This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "The 2010 PMO Symposium, an Interview with Paul Risk, PMO Expert and Symposium Speaker" presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. Today, we have with us Mr. Paul Risk, who is currently the Director of Business Analysis at the American Medical Association and also an Adjunct Professor of Information Systems at Loyola University of Chicago. He is a consulting and project management professional with more than 20 years experience in PMO development, IT strategy, methodology development and analysis, organizational change management, and systems integration. Paul is here to tell us about the 2010 PMO Symposium and his presentation, Getting to No: Setting Expectations for Your PMO.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, "Complex Adaptive Systems and the PMO." In our last podcast we talked about Scientific Management, Taylorism, and we offered a fair and balanced look at Taylor’s accomplishments of the time. And now we will venture to the other end of the spectrum and talk about Complex Adaptive Systems.

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about a management policy mandating the use of Earned Value Management (EVM) for every project.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "The 2010 PMO Symposium, an Interview with Craig Letavec, Vice Chair, and PMO Expert" presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. Today, we have with us Mr. Craig Letavec, the Vice Chair of Operations of the PMI PMO Special Interest Group. Craig is also a well know PMO expert, author, and speaker on the subject of PMOs. His book, "The Program Management Office" is a must read for anyone setting up or refreshing a PMO. This is Craig's first time on the PMO Podcast and he is here to tell us about the 2010 PMO Symposium.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, "Defending Taylor!" It is fashionable these days to be critical of scientific management and to find the term "Taylorism" being used as a derogatory battle cry for opponents of the theory as if the Industrial Era were the dark ages of mankind. To such critics, Taylor's system of controls, measurements, and output based pay stand in diametric opposition to flattened organizations, self-directed teams, and agile minded knowledge workers. Though Taylor is perceived by today's management gurus as a villain, a fair and balanced look at his life reveals that he is really a tragic hero.

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about lessons learned.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "Is the term Agile PMO an oxymoron?" presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. These days were are hearing more and more about the Agile PMO. Have you heard that term before, the Agile PMO? Do you, like some, believe that PMOs should seek to adopt agile software development techniques, or do you like others, think that the term Agile PMO is an oxymoron?

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “Should software development be managed as a project?” Recently, I had an opportunity to meet a leading agile software developer and agile blogger. This expert software developer espouses with passion the concept that software development is a craft. It is art, if you will. Software development is not a process like manufacturing. Nor is it an engineering practice like building a house or a bridge. And as such, software development should not be managed like a project at all. Or should it? 

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about whether the business case or the project charter is to be prepared first.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "PPM is Not Easy, Part 3," presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. There are many that claim that the concept of project portfolio management is an easy concept to grasp and they compare management of a project portfolio to the management of a financial portfolio. Really! This is the third of a three part series that suggests PPM is not that easy afterall.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “Learning from Taylor." Do you know of a man named Frederick Taylor? Have you heard the term Taylorism? Taylor is credited for inventing scientific management. Taylor believed that decisions based upon tradition and rules of thumb should be replaced by precise procedures developed after careful study of an individual at work. Its application is contingent on a high level of managerial control over employee work practices. In management literature today, the it is not viewed favorable at all and greatest use of the concept of Taylorism is as a contrast to any new, improved way of doing business, such as agile..!

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about what to do with a bad project manager.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "PPM is Not Easy, Part 2," presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. There are many that claim that the concept of project portfolio management is an easy concept to grasp and they compare management of a project portfolio to the management of a financial portfolio. Really! This is the second of a three part series that suggests PPM is not that easy afterall.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “How to handle inappropriate humor on the project team." Light-hearted banter and joking on the project team can be helpful for keeping stress low and spirits high. Unfortunately, crude humor can sneak up and morph into inappropriate and offensive joke-telling over time. So, how do you respond to offensive behavior without alienating yourself, the offending person, or the project team?

