People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast

It's one thing to know there's a model for influencing without authority. But how do we implement that model, as leaders and project managers? That's what we tackle in this second part of my interview with Dr. Allan Cohen, author of Influence Without Authority. {loadposition content_amazonInfluenceWithoutAuthority}I recommend you check out the accompanying website for Dr. Cohen's book, which you can find at www.influencewithoutauthority.com. Are you interested in learning how to develop your influence skills? How about your team's ability to influence? Give us a call to learn how we can help you become more influential, even in situations you don't have authority. Please join me in the next episode when I'm joined by Clint Padgett, President and CEO of Project Success Inc, and author of The Project Success Method: A Proven Approach for Achieving Superior Project Performance in as Little as 5 Days. Thanks for joining us for this episode! Have a great week! Duration 19:37 Download episode 28

One of my leadership heroes is Ken Blanchard, who is on record of saying, "The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority." I wholeheartedly agree with Ken, that developing your influence skills is critical to success in today's business environment, especially when a growing number of project managers and other leaders have an increasing amount of responsibility but not necessarily a corresponding amount of authority to go with it. {loadposition content_amazonInfluenceWithoutAuthority}Many listening to this cast are in positions where they have to influence without authority and to help us improve our skills in that area I got in touch with the author of one my favorite books on the topic, Dr Allan Cohen, who wrote Influence Without Authority. In this cast we walk through the influence model that Allan developed with Stanford professor Dr. David Bradford. In the follow-up cast I have Allan walk through a couple specific scenarios relevant to our audience, to apply the model in practical ways. You'll notice part way through the cast that our recording system introduced some background interference due to a technical issue that occurred during my discussion with Dr. Cohen. I apologize for the annoyance, trusting you'll glean many lessons from the interview despite the distraction. I recommend you check out the accompanying website for Dr. Cohen's book, which you can find at www.influencewithoutauthority.com. Please join me in the next episode when Dr. Cohen applies his influence model to two specific scenarios that I'm confident you'll find relevant to your role. And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects. Thanks for joining us for this episode! Have a great week! Duration 29:53 Download episode 27

In our last episode I started an interview with Dr. Ed Schein, Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus at MIT and author of fourteen business books, including The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. Make sure to listen to that episode if you happened to miss it. {loadposition content_amazonHelping}In this second part of the interview, we turn our attention to Ed's seminal yet highly practical book entitled Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. Ever wonder why some people find it difficult to ask for help, even when they are "spinning their wheels" with the project tasks? Or why some people just won't take you up on offers to help, even when it's desperately needed? In this interview Ed helps us understand the surprisingly complex dynamics around giving and receiving help. I strongly recommend you get a copy of Ed's books we discuss in these two episodes. I invite you to join me next time when I interview Dr. Allen Cohen, author of the acclaimed book Influence Without Authority. Part of the complexity of projects today relates to the fact that many of us have the responsibility to deliver the projects yet don't have authority over all the people we must depend on. Increasingly project success depends on relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, and our ability to influence those people—even when we don't have authority over them—is critical. I look forward to sharing that interview with you. Thanks for checking out our new podcast website at www.peopleandprojectspodcast.com. I invite you to let me know what you think about it! Thanks for joining us for this episode! Have a great week! Total Duration: 21:17 Download episode 26

It happens regularly... my phone rings, I pick it up, and on the other end I'm talking with someone who's inquiring about bringing us in to deliver a keynote for a company event or training for their organization.{loadposition content_amazonCorpCulture} My first response is not whether I'm available on the dates they're looking for. My first questions are designed to help me understand the problems they're trying to solve. Once I have a good sense of the issues they want to address, I inevitably ask a critical, open-ended question: "Tell me about the culture of your organization?" How would you respond to that question? How would you describe your company's culture? Or the culture of your team? How about the project culture at your company--how things get done? This is what I've found: understanding organizational culture is critical to being able to deliver projects and lead teams. If I don't have a decent idea of the culture I'm walking into for a keynote, workshop, or coaching session, I flat out won't be effective. It would be like walking in and finding that everyone speaks a foreign language. Dr. Ed Schein is a world renowned MIT professor and expert on organizational culture, and has authored fourteen business books, including The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. When it comes to knowing how to get things done in a company, Ed is one of my heroes, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to speak with him recently.{loadposition content_amazonHelping} This episode contains the first part of my discussion with Dr. Schein, with the remaining to be included in the next cast. [readon url="http://bit.ly//EdScheinP2"]Click here[/readon] for Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Schein will focus on his book Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. Would you take a moment to tell a friend about this podcast? I would love to have the opportunity to help develop your friends and colleagues who have a desire to successfully deliver projects and lead teams. Thank you for joining us for this episode of the People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week! Total Duration: 24:19 Download episode 25

