Project Podcast

Emma meets Frances Palmer, Associate Director at Gleeds; Dave Corbin FAPM, Head of Client Accounts at Gleeds; and leadership and culture coach Anita Phagura, who previously worked in infrastructure project management.

Frances and Dave helped set up APM’s Built Environment Interest Network last year. With a special focus on diversity and inclusion for the week of International Women’s Day, our guests explore how the construction sector can become more diverse and inclusive, what actions really work and how change can be accelerated.

Find Anita’s research at: https://anitaphagura.com/raise-the-bar 

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Emma meets Dr Miranda Loh, Director of Scientific Growth, Engagement and Innovation at the Institute of Occupational Medicine, which is dedicated to enhancing health in workplaces.

Miranda develops the institute’s research capabilities in hazardous substances, exposure assessment, health and wellbeing at work, air pollution and the built environment’s impact on health. While not formally qualified in project management, Miranda is a self-confessed big fan of project management and takes a formal approach to managing all in-house projects.

Listen on to find out how project management can bring value to new sectors. And how project management can be introduced to an organisation not formerly familiar with it.

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Emma speaks to leadership and management expert Jo Owen and Andy Alder, Managing Director of Major Infrastructure Delivery at Anglian Water, about how to delegate. It’s something every project manager or leader needs to understand and practise successfully if they want their teams to achieve things. So, Jo and Andy give us their insider dos and don’ts so that you can hone your mindset and learn how to delegate better. Listen for advice and practical tips that you can use in your projects right away.

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As we often hear on this podcast, being an effective project professional is about more than just managing timelines and budgets. It's also about creating a space where teams can thrive and achieve goals together. But isn't that easier said than done? And how can project managers strike the right balance between technical skills and the emotional intelligence needed to manage teams? Throughout this episode, you'll hear from a range of project professionals who shared with us their personal reflections on the question: what makes a great project manager? 

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Emma meets Suzanne Moreland, Vice President of Programme Management Practice at AECOM, about how to step up from being a project manager to being a programme manager.

Suzanne draws on her vast experience of leading megaprojects and shares her behind-the-scenes lessons from working on some truly mind-blowing programmes. If you are thinking of entering the world of programme management or want to hone your skills and learn from the best, then listen on.

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2024 is drawing to a close, and with a new year just around the corner, here at the APM Podcast we’re in a reflective mood. In this episode, we’re going to look back at what we’ve learned from the 25 episodes we’ve published this year. We’ve covered everything from managing radioactive waste to making documentaries for the BBC. But what have been the standout lessons? Don’t forget to share yours!

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Emma meets Daniel Armanios, BT Professor of Major Programme Management at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, and Zack Swafford, co-founder of Dart, a San Francisco-based start-up whose project management tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with brainstorming, roadmap planning and report generation, among other tasks.

The pair consider the rapid developments in AI over the past year and speculate on what 2025 might hold. Listen on to hear their thoughts on the exciting potential of AI, their worries about the technology and their advice on what you should be doing to get to grips with this work revolution.

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Emma meets Donna Sinnick, Chief Delivery Officer at Babcock International Group, a defence, aerospace and security company, about her rise to the top of the profession and the valuable career and project management lessons she's learned along the way. Donna shares her advice on everything from creating simplicity in programmes and projects to being a woman in a male-dominated environment and moving on from imposter syndrome. 

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Emma meets four project professionals who volunteer for APM's Women in Project Management (WiPM) Interest Network. They have all found their own unique path to a career in project management. They share their experience of switching sectors and coming to project management from a non-traditional career path – and give plenty of advice on how to successfully find your own way up the career ladder. They are:

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Emma meets Marie Coombes and Sophie Paton to explore how to have difficult conversations as a project manager. With their advice, learn how to approach these conversations without feeling daunted – and why we shouldn't even describe such conversations as ‘difficult’, but rather reframe them as ‘essential’.

Marie is the director of We Restore Calm and a seasoned expert in conflict resolution, mediation and employee engagement, for which she has won several awards. Sophie is an experienced facilitator and partner at Make Happy, a consultancy that helps teams unlock their full potential, solve complex problems and find new ideas.

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