listeners! Please leave a message to let me know what you think about The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us: Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747 Call me directly at 847-579-9174 Contact me by email at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SUNFLOWER DANCE PARTY and EARLY RISER by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 YOU HAPPY? by BJ Block and Dawn Pemberton is licensed under Attribution-NoDerivatives 3.0 International License   Clips from The LEGO Movie Honestly, this movie cracks me up. I couldn't help but put Unikitty in this episode. Who's your favorite character in the movie? {youtube}81QMiGhIymU{/youtube}

Habits for Project Managers Could it be that the habits you develop today determine the life you live tomorrow? As project managers, we make endless choices throughout the day--how to use our time, how to interact with stakeholders, how to solve a problem. Our guest for this episode is Gretchen Rubin, who suggests that developing effective habits is a key responsibility for those who want to build a successful tomorrow. Gretchen is the author of a new book entitled Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives. To learn more about Gretchen and her book, visit http://www.GretchenRubin.com.   Let Me Hear From You! I love hearing from listeners! Please leave me a message to let me know what you think about The People and Projects Podcast! Here's how you can contact us: Leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line at 847-550-3747 Call me directly at 847-579-9174 Contact me by email at show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! DOUBLE DRIFT by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 CANDLEPOWER by Chris Zabriskie Licensed under Attribution License   Margaret Thatcher on Habits Here's a clip from The Iron Lady, giving Margaret Thatcher's take on habits: {youtube}GSXYHqs0KPo{/youtube} In this episode, Gretchen mentions a Public Service Announcement from Yul Brynner about not smoking. Here it is: {youtube}p4wPg2i1R5A{/youtube}

Make it Matter In this episode, we welcome Scott Mautz to discuss his new book Make It Matter: How Managers Can Motivate by Creating Meaning. To learn more about Scott and the book, visit his website at http://scottmautz.com/make-it-matter/.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! UNWRITTEN RETURN and GUTS and BOURBON by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 GOOD MORNING (Feat. Toby Mac) by Mandissa I LOVE MY JOB by Mean Gene Kelton & the Die Hards

A Deep Breath In this episode, we welcome back Peter Bregman to discuss his new book Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Stop Counter-Productive Habits and Get the Results You Want. Peter is one of my favorite voices in leadership and productivity. I look forward to your feedback after listening to this episode. To learn more about Peter and the book, visit his website at http://peterbregman.com/four-seconds/. You can catch my earlier discussion with Peter by visiting http://www.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/64   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! LAGOA v2 and SHOW YOUR MOVES by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Total Duration 35:56 Download episode 132 Far From Fully Charged Would you say you typically roll out of bed, refreshed, well rested, ready to attack the challenges of the day? Or are your first waking moments more likely, "Seriously? It's time to get up already?" In this episode, we welcome back Tom Rath to discuss his new book Are You Fully Charged?: The 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life. If you enjoy books with practical, evidence-based insights, you're in for a treat, and it will start making a difference on the day you crack the book open. To learn more about Tom and the book, visit his website at TomRath.org/book/are-you-fully-charged. You can catch my earlier discussion with Tom by visiting http://www.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/106   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! GYPSY SHOEGAZER WITHOUT VOICES, VADODORA CHILL MIX, and BEACHFRONT CELEBRATION by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

A Lifetime of Commitment to Project Management In this episode, we speak with Max Wideman, one of the original authors of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (in fact, he coined the term "PMBOK Guide"). Today Max continues to share his insights on project management on his information-packed website MaxWideman.com.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! DESPAIR AND TRIUMPH by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 BLANKS and NETHERLAND by Podington Bear Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Act First, Not Think First In this episode we speak with Herminia Ibarra, author of Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader. Herminia chairs a department at the world-renowned INSEAD business school and is recognized by Thinkers 50 as one of the top business thinkers around the globe. In this episode, Herminia shares why standard leadership training just doesn't work. Learn more about Herminia and her book (and download the first chapter) at http://herminiaibarra.com/books/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Talent Triangle: Leadership STRAY DOGS by Eric Jensen NOTANICO MERENGUE by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

The Urgent and the Important In this episode, we speak with Kory Kogon from the FranklinCovey organization. Kory recently published The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity. It's a very, very helpful resource for helping us sort out the urgent and the important. Learn more about Kory and her book at http://www.the5choices.com/.   Tell Your Friends! If you enjoy The People and Projects Podcast, tell your friends and colleagues! Our college intern Zach is responsible for getting the word out but needs your help! Help make Zach look like he's really, really good at his job. :) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! UNDAUNTED and EARLY RISER by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Not Just Managing But Leading I'm happy to welcome Susanne Madsen to the podcast. Susanne recently published The Power of Project Leadership: 7 Keys to Help You Transform from Project Manager to Project Leader. Learn more about Susanne and her book at http://www.powerofprojectleadership.com/.   Grow Your Leadership Skills If you're interested in developing your leadership skills, I have an idea for you. Our Leadership Fast Track Program fires up again in June. You are cordially invited to join me and others from around the world in this program that combines assessments, learning sessions, and one-on-one coaching. I facilitate each of the learning sessions live, over the web, which means you can participate regardless of where you live. In our one-on-one coaching sessions, I'll work directly with you to help you take the next step in your ability to lead and deliver. Plus, the program earns you 20 PDU's if you're a PMP. To learn more and take advantage of the early-bird discount, visit LeadershipFastTrackProgram.com.   Tell Your Friends! As our college intern says in the opening of this episode, we'd love to let more people know about The People and Projects Podcast. How about you tell some friends and colleagues about us? If nothing else, it will make Zach look like he's really good at his job. :) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! WINNER WINNER and RETRO FUTURE CLEAN by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Need Vision? Got Vision? I'm excited to introduce you to Rob-Jan de Jong, author of Anticipate: The Art of Leading by Looking Ahead.  Too often we only talk about vision--Rob shows us how to actually create one. Learn more about Rob and his book at http://robjandejong.com.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! I'm back to my vacation. Have a great week! LAID BACK GUITARS by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Gladiator, by Warner Brothers.

Total Duration 31:53 Download episode 126 What Did You Learn Last Year? What's something specific you've learned in the last 12 months that you either didn't know before then or you had to re-learn it? That's a question I asked some of my favorite continual learners--friends and colleagues who are committed to developing their abilities. In this episode you'll hear from: Sarah Green, editor at Harvard Business Review Elizabeth Harrin, from A Girl's Guide to Project Management Peter Taylor, The Lazy Project Manager Ginger Levin, program management author and guru Carl Pritchard, principal and founder of Pritchard Management Associates Susanne Madsen, project manager coach and author Nick Morgan, author and speaker coach Share Your Lesson! Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com) or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747). What did you learn last year? I look forward to hearing from you!   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Here's to a great start to the year! WONDER CYCLE, CGI SNAKE, I AM RUNNING DOWN THE LONG HALLWAY OF VIEWMONT ELEMENTARY, CANDLEPOWER, I AM RUNNING WITH TEMPORARY SUCCESS FROM A MONSTROUS VACUUM IN PURSUIT, and DIVIDER by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Attribution License.

Expert Judgment In the Project Management Body of Knowledge--the PMBOK® Guide--there's a recurring tool and technique entitled Expert Judgment. How can you develop a more effective project charter? Come up with more accurate cost and time estimates? Identify risks? Project Management Institute (PMI) says we should use expert judgment. Their point is that you can develop better plans and estimates if you tap into the wisdom of those with established expertise. Makes sense, right?   Put Your Rookie On My guest today is Liz Wiseman, author of Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work. Liz suggests there are times when having a rookie mindset trumps expert judgment.   Give Me a Call! Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747), letting me know what you think about this conversation with Liz. What questions do you have? I look forward to hearing from you!   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SILVER by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License. LUXE by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License. CANDLEPOWR by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Attribution License.

Adam Smith, Project Manager If you studied economics at some point you most likely learned about Adam Smith. He's often revered as the Father of Modern Economics, but could it be that project managers could learn more than economics from Adam Smith? Is it possible that his lesser known book The Theory of Moral Sentiments, published in 1759, could help us become better project managers and leaders? My guest today is Russ Roberts, author of How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. I'm a big fan of Russ' EconTalk podcast, and I think you're going to find his new book about Adam Smith very intriguing! Please e-mail me (show [AT] PeopleAndProjectsPodcast [DOT] com or leave a message on our Listener Feedback Line (847-550-3747), letting me know what you think about this conversation with Russ. How do you implement these ideas? What questions do you have? I look forward to hearing from you!   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! "Nothing Broken” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "The Path of the Goblin King v2” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Stop Procrastinating! I have so looked forward to sharing this episode with you! It's just that.... I kept finding other things to do! But the wait is over! My guest today is Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done. Learn more about Piers by checking out his blog at http://procrastinus.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SOME OTHER TIME by Tony Bennett and Bill Evans PUT IT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW by The Kendalls DEAD by They Might Be Giants

Smartcuts, Not Shortcuts We go to 'work', not 'play'. Success typically takes work, not sitting back and visualizing wonderful things. But what if there were ways to hack the 'pay your dues' route? What if there were recurring themes from those who accelerated their success? My guest today is Shane Snow, author of Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success. Learn more about Shane by checking out his Contently blog at https://shanesnow.contently.com/.   20 PDU's for a Great Price If you are aiming for certification or need PDU's, check out our Advanced Project Management e-learning.  Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! THE SMALL by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 HAPPY ALLEY by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Other piano music played by Zachary Kaufman.

We are Family? Most companies no longer feel like 'family'. But the 'free agent' approach has limitations as well. My guest today is Ben Casnocha. He is the co-author of a new book entitled The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age. Ben and his co-author Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn) discuss a new model for managing talent in this new age. Learn more about Ben by checking out his blog at http://casnocha.com/blog.   Helping Your Organization Deliver We help organizations around the world improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams. Who in your organization is responsible for planning out next year's training? Have them contact me at andy [AT] i-leadonline [DOT] com. We have training classes designed for helping every role in your organization to get better at successfully delivering their work. I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! BLACK VORTEX by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 CAREFREE by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Total Duration 34:17 Download episode 120 Who is an example of someone that has significantly impacted who you are today? Whether they were a formal mentor or not, who is someone that has notably contributed to the person you are and the success you enjoy today? My guest today is Dr. Mark Goulston. You may recognize Mark as the author of a very special book entitled Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone. With the recent death of one of his mentors, the concept of mentoring is top of mind so we spent some time together discussing the topic. Make sure to check out Mark's website at http://www.MarkGoulston.com.  15 PDU's Are you preparing for certification? Or need some PDU's? Check out our Essentials of Project Management e-learning program. You can earn 15 contact hours or PDU's for a great price! Use a coupon code of ESS-199-FALL14 to save $100. That offer is good through end of September 2014. I'd Love to Listen To You! Who has impacted you as a past mentor? What feedback do you have about the podcast? I want to hear from you! So call me! You can leave a message on our Podcast Listener Feedback line by phone or Skype. You can leave a message by phone at 847-550-3747 or by Skype at andy.kaufman.i-lead. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! CROSSING THE DIVIDE by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 MAMBO BATIRI by Orquesta El Sabor de Nacho is Licensed under a Attribution License.

Do You Feel Influential? Project managers are influencers, though we often think of other sides of the business as the ones who influence the most: senior executives, lawyers, salespeople, etc. Our guest today is Alfonso Bucero, MSc, PMP, PMI-RMP, and PMI Fellow. He is the author of a new book entitled The Influential Project Manager: Winning Over Team Members and Stakeholders (Best Practices and Advances in Program Management Series). Alfonso shares insights to help you improve your ability to influence your boss, sponsor, team, and other stakeholders.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! MODERN JAZZ SAMBA by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 NOTANICO MERENGUE by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Seeing What Others Don't How is it that we can so easily not see things? When making decisions, we can be blind to better options. When planning a project, we can be blind to risks that are lurking. When listening to a problem from a team member, we can be blind to the fact there's actually a problem! My guest today is Dr. Gary Klein, author of Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights. Gary has written a wonderful book that we explore in this discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SEARCHING by Emily Lacy is licensed by Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. DIVIDER by Chris Zabriskie is licensed by Attribution License. BAILE by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Total Duration 53:02 Download episode 117 On a regular basis, we invite listeners of The People and Projects Podcast to gather for a follow-up webinar. These webinars allow us to go into more detail on the content from one or more previous episodes. This video episode is a replay of our follow-up webinar on Episodes 115 and 116. Please join us for future webinars! {youtube}BKCRs3KkeKY{/youtube} DAYDREAM HEARTBEAT by Podington Bear is licensed under Attribution-NonCommerical 3.0 International License.

Total Duration 27:05 Download episode 116 Never Had a Failed Project? Have you ever had a project that failed? Be careful--this is a truth test! If someone tells you they always deliver on time, on budget, with all the specified scope, be wary! Delivering projects successfully every time sounds great in an interview but a challenge in the real world. My guest today is Jim Johnson, Founder and Chairman of The Standish Group. Jim has a passion to understand why things break and how to fix them. In this discussion we talk about why projects break, and some ideas on how to improve the likelihood of successfully delivering. You can learn more about Jim and The Standish Group at http://www.StandishGroup.com. Call Me! Why do you listen to The People and Projects Podcast? What has helped you? What questions do you have for me? I love hearing from listeners and I want to hear from you! So call me! You can leave a message on our Podcast Listener Feedback line by phone or Skype. You can leave a message by phone at 847-550-3747 or by Skype at andy.kaufman.i-lead. Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SKIPPY by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. LIES by Devora Clark is licensed under a Creative Commons License Agreement. CANDLEPOWER by Chris Zabriskie is licensed by Attribution License.

Total Duration 7:10 Download episode 115 Introducing Our Coach Cast Episodes With this episode we introduce a new type of episode that we're calling Coach Casts. Instead of a 30-45 minute episode centered around a book or author, I'll be sharing a 5-10 snapshot of something that I've been learning and what to share with you. In this first Coach Cast, we start with what can be a controversial subject. We're not really supposed to talk about age when it comes to hiring. Or promoting. Or delegating responsibility. But biases can exist. Whether it's a bias that someone seems too old or too young, it's easy for that bias to keep us from making the best decision. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! SUNDAY AFTERNOON by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. BLANKS by Podington Bear is licensed by Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

On a regular basis, we invite listeners of The People and Projects Podcast to gather for a follow-up webinar. These webinars allow us to go into more detail on the content from one or more previous episodes. This video episode is a replay of our follow-up webinar on Power Cues and Invisibles. Please join us for future webinars! {youtube}ZZ6niyySlfg{/youtube} Total Duration 55:19 Download episode 114 COVERT AFFAIR by Kevin McLeod is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

The 'Me Monster' We live in an age of relentless self-promotion. Some people in the workplace remind me of comedian Brian Regan’s sketch entitled I Walked On The Moon (see below). Ever worked with the 'Me Monster?' Whether we realize it or not, we might actually be on the way to becoming one of those 'Me Monsters' as we struggle to stand out in the noise of those who are trying to out do each other.   The Invisibles Yet not everyone is trying to out do others. In this episode author David Zweig shares his research into those he calls Invisibles. They love their job. Their satisfaction is in the work itself, not the volume of praise the comes with it. Have you ever felt invisible? That the work you do goes unnoticed? Or at least that there's a lack of appreciation for all that it takes for you to successfully deliver a project? One of the joys of hosting this podcast is finding resources to help you that might not otherwise have come up on your radar screen. I've found David Zweig to be one of those up-and-comers that will inspire us to do our craft better. Enjoy today's discussion with Dave about his book Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion. Learn more about Dave, his book, and his music by visiting http://davidzweig.com/.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {youtube}qBJ6yptGqm4{/youtube} REPEAT AND FADE by David Zweig is licensed by permission. GOODBYE by David Zweig is licensed by permission.

What They're Really Thinking In this episode, Dr. Nick Morgan shares how we often get in the way of our own communication. There are two conversations: the content and the non-verbals. Want to improve your ability to lead and deliver? Learn to harness the power of the non-verbals, when getting your message out and when listening to others. Nick Morgan returns to our podcast to talk about his new book Power Cues: The Subtle Science of Leading Groups, Persuading Others, and Maximizing Your Personal Impact What if we could get better at getting our message across? What if we could improve our ability to read other people, to make sure we understand their message? That's what Nick Morgan says is available, if we apply the lessons in Power Cues. I look forward to your feedback after you listen to today’s discussion with Nick. Learn more about Nick and his book by visiting http://publicwords.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! DAYDREAM HEARTBEAT by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Pulling Back the Curtain on Management Consultants Our guest in this episode is Karen Phelan, author of an entertaining book entitled I'm Sorry I Broke Your Company: When Management Consultants Are the Problem, Not the Solution. Karen pulls back the curtain on an industry from the perspective of an insider. This book is a fun read that, in truth, goes beyond just management consultants. It looks at the ridiculousness of what we call best practices in organizational leadership and management. I look forward to your feedback after you listen to this discussion with Karen. Learn more about Karen and her book by visiting http://imsorryibrokeyourcompany.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! I'M SORRY by Ian Sutherland is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. I'M SORRY by Los Llamarada is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Total Duration 34:23 Download episode 110 Why Do We Share What We Share? We are constantly sharing. It could be social media status update. An uploaded picture. A recommendation about a restaurant. A praise or criticism about an organization. This applies in the workplace as well. We relate how a meeting went. How a leader handled a situation (or not). We spread some buzz about a new project release (or fall victim to the growing resistance). We are sharing all the time. But why do we share? More to the point for this episode for us as leaders of projects and people, how can we understand how ideas spread across groups of people? Get Contagious Our guest in this episode is Jonah Berger, author of an intriguing book entitled Contagious: Why Things Catch On. Though this would appear to be a book for your friends in Marketing, you'll find in this episode there ideas for those of us who lead projects and teams. Learn more about Jonah and his book by visiting http://jonahberger.com/books/contagious/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! FIVES by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. A LITTLE SHARE by The Banana Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Laugh While Learning I love to laugh. Whether it's a podcast episode, a keynote presentation, or an e-learning workshop, I like to keep it light-hearted. I've just found that it's easier to learn when we're enjoying the experience. Yet though I share the name of the famous, albeit dead, comedian Andy Kaufman, I'm not really that funny! I have to work at it. And because of that, there are times when a joke not only isn't particularly funny--it's counter-productive. Perhaps someone is the butt of the joke, so to speak, and they don't like it. Or it was making light at a time or subject that wasn't appropriate.   The Humor Code Our guests in this episode are Pete McGraw and Joel Warner. They are the authors of a clever new book entitled The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny. Why is it that some things are funnier than others? When can humor help us and when can it get in the way? Pete and Joel traveled the world to dissect humor across cultures to learn what makes us laugh. Learning about humor is not just for stand-up comics and class clowns. Since we are in the business of delivering projects and leading teams, we would all benefit from learning how to use this important tool for mutual benefit, while avoiding the landmines of inappropriate use. Learn more about their book by visiting http://humorcode.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! I LOVE TO LAUGH from Mary Poppins: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (1964 Film). BOOP by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. LAUGHTER by Kirk Pearson and Julia Egan is licensed under creative Commons by Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

"Feedback is a Gift?" Our guest for this episode is Doug Stone. Doug and his co-author Sheila Heen teach negotiation and conflict negotiation at Harvard Law School and they've written a terrific new book entitled Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well. They were also co-authors of a previous best-seller entitled Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most Learn more about Doug and Sheila and their company by visiting http://triadconsultinggroup.com.   I Want to Hear From You! Speaking of feedback, I'd love to hear from you! I'm inviting you to call our podcast listener feedback line and leave a message! Why do you listen to this podcast? What have you found helpful? And how about this question, straight from the Thanks for the Feedback book: "What do you hear me doing, or failing to do, that is getting in my own way of producing a podcast that best helps you?" There are two ways to leave me a message: First, you can call our Podcast Listener Feedback Line at (847) 550-3747. Or you can call me on Skype and leave a message. My Skype ID is andy.kaufman.i-lead. Make sure to leave your name and where you're calling from.  So give me a call and leave your feedback! I can't wait to hear it! Thanks! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! NETHERLAND by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. OPERATIVES by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. WALLPAPER by Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com) is licensed under creative Commons by Attribution 3.0.

Introducing Steven P. Cohen In this episode, you'll hear from Steven P. Cohen. Steve’s latest book is entitled The Practical Negotiator: How to Argue Your Point, Plead Your Case, and Prevail in Any Situation. It’s not your typical business book, actually. It’s more of a Q&A format, covering a wide range of topics, related to work and to home, from a guy who knows his stuff about negotiation. You’ll hear Steve talk about some important negotiation principles and then get his coaching on some situations that are quite close to home for many project managers. Learn more about Steve and The Practical Negotiator: How to Argue Your Point, Plead Your Case, and Prevail in Any Situation by visiting the book's website at http://www.practicalnegotiator.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! NERVES by Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com) is licensed under creative Commons by Attribution 3.0. A THOUGHT by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. COVERT AFFAIR by Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com) is licensed under creative Commons by Attribution 3.0.