Here's the situation... you're responsible for delivering a project. Your boss comes in today and announces that senior management has decided that you must deliver your project 4 weeks earlier than originally planned. You know that the project is already carrying a lot of risk, and cutting 4 more weeks seems completely unrealistic, at least from your perspective. Yet it also appears, from your perspective, that speaking up or pushing back could be job risking. They aren't looking for your input--they're looking for you to deliver on the demand. Sound familiar? Whether you are a project manager or responsible for leading a team, we are regularly faced with situations that require us to influence others. Yet here's my observation: influence skills are one of the most under-trained areas for many people today. It's almost as if we think influence training is for salespeople or lawyers or "those people over in procurement." We all can benefit from developing our influence skills. One of my favorite influence books in the last couple years is entitled Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. I had the opportunity recently to speak with the co-author of Yes!, Steve Martin, and look forward to your feedback on the interview in this cast. By the way, you'll hear Steve share his thoughts on how to deal with that boss with unrealistic timeframes! A practical next step to develop your influence skills is to get a copy of the book that Steve authored with Robert Cialdini and Noah Goldstein: Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. Also, check out Dr. Cialdini's classic: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Download the episode I got a call this morning from a former coaching client. Two years ago when I was working with Jerry he expressed interest in writing a book, which I enthusiastically encouraged he pursue. Two years later hes made significant progress and now had questions about the publishing process. In roughly 20 minutes I happily downloaded lessons that were learned since I published my first book 8 years ago.{loadposition content_amazonGotYourBack}Why do I share this story? What if Jerry hadn't surrounded himself with someone who cared enough to help him out? I don't want to over-state the value of my advice for certainly there are plenty of websites and services that have information that could help him achieve his goal. Yet there's something even more powerful about having close access to a circle of people you trust, who you know care about your success, and are eager to help you achieve it.Jerry has that in me. Who do you have in your inner circle or your "Go To Group" (a term I introduce in my keynote on relationships called The Dirty Little Secret of Business)?Who we surround ourselves with is critical, and it's an important lesson in Keith Ferrazzi's new book Who's Got Your Back: The Breakthrough Program to Build Deep, Trusting Relationships That Create Success--and Won't Let You Fail. I first heard of Keith when he wrote the best seller Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time back in 2005.I have to say this upfront: If you lead projects and teams, chances are your success depends far more than you realize on the relationships you build. If you haven't read Keith's books, get them today. {loadposition content_amazonNeverEat}I look forward to sharing a recent discussion I had with Keith in this cast.In addition to picking up a copy of Keith's books, I invite you to follow Keith's blog. You can find that, along with many additional resources, at KeithFerrazzi.com.Hey, here's another idea. Our keynote entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business takes this topic of relationships head-on. If you have an upcoming company or association meeting and would like to help the participants better leverage the power of relationships, give us a call! It would be a real pleasure to help your event be a success!I invite you to join me in our next episode when I talk with Steve Martin about the topic of influence! Imagine that--Andy Kaufman talking with Steve Martin! If you're expecting two comedians, you'll be disappointed. However, Steve is an accomplished U.K.-based author, speaker, and consultant on influence. I can assure you that his insights will definitely be helpful for those who responsible for leading people and delivering projects.Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Download the episode As you start this new year, let me ask you a personal question: How satisfied are you with your financial situation? Though it doesn't seem like a question for a podcast on leadership and project management, here's what I've found: there are seemingly endless resources available on the internet to learn more about managing your finances. Yet I find that many of my coaching clients--once I get to know them well enough--confess that financial stress is something they deal with, particularly in this economy.Since work/life balance is an important objective for all who desire to lead people and projects, I wanted to invest a cast on the topic of our personal finances. The start of a year is often a great time to reboot old habits to start fresh with new ones.When it comes to financial advice I turn to my friend, author, and personal finance expert Matt Bell. I had the opportunity to talk with Matt recently and look forward to sharing the interview with you in this cast. To learn more about Matt, check out his website at http://www.mattaboutmoney.com/. Also, don't miss the sites Matt mentions in this cast, including Mint.com, Fidelity's MyPlan Snapshot , Ask.com/deals, and ebates.com.Hey, quick question: How are YOU doing on your new year's resolutions? We're far enough into the new year that, at least statistically, many of them will have fallen off the radar screen. But they don't have to.If you haven't yet heard my interview with Jordan Goldberg, CEO of StickK.com, make sure to check it out. Jordan's site has helped me reach my new year's weight loss goal in far less time than I planned. You might just find a way to use their site to achieve some financial related goals this year as well!Please join me in our next podcast when I interview Keith Ferrazzi, author of the bestseller Never Eat Alone and his new book Who's Got Your Back. Relationships are a key ingredient to your success at work, with projects, and in life, and Keith is the foremost authority on the topic.Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Accountability.It's an easy word to say, but when it comes to practicing it, whether on a personal level or across an organization, it's often not practiced (or practiced well). A recurring theme I hear from project managers and leaders is that their organization struggles with accountability.John G. Miller is my "go to" person when it comes to the topic of personal accountability. John's book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life has sold nearly a million copies since it hit the streets some years back. This week John is releasing a new book about how to make your organization exceptional.As you start this new year looking to raise the bar with your teams, I share in this episode a recent discussion I had with John about QBQ! and his new book entitled, Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional., especially if you like books where each chapter is 5 pages or less! Check out John's websites at www.qbq.com/, www.outstandingorganization.com/, and www.qbq.com/specks-and-planks.php.What is your biggest frustration about accountability on your project team? Take a moment to send me an e-mail at [email protected]. I'd be glad to share any insights I can to help your situation.If you would like to raise the bar in your organization's ability to lead and deliver, give me a call! Contact me toll-free at 866-884-5323 and we can talk about our workshops and e-learning that help you and your organization deliver projects and lead teams.Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!I invite you to join me on the week of January 18 when we'll be joined by my friend, author and money expert Matt Bell. In the meantime, thank you for joining us for this edition of The People and Projects podcast. Have a great week! Enjoy the cast!

