For project managers aiming to improve their project planning and drive successful outcomes, this episode provides practical advice and real-life examples. Focusing on the distinction between conversation and communication, Clint Padgett shares strategies for fostering trust and accountability through authentic dialogue and offers insights on creating adaptable, realistic project plans. Clint emphasizes the importance of in-person team meetings to secure buy-in and boost project success. Chapters 00:00 … Intro02:28 … Meet Clint04:53 … Running the Torch06:23 … Elements of Project Planning08:48 … Network Diagrams and Conversations10:58 … Punitive vs Helpful12:08 … Flexible Project Plans16:15 … Team Involvement in Planning Process18:25 … Getting Buy-In from Your Team20:18 … Building a Visual Map23:10 … In-Person Team Meeting24:41 … Resistance from a Sponsor to Invest26:03 … Communication30:18 … Virtual Conversation Limitations32:59 … Balancing Communication vs Overcommunication36:06 … Ideal Team Players39:04 … A Superintendent or a PM?40:28 … Clint’s Books41:56 … Get in Touch44:12 … Closing CLINT PADGETT:  And what we found is I can do a two-year project remote, as long as that first three days is together face to face. That’s where we form the connections and the bonds that allow us to go remote for the rest of the project. Intro WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me is the expert in project management, Bill Yates.  We love having you join us twice a month to be motivated and inspired by project stories, leadership lessons, and advice from industry experts from all around the world. BILL YATES: Velociteach is a community of hard-working team members, here to support your growth and success. InSite is our project management mobile learning platform where you can prepare for your PMP certification, or get better at your job by choosing from over 70 high quality and engaging courses. These courses cover a variety of topics such as communication, leadership, status reporting, the work breakdown structure. Each course aligns with a PMI Talent Triangle, making earning PDUs easier than ever. Visit us at velociteach.com today to get started. WENDY GROUNDS: Today we have the privilege of speaking with Clint Padgett. Clint is the CEO and President of Project Success Incorporated.  He’s a Forbes Books author and the host of The Conversation with Clinton M. Padgett podcast.  With over 25 years of experience and a background in electrical engineering, Clint has guided some of the world’s top companies in achieving remarkable project success.  And he’s going to tell us a really interesting story about one of the top companies that he’s worked for and how he got involved in the Olympics. Project planning, conversation versus communication, and team involvement in the planning process are topics that are on the books for today.  We’ll be diving into Clint’s tried-and-true process for project planning and methods to keep projects on track without compromising on quality or performance when those challenges arise.  This episode is packed with actionable advice.  Stay tuned as we get into all of this and more with Clint Padgett. Hi, Clint.  Welcome to Manage This. CLINT PADGETT:  Hi.  It’s so nice to be here. WENDY GROUNDS:  I am really excited that you’re in the studio. CLINT PADGETT:  Yes, me, too. WENDY GROUNDS:  And that we get to see you face to face.  It’s always exciting for us to have a guest right here with us. CLINT PADGETT:  I’m a huge believer in face-to-face connections being made. BILL YATES:  We’re going to talk about that. Meet Clint WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, I think that’s going to come up.  Glad we could do this.  Before we get into the topic, let’s hear a little bit about your experience, how you became a project manager.  And I’ve heard you’ve done some work for the Olympics,

Ready to rethink leadership? Hear about an innovative framework built around four key management streams: downstream, upstream, sidestream, and the reservoir stream. These streams represent different aspects of managing oneself, managing teams, engaging with upper management, and collaborating with peers. Dalmo Cirne explains how his cross-disciplinarystrategy can transform the way we lead and manage our projects. Chapters 00:00 … Intro02:26 … Common Management Challenges03:31 … Management Streams Overview05:59 … Streams vs. Traditional Management07:20 … Managing Multiple Streams09:44 … The Management Stream Framework12:38 … Don’t Get Overwhelmed15:59 … The Reservoir Stream18:23 … The Downstream21:54 … Ren Love “Projects of the Past”24:29 … Going Upstream27:22 … The Sidestream29:36 … Building Trust31:40 … The Evolving Role of Project Managers34:14 … Get in Touch34:50 … Closing Intro DALMO CIRNE: You have to ask yourself, is it the right incentive?  