5 Minutes Podcast with Ricardo Vargas

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about a discussion launched by PMI: The Project Manager may become the next CEO? What is the role of a CEO? Ricardo explains how the project manager could be prepared to take this position in a corporation.

In this podcast, Ricardo pays homage to his friend and teacher Danúbio Becker Borba, who died recently. Prof. Danúbio was an example of a dedicated teacher and one of the volunteers founders of the chapter PMI São Paulo. He had special participation in designing the PMDome workshop and pioneered the use of the techniques of games for education in project management.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the "gray area" where mingle conceptually projects and processes. He cites some examples to explain what distinguishes a project of a routine process.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks a little bit about the Delphi technique and it's use beyond project risk identification. He gives tips on how to use it correctly, and also talks about the advantages and disadvantages of this technique.

In this podcast, listen Ricardo's opinion on the level of detail of the project scope. How much detail we have to pursue? What is a good size for a work package?

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the challenges of resource allocation and explains a technique based on the allocation of generic skills (or positions) needed for the project.

In this podcast, Ricardo shares his understanding about the organization's hierarchy and the project manager. He also explains the differences between the role of the project manager and the role of the project office.

In this podcast, Ricardo continues to talk about how can we minimize scope changes in a project. He suggests another three other control measures: the formalization, the phasing of the project and the rolling wave planning.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about how can we minimize scope changes in a project. He explains that we need to have a connection between the functional scope, client-oriented, and the technical scope, that is team-oriented. And that we also should make a plan as detailed as possible. Next week, listen to the continuation of this podcast, where Ricardo will suggest three other control measures: the formalization, the phasing of the project and the rolling wave planning.

In this podcast, Ricardo, directly from London, talks about the Gartner PPM & IT Governance Summit 2012, meeting to address Portfolio Management and IT Governance. He talks about the main topics discussed at the Summit, especially the strategic value and benefits of selecting the projects aligned with the company's strategy. About the Summit - Europe's premier gathering of program and portfolio management executives charged with improving how organizations select, implement and manage IT projects and investments. More information: http://www.gartner.com/technology/summits/emea/program-management/about.jsp

In this podcast, Ricardo gives us 5 tips on how to sell the idea of ​​project management to people outside the area, i.e., how we can do the right marketing for people with different perceptions of those from projects managers.

In this podcast, Ricardo continues to talk about his study to create a mathematical model to calculate the Return on Investment (ROI) of a Project Management Office (PMO). Remember to first download the reference material, the Processes Flow and the Report, in the website's downloads area.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about his study to create a mathematical model to calculate the Return on Investment (ROI) of a Project Management Office (PMO). How to calculate the result of all projects, even those from areas like Human Resources and Marketing? Ricardo explains how it can be done.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about learning techniques and their applicability in the understanding of projects. He explains what are the four stages of learning and how they are divided into two areas: Competence and Conscience.

In this podcast, Ricardo explains why we should separate Assumptions from Constraints in the project management and do not consider them as similar. You'll learn why the approach strategies should be distinct.

In this podcast, Ricardo talked directly from Marseille, France, during the PMI Global Congress that brought together participants from 37 countries.

In this podcast, Ricardo explains that the project manager should seek to simplify the way he/she leads the projects. In the quest for perfection, many people often create methodologies which are too complex to be used and end up not being used at all. He mentions a methodology he once created, pinpointing ways that enable the simplification of the procedures necessary to manage projects.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about program management. He explains that the main objective of the program management it to group projects to obtain a benefit that would not be possible if treated singly. Ricardo also talks that the projects contained in a program have the same interest tactical, operational, and the same synergy.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the choice of producing a work or service internally or purchase thru a supplier. He shows five items that are important when making the decision and also explains that there are other important criteria for choosing to make or buy than the costs involved.