Download the episode Happy New Year! Thank you for joining us for this special New Year's episode of The People and Projects Podcast!Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!How many times have you set a new years resolution only to have it hit head-on into the wall of reality of daily living? My experience? New Year's resolutions often don't last the day, much less the end of January!There are all kinds of resolutions you might consider, personally and professionally. On a professional level, for project managers that have not yet gotten certified, why not make this the year that you get that done? It's so easy to put it off. For others, there might be some habits you want to improve such as getting more sleep or going out on a date with a loved one more often.If you are a project manager and haven't yet pursued certification, click here to learn more about PMP certification.There are countless ideas for resolutions but how do you make them stick? Well, on this special New Year's episode of The People and Projects Podcast, you'll hear from Jordan Goldberg, CEO of Stickk.com. Make sure to check their service out!In 2010 I resolve to continue publishing episodes every other week, and there's already a great line-up recorded. I resolve to work to keep the podcasts at 30 minutes or less where possible and I'm going to look to keep bringing a project management angle to the interviews even when the topic is leadership focused. Most people listen via iTunes but I resolve to finding a better Flash audio player in 2010 as well!In 2010 you'll be introduced to a premium version of the podcast that will help you not only learn yourself but help you develop those on your teams. More on that in the coming weeks.Hey, one last thing! I love to hear from listeners! Take a moment to send me an e-mail at [email protected]. Did you have a favorite cast this year? What do you like about our shows and what suggestions do you have to make them better? I look forward to hearing from you.Here's to this being your best year ever! Happy New Year!

I have the real privilege of helping organizations around the world improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams. In 2008 we added a PMP Exam Prep offering to our mix to help project managers who want to get their Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.I have to say this while I can because it's only a matter of time before I won't be able to! So far, every one of our students who have attended our workshops and taken the PMP certification exam have passed! Now obviously I can't take too much credit for this track record because anyone who wants to pass the PMP exam must have a fair amount of experience to even apply. In addition, there's plenty of study required. That said, it's totally passable and we can help you.If you are a project manager and haven't yet pursued certification, I strongly recommend you consider making it a goal for the coming year. Click here to learn more about PMP certification.Now of course PMP certification is an obvious option, but did you know there are other well respected, if not as well known, project management certifications? In this cast you'll hear from Bill Duncan. If Bill's name isn't familiar, his work will be to many of you. Bill was the primary author of the original PMBOK® Guide and shares some helpful insights on certification and delivering successful projects.To learn more about the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management and the certification Bill talks about in this cast, check out http://www.asapm.org/blog.Would you like to help your organization improve its ability to deliver projects more reliably? Our project management series of workshops take well established project management practices and use proven adult learning methods to help you put them into action. Whether you're looking for certification for a selected group of PM's or helping your entire organization improve their project management competencies, our workshops and coaching can help you make a real improvement in the coming year.And here's a New Year's gift for you! Book one or more workshops before the end of January 2010 and we'll reduce the cost by 20%. Contact me toll-free at (866) 88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323) to learn more.I invite you to join us in 2 weeks when you'll hear my interview with best selling author John G. Miller. John is the author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life. John and I will talk about his soon-to-be-released book entitled Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional.Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! For my Jewish friends I trust you had a very Happy Hanukkah! And for my listeners celebrating Christmas this week, I wish you and those you love a very Merry Christmas! Have a great start to your New Year! Total Duration: 30:26 Download episode 18 "PMI and PMP" are trademarks, service marks or certification marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc., which is registered in the United States and other nations.Silent Night (Jazz Trio Version) Less Bass by John Stebbe. Used under Creative Commons License Attribution-No Derivative Works 1.0 Generic NOTE: This interview was revised on 4/30/2012 at the request of Mr. Duncan.

I have the real privilege of helping organizations around the world improve their ability to deliver projects and lead teams. In 2008 we added a PMP Exam Prep offering to our mix to help project managers who want to get their Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.I have to say this while I can because it's only a matter of time before I won't be able to! So far, every one of our students who have attended our workshops and taken the PMP certification exam have passed! Now obviously I can't take too much credit for this track record because anyone who wants to pass the PMP exam must have a fair amount of experience to even apply. In addition, there's plenty of study required. That said, it's totally passable and we can help you.If you are a project manager and haven't yet pursued certification, I strongly recommend you consider making it a goal for the coming year. Click here to learn more about PMP certification.Now of course PMP certification is an obvious option, but did you know there are other well respected, if not as well known, project management certifications? In this cast you'll hear from Bill Duncan. If Bill's name isn't familiar, his work will be to many of you. Bill was the primary author of the original PMBOK® Guide and shares some helpful insights on certification and delivering successful projects.To learn more about the American Society for the Advancement of Project Management and the certification Bill talks about in this cast, check out http://www.asapm.org/blog.Would you like to help your organization improve its ability to deliver projects more reliably? Our project management series of workshops take well established project management practices and use proven adult learning methods to help you put them into action. Whether you're looking for certification for a selected group of PM's or helping your entire organization improve their project management competencies, our workshops and coaching can help you make a real improvement in the coming year.And here's a New Year's gift for you! Book one or more workshops before the end of January 2010 and we'll reduce the cost by 20%. Contact me toll-free at (866) 88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323) to learn more.I invite you to join us in 2 weeks when you'll hear my interview with best selling author John G. Miller. John is the author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life. John and I will talk about his soon-to-be-released book entitled Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional.Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! For my Jewish friends I trust you had a very Happy Hanukkah! And for my listeners celebrating Christmas this week, I wish you and those you love a very Merry Christmas! Have a great start to your New Year!"PMI and PMP" are trademarks, service marks or certification marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc., which is registered in the United States and other nations.Silent Night (Jazz Trio Version) Less Bass by John Stebbe. Used under Creative Commons License Attribution-No Derivative Works 1.0 Generic Download the episode