Total Duration 37:35 Download episode 106 Happy New Year! I love new things! I love the start of a new project. Working with a new team or new client. Trying out a new tool or a new gadget. I love new.... It's a chance to start over, to learn from the past and apply it to the future. As we fire up another year, it's a great time to look for a fresh start. To consider what we'll do differently. And my advice for you this year? Well, you'll have to listen to the episode to get the answer! Our New Year's Guest: Tom Rath You've likely heard of Tom and his books. He's a senior scientist and advisor to Gallup, where he led their research and consulting on employee engagement, strengths, and well being. If you read How Full Is Your Bucket?, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, StrengthsFinder 2.0 or took the StrengthFinders assessment, you're among the millions of people who have been impacted by his work. Tom's most recent book is Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes. As we head into a new year, your ability to lead and deliver starts with you! How can you sustain the energy needed for all the stress and demands you'll face this year? How can you not only survive the year but set yourself up for perhaps even decades of better health? How about this? What if we forgot about coming up with big, hairy, audacious New Year's resolutions this year? What if your New Year's resolutions were actually attainable this time around--you know, still relevant two months from now.... Or two days from now! What if we did that by identifying small changes to make? Small changes about how you Eat. Move. And Sleep. In this episode, Tom Rath will tell you how to do that. Resources from Tom Learn more about Tom and Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by visiting the book's website at http://www.eatmovesleep.org.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! {youtube}YKqrMkDNba8{/youtube} IN A DREAM WHERE I'M SLEEPING by Shatterfreak is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. HOW TO GO TO SLEEP by Mr. and Mrs. Smith is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. GOOD VIBES OVERFLOW by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

I Hear You! In this cast I talk with Donny Ebenstein, who just published I Hear You: Repair Communication Breakdowns, Negotiate Successfully, and Build Consensus . . . in Three Simple Steps. This is a must-read book for anyone leading projects and teams. We inevitably get stuck with the impossible team member, boss, or stakeholder. Progress on the project requires us to get past stuck. Learn more about Donny at http://www.ebensteinconsulting.com.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! LA by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. HEARTS AFLUTTER by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Total Duration 20:25 Download episode 104 A Disposition of Gratitude One of my favorite holidays in the United States is Thanksgiving. Many other countries have a similar sort of day, but whether or not your country celebrates the holiday is not the main point here today. The bigger deal is the idea. Being thankful. Having a disposition of gratitude. That's what we're talking about in today's cast. Are You a Thankful Project Manager? In some of our leadership workshops we'll ask a team to answer this question: "Who is the best among the team at giving out honest and sincere appreciation?" Team members usually find it rather easy to answer this question. Would your name be the one that gets the most hits? In this episode we talk about some research behind expressing appreciation. You'll find it's not just your team that benefits. Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and the join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great Thanksgiving Day (whether you're in the US or not)! GATHERING TIME by Digital Juice StackTraxx. is licensed under a royalty-free license. FLUTTERBEE by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. BUMBLE BEE BOSSA by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. CATERPILLAR TUNNEL by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. FILAMENTS by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. GOOD VIBES OVERFLOW by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. HAPPYTIME by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. I HEART THANKSGIVING by The FuMP is licensed from Mevio's Music Alley.

The Year Without Pants Scott Berkun has written one of my favorite books in recent months. Despite the provocative title, The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and The Future of Work offers some refreshing insights into the world of work that all of us can benefit from. In this episode, you'll hear Scott's insights about the workplace of today and the future of work. Learn more about Scott at http://www.scottberkun.com/blog. You can find all his books and his blog there.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and then join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! EUPHORIC by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. NO PANTS FRIDAY by Lee Rosevere is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.

How to Succeed In Business Without Even Trying That makes for the name of a funny movie but success in business is not quite that simple. If you're familiar with the play or movie, the main character reads a book and jets from the window washer to the top of his organization through manipulative techniques that make for fun business satire. But success in business is not a matter of tricks. In this episode, I talk with Dan Schawbel who recently released his newest book Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success. Especially if you are relatively new in your career or manage a team with millennials, you'll find Dan's insights helpful.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and then join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Introducing Mike Durbin, PMP We continue our In the Trenches series with this discussion with Mike Durbin, PMP. Mike shares insights and lessons he's learned in his years of leading teams and delivering projects.   Get PDUs or Contact Hours For Less! Want to get 35 PDUs or contact hours for a great price? Check out our PMP®Exam Prep e-learning at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/bundles/pm-certification-exam-prep. This is a great option, whether you're preparing for the exam or want to refresh your knowledge for PDU's.   Add Your Voice to Our Podcast! Are you a regular listener to The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to have your voice added to the beginning or end of the cast. Just send me an e-mail saying "I'd love to help!" I would love to have the opportunity to talk with you directly so contact me today and we'll set up a time to record your piece. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   Drive by Management {youtube}08QDUPnT4eU{/youtube}   Some Zig Quotes Mike mentions a Zig Ziglar quote during the interview. Here's a sampling of the wisdom of the late Zig Ziglar. {youtube}kB7sDw5pMlI{/youtube} GOODWILL COWBOYS RIDE AGAIN by Michael Chapman & The Woodpiles is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. MARATHON MAN by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License. ACOUSTIC BLUES by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License. CHIADO by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License. LEARNED MY LESSONS by Jenny O is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

The Project Named You A key project management lesson is that we need to define success. What does success look like for a project? That's a question we need to ask far more often than we do. Getting clarity on objectives can make an enormous difference when it comes to delivering our projects successfully. Well, how about applying that lesson to our lives? Our guest for this episode is G. Richard Shell, who recently published Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success. Do you think success for you is about being happy? In this episode, you'll be challenged to think again, or at least differently about what happy even means. We'll talk about meaningful work and why having a detailed career plan may just not be what you need right now.   Our 100th Episode! As it turns out, this is our 100th episode! Thank you for being a part of this learning journey with me. Feedback from listeners over the years has always been very encouraging to me. So here's a request: would you take a couple minutes and send me a note about what you've found helpful with The People and Projects Podcast? You can contact me at show [AT] peopleandprojectspodcast [DOT] com. Also, I'd love to have you leave a review on iTunes about this podcast. It's a helpful way to get the word out to others. Thanks!   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   OUR HAPPY LIFE by Maps & Transit is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License. HAPPY by Obilivian Substanshall is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

Don't Take Yes for an Answer! Yes men. Yes women. People who say Yes. Leaders who only want people to say Yes. There are countless decisions required to deliver projects and lead teams. We make the job significantly more difficult if we fall into the trap of surrounding ourselves with Yes people. Or shooting the messenger who brings bad news. Or any of the dozens of cognitive biases that can cloud our decision-making judgment. My guest today is author and professor Michael Roberto. Mike just released a second edition of his book on decision-making entitled Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus. When someone doesn't agree with you, is it just a disagreement that leads to a vigorous and healthy debate? Or, as far as you're concerned, they're just wrong? In this episode, you'll hear how we can make better decisions through conflict and consensus. Follow Michael on his blog. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT I DISAGREE WITH YOU IT'S THAT YOU'RE WRONG by The Gentlemen is licensed under a Public Domain Mark 1.0 License. YES by Hecuba is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.  

Insights from Nancy Duarte If you don't particularly enjoy giving presentations, I understand. Though 1994 was a near-death experience for me, 19 years later I make a living doing it. There's hope for us all and Nancy Duarte is a great leader for us all to learn from. In this episode, Nancy shares ideas from her recent book HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   Nancy on Presentations {youtube}1nYFpuc2Umk{/youtube} BLAH BLAH BLAH NEXT SUBJECT by Seven5Seven is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Does Your Work Suck? So how would you describe your excitement level about your job? Would you say, "It's awesome Andy! I love my job!" Or would you be more on the side of... "Work Sucks."   Insights from Jody Thompson In this episode you'll hear from Jody Thompson, co-author of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: The Results-Only Revolution and Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It: A Results-Only Guide to Taking Control of Work, Not People. Looking for fresh insights on how to look and work and leading teams? You'll get it in this episode!   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   PIECE FOR DISAFFECTED PIANO TWO by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. BATTY MCFADDIN by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Finger Tapping and Cookie Crumbs In this premium episode, I follow-up on some points from my interview with Paul Weber. You'll learn about: Elizabeth Newton's finger tapping experiment How cookies flushed out some bossy characteristics Click here to watch an interview with Bob Sutton that goes into the bossy issue more. Also, here's the HBR article with Bob. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   NO GOOD LAYABOUT by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Introducing Paul Weber, PMP We continue our In the Trenches series with this discussion with Paul Weber, PMP. Paul shares insights and lessons he's learned in his years of leading teams and delivering projects. To learn more about Paul and to contact him about the free EVM and PERT calculators mentioned in this episode, go to http://www.pmpguy44.com.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   Bob Sutton on Power Poisoning Paul warned us to make sure we don't think of leadership as being the boss or being bossy. Here's one of my favorite authors talking about power poisoning, the effect that happens when someone gets power. {youtube}Mozejv4sE5o{/youtube} NO GOOD LAYABOUT by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Adapt. Deliver. Fast. If you are in the business of delivering projects, especially in the area of software development, you have certainly heard about agile project management. A good sign that the influence of agile continues to grow is when the Project Management Institute created the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner credential (PMI-ACP®) in 2012. If you are actively involved with agile in any of its many forms, it's worth learning more about the PMI-ACP certification. And if you're not currently utilizing agile practices, it's worth investing time to understand what it is and isn't.   Welcoming Back Cornelius Fichtner, PMP In this episode, I welcome back my friend and podcast colleague Cornelius Fichtner, whom you probably know as the voice of The Project Management Podcast. In this episode, I talk with Cornelius about agile, the PMI-ACP certification, and a new way to study for the PMI-ACP that might just fit your style of learning.   Try the Agile PrepCast™ If you want to study to pass the PMI-ACP exam, check out The Agile PrepCast. Cornelius and his team have been working for over a year to make this a critical resource in your preparation. Similar to his PM PrepCast offering, the learning is delivered via a podcast stream so you can watch or listen to it in a manner that is convenient for your work and lifestyle. For years I have been an affiliate of Cornelius' products and it is with great confidence that I recommend the Agile PrepCast to you.   Add Your Voice to Our Podcast! Are you a regular listener to The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to have your voice added to the beginning or end of the cast. Just send me an e-mail saying "I'd love to help!" I would love to have the opportunity to talk with you directly so contact me today and we'll set up a time to record your piece.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   A Little Agile Humor My favorite agilists tend to be people who don't take themselves too seriously. Enjoy! {youtube}ALWHCUNU8Nw{/youtube} FASTER DOES IT by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. "PMI" and "PMI-ACP" are registered marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.

What Does It Take To Motivate Your Team? One of the common concerns I hear from those who lead projects and teams has to do with motivation. What does it take? An inspirational speech (see the video below!)? Money? Time? All the above, depending on the person?   Motivating Project Teams In this episode I talk with Heidi Grant Halvorson and E. Tory Higgins.. They are the authors of a book just released this week entitled Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World for Success and Influence. The underlying research behind the book finds we each tend to have a primary motivational focus or mindset: either promotion or prevention. You'll learn more about what these mean in this episode. I invite you to visit Heidi's website at at http://www.heidigranthalvorson.com/. You can take an assessment to learn your motivational style by visiting http://www.yourfocusdiagnostic.com.   Need Some Motivation Hey, you promotion-minded listener! Need a little pick-me-up that will speak right to your promotion-minded heart? Check it out! {youtube}d6wRkzCW5qI{/youtube} BIG BAND from April 1992, from The Music Bakery MILITARY PROCESSION from April 1992, from The Music Bakery GRATITUDE from the album PEACE & QUIET, from The Brain Store.

Can I Ask You a Favor? So let's say someone asks you for help. For a favor, let's say. What's your first reaction? Is it, "Sure! No problem! I'd love to help!" Perhaps most of us would like to think that's how we respond. Could your response vary, based on the situation? Let's modify the scenario. Let's say this person who is asking for help seems, in your mind, to have very little potential to help you in any meaningful way--now or in the future. Regardless of how you made that assessment, in economic terms, this favor would appear to have very little perceived return on investment. So, would you still help? Or would you scramble for an excuse to step away?   Welcoming back Dr. Adam Grant My guest in this episode is Dr. Adam Grant. We talk about his new book released just this week entitled Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. In this episode you'll hear Adam talk about givers, takers, and matchers, three reciprocity styles that form the basis of the book. I invite you to visit the book's website at at http://www.giveandtake.com. You can take his self-assessment on that site to learn your preferred style. Also, Adam mentions work done by Alison Fragale at University of North Carolina. Here's a link to an article summarizing her work regarding powerless communication: http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/news/2010/07/the-power-of-powerless-speech Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   Adam Grant on Success Here's a 5 minute clip of Adam summarizing the reciprocity styles. {youtube}CLsqiRPiKD0{/youtube} How can you avoid being a doormat? {youtube}zL8CsfJiKH4{/youtube} Magic of Fog by Rushus is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License. The Giving and the Taking by Dolly Parton from the album Kenny & Dolly Additional music from Music Alley.

Introducing Kiron Bondale, PMP We continue our In the Trenches series of episodes, with this interview with Kiron Bondale, PMP. Kiron runs the Project Management Office at Agricorp. Make sure to check out Kiron's insightful blog at http://kbondale.wordpress.com. Kiron has graciously offered to share a risk register template with listeners of The People and Projects Podcast. Click the icon below to download the Microsoft Excel file:   20 PDUs for a Great Price! Whether you need contact hours for PMP®certification or PDUs, we can help! Our e-learning is engaging, informative, and even fun. Go to http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/advanced-project-management to get 20 PDU's for a great price.    Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!     FIREWORKS by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

So, how do you feel when each of the following occurs? You come across a typo in a project document. You receive an e-mail that is pages and pages long. Someone hits Reply All and there are hundreds of people on copy. You're stuck in a meeting listening to a presenter who has mastered every business cliche in the book! Yuck. We're living in a business climate where writing skills matter so much but get so little attention.   Tips for Better Business Writing Ever sit there in front of your monitor, your keyboard anxiously waiting for you to start typing your communication and you just feel stuck? Wouldn't it be great if there was a concise guide to improve your business writing? Thankfully, there is! My guest in this episode is Professor Bryan A. Garner. He is the author of over 20 books, including Garner's Modern American Usage, Black's Law Dictionary (editor-in-chief), and the grammar and usage chapter in the venerable The Chicago Manual of Style. Brian recently published The HBR Guide to Better Business Writing, published by Harvard Business Review Press. If you want to raise the bar and think outside the box to leverage best practices in business writing, well, um, just listen to this interview with Bryan! You can learn more about Bryan and his organization at http://www.lawprose.org. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   Business Jargon Gone Wild It's so easy for me to succumb to bizspeak. In the spirit of mocking business jargon, here's a 2 minute video from some friends in the U.K.: {youtube}0MFUE0KgoEQ{/youtube} Sentimental-Fields 3 All Kinds Of Gibberish Sounds by The Superfools is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareALike License. Talk to Me by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

Lessons Learned... For Life Hopefully by now you have had the opportunity to listen to my interview with Karl Pillemer. I can honsestly say this is one of my favorite books in the last year so it's my pleasure to share some additional insights with you from the discussion with Karl. In this premium episode we'll discuss ideas such as: Who are your experts? How a profound awareness of short time horizon helps us make better choices The importance of work that is intrinsically motivating Why, unless there is a compelling reason not to, you should error on the side of saying "Yes" The importance of relationships and why emotional intelligence trumps expertise Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 12:38 {mp3remoate}http://traffic.libsyn.com/peopleandprojectspodcast/90-PremiumFollowUpLifeLessons.mp3{/mp3remote} Download the premium episode

When it comes to the stuff of life, there is no shortage of people and resources who offer insights on how to be successful, get a job, have meaningful relationships, and more. The experts range from celebrities to academics to anyone with a blog. Our guest in this episode is Karl Pillemer, author of 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans. There are all kinds of reasons why Justin Bieber or other celebrities aren't the best sources for life lessons! But what if we talked to people who have lived much of their life and had a bit of a retrospective or lessons learned with them? That's the idea behind Karl's book, which we discuss in this episode. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   30 Lessons Trailer For more about Karl and his book, check out this trailer: {youtube}PRaboPigDyc{/youtube} QUADRILLE LAURIER (6EME PARTIE) by Isidore Soucy is licensed under a Orphan Work License. TROUBA by Steve Gunn is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

In The Trenches... Like You A month or so ago I was talking with listener Mike Settlemire. Mike was participating in our Advanced Project Management e-learning program and we were talking about the podcast. Mike had a suggestion: what about interviewing practitioners? People who are leading and delivering in the real world?   Insights from Your Peers, Not Authors Hey, I love bringing you discussions with people like John Kotter, Dan Pink, Kerry Patterson, Adam Grant, and the many other guests we have had thus far. And we will continue to deliver interviews from authors of books that can stretch and inform us to better lead and deliver. But I think Mike is exactly right! Some times it can be just as effective to hear from a peer. What does he or she do to help them lead and deliver? What has led to their success and what would they do over?   Introducing Ryan Endres Our first installment of our In the Trenches series is with Ryan Endres, PMP. In the interview, Ryan shares insights and lessons that have helped him successfully lead and deliver. During the discussion, Ryan mentions the following resources: Herding Cats blog pmStudent A Girl's Guide to Project Management Ryan's blog: Thoughts of a Project Manager In the interview, Ryan mentions a status report that he loves to use. Ryan was gracious enough to share it with us. Click the icon below to download the Microsoft Word file:   20 PDUs for a Great Price! Whether you need contact hours for PMP®certification or PDUs, we can help! Our e-learning is engaging, informative, and even fun. Go to http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/advanced-project-management to get 20 PDU's for a great price. If you need contact hours to prepare for your PMP, check our PMP®Prep e-learning at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/bundles/pm-certification-exam-prep.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   JARDINS DU LUXEMBOURG by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

You're a Salesperson. Seriously. So, when you think of a salesperson, who comes to mind? For many people, it's someone closer to Kenny the Sales Weasel from Dilbert (see the video below). Good thing you and I aren't salespeople! We're project managers. Team leads. Department heads. Scrum Masters. But salespeople? No way! Or are we? Though we may not be salespeople by title, we spend concerted time on a weekly basis trying to move people--influence people--getting them to take action or agree to something or sign off on a document or hire you or show up for a meeting, or finish a task on time. To Sell is Human Our guest in this episode is Daniel Pink, author of the new book entitled To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. Dan's new book can help us all be much more successful at helping move people without resorting to sleazy tricks. Help Getting Your PMP®Certification Whether you need contact hours for PMP®certification or PDUs, we can help! Our e-learning is engaging, informative, and even fun. Go to http://courses.i-leadonline.com/courses/advanced-project-management to get 20 PDU's for a great price. If you need contact hours to prepare for your PMP, check our PMP®Prep e-learning at http://courses.i-leadonline.com/bundles/pm-certification-exam-prep. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 38:58 Download episode 88   A Little Fun In Dan's book he refers to the Dilbert character Kenny the Sales Weasel. Here's a video version of the cartoon! {youtube}C3iTHHhgezY{/youtube} In the book, Dan talks about the benefits but also limitations of psyching yourself up. Interrogative talk is more powerful. The discussion on positive affirmations reminded me of my favorite Stuart Smalley skit on Saturday Night Live. Enjoy! Finally, here's Dan with one of my favorite past podcast guests, Dr. Adam Grant. Adam and Dan provide a great 20 minute summary of To Sell is Human. {youtube}J6EjBwrdHgE{/youtube}   ANYTHING BUT THE TRUTH by Phil Reavis is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. IF I COULD CHANGE YOUR MIND by Sloan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

Let's Talk About.... The Future Well, it's time to say good-bye to this year and welcome a new one. So, how do we wrap what's been a very busy year? We're going to talk about... the future. Ah, yes. The future. The start of a new year is a great time to reflect. It provides an opportunity to look at where you've been heading and consider what changes you'd like to see in the year ahead.   Project Managers as Futurists In many ways, project managers and leaders are futurists. We try to anticipate what's ahead and navigate our projects in a way that allows us to successfully deliver. But how do you do that? How can you think like a futurist? In this episode, I speak with Cecily Sommers who an author and futurist Ever wonder how someone becomes a futurist? Well, you'll find out! Cecily just recently published an intriguing book entitled Think Like a Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn't, and What's Next. The book is on a lot of must read lists for executives so we're giving you a taste of the book in this episode. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!    STARS, GALAXIES AND UNIVERSES and GLIDING....SOMETIMES, both by Jared C. Balogh, are licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

Team Turnarounds, Part 2 In the last episode I started the conversation with Joe Frontiera, co-author of Team Turnarounds: A Playbook for Transforming Underperforming Teams. If you haven't already listened to Part 1 of the interview, I invite you to do that first. In this episode we talk about how Domino's Pizza went from admitting their pizza tasted like cardboard and did a team turnaround. We also talk about team culture and how you can increase your odds of turning it around. And we start out with an important conversation about threats and opportunities. You can learn more about Joe and his organization at menoconsulting.com.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!    