In this second podcast in the series, Ricardo talks about five more causes for the failure of a project. He commented about the importance of communication, project planning, change management, leadership and resources for the project.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the 10 main causes of project failure. Just knowing what can go wrong in our project, helps us to avoid it. Five causes are discussed this week and the other five, next week. Ricardo also comments briefly on the PMI Pulse 2012, recently published by PMI.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks in detail about the components of the WBS. He gives several examples and tips, and explains that the WBS is a fundamental tool for the project and will ensure that the project will deliver the service or product that is being done in the least amount of work possible.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the indices of earned value in the project. He explains that the great secret of earned value is to evaluate current performance to project the future. Ricardo also explains how to analyze the rate of time or cost when it is less than, equal to or greater than one.

In this podcast, Ricardo Vargas discusses the main differences between replanning and rescheduling a project. Although both have as their objective to apply the decisions of the change control process, the approach and scope of changes in each case are significantly different.

In this third and final podcast of the series, Ricardo talks about the comparison to the project selection and choice. He gives two examples of comparison one simpler - the weighted score matrix, and other more complex - AHP - Analytic Hierarchy Process. Ricardo explains how to prepare each of the two examples. See the article about AHP mentioned in this podcast at: http://www.ricardo-vargas.com/pt/articles/analytic-hierarchy-process/

In this second podcast of the series, Ricardo talks about the selection criteria in portfolio management. He explains that in addition to financial criteria, there are others who may be considered and, even if it is intangible, there are ways to make them tangible. Ricardo gives several tips on how to transform these criteria into tangible and also talks about the balance of the criteria chosen.

In this first podcast of the series, Ricardo talks about strategic and portfolio management. He explains that if the manager does not know what is the strategy of the organization, it's a waste of time to create comparative to select projects. Ricardo makes an analogy between stones of different sizes and the choice of the sieve for selecting these stones, in other words, you must set the criteria based on the strategy to select projects that meet these criteria.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the difference between the secondary risk and residual risk. He explains that the secondary risk is generated as a side effect the implementation of a response. Residual risk is one that remains, even after implementing responses. Ricardo gives several examples for these two types of risks.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the methods of forecasting project schedule and cost. He comments that there are four methods of predicting future project performance: time series methods, causal/econometrics methods, judgmental methods and other methods. Ricardo explains and gives examples of each method.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the framework created by the IRGC and explains the five steps in this framework. He explains that this model clarifies the various perspectives of risk and it is similar to the risk management knowledge area of PMBOK.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about mandatory dependencies and discretionary dependencies between the activities of the project. He explains that a mandatory dependency is one that needs to be physically respected and discretionary is one that is made to generate a greater benefit for the project, whether in management or in the results. Ricardo also shows several examples of these two relations of dependence.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the project closeout document, he explains that this document is a mark that records the completion of the work and certifies the project closeout. He also explains that the project closeout document is divided into 5 parts and shows what is the contents of these parts.

In this second podcast of the series, Ricardo talks about portfolio management of personal projects. He explains that it is necessary to map and select which projects will be undertaken, which will be later, a which will not be made and which requiring a study before deciding. Ricardo says that projects should be selected according to the goals we have set and gives tips on how these objectives can be defined and how they are selected.