Is it why I wanted to become a manager?  Or if I had an opportunity to continue on the technical side or on my individual contributor path, if that would have been more rewarding.  So, and that question can only be answered by the person themselves.  There is no correct answer to that question.  But you need to ask yourself, why did you become one?  Was it so you have the prestige?  Was it to feel important?  Those would not be the real good answers for that.  Because in management, perhaps you are not writing the code or implementing the product and doing those things.  But in management, you have access to levers where you become a multiplier. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  It’s good to have you back with us.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates. If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love to hear from you, whether it’s on our website Velociteach.com, on social media, or your favorite podcast app.  Your feedback helps us keep inspiring and supporting project managers like you.  And if you’ve got questions about our podcast or project management certifications, we’re here to help you.  Don’t forget you can also earn free professional development units from PMI just by listening to this episode.  Stick around until the end, and we’ll tell you how to claim those PDUs. And in today’s episode we’re exploring a fresh perspective on leadership and management with our guest, Dalmo Cirne.  He is the author of “Management Streams.”  He’s a mathematician and software engineer, and he brings three decades of experience in computer science, mathematics, and leadership to the table. BILL YATES:  Dalmo introduces a new framework that offers a cross-disciplinary strategy for management, and we’re going to get into that.  This framework is built around four key streams or core components which he defines as downstream, upstream, sidestream, and the reservoir stream. WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re going to dive into his innovative approach to management and discover how his ideas can transform the way we lead and manage in today’s ever-changing world.  Dalmo, welcome to Manage This.  We’re so glad that you’re joining us today. DALMO CIRNE:  I’m glad to be here.  Thank you for the invitation to join the show. Common Management Challenges WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah.  We want to talk to you about management streams, and it’s just a unique approach that we’ve appreciated learning a little bit about.  So just looking back, what management challenges have you observed, and how have you addressed those? DALMO CIRNE:  That’s a great question to start.  Management is mostly focused on going downstream, and by that, I mean the teams that are directly underneath you, and the projects and the operation of those.  Basically, focusing only on managing that, it will pretty much compromise other areas that also need to be managed.  And at the end of the day,

Industry 5.0 is the next phase of the industrial automation revolution where humans collaborate with AI-powered robots and devices. Tim Jaques breaks down how Industry 5.0 builds upon the foundations of Industry 4.0, transitioning from pure automation to a more human-centered approach, integrating technology with sustainability, ethical decision-making, and advanced customization. Hear why project managers should care about Industry 5.0’s shift from economic to societal value and its impact on their roles. Chapters 00:00 … Intro02:58 … Industry 5.004:39 … The Impact on Project Management06:36 … Industry 4.0 vs. 5.008:54 … Cobots10:08 … Core Components of Industry 5.013:17 … Ethical Decision-Making and Sustainability14:29 … Customization and Sustainability19:27 … Emerging AI Project Tools23:18 … Innovative Mindset for Project Managers27:41 … Adding Value as a PM30:35 … Upskilling for Industry 5.035:39 … International Project Management Association37:40 … IPMA Certifications42:36 … How to Get Involved43:26 … Find Out More45:17 … Closing Intro TIM JAQUES:  But also, I think there’s a very big opportunity mindset that we can take on this.  And the opportunity for project managers in particular is I think that the world right now is obsessed with “new.”  The new things are coming online faster than we can blink our eyes at.  And project managers who can continue to work in those areas, who can evolve in those areas, are going to be rewarded.  There’s going to be a lot of work for us as we understand how those technologies and humans interact. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hello, and welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  We’re so glad you’ve joined us today.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and sitting right next to me is Bill Yates. If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love to hear from you.  