Time to Reflect As we near the end of the year, it's a great time to reflect. What's going well with your teams? What's not so stellar? As you consider the year ahead, what changes do you want to see? What needs to be turned around?   Time for a Turnaround? Joe Frontiera and Daniel Leidl released a book this year entitled Team Turnarounds. It's a helpful playbook for taking an underperforming team to a new level. I had the opportunity to talk with Joe and look forward to sharing that interview over the course of two episodes.   What Do These Have in Common? In this episode we talk about the power of denial and how that holds us back from team turnarounds. We also talk about the value of tough goals. But we start the conversation with this: What do Domino's Pizza, Indianopolis Colts, State of Michigan, and the Broadway Musical Spiderman have in common?   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Agile Project Management Agile project management continues to gain momentum around the world, especially with regards to software development projects. Yet moving to agile is more than just adopting a bunch of new processes. It's as much a mindset as it is a set of tools and techniques, and the challenge of dealing with the human side of agile is often overlooked. The Human Side of Agile Well, to address that today you're going to hear from Gil Broza in this episode. His book The Human Side of Agile: How to Help Your Team Deliver was just released a couple weeks ago and it is packed with practical insights on this important aspect of leading agile projects. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 27:01 Download episode 84  

Too Much To Do, Not Enough Time To Do It! Can you relate to that? This is a common theme that I hear from participants in our keynotes and workshops as well as the participants in our Leadership Fast Track Program.   What is the Scarcest Resource? In my interview with Cathy Davidson last year regarding her book Now You See It!, we talked about the scarcest resource. What would you say is the scarcest resource? Most people respond with time--that the most constrained resource we have to deal with is the clock on the wall. Or sometimes I hear people respond that money is the scarcest resource. In Cathy's opinion, it's neither. Rather, it's attention. We all get the same 24 hours. It's what we do with those 24 hours--what we put our attention to--that makes all the difference.   The Attention Habits of the Highly Productive So, what is most worthy of our attention? How can we use the limited time that we have to be most productive? I'm really excited about a new book released just this week. It's entitled Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours. I caught up with the author Bob Pozen last week and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Contented Teams OK, I have another confession to make in this episode! Once again, you'll have to listen to this premium episode to catch it. Beyond what I think about Bill and Richard's book title, this premium episode includes additional coaching on topics from the book and the interview. Enjoy! Make sure to let me know if you're interested in the free license to our Advanced Project Management workshop!   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and then join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Could You Use Some Extra Hands On Deck? Could you use some extra staffing on your teams these days? I’m glad to say that I'm seeing more organizations hiring, which is a refreshing change from when our economy was at its worst a few years ago. But even those who are hiring typically aren’t planning on doubling their staff any time soon. So what if you need more staffing but your company isn’t hiring? How can you keep up with the demands when the capacity of your team seems to be tapped out?   Contented Cows Give Better Milk What about tapping into the discretionary effort reserve that most people have but leave untouched in the day-to-day grind of work? What is discretionary effort and how does that relate to the capacity of your team? In this episode I share a recent discussion with Bill Catlette. This last summer Bill and his co-author Richard Hadden released their new book entitled Contented Cows Still Give Better Milk, Revised and Expanded: The Plain Truth about Employee Engagement and Your Bottom Line, and there are some lessons for all of us about how we can better engage our teams.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Everything's a Project OK, I have a confession to make! You'll have to listen to this premium episode to catch it. Beyond the confession, this premium episode includes additional coaching on topics that Ben and I discussed during the interview. Enjoy!   Join our Facebook Page   I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and the join the discussion.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Everything's a Project Everything's a Project.... That's not only a great name for a book--which it is--but it's also a great way to look at many things at work and in life. Looking for a job? It's a project. Need to create a report for your boss? It's likely a project. Looking for ways to develop your skills? You guessed it--your personal development is a project. Now, of course, not everything is a project. But most leaders would benefit if we thought of our work as projects and applied lessons that we've learned from the world of project management. Well, Everything's a Project: 70 Lessons From Successful Project-Driven Organizations is the title of a book published earlier this year by my friend and colleague Ben Snyder. In this episode I look forward to sharing with you a recent discussion I had with Ben about his new book. Don't miss the normal end of episode outtakes!   More About Ben To learn more about Ben and his organization, check out http://www.systemation.com.   Keynotes for Your Company Meeting Hey, I have a quick idea for you: Many organizations hold department or company meetings in the last half of the year or to kick off a new year. It could just be that someone in your company is planning one of those right now! I invite you to recommend one of our keynotes or workshops for that meeting. We have a series of sessions designed to help you and your organization lead and deliver. They are practical, interactive, motivating, and ultimately results-oriented. If you like what you hear on this podcast, it's even better live! And if you reserve a session before the end of September, I'd be glad to extend a 20% discount to the fee for podcast listeners. Visit https://www.i-leadonline.com/documents/AndyKaufmanBrochure.pdf to learn more.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and the join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Free Premium Episode I am immensely thankful for the many people who are premium subscribers to the People and Projects Podcast. By making this investment in their personal development, they receive extra episodes for additional insights into the topics covered by our free episodes. In addition, this investment helps cover part of our costs for our free episodes. So here's a big thank you to our Premium Subscribers! To give you an idea of what Premium Subscribers get with each episode, I'm including this Premium episode in the free podcast stream. If you'd like to get these additional episodes each month to further your application of the material, please go to http://bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe to learn more.   Follow-Up to the Tom DeMarco Interview I trust you had the opportunity to listen to both episodes of my interview with Tom DeMarco. He's a guy who has uniquely impacted the world of projects, and it was certainly a pleasure for me to talk with him. His books are insightful, practical, and even a bit quirky (in a good way) at times. But I'm confident that if you're in the software development side of project management or leadership, you'll get value from his books. In this premium episode, I follow-up on some issues that Tom and I touched on that are relevant whether or not your projects are related to software development. Tom's ideas truly span further than that domain. I cover topics such as: The myth of "The more pressure, the better" Why having only a 50%-70% likelihood of success could be a good thing Why stressed brains do not learn the same way as non-stressed brains Where the line crosses between stress being a good thing and it becomes a dangerous thing One additional factor that impacts workplace stress and productivity (and it's none of your business!) Why it can help to realize that all your team members are volunteer employees Max DePree's secret for learning how effective of a leader you are "It's not what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that just isn't so." Are we changing people or just amusing them?   Resources Resources that I refer to during this premium episode include: Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Book & DVD) Know What You Don't Know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They Happen. You can listen to my interviews with Michael Roberto at http://bit.ly/RobertoCast1 and http://bit.ly/RobertoOnFilters. Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn. To listen to my interview with Cathy, go to http://bit.ly/NowYouSeeIt-1 and http://bit.ly/NowYouSeeIt-2.   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and then join the discussion. Thank you for being a Premium Subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast! I greatly appreciate this opportunity to be part of your personal development strategy. Have a great week!

The Deadline In this episode, I continue my discussion with Tom DeMarco, with insights related to his writing in books such as The Deadline. If you didn't listen to the first part of my interview with Tom, I recommend you listen to that one before continuing. In this episode, Tom addresses topics such as knowing what we don’t know, dealing with jerk bosses, and what he writes and speaks about but has trouble doing himself. Make sure to stay tuned after the interview for a very transparent story from Tom about his career.   Tom DeMarco Resources Want more from Tom DeMarco? Here are some recommended resources: The Deadline Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams (Second Edition) Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency Waltzing With Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Understanding Patterns of Project Behavior   Join our Facebook Page I invite you to stop by our podcast Facebook page! "Like" it and join the discussion.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

The Deadline A couple of months back I was teaching a PMP®Exam Prep workshop. One of the participants mentioned that he was reading Tom DeMarco's book entitled The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management. It's a book that I had wanted to read many times since it was originally published in the late 1990s but it never bubbled up to the top of my book list. But when this workshop participant continued to rave about the book, it ended up on my iPad Kindle Reader before the day was done. And in the coming days, I couldn't put the book down. If you're not in the software side of project management or leadership, you might not have heard of Tom DeMarco before. But if you do work on that side of the house, Tom DeMarco has likely impacted you and your job more than you know. He's been a leading thinker and practitioner in this space for decades, and in the next two episodes, you have a great opportunity to hear from this industry giant. Even if you're not in the software development arena, you'll get some practical insights from this exceptionally insightful thinker on how to deliver your projects and lead teams.   More Tom DeMarco To get your copy of The Deadline, click here Join us in the next episode when Tom will address topics such as knowing what we don't know, dealing with jerk bosses, and what he writes and speaks about but has trouble doing himself.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

I seem to be encountering a lot of favorite books these days, and the one we’re talking about today is no exception. I really like How Will You Measure Your Life? Perhaps my favorite thing about the book is how it takes business practices and ideas and applies them to life. Frankly, if you haven't read much of Clayton's work or just haven't had much training in topics such as strategic planning, the book is worth the price just for the business concepts. But then applying those concepts to life is powerful.   Thank you for being a premium subscriber to the People and Projects Podcast! It is a privilege to be part of your personal development strategy. Please let me know what questions you have and if there's anything I can do to help you lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

How Will You Measure Your Life? In this episode, I continue my discussion with Karen Dillon about her new book entitled How Will You Measure Your Life? Karen talks about success with the important relationships in our life as well as a powerful concept they refer to as "Just This Once."   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Sara Adam: Making a Difference With Her Life I am recording this episode from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where I have the privilege of speaking at a conference this week. Since this is a very special destination, my wife and family have joined me on the trip, which included prior stops in London, Nairobi, and Doha. If all goes as planned, we hope to go all the way around the world as a family over the course of three weeks. While in Nairobi we had the opportunity to spend time with some very close family. And one of the real treats was spending time with my niece Sara Adam. Sara will soon be starting up her senior year at Duke, but she's not waiting until graduation to make a difference. Despite her age, Sara is building an amazingly cool clothing and accessory business that is based in Kenya. Along with her business partner Anna, they are growing a business they name Judith and James. They are developing marketable sewing skills for vulnerable women, most of whom live in the Nairobi area slums. As these skills are developed, they begin working on merchandise that will be sold in the U.S. and other countries. In turn, the proceeds from that merchandise will produce a sustainable income stream for the women. It's an inspiring model being driven by an inspiring young lady. Sara is in the process of making a remarkable difference in this world.   How Will You Measure Success? How do you measure success in life? As professionals who lead projects, we know that defining measurable success criteria for projects is a very important and helpful practice. But what about life? There will be a day when you've finished your last project at work. Whether it's when you hang up your Gantt charts, so to speak, or come to the end of your life, how will you measure it? It's an intriguing question that is also the title of one of the most anticipated business books of this year. How Will You Measure Your Life? is authored by Clayton Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon. I recently had an opportunity to have a discussion with Karen and look forward to sharing that interview with you over the next two episodes. By the way, if you're a premium subscriber, your extra episode will show up in the podcast stream when the second part of my discussion with Karen goes live. For now, let's hear from Karen about her work with the book entitled, How Will You Measure Your Life?   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

I trust you were able to take away an idea or two from the discussion with Keith Murnighan. Between his book Do Nothing!: How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader and the forthcoming interview with the author of How Will You Measure Your Life? these are two of my favorite books in some time. In this premium episode, I call out some specific ideas from Keith's book that I got to benefit from, with the intention to help you grow in your ability to lead and deliver. There is so much from Do Nothing! that you’ll find helpful to your calling of leading people and projects. I strongly encourage you to add this book to your personal or team library. And if you'd like to help develop the leaders in your organization, I invite you to contact me! Between our keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching, we can help you and your organization learn how to more effectively lead and deliver.   Thank you for being a premium subscriber to the People and Projects Podcast! It is a privilege to be part of your personal development strategy. Please let me know what questions you have and if there's anything I can do to help you lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Beware: Management Heresy Ahead! In this episode, I continue my discussion with Keith Murnighan about his new book entitled Do Nothing!: How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader. Keith talks about why some long-accepted management practices might just get in the way of our team successfully delivering. And you’ll find that he offers some intriguing alternatives to help you become a more effective leader. You can find the first part of the interview with Keith here.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Is it possible that we make difficult situations worse by overmanaging them? Keith Murnighan responds with a resounding "Absolutely!" In the next two episodes, I talk with Keith about his new book Do Nothing!: How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader, which hits the shelves this week. Keith will tell us how we can, perhaps surprisingly so, be more successful when we Do Nothing!   Make Sure to Listen to The Rest of the Interview Join us in the next episode when Keith will talk about such heresy as ignoring performance goals and de-emphasizing profits. I trust you'll find it helpful in your quest to more effectively lead and deliver.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

So have you spent some time trying to better understand agile project management? I know some of our premium subscribers are avid agile practitioners, so good for you. But for many people, it's a topic that you know you should be looking into more but have been standing on the sidelines for too long. In this premium episode I follow-up on some points from my discussion with Andy Crowe about agile project management. Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast! Total Duration 7:48 Download the premium episode "PMI", "PMBOK, "PMP®" and "PMI-ACP" are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Agile is getting plenty of attention these days and for good reasons. When done well on aligned projects, great customer value can be delivered. Many people who listen to this podcast are certified PMP’s or are at least considering certification in the future. You may be aware that Project Management Institute has a relatively new agile certification: the PMI-ACP℠. One of the best new books available to help people pass the ACP exam is from Andy Crowe. You likely know Andy as the author of the popular book entitled The PMP®Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try. Andy recently released The PMI-ACP Exam: How To Pass On Your First Try. In this episode, I talk with Andy about agile, about the certification, and about project management overall. Links to Resources To learn more from Andy, check out his blog at http://www.velociteach.com/blog/. I invite you to check out his books on Amazon, including The PMP®Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try The PMI-ACP Exam: How To Pass On Your First Try Alpha Project Managers: What the Top 2% Know That Everyone Else Does Not Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 23:54 Download episode 74 "PMI", "PMBOK, "PMP®" and "PMI-ACP" are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

In this premium episode, I'm going to share some additional thoughts to help us personally apply this learning. I talk about why you need a social media strategy, why you need to be using social media if you're not, and why a solid understanding of personality styles is critical for those who seek to deliver projects and lead teams. Here's the freebie for you as a Premium Subscriber! Send me a link to up to 3 of your social media profiles (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter). I would be glad to review them and give you a free analysis from an executive coaching perspective. Just send an e-mail with the links and I'll get back to you with feedback.   Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast!  

So let me ask you... What does your Facebook profile really say about you? Or maybe you're not a Facebook person. How about LinkedIn? If a prospective employer was to scan your online presence, what conclusions would they draw? Earlier this year a study was published that indicates your life online could be saying more than you realize about your personality, your likelihood of getting hired, and even your future job performance. Since using social media sites can be part of our strategy as leaders to build and maintain relationships, it's critical that we understand whether or not our online presence is helping or hurting us. To help us better understand the study, I got a hold of Don Kluemper, the lead researcher on the study. In this interview, you'll hear from Don about what he found and his advice to help us avoid the landmines in social media.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Free Premium Episode Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Did you know that many of your colleagues invest their development by becoming a premium subscriber to this podcast? To give you a sense of the extra coaching they get each month, I'm including this premium episode into our standard free podcast feed. You can learn more about Premium Subscrptions at bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe.  Use a Coupon Code by of APRIL-2012-PREM to save $30 off an annual subscription. That code is good until April 30, 2012 so don't delay! Meetings! Oh, how we love to hate meetings! In this premium video episode I share 10 keys to lead more effective project meetings. At the end you're invited to join the conversation! What are the most important lessons you've learned? Leave your response in a comment here or on our Facebook page. Thank you for subscribing to The People and Projects Podcast! Total Duration: 23:45 {youtube}MFNVKemW48E{/youtube} Download the video episode

Free Premium Episode Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Did you know that many of your colleagues invest their development by becoming a premium subscriber to this podcast? To give you a sense of the extra coaching they get each month, I'm including this premium episode into our standard free podcast feed. You can learn more about Premium Subscrptions at bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe.  Meetings! Oh, how we love to hate meetings! In this premium video episode I share 10 keys to lead more effective project meetings. At the end you're invited to join the conversation! What are the most important lessons you've learned? Leave your response in a comment here or on our Facebook page. Thank you for subscribing to The People and Projects Podcast! Total Duration: 23:45 {youtube}MFNVKemW48E{/youtube} Download the episode

There's some newly published, compelling research that has now found that--are you ready--many meetings are a waste of time! Oh, I know you might find that shocking! More likely, you might be shocked that research time had to be invested to figure that out. But in today's episode, you're going to hear from Dr. Steven G. Rogelberg who not only researches things like meetings, he's a great voice to help us make them better. Links to Resources For Steven's contact information, check out his website at http://belkcollege.uncc.edu/directory/steven-g-rogelberg. Here are some links to additional resources mentioned in the interview: Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business The Science and Fiction of Meetings (MIT Sloan Management Review) The Meeting (NOTE: watch out for the price!) Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 29:31 Download episode 72

Another Day in the Salt Mine! One of the many things I love about my job is that I get to intersect with hundreds of organizations. As I walked into the office of one of my large financial services customers recently, I took a moment to watch the body language of the people as they walked through the doors to start their day. I've learned you can tell a lot about a company by watching the employees. Do you want to know what I saw? In words it might sound like this: "Well, it's another day. I'm going to be working on another project. Hopefully, it will be successful so I can get another promotion (which sounds a lot better than looking for another job!)."   Engaging Our Teams For those who lead teams or departments or even companies, you know there are people who walk into your organization each day that just aren't as engaged as they could be. What can we do as leaders of people and projects to more effectively engage our teams? In this episode, I interview author and Harvard business professor Robert Steven Kaplan. Rob is the author of What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential. I've learned that getting better results doesn't always come down to knowing answers. Rather, it can come from asking better questions. In this interview, you'll hear from Rob what questions can help us be more effective leaders.   Join our Facebook Page Please take a minute to stop by our podcast Facebook page! I invite you to Like it and join the discussion.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

You've heard me talking about the Leadership Fast Track Program in recent episodes, right? Well, here's an easy way to learn more about it! Attached to this episode you'll find a brochure for this year's program. Check it out and let me know what questions you have! I'd love to have you in this year's program! BTW, sign up by April 15, 2012 and you save $500! Go to http://www.i-leadonline.com/LeadershipFastTrackProgram.asp to learn more!

There's a big appetite these days for advice for introverts. Lisa Petrilli's e-book shares some helpful insights. I trust you found the interview with Lisa was helpful, whether you consider yourself an introvert or if you lead a team that has one or more members. In this premium episode, I'm going to share some additional thoughts to help us personally apply this learning. Check your Premium Feed for the People Styles material that I mention in this cast. Let me know what questions you have. Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast!  

People Don't Listen To Me Some years back I was sitting across the table from a coaching client. We were talking about what she thought was her inability to influence as effectively as she wished. In her soft-spoken manner, she said, "I just feel like people don't listen to me." I have to admit that the mischievous side of me wanted to say, "Um, what was that you said?" Now, of course, I didn't say that, but let me ask you this... Since she is quiet it's rather obvious she's an introvert, right? And it's probably fair to say that introversion is likely to hold her back from climbing the ladder, wouldn't you say? Well, how about this? The coaching client was a C-level executive in a highly successful organization. Though she very well may be an introvert, making that assessment so quickly without learning more is an easy mistake to make.   Can Introverts Be Effective Project Managers? Can introverts be effective project managers and leaders? In this episode, we talk about that with Lisa Petrilli, author of The Introvert's Guide to Success in Business and Leadership. To learn more about Lisa, please visit her website at LisaPetrilli.com. P.S. BTW, if you haven't listened to my interview with Devora Zack, author of Networking for People Who Hate Networking, make sure to check it out!   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Total Duration 24:39 Download episode 69 In this episode I continue my interview with Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson, author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals and Nine Things Successful People Do Differently. If you happened to miss the first part of the interview, I definitely invite you to check that out as well. In this episode Heidi shares insights on the difference between Be Good and Get Better Goals. Also, she addresses some myths regarding willpower, visualization, and positive thinking: topics that are often miserably mishandled in popular self-help books. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the evidence-based insights that Heidi brings to these topics. I highly recommend your next steps include getting a copy of her Harvard Business Review e-book single entitled Nine Things Successful People Do Differently. It's a very quick read and enormously practical. It's under $4 on Amazon in a Kindle format (and if you don't have a Kindle, you can download one on your computer or other device to read it). For my premium subscribers, make sure to listen to your premium episode which includes free access to a planning worksheet to help you reach your goals this year. If you're not currently a Premium Subscriber, visit http://bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe to learn how to become one. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Total Duration 25:04 Download episode 68   Additional Episode My interview with Heidi is split between two episodes. Make sure to listen to the second portion where we cover additional practical insights to help us reach our goals this year. For my premium subscribers, you're extra coaching episode will be published along with the second half of the interview. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

The Gift That Keeps on Giving This is a season when giving gifts takes center stage for most of us. Many of us have the gift of some time off before a new year begins. And when that new year gets into full swing, what is one of the biggest gifts you can give those you lead? I'll give you a hint: it doesn't require shiny wrapping or a pretty bow. One of the best gifts to those we lead is the gift of Respect. Encouragement. Clear goals. Autonomy. The resources they need. Creating environments where people love to work is a gift that keeps on giving. And my gift to you this Christmas is an interview with the co-author of one of the most respected business books of 2011. The book is entitled The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work, and the author is Steven Kramer. I actually gave a copy of The Progress Principle as a Christmas gift to a close friend, and I recommend you get yourself a copy as well. Learn more about the book at their website http://www.progressprinciple.com. You may also enjoy reading the article that Steve mentions in the interview regarding managers as heroes. You can find that on HBR's website at http://blogs.hbr.org/hbsfaculty/2011/07/in-a-comment-on-our.html.   Well, thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Make sure to check out our upcoming New Year's episode with author and goal expert Heidi Grant Halvorson. For all my listeners who are celebrating Christmas and Hannakuh, have a very relaxing and joy-filled holiday! P.S. Here's a video of co-author Teresa Amabile talking about The Progress Principle at TEDx. {youtube}XD6N8bsjOEE{/youtube}

In this episode I'm going to share a conversation I had recently with Wayne Breitbarth, author of The Power Formula for Linkedin Success: Kick-start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search. Wayne is my favorite expert on LinkedIn and I know you'll enjoy his insights. You can learn more about Wayne and his book at http://www.powerformula.net/. I strongly recommend you sign-up for Wayne's free newsletter with tips and tricks. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

In this episode, I talk with Justin Menkes, author of Better Under Pressure: How Great Leaders Bring Out the Best in Themselves and Others. Let's learn together from Justin as we talk about leading under pressure. You can learn more about Justin and his book at http://www.BetterUnderPressure.com. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! P.S. Here's an entertaining and informative video on how stress impacts how the brain works, from Dr. John Medina. Enjoy! {youtube}S6Xq7CMOH1k{/youtube}