In this first podcast of 2, Ricardo gives some tips on how to manage personal projects that take place during the year. He exemplifies with the planning he did for his personal projects for 2011 and 2012. Ricardo explains that the first thing he did was his strategic map and throughout the year, was taking notes of all kinds of projects that have appeared. In the end of 2011, Ricardo did the planning for 2012 selecting the projects he noted and using a scale of benefit X effort/cost.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the perspectives for 2012, continuing the subject of the last podcast (Retrospective 2011). He speaks of the continuing challenges in this new year and the opportunities that are born of them. He suggests two very important issues you should study this new year. Also, Ricardo leaves his New Year message, created especially for those who have experienced great difficulties in their work this year.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the events of 2011 from the point of view of project management. He said that 2011 was a year when there was a huge demand in Brazil for projects that are happening at the moment and at the same time a very large uncertainty in the world. It has invested heavily in projects around the world in a period of crisis and there is a violent demand for project management, but a great difficulty in the use of best practices in project management.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the fear of failure. He explains that within the project environment we are not in a comfort zone and easy things doesn't need to be managed. Ricardo also said that failure is always part of the process and is also part of the DNA of the project, but who has a fear of failure can not manage projects. Inside the possibility of failure is that we project managers earn our life.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the support tools for project management and the best time to install them. He explains that much software on the market is excellent, but installing a project management tool without a defined methodological process can be a big mistake because the tool must be adapted to the work process.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the time that the project kick-off meeting should be performed. He explains that as the size of the project, the kick-off meeting does not necessarily have to be just one but many. Ricardo shows that we can have a kick-off meeting early in the project where the WBS is still wider, and we can have another kick-off meeting once the plan is ready.

In this podcast, Ricardo differentiates technical stages from management stages. He explains that usually we divide our projects in technical stages to prepare the project schedule where we can drive more than one stage simultaneously, whereas, according to Prince2®, the project is divided into stages that can not be conducted simultaneously, where the manager and the board of the project decide at the end of each stage if the project will continue or not, as the results achieved so far.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about executing multiple projects simultaneously and using the same resources, i.e. multitasking. He explains that we often think that sharing resources across multiple projects can generate the perception that work is evolving, but this can cause delays and loss of quality in work. Ricardo suggests that it is better to concentrate efforts on one project at a time than to do it all at once.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about workaround, contingency and fallback plans - risk's responses. He explains each type of response and gives examples of use of these responses.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the VI Brazilian Congress of Project Management, he explains that this is the most important event in Brazil because is promoted for all the chapters in Brazil. Ricardo says that the one of the global directors of PMI - Ricardo Triana will attend the event beyond the astronaut Marcos Pontes and other major conferences.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks directly from Dallas where the Global Congress of PMI is heppening. He talks of the Leadership Meeting, the persons who received awards and Brazilians who are attending the event. He also comments on the lectures and speakers who will make presentations, including on the presentation that he will hold tomorrow.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about crisis management. He explains that the first reaction in crisis management is the denial and that this is the worst option. Ricardo also explains that the crisis is caused by a "trigger" that is triggered by some event that will generate a chain reaction and can cause an uncontrolled situation in the project.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about Steve Jobs, he says that after reading many biographies, articles and news about Steve Jobs, there were many doubts about the DNA that generated so much success for Apple - it was the genius, innovation or the ability to manage projects from Steve Jobs? He notes that the way Apple manages its business is totally different from what is taught in administration books where collaboration and customer are essential for the growth of the organization.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the number of projects that one person can manage simultaneously. He says that there is no specific number but explains that the project manager's focus is the most important. Ricardo also says that huge projects do not justify a project manager sharing the work with other projects. Still, in small projects that have some similarities, the project manager could manage multiple projects simultaneously.

In this podcast Ricardo talks about the strength of a positive feedback. He says that we have a culture of giving negative feedback and that we usually do not remember to praise when a good work is done. Ricardo explains that just an email or a comment about the good work is usually enough to motivate anybody, thus leading her/him to make less mistakes in the execution of his/her work. He also explains that a positive feedback must always be honest.

In this podcast, Ricardo talks about the actions that the project manager should have when the sponsor of the project changes. He explains that although the sponsor is the great supporter of the project, this is a natural fact, he also gives 4 tips on how the project manager should act when it happens.

In this podcast Ricardo talks about the project objective, he explains that many people think that only the name is enough to understand the project, but the objective is important to write and explain "what is" the project, within time and estimated costs. Ricardo also says that the objective should be a sentence that explains exactly what you want to do. The objective is not a justification, but is related to the work to be done, unlike the justification that is "why" the project will be done.