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In this episode, I explain the concepts of Cost Planning and Cost Control, highlighting the difference between the two and how they are applied by the project manager to achieve the goal of the project.

Cost planning is the process of estimating the cost of a project before it starts, based on the estimated costs of its smaller components. Cost control is the process of monitoring and controlling the cost of a project and its progress by comparing the actual costs with estimates and making adjustments when necessary. PRINCE2 methodology offers at least a 10% buffer which is a contingency project for unforeseen cost changes. Also, considering the MoSCoW method (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have); pivotal considerations must be made before any adjustments to a project. 

A good project manager must be aware of the cost planning for the project. This starts with a detailed assessment of the project scope as it is crucial to stick to the scope to avoid "scope creep" The goal of cost planning is to provide an accurate estimate which may not be the exact price but can be used to develop a budget. A well-executed cost plan helps to identify cost savings and areas where additional funding may be required. 

Cost control is an ongoing process that begins once a project is underway; it involves regular monitoring of the actual cost against the estimated cost. There are fixed costs which usually stay the same and variable costs which fluctuate more. Identifying these costs helps the project manager anticipate likely changes and make adjustments to keep the project on track.

Cost control requires ongoing cooperation between the project manager and the client. The project manager must make recommendations as needed. The team should also be aware of the budget and keep its costs in line with the budget. 

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In this episode, I talk about Neurodiversity Celebration Week, highlighting the aim of this celebration and how everyone can take part in supporting neurodivergent individuals.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an annual event that takes place during the third week of March. The goal is to celebrate the strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals including those with ADHD, dyslexia, and others. Neurodiversity is not a disorder or disability but a difference in thinking that can bring innovative ideas to society. 

To be able to celebrate neurodiversity, you need to learn more about it, and find out the unique strengths and challenges of different conditions that fall under it. This helps break down stigma and stereotypes. You can also advocate for inclusion and accessibility for neurodivergent people, including flexible working arrangements, assistive tools, and friendly environments. Attending or even hosting neurodivergent events such as webinars or workshops, is another way to join the celebration. This would aid in spreading awareness about neurodiversity. 

Sarah is offering a six-week coaching program for neurodivergent and neurotypical professionals who want to improve their career prospects or get into project management and take the PRINCE2 practitioner exam. 

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Richard Peachey from an organization called Neurodiversity Celebration Week (NCW). Richard is the NCW coordinator and his work involves organizing events, updating the website, and working with NCW partners from Lexxic which is a top UK neurodiversity organization. 

NCW was founded in 2018 by Sienna who is also neurodivergent. She wanted to start a social movement aimed at changing the narrative from the medical model. This is particularly important because of the language used to describe neurodiversity including words like disorder, disability, or deficiency. The term "Neurodiversity" was coined by Judy Singer.

Celebrating neurodiversity is a matter of pride as much as it is done to reveal the work required in this space. Scientific research puts neurodiversity at approximately 15 to 20% of the population and with the disparity surrounding neurodiverse folks, there is a need to change the narrative. Interestingly, lots of people who are neurodivergent do not keep full-time jobs; this is why they are likely to run their companies instead. NCW focuses a lot on education and now there is an inclination toward the justice system because there is a higher percentage of neurodivergent prisoners compared to their percentage in the world as a whole.

From the 13th of March, Monday morning, NC Week kicks off with conversations on the importance of celebrating neurodiversity including a panel on adapting to neurodiversity in the workplace. One of these panels will discuss the benefits of neurodiversity and the second will discuss creating a neuro-inclusive culture which is about identifying tools and working environments that help people function seamlessly. Also, there will be panels on education; creating a neuro-inclusive classroom, and supporting neurodivergent learners. Research has shown that neurodivergent workers were 42 percent more effective than neurotypical graduates.

Resources Mentioned
●      Learn more about the Neurodiversity Celebration Week
●      Reach out to NCW on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram
●      Find out about the upcoming Neurodiversity Celebration Week events
●      Connect with Sarah on Instagram: @divineenigma
●      Connect episode on YouTube 

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Today’s true crime episode focuses on Derek William Bentley who was born on the 30th of June 1933 in London, England, and was the youngest of six children. From the age of 19, he was unable to work due to epilepsy. In the 1950s, he was charged with murder after a failed burglary attempt resulted in the death of a police officer. Despite evidence to the contrary, he was sentenced to death. This case raised questions and debates on the use of capital punishment, hence his sentence was changed to life imprisonment following which he passed on in prison from “natural causes” which in fact meant death by hanging but was only described as “natural” because such death was natural based on the gravity of the alleged crime. Derek's case continues to be studied and serves as a reminder of the importance of a fair and just criminal system.

