Manage This - The Project Management Podcast

In this episode, Velociteach instructor Frank Polack shares lessons from projects that went off the rails, exploring the warning signs, leadership missteps, and risk blind spots that often lead to failure. Discover why project failures can be valuable learning experiences.

AI is making teams faster, but is it helping them deliver more value? In this episode, Galen Low explores why organizations must move beyond productivity and focus on outcomes. We discuss how AI is reshaping project management, the importance of questioning whether work should be done at all, and the evolving role of project leaders in orchestrating people, technology, and results in a rapidly changing world.

AI is rapidly reshaping project management, pushing routine tasks to automation and elevating the need for human judgment. Peter Taylor warns that this shift may create The Invisible Project Manager, a role focused less on administration and more on strategic leadership, influence, and ethical decision-making as PMs learn to guide AI driven work.

Yadi Caro shares insights from her book Hardcore Soft Skills: A Guide to Work With Humans. We discuss empathy, leadership, communication, team motivation, and strategies for building more effective project teams.

Even the most complex challenges can be overcome when teams stay aligned, adaptable, and focused on a shared mission. Tammy Ashraf shares lessons from NASA Earth Science missions on leading complex, high-stakes projects. She discusses aligning diverse teams, spotting early warning signs, breaking down silos, and managing uncertainty, along with the evolving role of AI and the human skills still essential for project success.

Trevor Smith shares about advanced composite materials designed to protect satellites and astronauts from hypervelocity impacts. He discusses building for impact with rapid prototyping, phased project delivery, and team culture in innovation. We also learn about space-based data centers and Atomic-6’s Light Wing™ deployable space structure platform.

Practical strategies for leading meetings that improve decision-making, strengthen team participation, and drive better project outcomes. In this conversation Evan Unger explores tools like the POPRA model, techniques for managing conflict and encouraging diverse perspectives, and how humble, curious leadership can create healthier and more productive team dynamics.