Practical Project Management

Today we speak with Stephen Adams, a mergers and acquisitions program manager with an MIS degree and over 20 years of experience in project management. In this episode, Stephen and I discuss project management versus project leadership, servant leadership, the importance of communication, and discuss the question, “who is the primary stakeholder?”

Please enjoy!

A Marine veteran, Brent Griffith has been a manager at Boeing for 19 years.  Fourteen of those years were spent managing quality control teams while the other five years were spent managing an organization of approximately 60 persons (managers, engineers, and technicians) responsible for maintaining the measuring and inspection technology and equipment used in the manufacture of aircraft.

These skills make him an excellent authority on today’s subject matter.  Join us today as Brent and I discuss Quality Assurance, Employee Knowledge as an Asset, Customer Expectations and Project Costs, Team Organization and Management, and Best Organization Practices.

Please enjoy!

Jesse Fewell (https://jessefewell.com/) is an author, coach, and trainer who has worked with leaders across 13 countries and helped their organizations achieve more innovation, collaboration, and business agility. His 2020 book, “Untapped Agility – 7 Leadership Moves to Transform your Transformation”, describes how leaders can create high performing organizations. 

His skills in this field earned him the 2013 IEEE Computer Society Golden Core Award.  Mr. Fewell founded the original Agile Community of Practice within the Project Management Institute (PMI), and his written publications have reached over a half-million readers in eleven languages.

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss Agile and Iterative Methodologies, finding the sweet spot between adapting to change and ‘blindly following the plan’, an organization’s Boost, Barriers, and Rebound, and the key traits of great leadership.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

“From a very young age, one of the first things out of my mouth was, ‘I have a plan’”

— Cynthia Snyder Dionisio

Cynthia Snyder Dionisio is a certified professional project management consultant, instructor and author of eight books on project management. She is also the Chair for the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition. Her skills include consulting and training services for government and private industry as well as training for the corporate, public sector and academic environment.

Ms. Dionisio’s clients have included the Veteran’s Affairs, Hewlett Packard, Medtronic, the Central Intelligence Agency, and Southern California Edison. In an academic environment she has taught in person and online for Oregon State University, Villanova, University of California, Irvine and University of Washington.

In this episode, Cynthia and I discuss questions such as “Does the PMBOK really prepare you for your role as a project manager?”, and “What will virtual learning look like post pandemic?”.  We also discuss managing products and programs, creating order out of chaos, foresight in design, creating a collaborative team, focusing on value, and changes coming in the PMBOK 7th Edition.

Please enjoy!

Fonda Logston is a certified Project Management Professional and an expert Program & Portfolio Manager.  Fonda has worked with government agencies as well as the State of Oklahoma in a variety of positions for over 20 years. 

Fonda’s skills include Business Process, Analytical Skills, Business Process Design, Government, and IT Strategy.

In this episode, Fonda and I discuss questions such as “What makes a rockstar project manager?”, “What makes a good project sponsor?”, and “Is project sponsorship training needed?”  We also talk about project management organizations, best business processes, working with your project management team, scope changes, budget control, and communication.

Please enjoy!

Connie Klemme is a systems analyst, realtor, and information technology consultant. She has worked on many projects as a project manager, analyst, and subject matter expert.  Her practical approach to solving problems contributes to her reputation as the person to go to when you need to get something done. 

Today Connie and I discussed questions such as “What percentage of project sponsors are prepared for their role?”, “What are the traits of a good project sponsor versus a poor one?”, and “What is the role of the project sponsor versus the project manager?”.  Other topics covered today include project organization, obstacles, and communication.

Please enjoy!

Practical Project Management is a series of conversations with project managers and project sponsors. This podcast is for anyone motivated to lead their projects to success whether you are a project manager or sponsor. With stories and insights from people who have a reputation for “getting things done,” this podcast will share stories and practical approaches to working with difficult projects and difficult people.

Please enjoy!

My review of Software Project Survival Guide by Steve McConnell