Whether it’s on our website Velociteach.com, social media, or your favorite podcast app, your feedback helps us keep inspiring and supporting project managers like you.  And if you’ve got questions about our podcasts or about project management certifications, we’re here to help. If you haven’t yet left a review on Apple Podcasts, that’s a great way to show your appreciation.  A quick review of Manage This would mean the world to us, and we’re so grateful to everyone who’s already taken the time to do so.  Thank you for being part of our community.  And don’t forget you can earn free professional development units from PMI just by listening to this episode.  Stick around until the end, and we’ll tell you how to claim them. So, our guest today is Tim Jaques, and we’re so thrilled to talk to him.  He has over 25 years of experience in business transformation, and a wealth of knowledge to share.  He’s a serial entrepreneur and has grown multiple companies and continues to push the boundaries of innovation.  His work spans some of the most complex and dynamic organizations in the world including Siemens, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, NASA, and more.  Tim is also the current president of the International Project Management Association USA, and he recently chaired its annual Global Research Conference. BILL YATES:  Yeah, Wendy, we’re so fortunate to have this conversation with Tim and appreciate his input and sharing his insights.  Yes, he is the current president of IPMA USA.  We’ll talk more about that.  That’ll be the last portion of the episode.  At the beginning we want to go deeply into Industry 5.0 and talk about that; and specifically, okay, what does that mean to us project managers? WENDY GROUNDS:  So, join us.  Let’s get ready to learn what kind of work really matters in the era of Industry 5.0.  Hi, Tim.  Welcome to Manage This.  We’re excited to talk with you today. TIM JAQUES:  I’m so happy to be here.  Thank you, Wendy and Bill. Industry 5.0   WENDY GROUNDS:  So, there’s a couple of things we want to ask you about.  The one is Industry 5.0, and the other is the IPMA.

In this episode, we explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on project management and how it’s transforming the profession. Oliver Yarbrough shares how project managers can leverage AI to enhance their skills and stay competitive in an evolving, AI-driven landscape. Hear about AI's impact on Agile teams, how SLMs and LLMs are revolutionizing data refinement, how to balance data security while leveraging AI, and how to treat AI as a key stakeholder in the evolving landscape of project management. Chapters 02:21 … Meet Oliver04:21 … What is AI?05:39 … Will AI Replace the PM?06:41 … Incorporating AI Tools08:45 … Finding the AI Capabilities09:44 … Skills and Knowledge Areas13:02 … AI and Data Analysis Challenges15:23 … ChatGPT and Data16:40 … Human in the Loop18:08 … Protecting Your Data20:14 … Contractors Using AI22:20 … Kevin and Kyle23:18 … Impact on Agile Team Performance26:22 … Fine Tuning and Refining29:05 … A Large Language Model (LLM)30:08 … Current Trends in AI32:21 … AI Component to PM Tools33:40 … Streamlining Workflow with AI39:36 … Future Evolutions of AI43:17 … Contact Oliver44:58 … Closing OLIVER YARBROUGH:  AI acts as a stakeholder on our projects, and we should treat it like we treat any other stakeholder.  That’s very important.  Initially, I used to say treat it like it’s a piece of software tool.  But with the new advents of these AI agents and AI assistants and all these other things, you really do need to treat it like a true stakeholder. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to another episode of Manage This. where we dive deep into the latest trends, insights, and strategies in project management.  This is the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  And in the studio today we have an incredible guest who is sure to enlighten, inspire, and, I think for me, educate a lot. Joining us is Oliver Yarbrough.  He’s a PMP, a renowned author, speaker, and trainer with a knack for combining hands-on real-world experience with project management fundamentals.  His impressive career includes positions with Fortune 500 companies like Lucent Technologies, Staples, and Sprint, as well as successful business ventures of his own. Currently, Oliver is an active member of PMI, where he shares his extensive knowledge on adapting to AI, deriving value from data, and recognizing AI trends in project management.  He has some LinkedIn courses which we’ve taken a look at.  