The events of 2nd November 1952 led to his incarceration; Derek was in fact involved in a burglary attempt at a warehouse in South London where a police officer was shot and killed by Derek's accomplice, Christopher Craig. Bentley did not have a weapon or fire the shot but was arrested and charged with murder. His trial lasted just four days, after which he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Irrespective of a petition for clemency signed by over 100,000 people as well as the lack of evidence that Bentley fired the shot, the authorities hanged Bentley in accordance with the sentence. Bentley's case is often cited as an example of the harshness of the British justice system at the time.

In 1998, Bentley was granted a posthumous pardon by the Home Secretary who said that there was serious doubt about Bentley's guilt. 

Sarah believes that Bentley was autistic and as such, unable to speak for himself at a time when neurodiversity was poorly understood. Some autistic people are highly intelligent but are unable to speak. Had people understood this neurodiversity, Bentley may not have been killed. Because of cases like this, the death penalty has been abolished. It is important to take extra effort to listen to neurodiverse people who may not be able to communicate well. 

Resources Mentioned

●      Connect with Sarah on Instagram: @divineenigma

●      Find out about the upcoming neurodiversity week events

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Jacob is an advocate for a type of neurodiversity called ADHD, helping people and parents navigate the journey. He had been diagnosed with ADHD at age 14, and now uses his platform to highlight positive and inspirational people with ADHD, also providing resources for them. 

As a dad with ADHD, he has had to figure out ways to process a routine when kids struggle with routines. Sleep is particularly important in ADHD because lack of it precipitates more symptoms.

Jacob had initially been diagnosed with dyslexia as a kid, after which ADHD was diagnosed and he started medication.

He had not shared much about his ADHD until his wife got pregnant, and he felt the need to interact with other parents having the same neurodiversity.
ADHD in ladies can be quite subtle which causes the diagnosis to often be made much later in life.

Medication is not compulsory for all ADHD cases because they present differently. For Jacob, it was crucial so he didn't get in trouble.

As a child, Jacob was energetic, creative, and inquisitive. As a teenager, he was isolated, masked, and ignored. Today, as an adult he is thankful, hopeful, and passionate.

●      Connect with Jacob on Instagram@adhdfatheruk

●      Connect with Jacob on Twitter @adhdfatheruk

●      Watch this episode on YouTube

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The first step to overcoming career trauma is to identify the root cause and try to process them in a healthy way. If it was caused by discontent with your current career path, it may be necessary to change your field. If your trauma was caused by being passed up for a promotion or negative work interactions, then consider switching companies while also finding out areas you can improve on. Additionally, nurture other aspects of your life as it can help with managing career trauma. 

Race, disability, and gender are aspects of our life we have little control over, yet they have a major impact on career success. Despite the beliefs of others, it is important to love and respect yourself, and believe in your ability to achieve your goals. Focusing on what you have rather than what you don't have can be the mindset shift you need to succeed. Learn to be consistent in preparing yourself for success and you will be ready once the opportunity comes. Having a vision for your life also helps keep you focused.

As difficult as it might be, the first step to finding a solution is coming to terms with the reality that these issues will always exist. It is crucial to realize that this is not your fault. Another way to address obstacles is to have an open dialogue to find out why you are not getting that promotion. This may or may not work but is worth a shot. 

Try to find courses that help you get better at negotiating and managing people. Sarah is currently reading two books; "Who Moved My Cheese" which discusses change management, and "The Culture Map" which talks about navigating international projects. Listeners who want her to review these books on the podcast can reach out. Most importantly, prospective project managers looking to get promoted need to actively invest in their growth. 

A six-week coaching program will be starting soon for neurodivergent people who want to improve their career prospects or get into project management. Sarah is also offering support to people who want to take their PRINCE2 exams as she successfully passed hers. Interested listeners can reach out to her directly.

For the coaching plan please email, website and social media coming soon!
[email protected]

●      "Who Moved My Cheese" Book by Spencer Johnson M.D.

●      "The Culture Map" Book by Erin Meyer

• PeopleCert
• APMG
• AXELOS
• PMI for PMP

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I discuss the concept of Unfair Advantages and Privileges; how these show up in the everyday life of people, both personally and professionally, with reference to the role of a positive mindset in determining how they play out either as an obstacle or a superpower in our lives.

At every stage of life, we often face challenges we have to surmount to move forward while we gain new knowledge. Having a positive mindset can have a tremendous impact on how we approach the challenges in our lives and our ability to overcome those issues over time. Not everyone can achieve and maintain a positive mindset, and this was discussed in the book "The Unfair Advantage". Reading this book helped Sarah realize that neurodiversity can be used to help people get further in life if they can get a better grasp of how they work, as well as how to harness this knowledge to their advantage. It is important to focus on factors within our control and understand that obstacles can be a blessing if we simply change our perspective.

An unfair advantage is defined as a condition, asset, or circumstance that puts a person in a favorable position in their life.Everyone has a unique set of unfair advantages based on their life circumstances, and no two people can have the same combination of unfair advantages. However, the reality of unfair advantages is dependent on perspective and how people decide to use their resources.