My middle son Zachary celebrates his 13th birthday later this month. Just this last week I was talking to a friend of his about the upcoming milestone. This friend, who is a couple years younger than Z, remarked, "Man, it seems like we just celebrated his birthday! Has another year gone by so quickly?"Ever get that feeling, especially as we get close to the end of another year? How did this year go by so fast?I had the opportunity to catch up with a close friend over a cup of coffee recently. He remarked that when he looked at the vice president level above him at his company, all he saw was more work, more stress, and less time with his family. Interestingly, he related "Most people at our company look up one level and say, 'You couldn't pay me enough to take that job! Life is too short!'"Maybe you can relate. Either you're already experiencing that frantic pace or you look at the next level and agree that the price on your life isn't worth pursuing a promotion.Certainly this reality hurts companies. They are losing leadership potential because they are losing perspective on what it means to allow people to live more balanced lives.But my concern with this episode isn't your company. It's you. It's my friend, and it's me. How can we take back our life when it seems that the pace of life is taking it from us?I was discussing this with my friend and colleague Kymme Lightfoot who is a consultant with McGhee Productivity Solutions. McGhee specializes in helping organizations with these very challenges and she hooked me up with partner John Witty. John is the author of Take Back Your Life! (Microsoft Press) and if you are looking for perspective to get a better handle on the demands of work and life, this episode's interview is especially designed for you.You can learn more about McGhee Productivity Solutions at http://www.mcgheeproductivity.com/.If you are interested in more information on this topic, here are some potential next steps: First, make sure to get a copy of John's book Take Back Your Life!. Here's a link to buy it on Amazon.com. Second, we have an audio CD entitled Beyond Time Management. The program is filled with practical lessons to help you get rid of piles at work and home, how to remember important things about people, how to stop forgetting things that need to be done, and much more. Listeners of this podcast can get 20% off by using a coupon code of "TAKETIME20" when ordering by 12/31/2009. Learn more at http://www.i-leadonline.com/BeyondTimeProduct.asp. I invite you to join us in 2 weeks when you'll hear my interview with Bill Duncan. If his name isn't familiar, chances are his work is if you are a project manager. Bill was the primary author of the original PMBOK(R) Guide, and we'll talk about certification beyond just what the Project Management Institute offers.Thank you for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Enjoy the discussion with John! Duration 27:10 Download episode 17

Download the episode Thanksgiving is, indeed, one of my favorite holidays. Though celebrated this week in the States, many other countries have a similar holiday with essentially the same purpose: give us a chance to reflect on what we're thankful for.The People and Projects Podcast is all about helping you to deliver projects and lead teams. So, it's worth asking: how important is being thankful to helping you lead and deliver?It's critical. In fact, let's test that out for a second....Think back through bosses you've worked for in the past. Or consider teachers you've had over the years, and perhaps even your parents. Out of that list, who jumps out as someone who was stingy, so to speak, with their gratitude towards you? Whether in word or action, they just didn't dish out appreciation very often.Can you think of someone? Many people can. What consequences come to mind that resulted from that lack of gratitude?Some two years ago I was talking with a CEO about how I like to send Thank You cards to people. He actively tried to convince me that such expressions of gratitude--especially in writing--were a waste of time, much like "holding hands and singing." He said, "People don't need a boss telling them 'Thank You'. Rather, results speak for themselves."Wow. I can only imagine what he's like to work for!Go back to your list. Get that ogre out of your mind and replace them with someone who did a great job of making you feel appreciated. Once again, whether in word or deed or both, they oozed with gratitude.What difference did they make? In my experience, those leaders are able to accomplish so much more. Their teams are more engaged. They can be more innovative because they are working less out of fear and more out of self-motivation. Expressing gratitude and recognizing others for the work they do is a clear mandate for anyone who desires to deliver projects and lead teams.Maybe it's the economy... Maybe it's the growing discontent among many that our political leaders are out of touch. There's no shortage of things to be upset about.So here's what I've found. Being thankful is a choice. It's something we need to proactively pursue to avoid being sucked into the whirlpool of negativity and entitlement that surrounds us.In recent years my company has sponsored a gratitude project called the World of Thanks initiative. Each year people from around the world write in to answer a very simple question: "What are you thankful for?"Though the answers vary widely, I always get great feedback from people about how they find it refreshing to take a moment to participate in the project as well as read the results from young and old alike.As many of you know, this year we opened it up for people to call in with their message so we could include their thoughts in this podcast. For all that called in or just replied to the invitations with messages on LinkedIn, Facebook, or e-mail, thank you for participating.And now, it is my pleasure to share with you the voices of your fellow podcast listeners as they answer the question, "What are you thankful for?" Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Ralph Heath is the author of Celebrating Failure: The Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes and Thinking Big. Just the name of the book made me want to interview Ralph! How often do you hear Celebrate and Failure in the same sentence? When things go wrong--even in a big way--what's a leader to do? Can we really celebrate failure without creating a culture of complacence? Could the way we react--such as firing someone in the name of accountability--actually create additional dysfunction? These are issues that Ralph wrestles with in his book. I look forward to your feedback on the interview with Ralph in this episode. Enjoy the podcast!