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about which project management tool would be a good one to learn for someone just starting out in project management.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "PPM is Not Easy, Part 1," presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. There are many that claim that the concept of project portfolio management is an easy concept to grasp and they compare management of a project portfolio to the management of a financial portfolio. Really! This is the first of a three part series that suggests PPM is not that easy afterall.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “Unrealistic Deadlines." Some would argue that the majority of projects have "schedule slippage" as a normal end result rather than an exception to the rule. The challenge of many project managers becomes to find alternate approaches to the tasks and schedules in order to complete a project "on time", or to get approval for slipping dates out.

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about the Parkinson’s Law.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "Project Management Thought Leadership Marketing, Part 3," presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. Are you a project management thought leader? Whether you are an internal PMO manager or project management professional or an external consultant, trainer, or provider of project management solutions, are you always on the lookout for tips and techniques to help you market you thought leadership? Today, we are conclusing with the third and last episode in a three part series on project management thought leadership marketing that I am sure you will enjoy and find useful.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “Take care of yourself." Taking care of yourself means having balance in your life. Balance can mean different things to different people. To many people it means three things; having work that is challenging, enjoyable, and gives you a sense of achievement; having recreation which is fun, relaxing, and rejuvenating; and having a love for life and of course for others. What are some ways that you can take care of yourself? Have a listen and find out.

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about becoming a project manager or taking a pass on the oportunity.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "Project Management Thought Leadership Marketing, Part 2," presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. Are you a project management thought leader? Whether you are an internal PMO manager or project management professional or an external consultant, trainer, or provider of project management solutions, are you always on the lookout for tips and techniques to help you market you thought leadership? Today, we are continuing with a three part series on project management thought leadership marketing that I am sure you will enjoy and find useful.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “The number one tip for relieving stress." If you are a PMO manager or a project manager, chances are that you have more than your fair share of stress. How do you manage stress? How do you relieve stress? There are a number of techniques and you can even go to classes on stress management. But do you know what studies show the number one tip is for relieving stress? It is getting organized.

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about trusting estimates for tasks in a project that are provided by members of the project team that you know are not accurate.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "Project Management Thought Leadership Marketing, Part 1," presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. Are you a project management thought leader? Whether you are an internal PMO manager or project management professional or an external consultant, trainer, or provider of project management solutions, are you always on the lookout for tips and techniques to help you market you thought leadership? Today, we are starting a three part series on project management thought leadership marketing that I am sure you will enjoy and find useful.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “Find time to think about the business." If you are a PMO manager or head of business unit, how do you find time to think about the business? For many executives and managers, this can be a real challenge. We are all so busy doing that we seldom have the time or take the time to sufficiently think about the business. And, while most of the gadgets and tinker toys out there have greatly improved collaboration, tasking, and sharing of information and ideas, there is still a need to find time to think.

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about free open source tools for project management.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.

This week The PMO Podcast™ Featured Story presents, "The Value of a PMO," presented by Mark Perry (about Mark), host of The PMO Podcast™. For many organizations it takes courage and a leap of faith to start a PMO. Forming a PMO shouldn't be taken lightly; rather the benefits should be and can be clearly documented. According to Gartner Industry Research, "building a PMO is a competitive tactic". Gartner believes that organizations that establish standards for project management will experience half the major project cost overruns, delays, and cancellations of those that fail to do so. That’s what PMOs can do.

The PMO Podcast™ Points Memo presents, “Be Clear about PMO Coaching." Does your PMO provide coaching? Does it provide training? PMO coaching is actually quite different from project management training. Training implies a formal teacher-student relationship, and usually formal instruction of material. Coaching is more flexible to the situation at hand, and usually involves talking and explaining how things are done in the context of the project and work effort through describing and showing how project management processes, tools, and techniques can assist.

If your PMO provides coaching, be clear about what this coaching encompasses.

The PMO Podcast™ Mailbag answers a listener question about the difference between a Project Manager and Project Leader.

The PMO Podcast™ is sponsored by BOT International, the provider of Processes On Demand, a PMO Setup solution used by more than 1,000 companies.

Request a Demo Login

The PMO Podcast™ is a trademark of BOT International. The PMO Podcast™ and its RSS feed are copyright © by BOT International 2013. All rights reserved.