Total Duration 27:37 Download episode 64 One of my favorite writers and voices on the topic of productivity is Peter Bregman. Peter recently released his newest book entitled 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done. I had the opportunity to spend some time with Peter recently and look forward to sharing that discussion with you in this episode. You can learn more about Peter at his website http://www.PeterBregman.com. Quick note: I'm always encouraged to hear from listeners and received this recently from Cheryl, who said, "I've been listening to your informative and inspiring podcasts and have found value in each one. I like your passion and sincerity. I benefit from the coaching delivered through your discussions with your engaging guests regarding leadership attitudes, skills and practices. I love that you call it the People and Projects podcast. My personal #1 rule is to take care of the people, and your podcasts cover the many dimensions of pursuing that objective. Thank you again for your great podcasts. I look forward to hearing more of them!" I certainly appreciate Cheryl's kind words. Her personal #1 rule is a good one, and is the heart of this podcast. If you get find these discussions valuable I invite you to take a moment and let some friends and colleagues know about The People and Projects Podcast. You can find us on the web, iTunes, and on Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, please take a minute to stop by our podcast Facebook page! I invite you to Like it and the join the discussion. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Total Duration 20:58 Download episode 63 In our last episode I started a conversation with Jim Kouzes about their newly revised book Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. We continue that conversation in this episode, where I ask Jim for insights such as "How do you keep your credibility when being asked to support a decision you don't agree with?" You can learn more about Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner online at http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Total Duration 21:06 Download episode 62 I'm recording this episode on the road this week, delivering a keynote on leadership at a Project Management Institute Professional Development Day. Since I have leadership on the brain today, let me ask you: Think of one of the best leaders you've ever had the privilege of working with.... What was it about that person that made them such an effective leader? Though the details of your answer could be different from what others might say, chances are we would all agree that the best leader that came to mind for us shared one thing in common: credibility. Credibility is fundamental to being a leader, and in this cast I'm excited to share the first of two episodes from a conversation with Jim Kouzes. Jim, along with his co-author Barry Posner, are some of the foremost researchers and voices on leadership, including works such as their best-selling book The Leadership Challenge. In these next two episodes, I talk with Jim about their newly updated book Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. Don't miss the next cast where Jim and I talk about what to do when you're given an assignment that's over your head. How does that impact credibility? And what about when you have to execute against a decision you don't agree with? Does that mean your credibility is on the line? Jim shares his expert coaching with those questions and more so don't miss it! You can learn more about Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner online at http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Total Duration 7:11 Download the premium episode (NOTE: This Premium Episode is being included in our free podcast stream this week. It gives you a sense of the extra coaching that is available each episode for our premium subscribers. Learn more about becoming a Premium Subscriber at http://bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe). There are many things I love about hosting this podcast. One of them is the opportunity to interact with the experts we interview. You probably notice that I normally include some behind the scenes cuts at the end of interviews to try and give a sense of who these people are. Most are very gracious. There's something about Michael Roberto that truly stands out though. He has great energy, a quick wit, and is everything I would have wanted in a college business professor. In this premium episode I want to highlight some points from the interview with Michael to help you put the learning into action. First, filtering isn't bad, right? We need it for efficiency. People say we need to over-communicate but, to an extreme, that can be a bad idea! If you listened to my interview with Cathy Davidson or read her book Now You See It, it's clear that we are wired up to put our attention on that which requires it. We would literally go nuts if we tried to take it all in. So filtering of information can be the equivalent of a corporate attention window: what is it that is most important. Let's focus on that. So let me ask you: how do you filter for efficiency? What do you do to make sure the most important information gets to you? From a learning perspective, I focus on a relatively small number of blogs and podcasts. I find those give me regular doses of learning without trying to read everything or attend every learning opportunity. For example, I get great value out of HBR's blog. I use CIO Magazine's “What Are You Reading” section as a starting place for new and interesting books and authors to consider as guests. I use a number of Google's filtering capabilities to give me just the news I'm most interested in. I try to surround myself with diversely interesting people who help keep me informed of their viewpoint. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you might want to think about your filtering systems today. But secondly, of course, filtering isn't always done for efficiency. And it isn't always done intentionally or for our good. As Michael says, we might by our actions and words unwittingly put pressure on those on our teams to conform to our way of thinking. We have to be careful for how we advocate for certain decisions or positions because our advocacy could cause some who know better to keep their mouths shut--to not speak up because they'll think you are not open to a contrary point of view. A key characteristic of your team must be that every member knows that if they have information or insights that can help you, they can bring it to you without fear of rejection or judgment. That doesn't mean that you will always agree with them or follow their advice. I read a case study from Michael years ago that, in effect, said that people can usually put up with decisions that you make as long as they had a fair say in the process. As long as they're heard, they can better accept what you decide. But if you explicitly or subtly make it clear that you're not open to their point of view, not to mention even giving them the opportunity, you risk making a poorly informed decision that can often surface compliance at best instead of commitment from your teams. Be careful how you may be pressuring people to conform. Third, make sure you're aware of the power and dangers of advocacy. This filter says that the information is presented in such a way as to advocate for a certain position. Information that might not reinforce the position is held back. Whether from politicians, your senior management, advertisers, a supplier, or someone on your team, keep your eyes wide open for not just what is presented but also for what is not being presented. I've learned to deal with this by asking questions, digging into the data that is presented, and watching for influence techniques such social proof. It's not that I don't trust people when they're making a pitch. But whether it's a resume, a request for something to buy, or an argument for why we should take action, there's almost always some advocacy going on. Make sure you look for dissenting or alternative points of view. Fourth, remember that sometimes it's the other person advocating. Other times it's you and me only taking in the data we want. Confirmation bias is an easy trap to fall into. Make sure to not fall in love with an approach or decision because it is ours. Cathy Davidson's collaboration by difference is her solution to this, which basically recommends we surround ourselves with diverse points of view that are intentionally looking at different aspects of what's going on. Confirmation bias can be deadly to decision-making. Beware. Fifth, and to many of the previous points, remember Michael's suggestion about getting out to the periphery. One way to help know what's important is to get out of your office and spend time with customers, or people in remote offices, or with stakeholders. I interviewed Todd Williams earlier this summer about rescuing problem projects. You may recall his advice that, with troubled projects, your team knows the answers. They know how to help you but you need to spend time with them. Extended time. Michael Roberto is obviously a big Churchill fan and his story about Churchill going out and spending time with the frontlines provided helpful insight that had less filtering through the ranks. Of course you have to be careful to not undermine your direct reports or senior management, but getting to the edges or periphery, spending time with those who don't normally have a voice, such as the younger people as Michael talked about. In my interview with Dev Patniak regarding his book Wired to Care, he basically said we don't have to be innovative if we have an intense understanding of our customers--what he refers to as empathy. Stop trying to live off your own wisdom and insights. Get to the edges and you'll get fresh insights. Finally, remember Michael's suggestion about talking to the Non's. That means spending some time with people who aren't currently using the services or your team or company but potentially could. Or maybe they're not fans of you or your team or your project. Why is that? Don't write them off. Insights from the Non's could just help you turn them. I trust it's obvious that I really like Michael's book Know What You Don't Know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They Happen. Get a copy and enjoy it--it's a great read.   You can learn more about Michael and read his blog by visiting http://michael-roberto.blogspot.com/. Hey, take a minute to stop by our podcast Facebook page! I invite you to Like it and the join the discussion. Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast. Please let me know what questions you have and if there's anything I can do to help you lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Total Duration 22:23 Download episode 61 Have you ever heard this quote?"There's an inverse relationship between your level in a company and your ability to see reality." We joke about that at times when it seems like the people above us are out of touch. But why is it more difficult to see reality, the higher you get in an organization? Sometimes it's just because the people higher up are focusing on longer term issues. By virtue of their scope of responsibility, they're not in the day-to-day. But that's not always it. I was facilitating a project management workshop at a company a couple years ago discussing this very topic. A participant said it this way: "Around here, it's crap down at our level but it's fertilizer up there! It's not a problem, it's an opportunity!" Information gets filtered as it travels up and down and around an organization. What gets through and why can make all the difference between making good, informed decisions or barreling over a cliff with what we thought was an accurate map. Those of us who have the privilege of leading people and delivering projects need to understand filtering and my favorite expert for how this works is Dr. Michael Roberto. Michael's book Know What You Don't Know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They Happen continues to be one of my highly recommended books for project managers and leaders. In this episode I talk with Michael about Chapter 2 of his book: Circumvent the Gatekeepers. You can learn more about Michael and read his blog by visiting http://michael-roberto.blogspot.com/. By the way, don't miss the free Premium Episode that I'm including with this feed. Normally these extra episodes are only available for Premium Subscribers but I wanted to give you a flavor for the additional coaching you can receive with each episode when you become a Premium Subscriber. Visit http://bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe to learn more about premium subscriptions. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Check out this quote from Daniel J. Boorstin. He said,"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge." How often have we kidded ourselves that we knew something only to get more data or evidence later that made it clear we didn't have the full story? It happens all the time. Probably more than we realize. I find a related observation when it comes to attention. We think we see the world or situations or people clearly but inevitably it's all being filtered through lenses. It could be argued that we have an illusion of observation. Have you ever seen the famous video that asks you to count the number of times a basketball is passed between a group of college students? Check it out: {youtube}vJG698U2Mvo{/youtube} Interesting, eh? Selective attention is alive and well, and for all of us who desire to lead and deliver, we need to be acutely aware of how it works. In this premium episode I want to take time to highlight some points from the interview with Cathy to help you put the learning into action. First, let's start getting our arms wrapped around Cathy's point that our schools and workplaces are often more designed for the early 20th century instead of the 21st. We may not have control of how your schooling was structured, but let's start thinking about how we best go about helping ourselves and our team learn and work going forward. How about finding ways to embrace collaborative technologies in new and interesting ways instead of making people check them at the door? For example, typical meeting protocol is to discourage people from using their laptops and cell phones during meetings. But why not encourage people to be texting and chatting during meetings, especially virtual ones? If this seems dangerous or rude or a recipe for chaos for meetings, that's OK. It's the years of conditioning that we've had! IBM has found that by actively encouraging chatting during virtual meetings, it keeps people more engaged. I've experimented with this myself and found that it can significantly change the culture of web-based meetings for the positive. In Cathy's book she lays out a strong case for how IBM uses "backchanneling" to leverage technology in meetings. Second, and related, here's a tip I learned years ago. If people are moving their attention to their laptops or other devices, it may not just be that they're rude. That's a possibility, of course, but here's my point: it just be that the meeting is boring and irrelevant. I've learned that if someone isn't paying attention when I'm facilitating, the problem may not be them: it may be me! Find ways to more fully engage people. Maybe a different venue? Maybe on Second Life! How about this? I love using Poll Everywhere to allow people to respond to a poll by texting their responses. It's an expensive tool and shows results real time. I love it! It's fun and engaging. Let's realize that asking people to check their electronics at the door causes us to miss opportunities to engage them. Third, a proven project management and leadership principle is to involve others in the planning. I've often said we need to make sure that n is greater than one! But the point brought up in the discussion with Cathy is that it shouldn't just be "in addition to me" but also "different from me." Diversity of thought is not just something to do because it's politically correct. It's just plain more effective. Cathy's organization calls it collaboration by difference. As she mentions in the interview, we often say we want diversity of thought, skills, and opinions, but then we recruit in our own image. Whether at work or in our personal lives, there is value in collaboration by difference: surrounding ourselves with people who don't just look, think, and see the same as we do. Fourth, remember that technology is here to serve us, not the other way around. If you're finding that social networking or your handheld device or some new software tool is chewing up too much of your time, the problem may not be the technology. It might just be you. We need new habits for the new technology. I've found this simple little cube timer is a handy way to block out some time to focus on one thing. When it goes off, then I can (in Tony Schwartz's terms) pulse to something else. In some situations I find it best to close my web browser or shut down my mail client. At times I completely turn off my phone. I love Cathy's idea of using a different computer for some of the more fun things, or at least get up and move as part of your switching. Make the technology work for you. It's not the enemy—we just need new habits. Finally, as much as interruptions from others is frustrating, remember what Cathy and I talked about regarding Gloria Mark's research on distractions. 44% of the distractions didn't come from others. Rather, it came from us. As Cathy said, "Heartache and heartburn are more distracting than technology!" Work on calming your own distractions. I'm finding that using a Kanban board is helping me and my family stay focused on the most important projects at work and home. David Allen's teaching on getting things out of our mind and onto a list can be helpful as well. Realize that we are often our own distraction problem. Cathy's book isn't for everyone, but the lessons are relevant for us all. If you are particularly interested in how to improve education and the workplace to be better prepared for today's demands, I recommend you get a copy of Cathy's book. What's a challenge you're having in managing your attention? Send me an e-mail at andy@i-leadonline.com. I love hearing from Premium Subscribers. Hey, the People and Projects Podcast is now on Facebook! I invite you to Like us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/People-and-Projects-Podcast/224005747630357 and join the discussion. Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast! Please let me know what questions you have and if there's anything I can do to help you lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 6:54 Download the premium episode

In our last episode, you heard the first portion of my discussion with Cathy N. Davidson, author of Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn Cathy's book is just coming out this week and has already been named one of the top 10 science books of this fall season. Is technology making it more difficult to focus? Cathy and I talk about that in this second portion of the interview.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

So let me guess.... While you're listening to this cast right now, I'm guessing you're also doing something else as well, right? Maybe driving a car or checking e-mail or working out. Or perhaps you're checking out what's going on with your Facebook friends. Hey, if you're doing that, look up The People and Projects Podcast on Facebook and Like us! Oops. Sorry. I got a bit distracted there for a moment!   Anyway, there is seemingly an endless number of stimuli that are vying for your attention right now. Which do you focus on? Why? There are many great minds that are putting a lot of effort into these questions for it could reasonably be argued that time is not the scarcest resource anymore: it's attention. As we strive to focus on a world clamoring for our attention, I wanted to share one of my favorite books that is just coming out this week. It's entitled Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn, by Cathy N. Davidson. I had the opportunity to talk with Cathy earlier this month and look forward to sharing that discussion over the course of two episodes.   You can learn more about Cathy and read her blog by visiting http://www.cathydavidson.com/. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Dee Hock is one of my management heroes. Dee founded VISA years ago and had many insights on how to be an effective leader. If you've sat through one of our leadership workshops, you might be familiar with one of my favorite Dee Hock quotes. Dee says: "If you look to lead, invest at least 40% of your time managing yourself -- your ethics, character, principles, purpose, motivation, and conduct. Invest at least 30% managing those with authority over you, and 15% managing your peers. Use the remainder to induce those you 'work for' to understand and practice the theory. I use the terms 'work for' advisedly, for if you don't understand that you should be working for your mislabeled 'subordinates,' you haven't understood anything. Lead yourself, lead your superiors, lead your peers, and free your people to do the same. All else is trivia." There's a lot to chew on in that quote, isn't there? Too often we think managing is about managing down--our so-called subordinates. Dee puts much more focus on managing ourselves and those with authority over us. You and I could argue about whether his percentages are precise, but that's not the point. I take the point as managing ourselves and those in authority over us is a big deal. We need to be intentional about it, and that's why I spent time talking with John Baldoni about the subject. In this premium episode I want to take time to stress points from the interview with John to help you put the learning into action. First, do you recall John's distinction between managing up and leading up? To me, it's mostly semantics and I'm going to use the terms synonymously. That said, there's a good point to be made here. Some people interpret managing up as sucking up. It's as if we're kissing butt to just look good to the boss, often in a deceptive or at least selfish way--perhaps at the cost of others not looking as good. We don't manage or lead up just to look good. In fact, sometimes when I do this, I'm managing up precisely because I don't want us all to look bad! I'm concerned that the decision-making process needs additional perspectives or that it would be to our mutual benefit if the boss was influenced a certain way. Where it gets sleazy is when it's about me. Isn't that a good marker, in general? Whether it's regarding conflict or negotiation or influence or giving and receiving constructive feedback or goal setting or just about any area of life: when it becomes all about me, it's a problem. So, as John mentioned, leading up is ultimately about being committed to helping the organization grow and achieve. Second, a primary skill to develop is learning to read your boss. This is so critical. Some time back I interviewed Dave Po-Chedley about his book on stakeholder relationships. Dave said we need to learn the “buying habits" of our boss. I like that term. How does he or she make decisions? Do they like a lot of detail or not? Do they want a PowerPoint deck or does that make them suspicious--they just want it drawn up on the fly on a whiteboard. Are they an outgoing, gregarious person or more quiet and analytical? Pictures or numbers? Face-to-face or via e-mail. All of these and many more are considerations to take to heart when we're trying to influence up. Becoming a student of your boss is part of Dee Hock's 30% of your time. Pay attention and learn to adjust your style accordingly. Anticipate what they want to see and how they'll likely push back. Learn their buying habits. It will make your job of selling ideas much easier. Third, I want to remind you about John's three main requirements for you to be successful: competence, credibility, and confidence. Though I'm always surprised when someone occasionally wants to argue this point, competence is not fixed. It can be developed. A hunger to learn is one of the top traits I look for in aspiring leaders. Education and experience combined with a teachable spirit can significantly develop our competence--even helping us become a true expert given enough time. Applying that competence over time can increase our credibility. As I mentioned in the interview, credibility is currency. We have to execute--we can't just talk a good game. Consistently delivering with--as John said it--“shining colors" help us develop credibility that can be banked on. And then there's confidence. Nearly every year I spend time with one or more coaching clients whose issue isn't competence or credibility. Rather, they have a confidence problem. They sell themselves too short. Competence, Credibility, and Confidence are three C's that are worth writing down and being intentional about developing. Finally, I want to recall your attention to John's leadership advice to Be Seen, Be Heard, and Be There. How visible are you to your boss? I was with a leader last week who was challenged because her boss was in a different state. It's difficult for her to build credibility in his eyes because of the distance. And yet it's important for leaders to be seen, to be visible not only to our boss but to our team and others that we serve. Don't be chained to your desk. Find ways to get face time with your stakeholders. If your boss, team, or key stakeholders are in a different location than you, make sure you are seen. Be intentional about getting time with them. It's critical, as is being heard. Leaders don't necessarily have to be heard in the same way that a drill sergeant communicates. And yet we have to be vocal. Through a variety of communication channels and mediums, we need to take the initiative to have a voice. If speaking up is more difficult for you, remember that this doesn't mean it's only for extroverts. Yet you nonetheless need to have your voice heard--even if it's through e-mail at times. Finally, John says we need to Be There. He mentioned it's a metaphor for taking initiative, for doing everything we can to get things done. Leading by example is not just the name of one of John's book--it's a key part of Being There. In many ways, the lessons about leading up have applicability for leading out and down. It's not about me--it's about us. It's not about sitting back and waiting--it's about taking the initiative. It's not about having others adjust to me--it's about me adjusting to others. What's a challenge you're having in managing or leading up? Send me an e-mail at andy@i-leadonline.com. I love hearing from Premium Subscribers. Hey, the People and Projects Podcast is now on Facebook! I invite you to Like us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/People-and-Projects-Podcast/224005747630357 and join the discussion. Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast! Please let me know what questions you have and if there's anything I can do to help you lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 7:27 Download the premium episode

One of the lessons that eventually becomes clear is that managing is not just managing down: leading those people who report to us. In fact, the higher I got in organizations, the more I found I needed to manage up: in many ways, to lead my boss. That's a lesson I don't remember being taught in a textbook. Whether you're a project manager, team member, or senior leader, we all have a boss, and learning to lead that boss is a key skill that must be developed. Earlier this year I had a conversation with leadership expert John Baldoni. John is the author of many books, including Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win. In this episode, you'll see what John has to say about how you can more effectively lead your boss.   You can learn more about John by visiting http://www.johnbaldoni.com/. John recommended you check out his previous book Lead by Example: 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results. Also, I recommend you check out the other book John mentioned in the interview: Lead Your Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

There's nothing easy about rescuing a problem project. There's a reason why they're called problem projects! Todd's book is reasonably good at outlining a framework for how to approach the problem project when you inevitably will be tasked with doing so. In this special premium edition, I want to share some coaching for you based on lessons from Todd's book. First, let me encourage you to not back away from the problem projects. I talked with Todd about that early in the discussion. Though it may not be fun, per se, there's something engaging about the problem-solving of a problem project. If you can develop a reputation of taking on the chaos, bringing it under control, and delivering the project, it really is your chance to shine. It used to drive me crazy when I'd hear people say, "It's not a problem, it's an opportunity!" Let's call it what it is: it's a problem! However, it is an opportunity as well. Remember that when you're tempted to try and dodge a recovery effort. Second, I have to ask: Do you have a project that needs to be acknowledged that it's in trouble? This is related to my discussion with Todd about the parallels with 12 step programs. According to Todd, the first step--acknowledging that we have a problem--is the biggest hurdle. He suggested that we be passionately dispassionate, which is an intriguing way of saying it. Todd suggests you stick to facts, and I agree. However, emotions are inevitably a part of the fabric of a recovery situation and being willing to attempt to understand and interpret those emotions might be helpful in uncovering the facts. When you lay facts on the table that can be backed up, you have immensely more credibility than the people who are freaking out that the sky is falling and it's someone else's fault! Third, I really liked Todd's coaching that we match the methodology with the situation. In the book Todd compares and contrasts waterfall, agile, and critical chain. I actually think that chapter is potentially one of the most helpful parts of Todd's book. Tailoring an approach to the problem--selecting the best tool for the job--is one sign of a master craftsman (and great project manager). Fourth, Todd gave some subtle coaching about how to pull the alarm, if necessary. He said it this way: "Here's what's wrong! Here's what's wrong! And here's what we can do to fix it." Notice how different that is than just "Here's what's wrong!" Come to the table with solutions, not just problems. That shows you're taking ownership and responsibility. It's just good leadership. Finally, remember your assumptions. In our project management workshops we talk about how assumption planning is vital to project planning. Todd suggested that during recovery efforts, we should see if some of our assumptions are no longer valid. Assumptions drive so much and can teach us why a project is struggling. Make sure to uncover any missing assumptions as well as validate those assumptions that have been identified. Learn from assumptions that turned out to not be true, real, or certain and you can benefit future projects. If you're heading into (or already in the midst of) a problem project, make sure to check out Todd's book: Rescue the Problem Project: A Complete Guide to Identifying, Preventing, and Recovering from Project Failure. Hey, the People and Projects Podcast is now on Facebook! I invite you to Like us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/People-and-Projects-Podcast/224005747630357 and join the discussion. Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast! Please let me know what questions you have and if there's anything I can do to help you lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 4:10 Download the premium episode

