This week, Ricardo discusses using "Squads" within projects and gives tips on building and sustaining effective teams.

The modern use of the term "Squad" in project management can be traced back to a military concept in which a multidisciplinary team acts independently to complete a series of missions.

This idea of a cross-functional and autonomous team became the core support of agile models that originated in software development and has since been extended to other types of projects. Currently, you can find Squads in many different delivery methods.

Ricardo stresses the importance of teamwork, time-zone, and open lines of communication for the Squad's success.

Listen to this week's #5minpodcast to learn more.

Three Tips To Develop and Sustain a Perfect Squad

Since 2007, Ricardo Vargas publishes the 5 Minutes Podcast where he addresses in a quick and practical way the main topics on project, portfolio and risk management.

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In this episode, Ricardo discusses his recent article on artificial emotional intelligence (AEI), published with André Barcauí at the London School of Economics Business Review. AEI can significantly improve employment, healthcare, education, and negotiation by identifying small emotional clues. For instance, Character.ai allows users to interact with historical people, while hirevue.com uses avatars to evaluate candidates' emotional matches. Ricardo, however, accentuates the moral ramifications of AEI, including possible invasions of privacy and prejudice based on assumed characteristics like ethnicity or sexual orientation. He underlines that to avoid misuse and harm to society, ethical considerations must go hand in hand with technological progress.

Listen to the podcast to know more.

Click here to read the article.

Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI) Will Have Wide-Ranging Impacts on Society

In this podcast, Ricardo discusses the severe flooding crisis in Southern Brazil, emphasizing three key points. First, focus on immediate rescue and safety, not on blame. Authorities should prioritize evacuating people, providing basic needs, and ensuring shelters. Second, protect the vulnerable, such as women and children, from potential abuse in chaotic environments by maintaining security and organizing safe shelters. Third, post-crisis, sustained attention is crucial for rebuilding and preventing future disasters. Despite potential distractions from new crises, continuous efforts are necessary to ensure long-term recovery and implement preventive measures to avoid recurrence.

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Three Things to Keep in Mind While Managing the Crisis With the Rain in the South of Brazil

In this episode, Ricardo discusses how the film "The Social Network" prompted him to think creatively. By encouraging people to focus on novel concepts rather than mundane routines, he reinforces the importance of escaping the conformity cycle. Ricardo argues that in order to improve one's creative and problem-solving abilities, one should seek out varied experiences, break out of patterns, and meet individuals with different viewpoints. To demonstrate the merits of embracing innovation, he draws on personal experiences such as going to Burning Man. Before ending with a call to action, he cautions his audience to avoid falling into the trap of social media conformity and instead focus on driving innovation through unconventional thinking.

Listen to the podcast to know more.

Watch the video of this podcast at: rvarg.as/thinking

Where everyone thinks alike, no one thinks very much

In this episode, Ricardo talks about the challenges and crises in project management. He emphasizes that projects naturally encounter difficulties, such as delays, stakeholder issues, and risks, which are manageable. A crisis occurs when these challenges exceed the ability to deal with them, necessitating significant changes in behavior and approach. Ricardo warns against confusing daily challenges with crises, as living in a constant crisis leads to unsustainable stress levels. He also highlights the importance of distinguishing between everyday challenges and actual crises, managing the latter with a specific approach.

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*AI-generated image via PMOtto.ai on ChatGPT.

Navigating the Fog: Is This a Project Crisis or Just a Challenge?

In this episode, Ricardo talks about findings from the "Stanford University AI Index Report," which emphasizes the advantages that industry has over academia in AI research, the efficacy of AI in specific activities, and the high expense of creating sophisticated models. Although regulation is still in its infancy, the US leads the way. While AI boosts efficiency, it can also lead to reliance. Artificial Intelligence accelerates scientific development while raising knowledge and concerns about its effects. Using ChatGPT, Ricardo examines the lengthy report and emphasizes how helpful it is for comprehending AI trends. The report provides insightful information and is free.

Listen to the podcast to know more.

You can access the report at this link: https://aiindex.stanford.edu/report/

Three Tips To Develop and Sustain a Perfect Squad

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