The difference between an unfair advantage and a privilege is that an advantage is a benefit from personal life circumstances, while a privilege is a benefit from a systemic perspective that categorizes people based on traits like gender or race. For example, while family wealth is an advantage, being a white male is more of a privilege. Privileges are usually more structural and based on physical characteristics or nationality.

It is easier to focus on the negative aspects of your life but it does not help you move forward. Self-belief with the understanding of your strengths and weaknesses creates the drive to move forward towards your set goals.

Sarah is currently planning a six-week program for neurodivergent people. She hopes to help them see their neurodiversity in a positive light, and improve career prospects, as well as job efficiency.  Sarah would also help people looking to get into project management by familiarizing them with important related terminologies. In this program, she would be offering guidance to those about to write the PRINCE 2.

For the coaching plan please email, website and social media coming soon!
[email protected]
Resources Mentioned
●      "The Unfair Advantage" Book by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba. 

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The PRINCE2 quality review is to assess the conformity of a product against quality criteria, assess product quality, and confirm that the product is ready for approval. 

The role of Review teams is to ensure that the review is undertaken properly. The presenter introduces the product for review and represents the producers of the product.

Reviewers should ensure to avoid personalizing issues, operate as a team and defer to specialist areas where necessary. Also, they should not introduce trivial issues like grammatical errors at reviews; this takes off some of the pressure from people with dyslexia. Reviewers should also come well-prepared. Too much time should not be given for responses as this may invite too many comments. Generally speaking, even having too many meetings is not necessary; Shopify, for example, has taken practical steps to cancel recurring meetings deemed unnecessary. There should be a complete focus on the main product, not related products. 

PRINCE2 defines a project as a temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed business case. 

Resources Mentioned
●      The PRINCE2 book; “Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2” by Axelos.

●      The “PRINCE2 Study Guide” by David Hinde

●      Shopify cancels all meeting with more than two people to free up workers’ time
● PeopleCert

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In this episode, I delve deep into the PRINCE2 guidelines, focusing on Quality and different crucial topics that surround it in project management.

PRINCE2 stands for Projects In Controlled Environments. It is a project management methodology that provides a framework for managing and delivering projects in a structured way. It is recognized and used in government and corporate spaces in the UK and internationally. 

PRINCE2 is divided into 7 processes; starting a project, directing the project, initiating the project, controlling the stage, managing product delivery, managing a stage boundary, and loading a project. 

PRINCE2 can also be used alongside Agile methodologies

From Chapter 8 of the guide; the purpose of the quality theme is to implement the means by which the project will verify that products are fit for purpose. Underestimating this can lead to slippage, overspending, or poor quality results.  The quality theme addresses the quality methods and responsibilities for the management of the project. Terms used to talk about the quality are sometimes interpreted interchangeably which can lead to misunderstandings. PRINCE2 uses specific terminology derived from the ISO 9000 Standard but aimed specifically initially at project work

Quality is the degree to which set and inherent characteristics of a product, service, process, person, organization, system or resource fulfill requirements. Quality management refers to coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to quality. 

A baseline is a reference level against which an entity is monitored and controlled. Baseline products can be changed and altered but they must get signed off before presentation to stakeholders

A daily planner with several features is available on Sarah's website which would help with reviews from time to time. 

●      The PRINCE2 book; “Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2” by Axelos.

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Our guest today is Toni, a neurodiversity coach based in Northampton, Massachusetts. She spent most of her life in the social service sector working with oppressed individuals and populations including people with developmental disabilities. She realized her love for coaching and started coaching neurodivergent individuals. Neurodiversity was a term coined because many of the deficits were under neurological minorities, and the term was a way to destigmatize individuals with such deficits Autism and ADHD.

Research shows that there are specific coaching techniques that are beneficial to neurodiverse people. An example is asking the person to define two SMART goals they want to work on, and evaluate their progress every eight weeks. 

Sarah observed that coming to terms with her neurodiversity made life easier as she didn't have to mask the condition anymore, which is something a lot of neurodiverse people still do. This can be so exhausting that it causes burnout. 

For a new client starting with Toni, the first step would be a discovery call to determine if trust can be established, and to explain what coaching entails. Following this, they would get help with setting goals towards self-improvement to be the best version of themselves while also learning in-depth about their neurodiversity. 

Neurodiverse people have many major qualities that can easily be overlooked or, in some cases, misjudged. They can be very intelligent, passionate, caring, loyal, empathetic to a point of sensory overload, and have a lot of integrity that does not give room for much diplomacy. However, they can be reluctant to get other points of view which gets them stuck. 

Toni has also struggled with chronic depression, anxiety, and alcohol addictions. Based on this, she can relate to the typical challenges of neurodiverse individuals. 
Resources Mentioned

●      “Rain Man” movie on Amazon

●      Connect with Toni on her website: www.tonibator.com

●      Connect with Toni on LinkedIn & Facebook

●      Watch this  clip of Rainman  on YouTube

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