Lead projects long enough and eventually you'll have to deal with the problem project. Whether you were involved with the project from the beginning or inheriting problems from someone else, the reality is we need to be able to rescue the problem project. That's not only true--it's also the name of a new book from Todd C. Williams, PMP. In this episode, I talk with Todd about ideas and recommendations from his book Rescue the Problem Project: A Complete Guide to Identifying, Preventing, and Recovering from Project Failure. You can learn more about Todd by visiting http://ecaminc.com/. His blog Back From Red can be found at http://ecaminc.com/index.php/blog.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

One of the great challenges of business is how to go from idea to delivery. It's easy to talk about ideas but turning those into a finished product requires much more than talk. It can be daunting to deliver. There's the risk of failure. There's the fear of unknowns--of surprises that can create obstacles to success. Going from idea to delivery is truly challenging! Ultimately project management is about how to deliver results but leaders of projects and teams need more than just work breakdown structures and Gantt charts. One of my favorite books of this year provides great insights for all of us who seek to lead and deliver. I recently had the real privilege of spending some time with Peter Sims, author of a great new book entitled Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries, and look forward to sharing that discussion with you in this episode. You can learn more about Peter by visiting http://petersims.com.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Ever get a crazy idea and decide to act on it? Too often I just sit on the idea instead of taking action. In late May I had a crazy idea: to produce a Father's Day Rap with some friends. Though Father's Day is in the rear view mirror, I thought I'd share yours truly making a fool of myself trying to lay down some rap tunes. After all, it's good to be humbled, isn't it? {youtube}IOwWlw5zPcc{/youtube} Regardless of your aspirations to rap or not, here's my question for you.... What's a crazy idea you've had lately but not acted on? Why not make it happen? Too often we're held back because we're afraid we will fail. I appreciated Peter Bregman's recent HBR post that recommends we don't ask, "Will I succeed?"  Rather, a better question is "Is it worth the risk?"  I'm not worried about succeeding as a rap artist or cinematographer.  And I certainly realize there's a risk of acting so silly, publishing it on YouTube, and letting you know about it!  But was it worth the risk? It was a great memory, not the least of which for my friend Bob--the oldest guy in the video--who is now in his late 80's. And we all had an enormous amount of fun. What's your crazy idea? Is it worth the risk? Treat it like a project and start working on delivering it. Whether at work or home, you might be surprised by what happens when we take action on ideas instead of just thinking about them.... Here's to a great second half of the year! Download the video episode

Ever get a crazy idea and decide to act on it? Too often I just sit on the idea instead of taking action. In late May I had a crazy idea: to produce a Father's Day Rap with some friends. Though Father's Day is in the rear view mirror, I thought I'd share yours truly making a fool of myself trying to lay down some rap tunes. After all, it's good to be humbled, isn't it? {youtube}IOwWlw5zPcc{/youtube} Regardless of your aspirations to rap or not, here's my question for you.... What's a crazy idea you've had lately but not acted on? Why not make it happen? Too often we're held back because we're afraid we will fail. I appreciated Peter Bregman's recent HBR post that recommends we don't ask, "Will I succeed?"  Rather, a better question is "Is it worth the risk?"  I'm not worried about succeeding as a rap artist or cinematographer.  And I certainly realize there's a risk of acting so silly, publishing it on YouTube, and letting you know about it!  But was it worth the risk? It was a great memory, not the least of which for my friend Bob--the oldest guy in the video--who is now in his late 80's. And we all had an enormous amount of fun. What's your crazy idea? Is it worth the risk? Treat it like a project and start working on delivering it. Whether at work or home, you might be surprised by what happens when we take action on ideas instead of just thinking about them.... Here's to a great second half of the year! Download the episode

Thank you for joining us for this special premium edition of The People and Projects Podcast. Whether we're trying to change ourselves, our teams, or others around us, there's nothing particularly easy about it. Oh, there are models that are helpful and then there's basic common sense, but when all of this flies into the face of reality, making lasting change is truly challenging. I don't know if it was obvious or not from my interview with Kerry Patterson but I am very excited about their new book Change Anything. I really like that they have proven through research that willpower isn't the answer. In fact, it's a trap. Instead, there are proven strategies that each of us can customize to help us making changes that last. In this premium episode, I want to highlight a few of the points from Change Anything that I particularly resonated with and that could help you make lasting change. First, there's great wisdom in their advice about being both the scientist and the subject. The scientific method is an interestingly relevant approach for us to make change. We have a hypothesis about factors that influence our ability to change or not and we design an approach to test that out. Yet scientists do this fully expecting that the experiments won't work every time. Through experimentation, the approach gets tweaked until the results prove (or disprove) the hypothesis. In our project management classes I share a quote from one of my favorite employees over the years. His line was "The project schedule is the schedule for exactly how the project will not occur!" I love that. It's not an excuse to avoid creating a schedule. It's just an acknowledgement that the schedule won't work exactly as is. That quote is applicable to whatever you want to change. We have a strong default bias—an enormously strong tendency to snap back into what we've always done--the default. Treating our change initiative as a scientist, learning from results and tweaking our approach helps us deal with those days when we're overcome by the default bias. We're the scientist and the subject, and by doing so, we can turn a bad day into good data. Second, I greatly appreciate their advice to identify our crucial moments. Whether we're trying to stop smoking, start exercising, improve a relationship, or any other habit or situation, we don't have to white knuckle it, so to speak, 24 hours a day. In Change Anything, the authors challenge us to identify our crucial moments--those times when it is most difficult to stay on plan. For me when it comes to eating, it's when there's a bowl full of salty snacks around. I'm doomed if willpower is my only strategy. For some people in the workplace and they tend to procrastinate, their crucial moment can be when they're tempted to check e-mail instead of getting started on an important task. What are your crucial moments? Identify those and you can come up with strategies to be stronger. Third, I found great value out of their six sources of influence. Get the book to understand them all, but in this premium cast I'm going to highlight a point from their first source: Love What You Hate. Is it possible to love what you hate? If I hate dieting, it is possible to turn that into love? If somebody literally hates their spouse or someone they work with, is it possible to turn that around into a relationship of love or at least admiration? Hmmm.... Well, the authors offer a number of tactics including "Visit your default future." I love this one. We are so short-term minded. We think about now, not 20 years from now. We don't connect the dots that this behavior now, though seemingly inconsequential, could have enormous repercussions down the road. I used to work with a guy who, to be honest, was just a pain to work with. He just wasn't pleasant to work with. He got away with it most of the time because he tended to deliver results but over time he alienated many people and became less effective. Worse yet, when he was finally let go from his company, that very same attitude has made it difficult to get or keep subsequent jobs. In the last 10 years, he's been unemployed as much as he's been employed. He's living the default future of being difficult to work with. Let's say I wanted to start eating better. How bad is it to eat this luscious piece of cake in front of me? In light of today or this week or this year, it's probably no big deal. But if I've been gaining, say, 3 pounds a year, what does my default future look like? Heavy, and that can certainly lead to plenty of other problems. What does your marriage look like or your relationship with your kids look like 10 years from now if you don't change some habits? How about 20 years from now? Visiting our default future in vivid detail can help provide some motivation to change what that destination looks like. Finally, it's worth being reminded that we are significantly influenced by the people around us. That can be for the good or for the bad. In Change Anything the authors challenge us to consider if people are friends or accomplices. These can be obvious or subtle but the results can be staggering. Let me move this cast toward the recap by challenging to consider who you need to be surrounding yourself with. Who are those people who inspire you, challenge you to be better, build you up in a substantive way as opposed to just flatter you. Who can you learn from as well as pour into? Who makes it more difficult for you to achieve your goals? Find new friends to add and try to turn accomplices into friends. And realize that there may be some accomplices that you'll need to spend less time with. I strongly recommend you get a copy of Change Anything and take advantage of the insights to make changes this year. I'm publishing this cast halfway through the year and it can be easy for us to allow our default bias to rationalize that we'll work on changes later this year or perhaps next year. Get started now, and please let me know if there's anything I can do to help you. Thank you for being a premium subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast. Please let me know what questions you have and if there's anything I can do to help you lead and deliver. Thank you for joining me for this premium episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration 7:21 Download the premium episode

So let me ask you a question: How strong is your willpower? When you want to make a change, how successful are you at not only making it but also sustaining it? Whether at work or outside, whether personally or with a group of people, learning how to effectively change is critical. And it needs to start with us individually. One of my favorite books of the year just came out. It's entitled Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success and it is from the authors of Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations, and Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. I had the real pleasure of talking with author Kerry Patterson earlier this month and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. You can learn more about Kerry's organization by visiting http://www.vitalsmarts.com.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

I recorded this episode on the road this week, while in Las Vegas speaking at the Agile Development Practices and Better Software Conference. I greatly enjoy talking with people from many different companies about the challenges they face on their projects and teams. Here's a recurring them I hear from leaders who are responsible for delivering projects... "Should we ship or delay?" "Keep trying or ask for help?" "Invest in a new product or milk the existing cash cow another year?" Whether you're leading teams or projects, we're often faced with what seems like unpleasant trade-offs. It's not a matter of which option is the best. Sometimes it feels like we need to figure out which option is the least evil! Success with a project, team or even organization can come down to how effectively we lead when we're seemingly stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place.   To help us navigate these situations I turned to Dr. Roger L. Martin. Roger has been named one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world and is the author of two thought-provoking books, entitled The Opposable Mind and The Design of Business. Want to be a better problem solver or improve your ability to innovate? This episode is for you! To learn more about Roger L. Martin and to get links to his articles, books, and blog, visit http://rogerlmartin.com.   Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

In this episode, I continue my conversation with Professor John Kotter. If you haven't listened to the first part of this interview, make sure to check that episode out! Our focus in this cast is on John's most recent book entitled Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down. To learn more about John's organization, check out http://www.kotterinternational.com/. You can follow John's Harvard Business Review blog at http://blogs.hbr.org/kotter/.   You know, if you were a premium subscriber to the People and Projects Podcast, you could now listen to some special coaching advice that I share after each interview with my guests. Each premium episode is designed to help you improve your ability to lead and deliver by taking the next step in applying the learning from our standard podcast episodes.   Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

When was the last time you wanted to make a change at work? Maybe it was an approach on a project or something bigger, like wanting to introduce a new way of doing projects, such as using principles from agile project management. Chances are you faced some resistance to your proposed changes. Yet one of our key responsibilities is to lead change, even when our ideas are getting shot down. Well, to give us insight on this topic, you could argue one of the best people in the world to talk to is Professor John Kotter. John's most recent book is entitled Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down and is a great follow-on to his classic books on change. I had the opportunity to spend some extended time talking with John earlier this year and look forward to sharing that discussion with you over the course of two episodes.   For our premium subscribers, your extra coaching podcast episode will come out with the second cast. In this first cast, John and I focus on the topic of change. Enjoy the interview! To learn more about John's organization, check out http://www.kotterinternational.com/. You can follow John's Harvard Business Review blog at http://blogs.hbr.org/kotter/. By the way, my two favorite (and highly recommended) John Kotter books on change include: Leading Change The Heart of Change   Join me in our next cast when John tells us more about how to avoid letting our ideas get shot down. Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Last week I facilitated a tutorial and delivered a new keynote to over 800 people at the STAREAST conference in Orlando. It had been a while since our family had visited Florida so I had the opportunity to bring my wife and three children along, which was great! Between speaking engagements, we had the opportunity to spend time at Disney and if you've spent any time at a Disney park, chances are customer service and quality come to mind. People at Disney know how to be great on the job. They are patient with demanding customers and seemingly cool under the heat of the Florida sun.   What does it take to be great on the job? As it turns out, there's a book by that name out this week by Jodi Glickman. I had the opportunity to catch up with Jodi recently and look forward to sharing that interview about her book with you this week. Learn more about Jodi's organization at http://greatonthejob.com. You can also find her HBR posts at http://blogs.hbr.org/glickman.   Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

In our last episode I began a discussion with Dr. David Hillson from the U.K. regarding risks and risk attitudes. In this episode, David and I continue that conversation with a focus on how we can help our organizations take the next step in implementing risk management practices. David recommended a couple of specific books in this discussion, including Exploiting Future Uncertainty and Managing Risk in Projects. Also, you may want to check out Dr. Hillson's newest book The Failure Files: Perspectives on Failure.   Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

  What comes to mind when you think of the term "risk"? In our workshops and keynotes regarding project management, the topic of risk inevitably is talked about, and in those discussions it's clear that one's views and attitudes about risk significantly impact how a project is managed. A problem with risk is when we lose perspective on it. For example, "I won't get out of bed today because something bad could happen." But then there's flip side as well, where we leap from the platform exclaiming, "I hope the bungee cord is attached!" Whether at work or in life, there are an endless number of things we could worry about, and I know plenty of leaders that admit they are good worriers! It's been said that one of the best antidotes for anxiety is action, and a way to move your team and project from worrying to action is risk management. To talk about this issue I went to one of the clearest and most prolific voices on the topic, Dr. David Hillson. I've split my discussion with David into two episodes and look forward to sharing this first portion with you in this episode. You can learn more about David Hillson at his website http://www.risk-doctor.com. You'll find helpful articles and links related to risk management. In the second portion of this interview, David recommends a couple specific books, including Exploiting Future Uncertainty and Managing Risk in Projects. Also, you may want to check out Dr. Hillson's newest book The Failure Files: Perspectives on Failure. Join me in the next episode where Dr. David Hillson and I talk about how to take the next step with risk management in your organization. Note: for my premium subscribers, your additional coaching episode will be published with the second portion of the interview. Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

If you're a PMP, you know that getting your 60 PDU's every three years is a requirement. Now it's actually not that difficult to get your 60, especially if you don't wait until the last month to get them! Did you know that you can rack up free PDU's just listening to The People and Projects Podcast? And the great news is that PMI has recently increased the number of Self-Directed Learning PDU's you can claim in each cycle, from 15 to 30. Make your life easier and save some money. Earn free PDU's while you listen to each episode of The People and Projects Podcast. Follow this link to find out exactly how to claim your PDUs for this podcast: http://www.peopleandprojectspodcast.com/index.php/resources-for-project-managers/earn-30-free-pdus.html By the way, here are a couple additional ideas for getting free or low cost PDU's: If you work as a project manager at least 6 months out of the year, you can claim 5 Category F PDU's each calendar year. If you volunteer with your PMI chapter or donate project management services for a community or charitable group, you can claim up Category E PDU's. You can get Category D PDU's for presenting at a conference or meeting on the topic of project management. You certainly can take classroom or e-learning courses as well. Our new Essentials of Project Management e-learning workshop is rated at 14 PDU's. Finally, you may recall an interview I had with Cornelius Fichtner regarding his PDU Podcast. Though these last two options aren't free, they are still a great value for the investment. There are countless ways to get your required PDU's. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Download episode 48

If you've ever sat through one of my workshops or keynotes on leadership or project management, you've likely clued to the fact that I have a rather low tolerance for the purely academic. By that I mean ideas, models, and theories that sound great on a whiteboard but are seemingly impossible to be practically applied in the real world. When it comes to management, it's easy to find books that pontificate theory. But every once in a while you come across one that is a breath of fresh air, where the author says it how it is instead of how it should be. An example of one of those books is the latest from Professor Henry Mintzberg, entitled Management? It's Not What You Think! It's a thought-provoking, at times irreverent look at this craft we call management. To give you a taste of what you'll find in this new book, I'm excited to share a recent discussion I had with Henry in this episode. Learn more about Henry at http://www.mintzberg.com and http://www.coachingourselves.com.   I am so excited to be rolling out our new Leadership Fast Track Program! Can you think of someone in your area who is a high-performing manager that the organization wants to continue to pour into? Or someone who knows the business or technical aspects of their job but could use some help developing their people skills? Or maybe it's someone who is not currently in a management role but is seen as a future leader? If that applies to you or someone you know, you have to check out the Leadership Fast Track Program! This innovative program provides workshops, leadership assessments, and one-on-one executive coaching with me. And it's all designed to minimize your time away from your work. There's an early bird discount for those who sign up before May 1, 2011. Go to http://www.i-leadonline.com/LeadershipFastTrack-2011.asp to download a free brochure.   Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Hey, quick note: This episode is sponsored by the STAREAST 2011 Conference. STAREAST is the premier gathering place for software testers, developers, and managers to interact and learn how to improve software-testing practices. This year's line-up features over 100 learning and networking opportunities. Come join me for a new keynote at STAREAST this year. It's entitled "How to Win Friends and Influence People--and Deliver Quality Software". Go to http://www.sqe.com/go?SE11Kaufman and use the code AKSE and save up to $400 on registrations prior to March 4, 2011. Come join me at STAREAST! I look forward to seeing you there! So, let me ask you.... Are you a student of your profession? Conferences are a great way to invest in your learning--it's one way to remain a student. But how else do you make sure you continue to learn? Listening to this podcast is a clear way to keep growing, and each month we have more premium subscribers who get additional content that supplements these episodes with more personalized coaching. For this episode I wanted to focus on those who are in project management roles or who aspire to be there someday. There are many great resources for being a student of project management. And one of my favorite resources is pmStudent (http://learn.pmstudent.com/dap/a/?a=113). I recently had the opportunity to connect with Josh Nankivel from pmStudent and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. Make sure to check out pmStudent at http://learn.pmstudent.com/dap/a/?a=113. Josh also mentioned the following sites: http://www.cottagepm.com/blog/ http://www.steppingintopm.com/ http://www.project-management-podcast.com/ http://quantmleap.com/blog/ Quick note: This month we're rolling out a new product to help those who are or aspire to be project managers. Our "Essentials of Project Management" workshop is now available in an e-learning format. This engaging new offering simplifies your ability to get expert insights in a stress-free, convenient format. And this month we're offering a special coupon code to get 50% of the normal price for the learning. Just go to http://bit.ly/EssentialsOfPM  and use the coupon code ESSENTIALS-50. This offer is good until the end of March 2011. Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Download the episode

I have to tell you: I love running a small company. Two years ago I was interviewed by Coach Ian Scott, my friend, and colleague from the UK, for his very popular podcast on iTunes. After the interview I decided, "Hey, I could do that!" And within days, the People and Projects Podcast was birthed, with this being our 44th episode. Being the owner of a small company, it was easy to make that decision. For our upcoming Leadership Fast Track program, we're going to do one-on-coaching and workshops using collaborative technologies, allowing you to participate regardless of where you call home. My small company allows me to make fast decisions to offer solutions like that, to turn on a dime, so to speak, if desired. Yet being small--as in a small number of employees--doesn't always work that way. In today's interview, I'll tell the story of a small company that doesn't act small. You may work for yourself, for a small company, or for a huge multinational organization. I'm convinced that your ability to act like a small company is more about how you look at things than it is about the number of employees. And that's just one of the themes of my friend and colleague Phil Simon, who recently released his latest book entitled The New Small: How a New Breed of Small Businesses Is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies. You may recall Phil from my interview with him in August of 2009 regarding his book Why New Systems Fail: An Insider's Guide to Successful IT Projects. For years I've found Phil's insights to be fresh, on target, and actionable. I had the opportunity to catch up with Phil recently about his new book and look forward to sharing that interview in this episode. For my premium subscribers, make sure to check out your premium feed for some additional coaching related my discussion with Phil. You can learn more about Phil at http://www.TheNewSmall.com and http://www.PhilSimonSystems.com. Tweet about this interview and @philsimon might just pick you for a free copy of his book!   As a listener to The People and Projects Podcast, you are already comfortable with using technologies like this for your personal development. If you are in a leadership role--or desire to grow into one--I want to give you a heads-up about our Leadership Fast Track program, which will be kicking off in the 2nd quarter of this year. The Leadership Fast Track program is designed to help accelerate your ability to lead and deliver. You'll participate in a series of practical workshops that I will personally facilitate. The program also includes leadership assessments and personal coaching from me. The program is all designed for maximum impact, and using collaborative technologies, allows you to access the learning with minimal impact on your schedule. Want to learn more? Go to http://www.i-leadonline.com/leadershipfasttrack-2011.asp to join our early-bird notification list and you'll be among the first to get updates about the program.   Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Hopefully, you've already had a chance to listen to the first part of my interview with Tony Schwartz. In this second part, Tony talks about the concept of pulsing and gets very transparent about his struggle to implement these ideas. Enjoy Part 2 of my discussion with Tony Schwartz, author of Be Excellent at Anything (NOTE: This book used to be entitled The Way We're Working Isn't Working). I wholeheartedly recommend you get a copy of Tony's book. It's a great way to take the next step in making a radical difference in your own performance as well as that of your team. Also, make sure to check out his websites (https://www.TheEnergyProject.com and https://www.TakeBackYourLunch.com).   Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

Let me take a guess... You don't have time to listen to this podcast episode. Oh, you're listening to it, but perhaps you're driving or trying to do e-mail--hopefully not both--while you do it! We're so busy, and the overall toll on us and our productivity can be overwhelming, which made me think of Tony Schwartz's book Be Excellent at Anything (NOTE: This book used entitled The Way We're Working Isn't Working). Tony is a gifted writer and speaker and an expert in helping us perform at our best. I had the opportunity to spend some time talking with Tony and have divided the interview into two podcast episodes. So, I invite you to turn off your handheld, shut down any distractions, and enjoy learning from one of the freshest voices out there on performance and productivity, Tony Schwartz. You can learn more about Tony at The Energy Project (http://www.theenergyproject.com). Also, learn more about Take Back Your Lunch at http://www.TakeBackYourLunch.com. Make sure to check out the second part of my interview with Tony for additional insights on improving your performance. Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!  