Download the episode I hear it all the time when people describe themselves in a work setting: "I'm a good problem-solver!" Are you a good problem-solver? I'm guessing you would say "Yes!"Well, guess what? According to Michael Roberto, author of Know What You Don't Know, maybe we're all focusing on the wrong thing. According to Michael, it's not about becoming better problem-solvers. We need to be better problem finders!I had the opportunity to catch up with Michael by phone recently and look forward to sharing that discussion with you in this cast.To learn more about Michael, I invite you to check out his blog at http://michael-roberto.blogspot.com/. Also, don't miss Michael's other highly recommended book, Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus.One way that project managers become better problem finders is through risk management. Have you ever been trained on how to more effectively manage risks?I have an e-learning module entitled What You Need to Know About Risk Management. You can learn how to use risk management to become a better problem finder and earn two PDUs while you're at it.And as a thanks for listening to The People and Projects Podcast, you can save $20 off the $49.95 list price. Just use a coupon code of PODCAST1009 when you order. Go to http://www.i-leadonline.com/eRiskMgtWorkshop.asp to learn more.Before we wrap-up, may I ask you a favor? I invite you to tell a friend or colleague about The People and Projects Podcast. I continue to be amazed at how many people still haven't started using podcasts as part of the professional development strategy. Send them a link or tell them how to find us on iTunes. Thank you very much!Thanks for joining us for this episode. Enjoy the cast!

Download the episode Hello! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast. I'm over in Europe this week facilitating a project management workshop for a great international company. Though I'm thousands of miles from home in a culture and language that is notably different from my own, I find a couple things remain the same: if you want to deliver projects and lead teams anywhere in this world, you're going to have to deal with conflict and organizational politics. It's just a reality of working with people. When I think of politics with projects, I think of my colleague Brian Irwin, PMP. Brian is the author of Managing Politics and Conflict in Projects, published by Management Concepts and is a contributing author to the book The 77 Deadly Sins of Project Management (Management Concepts, 2009). I had the opportunity to talk with Brian recently and look forward to sharing that interview with you in this episode. How well prepared are you to handle the conflicts that are facing you today? I find that too few leaders have sufficiently developed their ability to navigate the inevitable conflict that comes with their role. Because of the popularity of our current promotion, I'm extending the discount on our conflict e-learning program. Just use a coupon code of OCT-ROCK-50OFF and you will get $50 off a license. Instead of $149, you can get your hands on this practical learning to help you manage conflict more effectively for only $99. This offer is valid through November 15, 2009. Have some left over training budget yet this year? Invest in your ability to navigate conflict. Contact me at [email protected] to learn more. Make sure to pick up a copy of Brian Irwin's book, and don't miss Brian's articles on ProjectConnections.com. How about letting your friends and colleagues know about The People and Projects Podcast! Send them a link to our web page at www.i-leadonline.com/podcast, or have them look us up on iTunes! It would be a privilege for me to help develop their ability to lead and deliver as well. Thank you for joining me today! Have a great week! We'll see you next time on The People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode Chances are as a leader you'll be faced with having to give someone constructive feedback this week. Yet have you noticed how people often aren't quite as open to the feedback as you'd like them to be?Chris Hogan, who talks about a process called Courageous Conversations, says the key when you're receiving feedback is to avoid blaming, complaining, and explaining. That's courageous advice, for sure, and easier said than done.Charles Jacobs recently released a book entitled Management Rewired: Why Feedback Doesn't Work and Other Surprising Lessons from the Latest Brain Science. Whether it's giving feedback, leading change, or other challenges that face leaders, Charles has some helpful insights based on the most recent brain science.I was able to catch up with Charles recently while he was relaxing in the Caribbean! Enjoy the interview! To learn more about Charles, I invite you to check out his website at http://www.managementrewired.com/.I consistently hear from my executive coaching clients that navigating conflict is a real challenge. Because of that I created an engaging e-learning offering entitled Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Deal With Conflict More Effectively. As a thank you for listening to this podcast, you can get $50 off the cost of a license. Instead of $149, you can get your hands on this practical learning to help you manage conflict more effectively for only $99. Just use the coupon code of OCT-ROCK-50OFF.Hey, if you're enjoying our podcast episodes I invite you to tell your friends and colleagues! They can listen on the web at http://www.i-leadonline.com/podcast or on iTunes at http://bit.ly/ppcast.If you have a follow-up question, or if you'd like to get a free copy of Charles' book, send an e-mail to [email protected]. A copy of Management Rewired will go out to the first person who requests it!Thanks for joining us for this edition of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!

