A project management podcast bringing you straightforward and easy-to-action info, tips and advice from real-world experience. I've learnt the hard way - so you don't have to! Focus on Digital/IT project delivery .

In this short episode we cover a simple approach for project email communications which really works well for informing end-users and/or large groups.
Full show notes on the website link
https://www.pmtrainingsquad.com/2021/02/podcast-better-project-communication-email/
 
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https://www.pmtrainingsquad.com
 
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and do not represent the view of my employer.  

16: Great project communication - a simple email approach

In this episode we talk about how you can become leaner and more efficient in your project delivery.
"....I thought if anyone reads that they are going to come back to me and say what is this total garbage you've written in your document....."
 
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries http://theleanstartup.com/
 
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Please subscribe, like or give us a 5* rating on your podcast app! We really appreciate it.
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and do not represent the view of my employer. These are methods I’ve successfully used and honed over many years of actual project delivery but I can’t guarantee they will work in every circumstance or for you personally.
http://www.pmtrainingsquad.com

15: How to be a lean Project Manager

In this podcast we look at our first Epic Project Fail and take away some key learnings.
How do you deliver years late and go €billons over budget?? Simple: build an airport...
Sources
BBC Radio 4 - In Business, The Berlin Airport Fiasco
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-48527308
https://onemileatatime.com/berlin-brandenburg-airport/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-07-23/how-berlin-s-futuristic-airport-became-a-6-billion-embarrassment
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Thanks for listening.
Please subscribe, like or give us a 5* rating on your podcast app! We really appreciate it.
http://www.pmtrainingsquad.com
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and do not represent the view of my employer.  
 

14: Epic Project Fail No 1

How to deal with project overload
You're delivering your projects. Everything is fine. And then you're given another one. It's still fine, so then another. And then the wheels begin to fall off...
How to identify if you are overloaded
What problems it causes
Who is actually responsible?
How to deal with the situation
What if it doesn't work out like you hoped? What do you do then?
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(please note this podcast was previously called 'The Smarter PM')

13: How to deal with project overload

In this podcast we discuss some of the merits of permanent and contract roles, and consider the factors that you might want to consider when deciding what's the right career option for you.
PERM
- base salary
- company car
- pension
- other fringe benefits
- training (usually paid for)
- progression/transition
- mentoring
- redundancy
- security
- experience depends on employer
CONTRACT
- IS usually paid more
- admin hassle
- need to manage your own money
- keep a buffer (both for the taxman and in case you are on the bench) min 6M but ideally 1yr
- take renewals - evidence of this shows competence
- will depend on the amount of risk you want to take
- exposure to different ways of working and cultures
- easy to leave a nightmare role
- some people just don’t feel comfortable with permanent employment and the obligation that brings
- you may get the rubbish jobs
- can be a good option to see if you like the culture and then move to perm
- IR35 - a UK challenge
- fixed term salaried role - not such a good deal for you
- agency ‘directly employed’ model - ditto
 
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12: Perm or Contract? What's right for you?

Many people will now be working from home for the first time which, if you are used to 5 days working in the office, can be a culture shock. We look at what you need to create a productive working environment that fits in with your home life.
 
Broadband - plus your backup
Recommended kit
Working environment - separate from your home area
Take breaks and get fresh air
Daily routine
Use meetings effectively in multiple ways
Set clear targets and communicate these
Tools you can use
Addressing social isolation
Use the phone instead of email
Activities/opportunities outside work
 
View out the window.....Fawlty Towers :-). 0:50 sec onwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcliR8kAbzc
 
 
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https://www.thesmarterpm.com/podcast11-tips-for-working-from-home/

11: Tips for Working from Home

In this episode we outline a straightforward process and approach which orgnaisations can use to help prepare for restrictions imposed due to the Coronavirus / Covid19 pandemic. In particular when you have no access to your premises.
 
Approach / Project Phases
1. Analysis - what systems have I got, and how critical are they? How to ask the right questions to determine this.
2. Requirements - what do we need to do, in detail?
3. Delivery - implementation, what are the tasks, who is doing them and by when?
4. Test - make sure everything works as expected.
 
Remote control software tools
TightVNC https://www.tightvnc.com/download.html
Chrome Remote (free) https://remotedesktop.google.com/
GoToMyPC ($$ paid) https://get.gotomypc.com/
Teamviewer ($$$ paid)
 
Trello Board - Coronavirus Business Preparation (reusable template)
https://trello.com/b/iVt2ZJPs/coronavirus-business-preparation/cczmark/recommend
 
Other tools worth considering..
 
Online backup services
Backblaze (paid - I use this) - https://www.backblaze.com/
 
Password Store
Make sure you keep a record of all critical system user accounts and passwords. Give at least 2 people the master password. Keep a copy of the password store offsite. Keepass V2 is great - I personally use this and have worked at organisations that use it.
https://keepass.info/
 
Video conferencing /screen sharing
Zoom meetings
WebEx
 
IP Telephony (instead of landlines)
Search for 'hosted VOIP'
 
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Please subscribe and share this podcast with anyone who may find this of value.
Visit www.pmtrainingsquad.com for more project management information.
 

10: Coronavirus business readiness

In this episode we consider if AI could perform the Project Manager's role and ultimately put you out of a job. Let's hope not!
 