Happy New Year! I don't know about you, but I love when a new year comes around! I love the opportunity to look and consider the previous year: accomplishments, challenges, blessings, mistakes, and lessons. It's an opportunity to take a renewed look at the year ahead and set goals. Yet there's the problem with New Year's resolutions. Ask the average person--and I do in this video podcast with some "man on the streets" interviews--and they'll tell you resolutions don't work. Or at least they don't last. In this brief video podcast I share some key lessons to help project managers and leaders set better goals, just in time for the new year! NOTE: In this episode I mentioned Stickk.com. Make sure to check them out! Also, you can listen to my interview with the CEO of Stickk.com in this previous episode of The People and Projects Podcast. Here's to a very prosperous and successful year ahead for you! Thank you for subscribing to The People and Projects Podcast! {youtube}pOeKJa8EQb8{/youtube} Download the video episode

In case you missed it in our last episode, I have a special Christmas gift for all my podcast listeners. You've heard me talk about Premium Subscriptions in recent months, and many have joined. But perhaps you've been holding out. Well here's my Christmas gift to you. Become an annual premium subscriber before January 1, 2011 and my gift to you is a free license of our new e-learning offering entitled "The Dirty Little Secret of Business". This program, which normally sells for $97, is yours for free when you become a premium subscriber by the end of this year. Throughout the year premium subscribers get:* discounts on products* automatic entry into drawings* free participation in webinars* additional materials with episodes, and * the opportunity to participate live on my interviews with experts. I’d love to have you join the growing number of premium subscribers to The People and Projects Podcast! Here's where you can learn more: http://bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe. Thanks! From all of us who help produce each podcast episode, we wish you and those you love a very Merry Christmas! Download the episode

We're now at that time of year when there are often many social gatherings, whether with family, friends, or work associates. Do you look forward to these times of family gatherings and holiday parties? Or do you dread them? Or how about this: What do you think of when I say the term "networking"? If your first response was TCP/IP or Ethernet, you have even more work than I expected! But kidding aside, when you think of networking in terms of developing relationships, what comes to mind? Frankly, for many years I knew I should be networking more but I tended to see it as a rather sleazy endeavor--an activity that people did just to get stuff from other people. Yet in a struggling and unpredictable economy, there are more reasons than ever to actively develop relationships. The problem is that most relationship-building books seem to be written for extroverts. But what about the rest of us? Well, to arm you for the holiday season and to help you come up with a relationship-building strategy for the year ahead I'm excited to introduce you to Devora Zack, author of a recently published book entitled Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed and the Underconnected. Learn more about Devora and Only Connect Consulting at http://www.onlyconnectconsulting.com.   Devora has graciously made two copies of her book available for listeners to The People and Projects Podcast. If you are one of our growing number of Premium Subscribers, you are automatically entered into the drawing. If you're not a Premium Subscriber yet, please send me an e-mail at show@peopleandprojectspodcast.com to enter the drawing. I'll pick two winners on December 31, 2010. And here's a special offer. As I mentioned in the interview I have a keynote entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business. Despite the provocative title, the dirty little secret of business is that it's all done on relationships. This session gets top ratings when delivered at conferences and company meetings, and it's now available in an e-learning format. Though normally sold for $97 USD, listeners to The People and Projects Podcast can access it for only $49 USD. Go to http://bit.ly/eDirtyLittleSecret before January 15, 2011 and use a coupon code of DIRTY-SECRET. Whether for yourself or as a gift to a friend or co-worker, The Dirty Little Secret of Business can be a powerful way to develop a practical strategy to building relationships. And here's one last idea for you! I'm going to give this e-learning offering to all my Premium Subscribers for free! If you join my growing number of premium subscribers before the end of December 2010, you'll also get The Dirty Little Secret of Business e-learning for free. Go to http://bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe to join.   Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!  

We're now at that time of year when there are often many social gatherings, whether with family, friends, or work associates. Do you look forward to these times of family gatherings and holiday parties? Or do you dread them? Or how about this: What do you think of when I say the term "networking"? If your first response was TCP/IP or Ethernet, you have even more work than I expected! But kidding aside, when you think of networking in terms of developing relationships, what comes to mind? Frankly, for many years I knew I should be networking more but I tended to see it as a rather sleazy endeavor--an activity that people did just to get stuff from other people. Yet in a struggling and unpredictable economy, there are more reasons than ever to actively develop relationships. The problem is that most relationship-building books seem to be written for extroverts. But what about the rest of us? Well, to arm you for the holiday season and to help you come up with a relationship building strategy for the year ahead I'm excited to introduce you to Devora Zack, author of a recently published book entitled Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed and the Underconnected. Learn more about Devora and Only Connect Consulting at http://www.onlyconnectconsulting.com. Devora has graciously made two copies of her book available for listeners to The People and Projects Podcast. If you are one of our growing number of Premium Subscribers, you are automatically entered into the drawing. If you're not a Premium Subscriber yet, please send me an e-mail at show@peopleandprojectspodcast.com to enter the drawing. I'll pick two winners on December 31, 2010. And here's a special offer. As I mentioned in the interview I have a keynote entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business. Despite the provocative title, the dirty little secret of business is that it's all done on relationships. This session gets top ratings when delivered at conferences and company meetings, and it's now available in an e-learning format. Though normally sold for $97 USD, listeners to The People and Projects Podcast can access it for only $49 USD. Go to http://bit.ly/eDirtyLittleSecret before January 15, 2011 and use a coupon code of DIRTY-SECRET. Whether for yourself or as a gift to a friend or co-worker, The Dirty Little Secret of Business can be a powerful way to develop a practical strategy to building relationships. And here's one last idea for you! I'm going to give this e-learning offering to all my Premium Subscribers for free! If you join my growing number of premium subscribers before the end of December 2010, you'll also get The Dirty Little Secret of Business e-learning for free. Go to http://bit.ly/PremiumSubscribe to join. Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration: 26:19 Download episode 39

I have the true privilege of helping professionals from hundreds of companies develop their ability to lead people and deliver projects. A common question I hear from leaders as they progress higher in their organizations has to do with their boss. In effect, they're asking, "How do I manage the person who is supposed to be managing me?" A clear lesson as you grow in responsibility is that managing is not just something you do with your subordinates--what a terrible word that is! Rather, to be effective you also have to lead and serve peers, stakeholders, and yes, bosses. Managing up is an important part of your ability to successfully deliver. But how do you go about doing that? For this episode I'm bringing back Bruce Tulgan who was a guest on our show last year (click here to listen to that episode). Bruce recently published Its Okay to Manage Your Boss: The Step-by-Step Program for Making the Best of Your Most Important Relationship at Work. I had the opportunity to speak with Bruce recently and look forward to sharing that interview in this episode. Learn more about Bruce and his organization at http://www.rainmakerthinking.com. I also recommend you get a copy of his book Its Okay to Manage Your Boss: The Step-by-Step Program for Making the Best of Your Most Important Relationship at Work. While you're at it, check out another one of Bruce's books It's Okay to Be the Boss: The Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming the Manager Your Employees Need. You'll find both helpful in the development of your management skills. In recent episodes I've been telling you about our growing list of Premium Subscribers. I want to invite you to join! You'll get additional materials with each episode to help you and those around you get even more value out of the topic we talk about. You'll not only be automatically enrolled in freebies, you'll also have the opportunity to actually participate in upcoming interviews with experts. Sometimes as a year ends there's a little extra training budget that needs to be spent. Whether that's true or not, how about investing in your learning for the year ahead? Click here for details and join as a Premium Subscriber. Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Download the episode

Hello! Welcome to the 10th month of this 10th year in this century! In this episode, I'm sharing insights from a book I've recently read: 10-10-10: A Fast and Powerful Way to Get Unstuck in Love, at Work, and with Your Family, by Suzy Welch. The title sounds more like a subject for an Oprah audience than project managers and leaders! However, I think you'll find the ideas in the book helpful with your projects, with your team, and in your personal life. Let me know what questions you have after listening to the cast. And be sure to share the ideas from 10-10-10 with your team. Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills

If you've followed this podcast or attended one of my keynotes on project management or leadership, you've likely caught onto my bias that the biggest successes, the biggest joys, the biggest failures, and the biggest stresses often come down to the same thing: people. Project management is ultimately people management. Success with people management--and thus project management--can significantly depend on our effectiveness in areas such as communication, influence, and building relationships. One of the freshest voices on the people side of project management is consultant Dave Po-Chedley, PMP, author of Client Relationship Management: How to Turn Client Relationships into a Competitive Advantage. I had the opportunity to catch up with Dave recently and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. I invite you to learn more about Dave and the work of Cambridge Consulting (http://www.cambridgeconsult.com and http://www.pminsight.us). I want to let you know that Dave has graciously made two copies of his book Client Relationship Management available to our listeners. If you are a Premium Subscriber you are automatically entered into the drawing. If you're not a Premium Subscriber, send me an e-mail with “Book Drawing” as the subject. Two of our listeners will get Dave's book sent to them for free. One last thing: I received a message from a listener that I wanted to share with you: Hi Andy, I attended your 1-day tutorial at Better Software in June. That session was worth the price of the whole trip. Great, transformative stuff! I have since changed my listening habits in the car: I listen to management podcasts now. I decided to propose the Outlaw Team idea to my boss who leads an entire division in my company. He liked the idea and had me present it to his weekly leadership meeting. All the VPs liked the idea, with some suggestions. I then suggested action items to move it forward. My boss volunteered me to carry the ball. Yikes! Now I have to try and be the Andy Kaufman of our company. Nah. I'll just be me and see where we get. Never thought I'd go from eager student to mentoring others in leadership skills. Thanks for your great work! Charlie Well, congratulations to Charlie for taking action on the learning! Charlie also became a Premium Subscriber to this podcast. Are you a Charlie-kind-of-person, one who has a passion for developing themselves and those around them? If so, I recommend you join Charlie as a Premium Subscriber to The People and Projects Podcast! It's a great deal and provides you with additional tools for self and team development. Visit our website for details, including a discount available on the Annual Subscription. Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Download the episode

In recent episodes I’ve mentioned that we will be launching Premium Subscriptions of The People and Projects Podcast. Well, we have lift-off! In this cast I want to give you a brief overview of our vision for the Premium Subscription as well as tell you about a special offer that is available for a limited time. So let’s talk vision.... The best leaders I've had the opportunity to work with had at least this in common: They actively invest in their own personal development And they intentionally develop the people around them. Yet there is this little problem of time and money.... Developing yourself and those around you takes time, and time is one of the few things even more scarce than money in many organizations today. Taking people out of their day-to-day for a 5-day workshop just isn't an option for many organizations. And training isn't cheap. Yet not investing in yourself and your team isn't a sustainable option. What if you didn't have to send your people to training. Rather, the training came to you? It doesn't cost you anything to recommend our podcast to those you work with. By listening to each episode during their commute time, while exercising, or any other time when they have an MP3 player available, you and your teams can be learning from some of the best minds in leadership and project management. So, how does the Premium Subscription fit in? It takes the learning to the next level. Premium subscribers get access to the same audio that our free subscribers get each episode. But there's more. First, it provides you with the materials to help you be the trainer. I've had the opportunity to work with tens of thousands of people from hundreds of companies. I love to pour into people, whether it's a keynote, workshop, or one-on-one coaching. Yet here's what I've found: there's enormous value in YOU training your people instead of me. Now that might sound crazy coming from a guy who makes his living speaking, training, and coaching. But it's true. When you walk your team through principles and ideas to help them lead and deliver, there's something special that happens. Certainly there's the benefit of just putting on the teacher hat. You never know a topic like when you have to teach it to others. From a personal development perspective, you can great benefits from just preparing to facilitate a learning discussion with your team. But there's more to it than that. When you lead a discussion on a topic with your teams, they get to see that you're working to develop them, which is a major employee satisfaction driver. They also get the benefit of seeing you investing in yourself--that you're not just living off of what you learned years ago. Finally--and this is big--there's the implied accountability that comes from you leading the discussion. If you publicly discuss the topic with them, you're also saying "I'm going to work to put this into action as well." And as they see you put the learning into action, they're more likely to do so as well. Along with the free audio, as a Premium Subscriber you will get access to materials to help you facilitate a discussion with your teams with minimal preparation. We provide you with background information, questions, links to related articles, and other materials to help you apply the learning yourself, and to make it easy for you to facilitate the learning with your team. Beyond that, Premium Subscribers will occasionally get exclusive content that is not available for free subscribers. These episodes will include audio and sometimes video, all focused on helping you more succesfully lead your teams and deliver your projects. Throughout the year we often have drawings for free books and other resources, courtesy of the experts I interview. As a Premium Subscriber, you are automatically entered into the drawings, saving you time and effort. And periodically I hold web discussions with Premium Subscribers on a topic that is related to leading teams and delivering projects. This exclusive access is included in your investment as a Premium Subscriber. Finally I let Premium Subscribers know about upcoming interviews, inviting people to let me know if they want to join me on the phone when I interview experts. I think that would be pretty cool to have you on the phone with me live when the interview is going on! So, the big picture vision is to go to the next level in developing you, and helping you go to the next level in developing those around you. You might be wondering how much this costs! So let me ask you, how much does training cost? If you were to attend one of my training sessions it could easily cost over a thousand dollars, depending on the topic and length of the session. Go to a conference out of town and you are easily talking many thousands of dollars, especially when you factor in training. If we were to have one coaching conversation on the phone, it would cost you $300. But my goal is to make this a no-brainer from a cost perspective. We have two subscription options: a monthly and an annual subscription. As the name implies, the monthly subscription allows you pay month-by-month, getting full access to everything I’ve talked about. We set up an automatic recurring transaction so it's not a hassle for you. Your investment would be $9.97/month. For less than the cost of two lunches a month, you get access to all the learning. Many leaders find it easier to just pay for an annual subscription. It's the same only it' one payment of $97 for the entire year. A benefit of this option is you get two months free compared to the monthly option. And here's the special offer I mentioned before: through midnight 9/30/2010, you can get an additional two months free on an Annual Subscription by using a coupon code of FOUR-MONTHS-FREE. And by the way, this isn't just for this year. For as long as you are a Premium Subscriber your cost is locked in. It's my special thanks for having you as a Charter Premium Subscriber. Either way, a Premium Subscription is a great value for one of the best causes in leadership: to develop you and those you lead. Use this link (http://www.peopleandprojectspodcast.com/index.php/about/premium-subscriptions.html) to learn more and sign-up. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at andy@i-leadonline.com with any questions. Thanks! Have a great week! Download the episode

I can easily recall the days before I became a manager. I started my career as a software developer, which by nature of how software gets created, usually meant work being done in teams. When my team leader or manager would mess up in some way, I would occasionally think, when I finally get to lead a team, I'm going to do things differently! How hard can this be? Then I became a manager! It was then that I truly realized that it's one thing to talk about leading teams--it's a whole different deal when you have to be the leader and your team members aren't necessarily as motivated as you want them to be, or priorities change, or your senior management seems dim-witted, and you feel overwhelmed. The truth is that leading teams well is difficult work, often under-estimated by those who haven't had to hold the reins. One of my favorite experts on this topic is Harvard professor J. Richard Hackman. In this cast I look forward to sharing a recent discussion I had with Dr. Hackman based on his book Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances. In addition, check out Dr. Hackman's book Senior Leadership Teams: What It Takes to Make Them Great. A proven way to help engage your team members is to invest in their development. Budgets don't always allow for you to send them away for training but that doesn't mean training has to be put off for a year. Clearly you already know the benefits of podcasts. Some of the best free learning available these days comes from what you're doing right now--listening to casts such as The People and Projects Podcast. Well, in just a few weeks we are launching Premium Subscriptions for our podcast. You and your teams will still have access to our free episodes. But we are going even further with the Premium Subscriptions to help you develop and engage your teams. Premium subscribers get access to additional content, including materials to help you facilitate a discussion with your team based on the topic of each cast. You'll also get recommendations for additional material to help you go deeper on the subject. Beyond that, Premium Subscribers are automatically entered into drawings for books and other resources. And, as a special bonus, you get free admission to webinars that I lead throughout the year. I'll tell you more in our next podcast episode. In the meantime, thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration: 34:39 Download episode 33

It's so easy to get into a rut. Whether it's on a personal basis, a project team, or even an organization, it's easy to keep doing things the way we've always done them. Actually, the brain kind of likes it when we go on auto-pilot. This allows the brain to focus on the more important matters before us, like the stare your boss is giving you when you're trying to reply to a message on your Blackberry during her staff meeting! Each year we learn more about how the brain works and how we can use that knowledge to better meet the challenges we face. In this episode I interview Madeleine Van Hecke and Brad Kolar, co-authors of the book The Brain Advantage: Become a More Effective Business Leader Using the Latest Brain Research. Make sure to check out the website for their book at www.TheBrainAdvantage.com. You can get your copy of Madeleine's book Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things on Amazon. It's a great read! One way to snap out of the old way of doing things is to bring new thinking into your organization. Do you have an upcoming company meeting or retreat? We have keynote presentations that can inspire and motivate your teams to successfully deliver the projects and lead their teams. Give us a call at (866) 884-5323 to learn more. I invite you to join me next time when I talk with Harvard Professor Dr. Richard Hackman. Richard is world renowned expert on how teams work, and we'll discuss his excellent book entitled Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances. Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Download episode 32

I'm in Las Vegas this week, speaking to leaders from hundreds of companies from around the world. Las Vegas is certainly an intriguing place on many levels. It's an economy that thrives on tourism and in order to keep those tourists happy and coming back, organizations out here need reliable, skilled, engaged workers. The truth is, the need for engaged, motivated employees isn't just a Las Vegas issue. I've long felt that the most dangerous employee was not the one who has left the company. It's the one who has left the company but they haven't left the company! It's the people who are just checking in and checking out, day after day, taking up space and leaving a huge amount of productivity on the table. Whether you lead a team of software developers, salespeople, accountants, or doctors, much of our organizational success comes down to how engaged and motivated our front line employees truly are. I'm staying at a very nice, well-known hotel in Vegas. To be honest, I'm not impressed with the front line service. And you know what? I intersect with enough companies to recognize this isn't just an issue at Caesar's Palace. Chances are your organization could use some insights on how to further engage your employees as well. In recent years I've enjoyed following the employee engagement research and writings of Dr. Adam Grant from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. I had the opportunity to catch up with Adam recently and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. In the interview, Adam recommends the following books for follow-up: Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip and Dan Heath Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Dan Pink Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances, by J. Richard Hackman Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

What comes to mind when you think of empathy? Do you think of someone who is highly sensitive and compassionate--maybe even too much? Or does that description sound more like sympathy, where empathy isn't quite as emotional? Empathy remains a hot topic in leadership. It's difficult to lead people without some measure of empathy in your approach. Yet I've observed from plenty of executive coaching clients that there's some opportunity to better understand what empathy is--and isn't as we seek to deliver projects and lead teams. One of the freshest voices on empathy today is Dev Patnaik, CEO of Jump Associates. Dev recently authored the book Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy. I had the opportunity to talk with Dev and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this cast. Make sure to get a copy of Dev's book Wired to Care. And check out the book's website (wiredtocare.com) and Dev's organization Jump Associates. Before we wrap this up, I want to give you a heads-up about our new Premium Podcast subscriptions. The best leaders I've had the opportunity to work with had at least two things in common: they actively invested in their own personal development, and they intentionally developed the people around them. We get thousands of downloads of our podcast each month, often from people who share that passion to develop themselves and the people around them. As a Premium Subscriber, you'll be able to take that development to the next level. Our regular free episodes will continue. Premium subscribers will get exclusive access to additional resources to apply the learning from each podcast episode. You can personally benefit and, if leading a team, you can use the resources to develop those around you. In addition, Premium subscribers will get exclusive access to additional episodes, automatic entry into freebies (such as books from authors I interview), and free admission to web meetings I periodically conduct. Premium subscriptions will begin in July. To learn more, I invite you to visit our podcast website at http://www.peopleandprojectspodcast.com. Look under the About menu to learn more about Premium Subscriptions. Thank you for joining us for this episode of the People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Download episode 30

So when it comes right down to it... what can you do to better ensure that you successfully deliver the projects you're managing?  It's a question I love working with our clients on, and it's a question that is directly addressed in Clint Padgett's book The Project Success Method: A Proven Approach for Achieving Superior Project Performance in as Little as 5 Days. I had the opportunity to talk with Clint recently and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. To learn more about Clint and his organization, I invite you to check them out at projectsuccess.com. Do you have an upcoming company meeting or retreat? We have keynote presentations that can inspire and motivate your teams to successfully deliver the projects and lead their teams. Contact us at 866-884-5323 to learn more. I invite you to join me next time when I talk with Dev Patnaik, author of an intriguing book on innovation and leadership entitled Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy. Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Download episode 29