Being an effective leader of people and projects can often come down to having a good nose... Being able to sense that something just doesn't smell quite right! Learning to develop your ability to "sniff out problems" or "spot the tells"--those indications there are issues needing attention--is a key leadership skill developed through years of experience. It's also a theme of Susan Scott's new book released just this week entitled Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business Today. I'm an enthusiastic admirer of Susan's book Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time and had the opportunity to catch up with Susan during this busy week of launching her new best seller. Special thanks to Susan Scott for joining us today! You can learn more about Susan and her company at http://www.fierceinc.com/. And thank you for joining us for this edition of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Download the episode You've heard the terms Generation X and Generation Y. There are plenty of stereotypes associated with each term. Yet when you're responsible for leading a team that spans generations, it's easy to struggle with challenges that vary from attention spans to how to best motivate and recognize accomplishment.Or maybe you are working for a younger boss. He or she is the age of one of your adult kids! What are some ideas to keep in mind to help you manage your younger boss?When I'm looking for insights into leading across generations, I turn to one of the foremost experts on young people in the workplace: Bruce Tulgan. Bruce is the author of Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y. You'll find my interview with Bruce in this cast helpful as you seek to lead today's workforce.Click here to order Not Everyone Gets a Trophy on Amazon.com. Also, I invite you to check out Bruce's organization: Rainmaker Thinking. I enjoy getting Bruce's video newsletter each week and recommend it to you and your team.In our last cast I announced a drawing for two copies of Phil Simon's book Why New Systems Fail. The two winners are Renee Klivickis and Bob Sims! Congratulations to you both!Would you like a chance to get a copy of Bruce Tulgan's book Not Everyone Gets a Trophy? Just send an e-mail to [email protected]. Please include your name and where you live. Put "Book drawing" in the subject line. I'll draw two winners from those who respond by September 10.Make sure you listen to the end of this cast to learn about the special discount I'm offering for my e-learning on managing conflict. You can save $50 off the price of one license and $130 off a 3-pack. Just use a coupon code of PODCAST0909 when you order. Visit http://bit.ly/ConflictElearning to learn more about the training.Enjoy the cast!

Download the episode Think about the last really big project you were involved with.... How would you describe how it went?Smooth?Flawless?Exactly as planned?That's not what I usually hear from customers and colleagues! Rather, I'm more apt to hear responses such as "Challenged", "Stressed", or "Lots of changes!"We continue to learn so much about how to run projects and yet new projects--often those really large ones--continue to struggle.In our project management workshops we spend extended time on those factors that most contribute to project success and failure to help arm project managers, sponsors, and team members. In this episode of the People and Projects Podcast, you'll hear from one my go-to people when it comes to understanding project success and failure: Phil Simon.Phil is the author of the acclaimed book Why New Systems Fail: Theory and Practice Collide. If you have a large scale project kicking off soon, I strongly recommend you contact Phil to see how his organization can help you avoid the many landmines he lays out in his book. You can learn more about Phil at his website: http://www.philsimonsystems.com/.Phil has generously made 2 autographed copies of his book available for a drawing! Just send me an e-mail with your name and where you live. Put "Book drawing" in the subject of your e-mail and you'll automatically be entered into the drawing. On August 31 I'll select two names from those who respond.Thank you for listening to the People and Projects Podcast! I invite you to tell your friends and colleagues about us. Some of the best free learning available these days is on podcasts, and it would be a real pleasure for me to share these interviews with those you know. You can subscribe to the People and Projects Podcast on iTunes by going to http://bit.ly/ppcast.Here's to your project success!

Download the episode Over the years I've not only worked on a lot of projects. I've also sat through a lot of project management training and read plenty of books. Have you ever noticed that projects are a lot easier to manage in a class than in the real world?Unfortunately a lot of training and books are filled with theory that can be difficult to apply when you leave the material and run head-on into the wall of reality. That's why my organization works diligently in our keynotes and workshops to keep them as practical as possible so participants leave with skills that can be applied, not just knowledge that works on a white board!There's also the problem of scale. It's one thing to manage a single project or a couple small projects. But what about the big ones--the extreme projects where uncertainty runs high and so do the stakes. That's the realm where many of us live so this episode is all about managing extreme projects.My favorite extreme project management guru is Doug DeCarlo, author of the book eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility. I had the opportunity to catch up with Doug recently and look forward to your feedback after you listen to my interview with him in this episode.A major part of project success comes down to relationships: with stakeholders, team members, and sponsors. In fact, just about everything in business and life comes down to relationships. That is the main point of our keynote entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business. What is the dirty little secret of business? It's all done on relationships. Whether we're talking about your individual success or that of your company, chances are it is heavily dependent on the strength of relationships.I'd love to share this keynote at your organization. If you have an upcoming company or department gathering, offsite retreat, or association meeting, give me call to explore how The Dirty Little Secret of Business keynote can put an exclamation point on your event!Thank you for listening to The People and Projects Podcast! If you enjoy this free resource I invite you to get the word out to friends and colleagues that would benefit. Also, please send me a note to let me know what you're learning from each episode. You can reach me by e-mail at [email protected] the interview!

