The Omar Project

Do you want more accurate estimates and higher confidence that you'll hit your project budgets? In this week's episode, I talk about what a professional estimator can do for your organization. Tune in to listen.

www.theomarproject.com

Have you ever started a project thinking you have a firm price and then at the end and say, "How'd this get so over budget"?

That's typically the lagging indicator of scope creep, and at that point,  it's too late to undo the damage caused to your budget or schedule.  In this episode, I give you three techniques to protect your project from the creeping monster. 

This week, I got the opportunity to interview Jacqueline Morales, an experienced project manager, and leader at Shell. Jacqueline has spent over 20 years in the energy industry in various roles, from project engineer to manager of complex subsea and offshore projects in the US and globally. In her current role, she leads offshore Deepwater technology and innovation.

She's also the former National President of Shell's Hispanic Employee Resource Group, a 1500 member organization, where her relationship-building skills and passion for Latin advocacy shined.

Tune in this week to hear from Jacqueline on what it takes to transform group culture in the workplace, how to master the art of relationship building, and maximize the performance of Latinos on your team. 

About Jacqueline:
A native of Mexico, Jacqueline has 20+ years of experience in the oil and gas industry. She joined Shell 19 years ago as a project engineer. She has served in project engineering roles and leadership positions and has worked across different lines of business in Upstream: Deepwater, R&D, Unconventionals, and Business Development. She has led complex subsea and onshore projects in the US and the development of new technologies. In her current role, Jacqueline leads Deepwater’s technology and innovation and integrates organizations towards business goals.

Jacqueline is passionate about developing others and about diversity. She is an advocate for Latinos in a community organization and was the National President from 2018-2020 of the Shell Hispanic Employee Network, an Employee Resource Group with 1500 members in the US and Latin America.    

Jacqueline holds an engineering degree from the Universidad Veracruzana and an MBA from Purdue University. She enjoys training outdoors, watching movies and spending quality time with her two kids and husband. 

I recently read an article with some staggering statistics, 40% of employees are considering resignation. If you're finding yourself applying to a role that requires project experience, you need to master the answers on project management. In this episode, I give you insider tips on how to nail the interview questions. 

Article that explains stage gate process

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This week, I answer a question from a senior in college. His question leads me to explain the benefits of project management and the process it takes to become successful.  It's never too early to get started. Listen below and see if I sold him on project management :) 

The difference between task management and  project management :

A common misconception is that a project manager is just a task manager. Task management is one skill set that every good PM needs to master; however, it's one of the dozens and not the most important skill set. If you're looking for a task manager, hire one. If you're looking for someone to take ideas and execute them into functional products or facilities, hire a PM. 

Since moving to Advano, I often get asked, what's it like to be at a startup? Now that I've been at Advano for a bit, I think it's a good time to answer the question. Tune in to get insight into my experience, and if you like what you hear, check out Advano.io, we're hiring. :)

TheOmarProject.com

If you're an engineer in the Oil and Gas industry and you're wondering how your skills fit into the renewable transition, this episode is a must-listen. 

Plus, I talk about the PMP certification and whether it might be a good fit for you.

TheOmarProject.com
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There's an expectation to 'fail fast and pivot' for start-ups, which can leave employees feeling a sense of whiplash.  But how do you balance the structure necessary for long-term decision-making and at the same time maintain the flexibility needed in a start-up?  Listen to my latest podcast episode to find out. 

We also discuss a topic that we're seeing much more of, software as a service for managing projects and tasks. There are many great SaaS tools to help you and your team; tune in to get my recommendations.

TheOmarProject.com

My son isn't quite old enough yet, but on our next road trip, I might hear every parent's favorite question of the journey, "Are we there yet?" 

Funny enough, there is an equivalent question that is often asked in  project management, "What's the earliest we can finish?" 

In this podcast, we answer how to determine if you can finish earlier. 

We also talk about leaders taking ownership of project departments. Your first task may be streamlining operations or processes. In this episode, I share a 1-page chart to help you avoid the pitfalls of unclear and overlapping responsibilities. Know what the chart is?  I'm giving away a prize to the first person who responds in the comments with the chart's name.