It's one thing to know there's a model for influencing without authority. But how do we implement that model, as leaders and project managers? That's what we tackle in this second part of my interview with Dr. Allan Cohen, author of Influence Without Authority. {loadposition content_amazonInfluenceWithoutAuthority}I recommend you check out the accompanying website for Dr. Cohen's book, which you can find at www.influencewithoutauthority.com. Are you interested in learning how to develop your influence skills? How about your team's ability to influence? Give us a call to learn how we can help you become more influential, even in situations you don't have authority. Please join me in the next episode when I’m joined by Clint Padgett, President and CEO of Project Success Inc, and author of The Project Success Method: A Proven Approach for Achieving Superior Project Performance in as Little as 5 Days. Thanks for joining us for this episode! Have a great week! Duration 19:37 Download episode 28

One of my leadership heroes is Ken Blanchard, who is on record of saying, "The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” I wholeheartedly agree with Ken, that developing your influence skills is critical to success in today’s business environment, especially when a growing number of project managers and other leaders have an increasing amount of responsibility but not necessarily a corresponding amount of authority to go with it. {loadposition content_amazonInfluenceWithoutAuthority}Many listening to this cast are in positions where they have to influence without authority and to help us improve our skills in that area I got in touch with the author of one my favorite books on the topic, Dr Allan Cohen, who wrote Influence Without Authority. In this cast we walk through the influence model that Allan developed with Stanford professor Dr. David Bradford. In the follow-up cast I have Allan walk through a couple specific scenarios relevant to our audience, to apply the model in practical ways. You'll notice part way through the cast that our recording system introduced some background interference due to a technical issue that occurred during my discussion with Dr. Cohen. I apologize for the annoyance, trusting you'll glean many lessons from the interview despite the distraction. I recommend you check out the accompanying website for Dr. Cohen's book, which you can find at www.influencewithoutauthority.com. Please join me in the next episode when Dr. Cohen applies his influence model to two specific scenarios that I’m confident you’ll find relevant to your role. And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I’d love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects. Thanks for joining us for this episode! Have a great week! Duration 29:53 Download episode 27

In our last episode I started an interview with Dr. Ed Schein, Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus at MIT and author of fourteen business books, including The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. Make sure to listen to that episode if you happened to miss it. {loadposition content_amazonHelping}In this second part of the interview, we turn our attention to Ed's seminal yet highly practical book entitled Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. Ever wonder why some people find it difficult to ask for help, even when they are "spinning their wheels" with the project tasks? Or why some people just won't take you up on offers to help, even when it's desperately needed? In this interview Ed helps us understand the surprisingly complex dynamics around giving and receiving help. I strongly recommend you get a copy of Ed's books we discuss in these two episodes. I invite you to join me next time when I interview Dr. Allen Cohen, author of the acclaimed book Influence Without Authority. Part of the complexity of projects today relates to the fact that many of us have the responsibility to deliver the projects yet don't have authority over all the people we must depend on. Increasingly project success depends on relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, and our ability to influence those people—even when we don't have authority over them—is critical. I look forward to sharing that interview with you. Thanks for checking out our new podcast website at www.peopleandprojectspodcast.com. I invite you to let me know what you think about it! Thanks for joining us for this episode! Have a great week! Total Duration: 21:17 Download episode 26

It happens regularly... my phone rings, I pick it up, and on the other end I'm talking with someone who's inquiring about bringing us in to deliver a keynote for a company event or training for their organization.{loadposition content_amazonCorpCulture} My first response is not whether I'm available on the dates they're looking for. My first questions are designed to help me understand the problems they're trying to solve. Once I have a good sense of the issues they want to address, I inevitably ask a critical, open-ended question: "Tell me about the culture of your organization?" How would you respond to that question? How would you describe your company's culture? Or the culture of your team? How about the project culture at your company--how things get done? This is what I've found: understanding organizational culture is critical to being able to deliver projects and lead teams. If I don't have a decent idea of the culture I'm walking into for a keynote, workshop, or coaching session, I flat out won't be effective. It would be like walking in and finding that everyone speaks a foreign language. Dr. Ed Schein is a world renowned MIT professor and expert on organizational culture, and has authored fourteen business books, including The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. When it comes to knowing how to get things done in a company, Ed is one of my heroes, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to speak with him recently.{loadposition content_amazonHelping} This episode contains the first part of my discussion with Dr. Schein, with the remaining to be included in the next cast. [readon url="http://bit.ly//EdScheinP2"]Click here[/readon] for Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Schein will focus on his book Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. Would you take a moment to tell a friend about this podcast? I would love to have the opportunity to help develop your friends and colleagues who have a desire to successfully deliver projects and lead teams. Thank you for joining us for this episode of the People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration: 24:19 Download episode 25

Here's the situation... you're responsible for delivering a project. Your boss comes in today and announces that senior management has decided that you must deliver your project 4 weeks earlier than originally planned.You know that the project is already carrying a lot of risk, and cutting 4 more weeks seems completely unrealistic, at least from your perspective. Yet it also appears, from your perspective, that speaking up or pushing back could be job risking. They aren't looking for your input--they're looking for you to deliver on the demand.Sound familiar?Whether you are a project manager or responsible for leading a team, we are regularly faced with situations that require us to influence others. Yet here's my observation: influence skills are one of the most under-trained areas for many people today. It's almost as if we think influence training is for salespeople or lawyers or "those people over in procurement."{loadposition content_amazonYes}We all can benefit from developing our influence skills. One of my favorite influence books in the last couple years is entitled Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. I had the opportunity recently to speak with the co-author of Yes!, Steve Martin, and look forward to your feedback on the interview in this cast. By the way, you'll hear Steve share his thoughts on how to deal with that boss with unrealistic timeframes!A practical next step to develop your influence skills is to get a copy of the book that Steve authored with Robert Cialdini and Noah Goldstein: Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. Also, check out Dr. Cialdini's classic: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.Steve puts out a very helpful newsletter entitled the Inside Influence Report. I encourage you to sign-up for it. If you are interested in developing the influence skills of your project managers, team leads, or other organizational leaders, give us a call! Between keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching, we have a number of ways that we can help your leaders improve their influence skills. You can contact us toll-free at (866) 884-5323 or via e-mail at show@i-leadonline.com.{loadposition content_amazonInfluence}I invite you to join me in our next episode when I talk with Cornelius Fichtner, the host of The Project Management Podcast. For those of you who are certified PMP's and are interested in some helpful ways to get the required PDU's to maintain your certification, you particularly don't want to miss this episode!You can receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!   Total Duration: 44:34 Download episode 23  

Download the episode I got a call this morning from a former coaching client. Two years ago when I was working with Jerry he expressed interest in writing a book, which I enthusiastically encouraged he pursue. Two years later hes made significant progress and now had questions about the publishing process. In roughly 20 minutes I happily downloaded lessons that were learned since I published my first book 8 years ago.{loadposition content_amazonGotYourBack}Why do I share this story? What if Jerry hadn't surrounded himself with someone who cared enough to help him out? I don't want to over-state the value of my advice for certainly there are plenty of websites and services that have information that could help him achieve his goal. Yet there's something even more powerful about having close access to a circle of people you trust, who you know care about your success, and are eager to help you achieve it.Jerry has that in me. Who do you have in your inner circle or your "Go To Group" (a term I introduce in my keynote on relationships called The Dirty Little Secret of Business)?Who we surround ourselves with is critical, and it's an important lesson in Keith Ferrazzi's new book Who's Got Your Back: The Breakthrough Program to Build Deep, Trusting Relationships That Create Success--and Won't Let You Fail. I first heard of Keith when he wrote the best seller Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time back in 2005.I have to say this upfront: If you lead projects and teams, chances are your success depends far more than you realize on the relationships you build. If you haven't read Keith's books, get them today. {loadposition content_amazonNeverEat}I look forward to sharing a recent discussion I had with Keith in this cast.In addition to picking up a copy of Keith's books, I invite you to follow Keith's blog. You can find that, along with many additional resources, at KeithFerrazzi.com.Hey, here's another idea. Our keynote entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business takes this topic of relationships head-on. If you have an upcoming company or association meeting and would like to help the participants better leverage the power of relationships, give us a call! It would be a real pleasure to help your event be a success!I invite you to join me in our next episode when I talk with Steve Martin about the topic of influence! Imagine that--Andy Kaufman talking with Steve Martin! If you're expecting two comedians, you'll be disappointed. However, Steve is an accomplished U.K.-based author, speaker, and consultant on influence. I can assure you that his insights will definitely be helpful for those who responsible for leading people and delivering projects.Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Download the episode As you start this new year, let me ask you a personal question: How satisfied are you with your financial situation? Though it doesn't seem like a question for a podcast on leadership and project management, here's what I've found: there are seemingly endless resources available on the internet to learn more about managing your finances. Yet I find that many of my coaching clients--once I get to know them well enough--confess that financial stress is something they deal with, particularly in this economy.Since work/life balance is an important objective for all who desire to lead people and projects, I wanted to invest a cast on the topic of our personal finances. The start of a year is often a great time to reboot old habits to start fresh with new ones.When it comes to financial advice I turn to my friend, author, and personal finance expert Matt Bell. I had the opportunity to talk with Matt recently and look forward to sharing the interview with you in this cast. To learn more about Matt, check out his website at http://www.mattaboutmoney.com/. Also, don't miss the sites Matt mentions in this cast, including Mint.com, Fidelity's MyPlan Snapshot , Ask.com/deals, and ebates.com.Hey, quick question: How are YOU doing on your new year's resolutions? We're far enough into the new year that, at least statistically, many of them will have fallen off the radar screen. But they don't have to.If you haven't yet heard my interview with Jordan Goldberg, CEO of StickK.com, make sure to check it out. Jordan's site has helped me reach my new year's weight loss goal in far less time than I planned. You might just find a way to use their site to achieve some financial related goals this year as well!Please join me in our next podcast when I interview Keith Ferrazzi, author of the bestseller Never Eat Alone and his new book Who's Got Your Back. Relationships are a key ingredient to your success at work, with projects, and in life, and Keith is the foremost authority on the topic.Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Accountability.It's an easy word to say, but when it comes to practicing it, whether on a personal level or across an organization, it's often not practiced (or practiced well). A recurring theme I hear from project managers and leaders is that their organization struggles with accountability.John G. Miller is my "go to" person when it comes to the topic of personal accountability. John's book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life has sold nearly a million copies since it hit the streets some years back. This week John is releasing a new book about how to make your organization exceptional.As you start this new year looking to raise the bar with your teams, I share in this episode a recent discussion I had with John about QBQ! and his new book entitled, Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional., especially if you like books where each chapter is 5 pages or less! Check out John's websites at www.qbq.com/, www.outstandingorganization.com/, and www.qbq.com/specks-and-planks.php.What is your biggest frustration about accountability on your project team? Take a moment to send me an e-mail at podcast@i-leadonline.com. I'd be glad to share any insights I can to help your situation.If you would like to raise the bar in your organization's ability to lead and deliver, give me a call! Contact me toll-free at 866-884-5323 and we can talk about our workshops and e-learning that help you and your organization deliver projects and lead teams.Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!I invite you to join me on the week of January 18 when we'll be joined by my friend, author and money expert Matt Bell. In the meantime, thank you for joining us for this edition of The People and Projects podcast. Have a great week! Enjoy the cast!

Download the episode Happy New Year! Thank you for joining us for this special New Year's episode of The People and Projects Podcast!Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!How many times have you set a new years resolution only to have it hit head-on into the wall of reality of daily living? My experience? New Year's resolutions often don't last the day, much less the end of January!There are all kinds of resolutions you might consider, personally and professionally. On a professional level, for project managers that have not yet gotten certified, why not make this the year that you get that done? It's so easy to put it off. For others, there might be some habits you want to improve such as getting more sleep or going out on a date with a loved one more often.If you are a project manager and haven't yet pursued certification, click here to learn more about PMP certification.There are countless ideas for resolutions but how do you make them stick? Well, on this special New Year's episode of The People and Projects Podcast, you'll hear from Jordan Goldberg, CEO of Stickk.com. Make sure to check their service out!In 2010 I resolve to continue publishing episodes every other week, and there's already a great line-up recorded. I resolve to work to keep the podcasts at 30 minutes or less where possible and I'm going to look to keep bringing a project management angle to the interviews even when the topic is leadership focused. Most people listen via iTunes but I resolve to finding a better Flash audio player in 2010 as well!In 2010 you'll be introduced to a premium version of the podcast that will help you not only learn yourself but help you develop those on your teams. More on that in the coming weeks.Hey, one last thing! I love to hear from listeners! Take a moment to send me an e-mail at podcast@i-leadonline.com. Did you have a favorite cast this year? What do you like about our shows and what suggestions do you have to make them better? I look forward to hearing from you.Here's to this being your best year ever! Happy New Year!

I have the real privilege of helping organizations around the world improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams. In 2008 we added a PMP Exam Prep offering to our mix to help project managers who want to get their Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.I have to say this while I can because it's only a matter of time before I won't be able to! So far, every one of our students who have attended our workshops and taken the PMP certification exam have passed! Now obviously I can't take too much credit for this track record because anyone who wants to pass the PMP exam must have a fair amount of experience to even apply. In addition, there's plenty of study required. That said, it's totally passable and we can help you.If you are a project manager and haven't yet pursued certification, I strongly recommend you consider making it a goal for the coming year. Click here to learn more about PMP certification.Now of course PMP certification is an obvious option, but did you know there are other well respected, if not as well known, project management certifications? In this cast you'll hear from Bill Duncan. If Bill's name isn't familiar, his work will be to many of you. Bill was the primary author of the original PMBOK® Guide and shares some helpful insights on certification and delivering successful projects.To learn more about the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management and the certification Bill talks about in this cast, check out http://www.asapm.org/blog.Would you like to help your organization improve its ability to deliver projects more reliably? Our project management series of workshops take well established project management practices and use proven adult learning methods to help you put them into action. Whether you're looking for certification for a selected group of PM's or helping your entire organization improve their project management competencies, our workshops and coaching can help you make a real improvement in the coming year.And here's a New Year's gift for you! Book one or more workshops before the end of January 2010 and we'll reduce the cost by 20%. Contact me toll-free at (866) 88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323) to learn more.I invite you to join us in 2 weeks when you'll hear my interview with best selling author John G. Miller. John is the author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life. John and I will talk about his soon-to-be-released book entitled Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional.Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! For my Jewish friends I trust you had a very Happy Hanukkah! And for my listeners celebrating Christmas this week, I wish you and those you love a very Merry Christmas! Have a great start to your New Year! Total Duration: 30:26 Download episode 18 "PMI and PMP" are trademarks, service marks or certification marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc., which is registered in the United States and other nations.Silent Night (Jazz Trio Version) Less Bass by John Stebbe. Used under Creative Commons License Attribution-No Derivative Works 1.0 Generic NOTE: This interview was revised on 4/30/2012 at the request of Mr. Duncan.

I have the real privilege of helping organizations around the world improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams. In 2008 we added a PMP Exam Prep offering to our mix to help project managers who want to get their Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.I have to say this while I can because it's only a matter of time before I won't be able to! So far, every one of our students who have attended our workshops and taken the PMP certification exam have passed! Now obviously I can't take too much credit for this track record because anyone who wants to pass the PMP exam must have a fair amount of experience to even apply. In addition, there's plenty of study required. That said, it's totally passable and we can help you.If you are a project manager and haven't yet pursued certification, I strongly recommend you consider making it a goal for the coming year. Click here to learn more about PMP certification.Now of course PMP certification is an obvious option, but did you know there are other well respected, if not as well known, project management certifications? In this cast you'll hear from Bill Duncan. If Bill's name isn't familiar, his work will be to many of you. Bill was the primary author of the original PMBOK® Guide and shares some helpful insights on certification and delivering successful projects.To learn more about the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management and the certification Bill talks about in this cast, check out http://www.asapm.org/blog.Would you like to help your organization improve its ability to deliver projects more reliably? Our project management series of workshops take well established project management practices and use proven adult learning methods to help you put them into action. Whether you're looking for certification for a selected group of PM's or helping your entire organization improve their project management competencies, our workshops and coaching can help you make a real improvement in the coming year.And here's a New Year's gift for you! Book one or more workshops before the end of January 2010 and we'll reduce the cost by 20%. Contact me toll-free at (866) 88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323) to learn more.I invite you to join us in 2 weeks when you'll hear my interview with best selling author John G. Miller. John is the author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life. John and I will talk about his soon-to-be-released book entitled Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional.Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! For my Jewish friends I trust you had a very Happy Hanukkah! And for my listeners celebrating Christmas this week, I wish you and those you love a very Merry Christmas! Have a great start to your New Year!"PMI and PMP" are trademarks, service marks or certification marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc., which is registered in the United States and other nations.Silent Night (Jazz Trio Version) Less Bass by John Stebbe. Used under Creative Commons License Attribution-No Derivative Works 1.0 Generic Download the episode

My middle son Zachary celebrates his 13th birthday later this month. Just this last week I was talking to a friend of his about the upcoming milestone. This friend, who is a couple years younger than Z, remarked, "Man, it seems like we just celebrated his birthday! Has another year gone by so quickly?"Ever get that feeling, especially as we get close to the end of another year? How did this year go by so fast?I had the opportunity to catch up with a close friend over a cup of coffee recently. He remarked that when he looked at the vice president level above him at his company, all he saw was more work, more stress, and less time with his family. Interestingly, he related "Most people at our company look up one level and say, 'You couldn't pay me enough to take that job! Life is too short!'"Maybe you can relate. Either you're already experiencing that frantic pace or you look at the next level and agree that the price on your life isn't worth pursuing a promotion.Certainly this reality hurts companies. They are losing leadership potential because they are losing perspective on what it means to allow people to live more balanced lives.But my concern with this episode isn't your company. It's you. It's my friend, and it's me. How can we take back our life when it seems that the pace of life is taking it from us?I was discussing this with my friend and colleague Kymme Lightfoot who is a consultant with McGhee Productivity Solutions. McGhee specializes in helping organizations with these very challenges and she hooked me up with partner John Witty. John is the author of Take Back Your Life! (Microsoft Press) and if you are looking for perspective to get a better handle on the demands of work and life, this episode's interview is especially designed for you.You can learn more about McGhee Productivity Solutions at http://www.mcgheeproductivity.com/.If you are interested in more information on this topic, here are some potential next steps: First, make sure to get a copy of John's book Take Back Your Life!. Here's a link to buy it on Amazon.com. Second, we have an audio CD entitled Beyond Time Management. The program is filled with practical lessons to help you get rid of piles at work and home, how to remember important things about people, how to stop forgetting things that need to be done, and much more. Listeners of this podcast can get 20% off by using a coupon code of "TAKETIME20" when ordering by 12/31/2009. Learn more at http://www.i-leadonline.com/BeyondTimeProduct.asp. I invite you to join us in 2 weeks when you'll hear my interview with Bill Duncan. If his name isn't familiar, chances are his work is if you are a project manager. Bill was the primary author of the original PMBOK(R) Guide, and we'll talk about certification beyond just what the Project Management Institute offers.Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Enjoy the discussion with John! Duration 27:10 Download episode 17

Download the episode Thanksgiving is, indeed, one of my favorite holidays. Though celebrated this week in the States, many other countries have a similar holiday with essentially the same purpose: give us a chance to reflect on what we're thankful for.The People and Projects Podcast is all about helping you to deliver projects and lead teams. So, it's worth asking: how important is being thankful to helping you lead and deliver?It's critical. In fact, let's test that out for a second....Think back through bosses you've worked for in the past. Or consider teachers you've had over the years, and perhaps even your parents. Out of that list, who jumps out as someone who was stingy, so to speak, with their gratitude towards you? Whether in word or action, they just didn't dish out appreciation very often.Can you think of someone? Many people can. What consequences come to mind that resulted from that lack of gratitude?Some two years ago I was talking with a CEO about how I like to send Thank You cards to people. He actively tried to convince me that such expressions of gratitude--especially in writing--were a waste of time, much like "holding hands and singing." He said, "People don't need a boss telling them 'Thank You'. Rather, results speak for themselves."Wow. I can only imagine what he's like to work for!Go back to your list. Get that ogre out of your mind and replace them with someone who did a great job of making you feel appreciated. Once again, whether in word or deed or both, they oozed with gratitude.What difference did they make? In my experience, those leaders are able to accomplish so much more. Their teams are more engaged. They can be more innovative because they are working less out of fear and more out of self-motivation. Expressing gratitude and recognizing others for the work they do is a clear mandate for anyone who desires to deliver projects and lead teams.Maybe it's the economy... Maybe it's the growing discontent among many that our political leaders are out of touch. There's no shortage of things to be upset about.So here's what I've found. Being thankful is a choice. It's something we need to proactively pursue to avoid being sucked into the whirlpool of negativity and entitlement that surrounds us.In recent years my company has sponsored a gratitude project called the World of Thanks initiative. Each year people from around the world write in to answer a very simple question: "What are you thankful for?"Though the answers vary widely, I always get great feedback from people about how they find it refreshing to take a moment to participate in the project as well as read the results from young and old alike.As many of you know, this year we opened it up for people to call in with their message so we could include their thoughts in this podcast. For all that called in or just replied to the invitations with messages on LinkedIn, Facebook, or e-mail, thank you for participating.And now, it is my pleasure to share with you the voices of your fellow podcast listeners as they answer the question, "What are you thankful for?" Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Ralph Heath is the author of Celebrating Failure: The Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes and Thinking Big. Just the name of the book made me want to interview Ralph! How often do you hear Celebrate and Failure in the same sentence? When things go wrong--even in a big way--what's a leader to do? Can we really celebrate failure without creating a culture of complacence? Could the way we react--such as firing someone in the name of accountability--actually create additional dysfunction? These are issues that Ralph wrestles with in his book. I look forward to your feedback on the interview with Ralph in this episode. Enjoy the podcast!