Download the episode Let's face it: it's challenging enough to lead and deliver when your team is all together in one location! The problems compound when team members are distributed across multiple locations and perhaps even time zones.When is the best time to meet? How often? How can we help this team truly work together and feel like a team? It's a real challenge for those who desire to excel at delivering projects and leading teams in today's virtual workplace.I've had to learn many lessons the hard way while managing distributed teams that include offshore development. What I've learned over the years is this: great teams, whether located together or spread out across the globe, don't just happen. We have to absolutely be intentional about forming, developing, and maintaining them. If we don't we always leave much needed productivity on the table.These days when I'm looking for fresh insights on virtual teams and leadership I turn to my colleague Dr. Karen Sobel Lojeski, author of Uniting the Virtual Workforce: Transforming Leadership and Innovation in the Globally Integrated Enterprise. Her views on leadership and team development in a virtual world are always timely and insightful. I look forward to your feedback on my interview with her in this episode.You can learn more about Karen and her company at http://www.virtualdistance.com/.A major part of team effectiveness comes down to relationships. In fact, just about everything in business and life comes down to relationships, which is the main point of our keynote presentation entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business. Though the title sounds provocative, the message is clear: whether we're talking about your individual success or that of your company, chances are it is heavily dependent on the strength of relationships.Contact me at [email protected] or toll-free at 866-884-5323 to learn more about how this keynote can put an exclamation point on your upcoming company or department gathering, offsite retreat, or association meeting.And here's a big thank you to you! Baseline magazine rated the People and Projects Podcast one of the Ten Must-Listen To podcasts regarding project management. If you're getting value from these episodes, take a moment to tell your friends and colleagues!Thank you for listening to the People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode "I don't have enough time!"It's a common refrain. Whether from participants in a workshop or over a cup of coffee with a coaching client, I'm constantly working with people who are struggling to stay on top of their commitments.Though I help others on the topic all the time, managing my own time is a continual challenge. The interview you'll hear in this episode was recorded a month ago. It's taken until now for me to carve out enough time to bring it to you.It's a universal challenge for most professionals today: How can we get everything done when there's just not enough time to do it?When I'm looking for insights on managing my time, I head to my friend and colleague Jason Womack. Jason is a great source of inspiration and fresh ideas for me when it comes to personal productivity.To learn more about Jason, I invite you to visit his website at http://www.jasonwomack.com/. Or just Google Jason's name and you'll find helpful articles and videos online.At the end of this cast you'll learn how to save 50% on our e-learning offering entitled "5 Keys to Getting More Done with Less Stress". Just use the coupon code "E-TIME-50" when you checkout.Thanks for listening to the People and Projects podcast! Contact me at [email protected] or toll-free at 866-884-5323 for ideas on how to help you and your team get more done with less stress.

So take a look around you. How engaged would you say the people are in your organization?Each workplace is unique but here's a dose of reality: Some research shows only 29% of North American employees are fully engaged. That's a lot of productivity being left on the table.Particularly during challenging economic times, it's essential for our teams to be fully engaged and committed to project and organizational success. But how are they going to go the extra mile if they aren't engaged?One of my heroes in business over the years is Kenneth W. Thomas. If you've sat through any of my leadership or conflict management sessions, you've likely heard me refer to Ken. His research and writing on managing conflict has significantly impacted me. Ken is a co-author of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI).Ken is also the author of the new book Intrinsic Motivation at Work: What Really Drives Employee Engagement, published by Berrett-Koehler and ASTD. This book is an easy read: informal yet packed with great insights to help you engage your teams.Whether it's Ken's work on conflict or engaging the workforce, Ken is a clear and strong voice that offers not only words of wisdom but also practical tools to help us lead through conflict with engaged teams.I had the opportunity to catch up with Ken recently to get his insights on all this, including the new Work Engagement Profile. This easy-to-use profile provides excellent insights to understand how engaged you and your team are to help put together a plan to re-engage.Most organizations could benefit from practical learning about how to manage conflict. Contact me today to learn about the TKI assessment. We can help you and your organization better understand how to productively navigate conflict. Learn more at http://www.i-leadonline.com/tki.asp. For hospitals who need to comply with the Joint Commission standard LD.2.40, I invite you to visit http://www.healthcare-conflict-management.com/tki-assessments.html to learn more how we can help you.Another way to take a next step from this podcast: contact me about Ken's new Work Engagement Profile. I can walk you and your team through the profile, and facilitate a plan to re-engage your workforce during these challenging times.Finally, don't forget the special offer in the podcast. It can be tempting to think "Andy's other listeners have already picked up those free books or assessments. I won't get in touch with him."Send me an e-mail at [email protected] or call toll-free at 866-88 I-LEAD. You just might pick up a freebie!Thanks for listening to The People and Projects Podcast! Enjoy the interview!How Engaged Are Your Teams? Got Conflict? A conversation with Kenneth W. Thomas, author of "Intrinsic Motivation at Work" Total Duration: 32:42 Download episode 5

