Episode 001 of the Projects and Systems Podcast.  Today we talk about the importance of building in time to perform "spikes" in uncertain environments.

Episode 001 - The need for spikes

Today we talk about needing to find the "enough point" on the curve where we balance precision with adoption.

Book mentioned: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Episode 002 - The Friction of Precision

Today's episode talks about the importance of getting away from the day-to-day (the valley) to gain a different perspective (in the mountains), and then to take that new perspective back with us into the valley.

Episode 003 - The Importance of Elevation

In today's episode, we focus on process improvement--specifically using our dishwashers as a simple, easy-to-understand example of the key constraint idea that sits at the base of the Theory of Constraints.  Then, I give an example of how this applies to business.

Episode 004 - What our dishwashers can teach us about TOC

In today's episode we talk about what we can learn about project planning from cooking a simple meal.

Episode 005 - The long pole in the tent

Today we talk about a hard lesson I learned about time slotting, how it applies to business, and we end by showing how this applies to Dr. Goldratt's insight around management time and attention.

Episode 006 - Square pegs into round holes

In today's episode I talk about how leaders serve as batteries for their teams, the effect that can have on the leader, and how she/he needs to find ways to replenish and recharge.

Episode 007 - No one fills the leader's battery

I describe an important lesson I learned from Alistair Cockburn, one of the "founding fathers" of the Agile Manifesto and movement, that still sticks with me today.

Episode 008 - There is only one plus column

Today we discuss how making an investment in getting some key activities done up front enhances the quality of

Episode 009 - Not all hours are created equal

Today I draw an analogy between monitoring the effectiveness of a cardio workout and how we monitor the health and performance of our projects.

Episode 010 - Trust the heart rate monitor, not how you feel

Today I talk about a lesson I learned from our San Diego Zoo Safari Park tour guide about giraffes and what parallel that has to being a project manager.

Episode 011 - Be the giraffe for your project

We continue our podcast mini-series, on location, from San Diego.  This time, we look at a behavior from antelopes that represents some of the first principles of risk management.

Episode 012 - What antelopes can teach us about risk management

We don't realize we're drifting, but we are.  Today, we talk about how we compensate for that while out surfing and how it applies to business.

Episode 013 - The drift of surfing...and projects

What we can learn from cheetahs about how we set up and optimize our projects and systems.

Episode 014 - Optimizing like a cheetah

An important, but embarrassing lesson I learned about leadership from my blender.

Episode 015 - Blenders and leadership

Do you have a pile of decaying leaves in your project?  Probably.  We explore how to find and remove it in today's episode.

Episode 017 - Decaying leaves in your project

Today I am very happy to have a special guest on the show.  Find out how tow trucks, learning a second language, and requirements analysis can help you in your project.

Episode 018 - Tow trucks, second languages, and requirements analysis

Today we talk about how important it is to make the work visible and transparent not only to leadership, but the whole team.

Episode 019 - Office plants and project transparency

Think there's no connection between these two things?  Think again.  I thought I knew the problem with a situation, but was wrong.  Twice.

Episode 020 - Solar keyboards and change management

This episode was shot as a video, on-site, from Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah.  The topic is the point where you've planned, and  planned (and maybe want to plan some more), but you just need to jump!

Episode 021 - Stop planning and Go!

Today we begin a short series on the all-important topic of project scope.  Specifically, we talk about how to take something huge, overwhelming, and stress-inducing and break it down into something manageable.

Episode 022 - Scope decomposition

A short discussion on how to determine what is in and out of scope.  This podcast episode is the audio track of a video available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ihnks-Sf2s&t=33s

Episode 024 - Do you want fries with that?

Today we talk about a very common mistake PM's make (new and experienced, alike), and how to avoid it by applying a simple lesson from Corporate Communications

Episode 025 - Are you at the right altitude?

This episode was originally shot on video and uploaded to YouTube.  However, that version is actually a product demo of a great little tool I've used for years called Casual.pm (no endorsement deal involved).  However, that episode didn't lend itself to an audio-only format, so I recorded this one to go over the major ideas.

Episode 026 - Network diagrams

How did that project that has been, "Doing just great!" for the past several weeks just go into panic mode so quickly--and with no notice?!  Chances are, it's been getting worse for a while, but you haven't been getting the straight story from your team.  In today's episode, I talk about four reasons why this often happens, and one, key way to avoid it.

Episode 036 - Deliverables, not donuts

One key mindset and skill we need to develop as PM’s is to be willing to question all assumptions and achieve the objective in creative ways.

Episode 037 - Question all assumptions

Can you and your project measure up to the equivalent of what my general contractor is doing on my home remodel?

Episode 040 - Can your team Scan the Plan?

As project managers we are paid to hit the objective--even if that means getting there in a way that wasn't part of our original plan.

Episode 046 - The parable of the second door

A quick tip on something that often confuses people using Agile/Scrum to manage their projects.

Episode 047 - "Should we?" vs. "Can we?" in Agile

How a little bit of situational awareness, up front, can help us avoid taking our project teams on unnecessary side trips that cause delays and lower morale.

Episode 48 - The Parable of the Wasted Walk

I know it's comfortable to speak in generalities and, "We might want to's..." and, "...Maybe we should consider's...".  There's a time for that in the beginning.  But then, we need to put that verbiage behind us and hold ourselves to a higher standard of speaking clearly and directly.

Episode 49 - Ambiguity is for Rookies

There's a time for dreaming, and then there's a time to get our feet firmly back on the ground.  As PM's, we need to guide our teams to meet project objectives with our existing resources.

Episode 50 - Meanwhile, back in the minivan...

Are you inadvertantly creating your own bottlenecks?  In this episode, I discuss one common way this can happen, and what to do about it.

Episode 51 - Two Types of Work, but Only One Pipeline

When you estimate what you can pull off in the next iteration, are you basing that on a running average?  Or the reality of the moment?

Episode 52 - The Velocity Trap

One reason why you may not be getting the results you expect in your projects, is that your standard of what it takes to hit excellence is far too low.  What you think it takes to get an A+ on your paper, might really be what it takes to get a C+, or a B-.

Episode 53 - This Is What It Takes

Ever think you're doing the right thing, only to find out it was precisely wrong?  Today I talk about how we do that in our organizations.

Episode 54 - Killing The Ivy

Is there such a thing as being over-prepared?  And if so, can it be dangerous?  In today's episode I explain why the answer is, "Yes!" to both questions.

Episode 55 - Rim-to-Rim

Concise, practical tips about project management and process improvement from the real world.  Each episode is 10-minutes or less.

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