Download the episode I hear it all the time when people describe themselves in a work setting: "I'm a good problem-solver!" Are you a good problem-solver? I'm guessing you would say "Yes!"Well, guess what? According to Michael Roberto, author of Know What You Don't Know, maybe we're all focusing on the wrong thing. According to Michael, it's not about becoming better problem-solvers. We need to be better problem finders!I had the opportunity to catch up with Michael by phone recently and look forward to sharing that discussion with you in this cast.To learn more about Michael, I invite you to check out his blog at http://michael-roberto.blogspot.com/. Also, don't miss Michael's other highly recommended book, Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus.One way that project managers become better problem finders is through risk management. Have you ever been trained on how to more effectively manage risks?I have an e-learning module entitled What You Need to Know About Risk Management. You can learn how to use risk management to become a better problem finder and earn two PDUs while you're at it.And as a thanks for listening to The People and Projects Podcast, you can save $20 off the $49.95 list price. Just use a coupon code of PODCAST1009 when you order. Go to http://www.i-leadonline.com/eRiskMgtWorkshop.asp to learn more.Before we wrap-up, may I ask you a favor? I invite you to tell a friend or colleague about The People and Projects Podcast. I continue to be amazed at how many people still haven't started using podcasts as part of the professional development strategy. Send them a link or tell them how to find us on iTunes. Thank you very much!Thanks for joining us for this episode. Enjoy the cast!

Download the episode Hello! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast. I'm over in Europe this week facilitating a project management workshop for a great international company. Though I'm thousands of miles from home in a culture and language that is notably different from my own, I find a couple things remain the same: if you want to deliver projects and lead teams anywhere in this world, you're going to have to deal with conflict and organizational politics. It's just a reality of working with people. When I think of politics with projects, I think of my colleague Brian Irwin, PMP. Brian is the author of Managing Politics and Conflict in Projects, published by Management Concepts and is a contributing author to the book The 77 Deadly Sins of Project Management (Management Concepts, 2009). I had the opportunity to talk with Brian recently and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. How well prepared are you to handle the conflicts that are facing you today? I find that too few leaders have sufficiently developed their ability to navigate the inevitable conflict that comes with their role. Because of the popularity of our current promotion, I'm extending the discount on our conflict e-learning program. Just use a coupon code of OCT-ROCK-50OFF and you will get $50 off a license. Instead of $149, you can get your hands on this practical learning to help you manage conflict more effectively for only $99. This offer is valid through November 15, 2009. Have some left over training budget yet this year? Invest in your ability to navigate conflict. Contact me at podcast@i-leadonline.com to learn more. Make sure to pick up a copy of Brian Irwin's book, and don't miss Brian's articles on ProjectConnections.com. How about letting your friends and colleagues know about The People and Projects Podcast! Send them a link to our web page at www.i-leadonline.com/podcast, or have them look us up on iTunes! It would be a privilege for me to help develop their ability to lead and deliver as well. Thank you for joining me today! Have a great week! We'll see you next time on The People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode Chances are as a leader you'll be faced with having to give someone constructive feedback this week. Yet have you noticed how people often aren't quite as open to the feedback as you'd like them to be?Chris Hogan, who talks about a process called Courageous Conversations, says the key when you're receiving feedback is to avoid blaming, complaining, and explaining. That's courageous advice, for sure, and easier said than done.Charles Jacobs recently released a book entitled Management Rewired: Why Feedback Doesn't Work and Other Surprising Lessons from the Latest Brain Science. Whether it's giving feedback, leading change, or other challenges that face leaders, Charles has some helpful insights based on the most recent brain science.I was able to catch up with Charles recently while he was relaxing in the Caribbean! Enjoy the interview! To learn more about Charles, I invite you to check out his website at http://www.managementrewired.com/.I consistently hear from my executive coaching clients that navigating conflict is a real challenge. Because of that I created an engaging e-learning offering entitled Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Deal With Conflict More Effectively. As a thank you for listening to this podcast, you can get $50 off the cost of a license. Instead of $149, you can get your hands on this practical learning to help you manage conflict more effectively for only $99. Just use the coupon code of OCT-ROCK-50OFF.Hey, if you're enjoying our podcast episodes I invite you to tell your friends and colleagues! They can listen on the web at http://www.i-leadonline.com/podcast or on iTunes at http://bit.ly/ppcast.If you have a follow-up question, or if you'd like to get a free copy of Charles' book, send an e-mail to podcast@i-leadonline.com. A copy of Management Rewired will go out to the first person who requests it!Thanks for joining us for this edition of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Download the episode Being an effective leader of people and projects can often come down to having a good nose... Being able to sense that something just doesn't smell quite right!Learning to develop your ability to "sniff out problems" or "spot the tells"--those indications there are issues needing attention--is a key leadership skill developed through years of experience.It's also a theme of Susan Scott's new book released just this week entitled Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business Today. I'm an enthusiastic admirer of Susan's book Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time and had the opportunity to catch up with Susan during this busy week of launching her new best seller.Would you like a free copy of Fierce Leadership? Just be the first person to contact me at podcast@i-leadonline.com. Also, if you haven't read Susan's book Fierce Conversations, here's a link to pick up a copy on Amazon.com.Do you have a friend or colleague who would benefit from interviews such as this one with Susan Scott? I invite you to send them a link to our podcast home page or to subscribe on iTunes.Special thanks to Susan Scott for joining us today! You can learn more about Susan and her company at http://www.fierceinc.com/. And thank you for joining us for this edition of The People and Projects Podcast!Enjoy the cast!

Download the episode You've heard the terms Generation X and Generation Y. There are plenty of stereotypes associated with each term. Yet when you're responsible for leading a team that spans generations, it's easy to struggle with challenges that vary from attention spans to how to best motivate and recognize accomplishment.Or maybe you are working for a younger boss. He or she is the age of one of your adult kids! What are some ideas to keep in mind to help you manage your younger boss?When I'm looking for insights into leading across generations, I turn to one of the foremost experts on young people in the workplace: Bruce Tulgan. Bruce is the author of Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y. You'll find my interview with Bruce in this cast helpful as you seek to lead today's workforce.Click here to order Not Everyone Gets a Trophy on Amazon.com. Also, I invite you to check out Bruce's organization: Rainmaker Thinking. I enjoy getting Bruce's video newsletter each week and recommend it to you and your team.In our last cast I announced a drawing for two copies of Phil Simon's book Why New Systems Fail. The two winners are Renee Klivickis and Bob Sims! Congratulations to you both!Would you like a chance to get a copy of Bruce Tulgan's book Not Everyone Gets a Trophy? Just send an e-mail to podcast@i-leadonline.com. Please include your name and where you live. Put "Book drawing" in the subject line. I'll draw two winners from those who respond by September 10.Make sure you listen to the end of this cast to learn about the special discount I'm offering for my e-learning on managing conflict. You can save $50 off the price of one license and $130 off a 3-pack. Just use a coupon code of PODCAST0909 when you order. Visit http://bit.ly/ConflictElearning to learn more about the training.Enjoy the cast!

Download the episode Think about the last really big project you were involved with.... How would you describe how it went?Smooth?Flawless?Exactly as planned?That's not what I usually hear from customers and colleagues! Rather, I'm more apt to hear responses such as "Challenged", "Stressed", or "Lots of changes!"We continue to learn so much about how to run projects and yet new projects--often those really large ones--continue to struggle.In our project management workshops we spend extended time on those factors that most contribute to project success and failure to help arm project managers, sponsors, and team members. In this episode of the People and Projects Podcast, you'll hear from one my go-to people when it comes to understanding project success and failure: Phil Simon.Phil is the author of the acclaimed book Why New Systems Fail: Theory and Practice Collide. If you have a large scale project kicking off soon, I strongly recommend you contact Phil to see how his organization can help you avoid the many landmines he lays out in his book. You can learn more about Phil at his website: http://www.philsimonsystems.com/.Phil has generously made 2 autographed copies of his book available for a drawing! Just send me an e-mail with your name and where you live. Put "Book drawing" in the subject of your e-mail and you'll automatically be entered into the drawing. On August 31 I'll select two names from those who respond.Thank you for listening to the People and Projects Podcast! I invite you to tell your friends and colleagues about us. Some of the best free learning available these days is on podcasts, and it would be a real pleasure for me to share these interviews with those you know. You can subscribe to the People and Projects Podcast on iTunes by going to http://bit.ly/ppcast.Here's to your project success!

Download the episode Over the years I've not only worked on a lot of projects. I've also sat through a lot of project management training and read plenty of books. Have you ever noticed that projects are a lot easier to manage in a class than in the real world?Unfortunately a lot of training and books are filled with theory that can be difficult to apply when you leave the material and run head-on into the wall of reality. That's why my organization works diligently in our keynotes and workshops to keep them as practical as possible so participants leave with skills that can be applied, not just knowledge that works on a white board!There's also the problem of scale. It's one thing to manage a single project or a couple small projects. But what about the big ones--the extreme projects where uncertainty runs high and so do the stakes. That's the realm where many of us live so this episode is all about managing extreme projects.My favorite extreme project management guru is Doug DeCarlo, author of the book eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility. I had the opportunity to catch up with Doug recently and look forward to your feedback after you listen to my interview with him in this episode.A major part of project success comes down to relationships: with stakeholders, team members, and sponsors. In fact, just about everything in business and life comes down to relationships. That is the main point of our keynote entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business. What is the dirty little secret of business? It's all done on relationships. Whether we're talking about your individual success or that of your company, chances are it is heavily dependent on the strength of relationships.I'd love to share this keynote at your organization. If you have an upcoming company or department gathering, offsite retreat, or association meeting, give me call to explore how The Dirty Little Secret of Business keynote can put an exclamation point on your event!Thank you for listening to The People and Projects Podcast! If you enjoy this free resource I invite you to get the word out to friends and colleagues that would benefit. Also, please send me a note to let me know what you're learning from each episode. You can reach me by e-mail at podcast@i-leadonline.com.Enjoy the interview!

Download the episode Let's face it: it's challenging enough to lead and deliver when your team is all together in one location! The problems compound when team members are distributed across multiple locations and perhaps even time zones.When is the best time to meet? How often? How can we help this team truly work together and feel like a team? It's a real challenge for those who desire to excel at delivering projects and leading teams in today's virtual workplace.I've had to learn many lessons the hard way while managing distributed teams that include offshore development. What I've learned over the years is this: great teams, whether located together or spread out across the globe, don't just happen. We have to absolutely be intentional about forming, developing, and maintaining them. If we don't we always leave much needed productivity on the table.These days when I'm looking for fresh insights on virtual teams and leadership I turn to my colleague Dr. Karen Sobel Lojeski, author of Uniting the Virtual Workforce: Transforming Leadership and Innovation in the Globally Integrated Enterprise. Her views on leadership and team development in a virtual world are always timely and insightful. I look forward to your feedback on my interview with her in this episode.You can learn more about Karen and her company at http://www.virtualdistance.com/.A major part of team effectiveness comes down to relationships. In fact, just about everything in business and life comes down to relationships, which is the main point of our keynote presentation entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business. Though the title sounds provocative, the message is clear: whether we're talking about your individual success or that of your company, chances are it is heavily dependent on the strength of relationships.Contact me at andy@i-leadonline.com or toll-free at 866-884-5323 to learn more about how this keynote can put an exclamation point on your upcoming company or department gathering, offsite retreat, or association meeting.And here's a big thank you to you! Baseline magazine rated the People and Projects Podcast one of the Ten Must-Listen To podcasts regarding project management. If you're getting value from these episodes, take a moment to tell your friends and colleagues!Thank you for listening to the People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode "I don't have enough time!"It's a common refrain. Whether from participants in a workshop or over a cup of coffee with a coaching client, I'm constantly working with people who are struggling to stay on top of their commitments.Though I help others on the topic all the time, managing my own time is a continual challenge. The interview you'll hear in this episode was recorded a month ago. It's taken until now for me to carve out enough time to bring it to you.It's a universal challenge for most professionals today: How can we get everything done when there's just not enough time to do it?When I'm looking for insights on managing my time, I head to my friend and colleague Jason Womack. Jason is a great source of inspiration and fresh ideas for me when it comes to personal productivity.To learn more about Jason, I invite you to visit his website at http://www.jasonwomack.com/. Or just Google Jason's name and you'll find helpful articles and videos online.At the end of this cast you'll learn how to save 50% on our e-learning offering entitled "5 Keys to Getting More Done with Less Stress". Just use the coupon code "E-TIME-50" when you checkout.Thanks for listening to the People and Projects podcast! Contact me at andy@i-leadonline.com or toll-free at 866-884-5323 for ideas on how to help you and your team get more done with less stress.

  So take a look around you. How engaged would you say the people are in your organization?Each workplace is unique but here's a dose of reality: Some research shows only 29% of North American employees are fully engaged. That's a lot of productivity being left on the table.Particularly during challenging economic times, it's essential for our teams to be fully engaged and committed to project and organizational success. But how are they going to go the extra mile if they aren't engaged?One of my heroes in business over the years is Kenneth W. Thomas. If you've sat through any of my leadership or conflict management sessions, you've likely heard me refer to Ken. His research and writing on managing conflict has significantly impacted me. Ken is a co-author of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI).Ken is also the author of the new book Intrinsic Motivation at Work: What Really Drives Employee Engagement, published by Berrett-Koehler and ASTD. This book is an easy read: informal yet packed with great insights to help you engage your teams.Whether it's Ken's work on conflict or engaging the workforce, Ken is a clear and strong voice that offers not only words of wisdom but also practical tools to help us lead through conflict with engaged teams.I had the opportunity to catch up with Ken recently to get his insights on all this, including the new Work Engagement Profile. This easy-to-use profile provides excellent insights to understand how engaged you and your team are to help put together a plan to re-engage.Most organizations could benefit from practical learning about how to manage conflict. Contact me today to learn about the TKI assessment. We can help you and your organization better understand how to productively navigate conflict. Learn more at http://www.i-leadonline.com/tki.asp. For hospitals who need to comply with the Joint Commission standard LD.2.40, I invite you to visit http://www.healthcare-conflict-management.com/tki-assessments.html to learn more how we can help you.Another way to take a next step from this podcast: contact me about Ken's new Work Engagement Profile. I can walk you and your team through the profile, and facilitate a plan to re-engage your workforce during these challenging times.Finally, don't forget the special offer in the podcast. It can be tempting to think "Andy's other listeners have already picked up those free books or assessments. I won't get in touch with him."Send me an e-mail at andy@i-leadonline.com or call toll-free at 866-88 I-LEAD. You just might pick up a freebie!Thanks for listening to The People and Projects Podcast! Enjoy the interview!How Engaged Are Your Teams? Got Conflict? A conversation with Kenneth W. Thomas, author of "Intrinsic Motivation at Work" Total Duration: 32:42 Download episode 5

Download the episode You're presenting in a meeting or perhaps in front of a group. What is it that makes you more believable? More engaging? More trustworthy? The topic for today's cast is the key to charisma. Many people think you either have the charisma gene or you don't. Tony Robbins? He got it. Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Not so much!But is it purely a matter of genetics? Is there hope for those of us whose family tree didn't bless them with the charisma gene?After coaching hundreds of executives I'm here to tell you there's hope for us all! Charisma is not two-state: you either have it or not. There are practical skills that you can develop to improve your ability to develop rapport and trust with people.And let's face it. This is a critical skill to develop. As I often say, the "dirty little secret of business is that it's all done on relationships." To succeed we need to be able to convince our boss, key stakeholders, or customers to support our ideas. Being authentic, engaging, and trustworthy is foundational to our ability to influence.Similarly, to be successful we need to be able to detect when someone is not being straight with us. I've often said that sometimes being an effective project manager (or leader) is having a good nose.... By that I mean: "Hmmm... something doesn't smell right!" Developing our instincts to know when we're being told the truth or not can be an important part of our development as an effective leader.So, how can we be more authentic and engaging when we are communicating? That's the subject of the book Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma, written by communication guru Dr. Nick Morgan. A major focus of Dr. Morgan's work is aligning our verbals with our non-verbals--a subject that many of you will have heard me discuss if you've participated in one of my project management or leadership workshops. It's a vital component of effective communication--so simple in concept--yet too often not practiced.In the interview with Dr. Nick Morgan you will hear about the offer for a free DVD of a recent presentation he made on this topic at Harvard. I highly recommend you snag a copy for yourself--something for you and perhaps even to show to your team. These will go fast so send me an e-mail today at andy@i-leadonline.com to get your copy.Hey, quick question: how satisfied are you with how your organization delivers projects? We have a series of three workshops that might be exactly what your organization needs. Our Essentials of Project Management workshop helps you, your teams, and even stakeholders get on the same page when it comes to delivering projects. We're regularly told people learn more in two days than they have in any previous workshop on the topic of project management. Our Advanced Project Management and PMP Prep workshops take the next step in helping you and your organization deliver results. Give us a call toll-free at 866-88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323) or check out our website at http://www.i-leadonline.com/ for more information.Thanks for listening to The People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode Clearly we are a culture of jugglers.Whether working with my executive coaching clients or talking with participants in our keynotes and workshops, without a doubt most people are feeling overwhelmed with too much to do and not enough time to do it.So we multitask. Or so we think.One of my favorite books from last year is Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina. I'm a card carrying geek in a number of categories, one of which is learning about how the brain works.Just think how much better we could learn, communicate, influence, and more if we really understood how the brain operated. That's what Brain Rules is all about.One of my favorite lines from the book says, "If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle!" Though you can find plenty of pundits that will pontificate about the collaborative benefits of cubes, I've yet to find a brain expert that backs that up!As the subtitle of the book states, Brain Rules has 12 principles to help people better understand how the brain works. The 4th rule is Attention: We don't pay attention to boring things. Dr. Medina discusses how we are better at seeing patterns and abstracting the meaning of an event than we are at recording details. He also illustrates how emotional arousal helps the brain learn--emotions help keep our attention and burn the memory in.But Dr. Medina's discussion on multitasking is what really caught my attention. Bottom line: the brain's attentional spotlight can focus on only on thing at a time. There is no such thing as multitasking.You and I might argue, "How can this be? I'm multitasking all the time!" Dr. Medina goes into all the brain scientist geek material to back up his assertion. And here's why it all matters. Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50 percent longer to accomplish a task. Not only that, he or she makes up to 50 percent more errors.I say this fully aware that you might be listening to this cast while you're driving. Be careful as it's not just cell phone calls that distract you while driving!Whether in the car or in the workplace, distractions are taking their toll. As someone who is passionately interested in helping people get more done with less stress, this whole topic strikes a nerve with me.Which leads me to another recommended brain book entitled The Myth of Multitasking, written by Dave Crenshaw.Dave is our guest on this cast and shares insights on why multitasking actually hurts our productivity. During the interview Dave encourages you to take a free multitasking test on his website at:http://www.davecrenshaw.com/andykaufmanDon't miss the free offer at the end of the cast! Here's to a very focused day for you! Thank you for subscribing to the People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode How important is executive support to your ability to deliver? The answer is: probably even more important than you realize!Nearly every list of contributing factors to project success or failure has some mention of the importance of executive support or project sponsorship as a key factor.The idea is that if you have the support of your sponsor (or management chain), you're much more likely to deliver successfully.Of course that is often easier said than done. Effective project sponsorship is often rare in most organizations, which is why I'm looking forward to you learning from this episode's guest: Alfonso Bucero. Alfonso is the founder and Managing Director of BUCERO PM Consulting (www.abucero.com), based in Madrid, Spain. Alfonso is a frequent speaker at International PM Congresses and Symposiums and has authored multiple books.In this episode we talk about insights shared in his recent book (co-authored with Randall L. Englund) entitled Project Sponsorship: Achieving Management Commitment for Project Success (Jossey-Bass Business & Management).You'll get insights into what a sponsor is, why the role is critical to project success, and why sponsors often aren't doing what we need them to do on our projects. In addition, Alfonso will share ideas for engaging your sponsor and, if you are a sponsor, how you can engage with your project managers.Also, this podcast refers to a special discount for our Horizon Time newsletter and podcast subscribers. You can get $50 USD off our e-learning on managing conflict by using a Coupon Code of ROCK-50OFF. Click here to learn more about our e-learning on managing conflict named Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Manage Conflict More Effectively.

Download the episode A common theme across my executive coaching clients is related to networking. Often it comes down to the sense there's not enough time to network."Nice idea but I'm too busy!"But when I, as a coach, push back on this bias, here's what I find: It's not a time issue. Rather, it's a perception issue. We prioritize those things that we perceive will provide the best return for our attention.Bottom-line: networking is often not perceived as sufficiently valuable to justify the investment of time. Social networking tools provide a technology to facilitate networking. But what are some ways to use these most effectively? How can I make sure I don't waste my time with them? This podcast discusses strategies to help you more actively leverage the power of social networking to enhance your career and improve your ability to lead and deliver.If you're listening to this prior to January 29, 2009, please join us for the free webcast entitled It's All About Relationships: Strategies for Leveraging Social Networking.Also, this podcast refers to a special discount for our Horizon Time newsletter and podcast subscribers. You can get $50 USD off our e-learning on managing conflict by using a Coupon Code of ROCK-50OFF. Click here to learn more about our e-learning on managing conflict named Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Manage Conflict More Effectively.