Download the episode You're presenting in a meeting or perhaps in front of a group. What is it that makes you more believable? More engaging? More trustworthy? The topic for today's cast is the key to charisma. Many people think you either have the charisma gene or you don't. Tony Robbins? He got it. Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Not so much!But is it purely a matter of genetics? Is there hope for those of us whose family tree didn't bless them with the charisma gene?After coaching hundreds of executives I'm here to tell you there's hope for us all! Charisma is not two-state: you either have it or not. There are practical skills that you can develop to improve your ability to develop rapport and trust with people.And let's face it. This is a critical skill to develop. As I often say, the "dirty little secret of business is that it's all done on relationships." To succeed we need to be able to convince our boss, key stakeholders, or customers to support our ideas. Being authentic, engaging, and trustworthy is foundational to our ability to influence.Similarly, to be successful we need to be able to detect when someone is not being straight with us. I've often said that sometimes being an effective project manager (or leader) is having a good nose.... By that I mean: "Hmmm... something doesn't smell right!" Developing our instincts to know when we're being told the truth or not can be an important part of our development as an effective leader.So, how can we be more authentic and engaging when we are communicating? That's the subject of the book Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma, written by communication guru Dr. Nick Morgan. A major focus of Dr. Morgan's work is aligning our verbals with our non-verbals--a subject that many of you will have heard me discuss if you've participated in one of my project management or leadership workshops. It's a vital component of effective communication--so simple in concept--yet too often not practiced.In the interview with Dr. Nick Morgan you will hear about the offer for a free DVD of a recent presentation he made on this topic at Harvard. I highly recommend you snag a copy for yourself--something for you and perhaps even to show to your team. These will go fast so send me an e-mail today at [email protected] to get your copy.Hey, quick question: how satisfied are you with how your organization delivers projects? We have a series of three workshops that might be exactly what your organization needs. Our Essentials of Project Management workshop helps you, your teams, and even stakeholders get on the same page when it comes to delivering projects. We're regularly told people learn more in two days than they have in any previous workshop on the topic of project management. Our Advanced Project Management and PMP Prep workshops take the next step in helping you and your organization deliver results. Give us a call toll-free at 866-88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323) or check out our website at http://www.i-leadonline.com/ for more information.Thanks for listening to The People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode Clearly we are a culture of jugglers.Whether working with my executive coaching clients or talking with participants in our keynotes and workshops, without a doubt most people are feeling overwhelmed with too much to do and not enough time to do it.So we multitask. Or so we think.One of my favorite books from last year is Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina. I'm a card carrying geek in a number of categories, one of which is learning about how the brain works.Just think how much better we could learn, communicate, influence, and more if we really understood how the brain operated. That's what Brain Rules is all about.One of my favorite lines from the book says, "If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle!" Though you can find plenty of pundits that will pontificate about the collaborative benefits of cubes, I've yet to find a brain expert that backs that up!As the subtitle of the book states, Brain Rules has 12 principles to help people better understand how the brain works. The 4th rule is Attention: We don't pay attention to boring things. Dr. Medina discusses how we are better at seeing patterns and abstracting the meaning of an event than we are at recording details. He also illustrates how emotional arousal helps the brain learn--emotions help keep our attention and burn the memory in.But Dr. Medina's discussion on multitasking is what really caught my attention. Bottom line: the brain's attentional spotlight can focus on only on thing at a time. There is no such thing as multitasking.You and I might argue, "How can this be? I'm multitasking all the time!" Dr. Medina goes into all the brain scientist geek material to back up his assertion. And here's why it all matters. Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50 percent longer to accomplish a task. Not only that, he or she makes up to 50 percent more errors.I say this fully aware that you might be listening to this cast while you're driving. Be careful as it's not just cell phone calls that distract you while driving!Whether in the car or in the workplace, distractions are taking their toll. As someone who is passionately interested in helping people get more done with less stress, this whole topic strikes a nerve with me.Which leads me to another recommended brain book entitled The Myth of Multitasking, written by Dave Crenshaw.Dave is our guest on this cast and shares insights on why multitasking actually hurts our productivity. During the interview Dave encourages you to take a free multitasking test on his website at:http://www.davecrenshaw.com/andykaufmanDon't miss the free offer at the end of the cast! Here's to a very focused day for you! Thank you for subscribing to the People and Projects Podcast!

Download the episode How important is executive support to your ability to deliver? The answer is: probably even more important than you realize!Nearly every list of contributing factors to project success or failure has some mention of the importance of executive support or project sponsorship as a key factor.The idea is that if you have the support of your sponsor (or management chain), you're much more likely to deliver successfully.Of course that is often easier said than done. Effective project sponsorship is often rare in most organizations, which is why I'm looking forward to you learning from this episode's guest: Alfonso Bucero. Alfonso is the founder and Managing Director of BUCERO PM Consulting (www.abucero.com), based in Madrid, Spain. Alfonso is a frequent speaker at International PM Congresses and Symposiums and has authored multiple books.In this episode we talk about insights shared in his recent book (co-authored with Randall L. Englund) entitled Project Sponsorship: Achieving Management Commitment for Project Success (Jossey-Bass Business & Management).You'll get insights into what a sponsor is, why the role is critical to project success, and why sponsors often aren't doing what we need them to do on our projects. In addition, Alfonso will share ideas for engaging your sponsor and, if you are a sponsor, how you can engage with your project managers.Also, this podcast refers to a special discount for our Horizon Time newsletter and podcast subscribers. You can get $50 USD off our e-learning on managing conflict by using a Coupon Code of ROCK-50OFF. Click here to learn more about our e-learning on managing conflict named Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Manage Conflict More Effectively.

Download the episode A common theme across my executive coaching clients is related to networking. Often it comes down to the sense there's not enough time to network."Nice idea but I'm too busy!"But when I, as a coach, push back on this bias, here's what I find: It's not a time issue. Rather, it's a perception issue. We prioritize those things that we perceive will provide the best return for our attention.Bottom-line: networking is often not perceived as sufficiently valuable to justify the investment of time. Social networking tools provide a technology to facilitate networking. But what are some ways to use these most effectively? How can I make sure I don't waste my time with them? This podcast discusses strategies to help you more actively leverage the power of social networking to enhance your career and improve your ability to lead and deliver.If you're listening to this prior to January 29, 2009, please join us for the free webcast entitled It's All About Relationships: Strategies for Leveraging Social Networking.Also, this podcast refers to a special discount for our Horizon Time newsletter and podcast subscribers. You can get $50 USD off our e-learning on managing conflict by using a Coupon Code of ROCK-50OFF. Click here to learn more about our e-learning on managing conflict named Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Manage Conflict More Effectively.