Technical links referred to
https://eng.uber.com/introducing-ludwig/
https://www.tensorflow.org/
https://pytorch.org/
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Thanks for listening! Please subscribe, like or leave us a 5* review if you found this useful.
http://www.pmtrainingsquad.com
 
 

9: Will AI take my PM job?

What are the two most important words in delivering projects?
This podcast is my view on some behaviours and words/phrases which may improve team working, and therefore help to deliver your projects. In no specific order or priority….
1. Admit your weaknesses - don’t be afraid to ask for help.
2. Deal with unresponsive people - walk and talk rather than mail and wail!
3. Foster a team ethos - remember as a PM you’re not doing the actual work!
4. Ask for clarifications… “I understand that..” or “my understanding is….”
5. Share problems and solve these collaboratively.
6. Acknowledge when you make a mistake - take accountability and be authentic.
7. Share information with colleagues and co-workers.
8. Show your gratitude. Frequently…
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Please note: this podcast will now be a monthly gig.

8: The two most important words in delivering Projects

How to run effective project meetings
In this podcast we’re covering meetings, both from an organiser but also from an attendee perspective. We cover some basic dos and don’ts to avoid meetings becoming inefficient and a time-drain. And we talk about biscuits :-)
Organiser • Keep meetings an efficient length. 30-45 mins works for most meetings. (Almost all the 3 hour meetings I’ve been to could have been run in half that time or less) • Be ruthless about attendees - only invite who really needs to be there • Be clear about the meeting objective • Issue an agenda and stick to it. Bullet points are fine. • Issue minutes ideally within 1 working day. 10 mins before the next meeting is too late! • In the minutes clearly separate discussion/information points from actions • Send an email reminder about the actions well before the next meeting • Use a weekly project meeting as a key tool to keep project momentum, assist with team bonding and to help remove blockers • If the project meeting only needs to be 10min that’s fine. • At the first meeting set out the meeting etiquette (start promptly, phones on silent, step out to make calls etc)
Remote/virtual meetings • Open conference call bridges at least 1 min before the meeting start time • Show some information on the screen to keep attendee focus • Record the meeting so that people have a chance to revisit • Use webcams if you can
Attendee • Read (or at least scan) any supporting documents. • If there’s 6 people plus you attending and the organiser has to spend 10mins explaining some basic information, thats 6 x 10min (1hr) of project effort wasted. So contact the organiser individually if you need specific or introductory information. • Respect the meeting etiquette and your colleagues’ time. Turn up promptly and step out if you need to make a call. • If you feel that much of the meeting is not relevant to you, discuss with the organiser in advance so you can make your contribution in an agreed slot
Types of meeting • Decisions - project board or steering group - few people - key information - decision makers • Collaboration - projects - key group of people (use the 1 pizza rule) - share progress - remove blockers - drive & keep momentum. • Communication - one-way info share - as many people as you like
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7: How to run effective project meetings

Change Management is one of those subjects which is often regarded as a 'dark art' and shrouded in mystery. But it's not that difficult provided you take a structured approach and watch out for a few gotchas.
In this podcast we cover one approach (other approaches are available :-) and cover these in some detail. Clearly in a 20min slot we're not going to cover everything you ever wanted to know about managing change, but hopefully you'll take away some items of value.
The stages are:
1. Analyse
2. Stakeholder Engagement
3. Communications
4. Training
5. Implement
6. Monitor and Optimise
Download the FREE supporting powerpoint from http://www.thesmarterpm.com/resources

6: Change Management - a straightforward structured approach

There are some items that every project manager should have in their toolkit - one of these is the Decision Log.
We explain what it is, how to use it and an example of where it helped me out on a real project!
free Decision Log - #URL to be updated sorry for the inconvenience#

5: PM toolkit essentials: The Decision Log

In this episode we explore some of the key ways in which an Agile approach can add or deliver value, particularly when compared to a waterfall methodology. We're very much focussing on the business value rather than a technical or methodology discussion. We'll explore the benefits of early and frequent delivery, talk about feedback opportunities and also cover how business adoption can often be a barrier. Use this to help explain the benefits of agile in your organisation.

4: How does Agile deliver value in an organisation?

How to effectively communicate with senior stakeholders on your projects.  A simple and practical approach that works!

3: How to effectively communicate with senior stakeholders

In this episode we're covering the topic "What are the qualities of a good PM?".
Here's our list below.
1. Communications - different types, and lots of it!
2. Persistence - having a 'can-do' attitude and not taking no for an answer
3. Organised - managing lots of actions in the face of a torrent of email and project documents
4. Being into the detail - enough so you can ask the right questions
5. Team building - having the right behaviours and sharing the credit
6. Problem solving (& anticipating problems)
We also challenge some information that you may have seen on PM blogs on this subject.

2: What are the qualities of a good project manager?

Hi!
Introduction to the podcast, a quick overview about our approach and some of the topics we'll be covering. Now published monthly (ish...)
Music (c) Fenn Creative 2019. All content (c) www.pmtrainingsquad.com

1: Introduction to the podcast

All Episodes

PM Training Squad - a project management podcast

Play and download PM Training Squad - a project management podcast by PM TRAINING SQUAD - and other episodes including 16: Great project communication - a simple email approach, 15: How to be a lean Project Manager, 14: Epic Project Fail No 1...

PM TRAINING SQUAD · podcast · 2021 · 16 episodes