They cover everything from leveraging AI in project management to the importance of human strengths in an AI-driven world. BILL YATES:  As Wendy is saying, we’re going to explore a topic that, I mean, if you connect to the news, if you connect to the Internet in any way, probably one of the top trending topics is AI, or artificial intelligence.  We’re going to dive deep into that with Oliver, and we’re going to look at it from a specific lens, and that is from the perspective of the project manager.  How does this impact me?  How does this impact my job and my future?  Oliver is going to share some insights with us.  He’ll help us understand how to stay relevant.  What are some strengths from AI that we can harness?  What are some things that we cannot fear?  So, Oliver is here to open our minds. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yup, so get ready as we welcome Oliver.  Hi, Oliver.  Welcome to Manage This. OLIVER YARBROUGH:  Yes, great.  Glad to be here. Meet Oliver WENDY GROUNDS:  Oliver, why don’t you tell us how you got into artificial intelligence?  How you took that path? OLIVER YARBROUGH:  Well, I sort of fell into it backwards.  So, I did not start off as an AI person.  I’ve always been a Curious George.  I’ve always been poking my head in, like, “What’s going on here?  What’s going on there?”  But, you know, I have a project management background.  So, I was doing PMP exam prep.  I was training people.  And that’s how I got in touch like with you guys.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. Is Scope Creep derailing your project? A lack of control can lead to projects spiraling out of scope. Join us as Shannon Keenan shares strategies to keep your team focused, avoid delays, and deliver successful outcomes. Learn how to manage scope effectively and prevent projects from spiraling out of control. Table of Contents 03:11 … Artemis Factor04:45 … What is Scope Creep?07:33 … Change Request vs. Scope Creep10:14 … The Problem with Scope Creep12:27 … Scope Change Requests13:38 … Is All Scope Creep Bad?17:22 … Signs of Scope Creep Occurring19:23 … Project Health Checks22:25 … The Planning Phase25:08 … Importance of Documentation26:11 … Ren Love ‘Projects of the Past’28:37 … Push Back on Scope Creep30:43 … Be the Trust Agent32:45 … Finding the Balance: Innovation vs. Scope36:43 … Useful Tools for Managing Scope Creep40:37 … Keeping a Decision Log42:49 … Connect with Shannon43:49 … Closing SHANNON KEENAN: What we do to avoid those pitfalls are project health checks.  We’ll do monthly health checks.  It depends on how big the project is or how long it’s going to run.  And you really want to kind of just do a quick check, it’s good as a PM you’re looking forward, but just kind of take a quick glance back; right?  What was your original charter?  Or what was your objective?  What was your timeline?  What were the benefits?  Are these additional requirements causing any kind of pain to the project or negatively impacting any of those original requirements, objectives that were set up at the beginning of the project? WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  We want to take a moment to say thank you to our listeners who reach out to us.  If you leave comments on our website or on social media, we love hearing from you.  We appreciate your positive ratings on Apple podcasts or whichever podcast listening app you use.  Please do get in touch, leave us a comment at Velociteach.com or on social media, and let us know what you like to hear more of, as well.  We like to make our episodes something that you’d want to hear more about.  So, if you have some suggestions of project managers who are doing amazing projects or topics that would be very helpful to you in your career, please let us know. BILL YATES:  Got a team needing top-notch training?  Velociteach specializes in private group training, both on-site and virtual.  Share your training goals with us, and we’ll craft the perfect plan for your team.  Whether it’s exam prep, maintaining certification, or mastering the latest project management best practices, our live classes and expert instructors will fast-track your organization to success.  Explore our private group training offerings at Velociteach.com today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Today we’re exploring the crucial topic of scope creep... BILL YATES:  Scope creep. WENDY GROUNDS:  ...in project management.  It can be that silent killer that’ll derail even the most well-planned projects.  We’re joined by Shannon Keenan.  She is the co-founder and partner at Artemis Factor, and she brings over 25 years of project management expertise in the pharmaceutical industry.  Shannon has expertly guided both large and small teams through comprehensive strategies across the entire pharma value chain, from R&D and clinical trials to regulatory affairs and commercial operations.  Her extensive experience makes her the perfect guest to shed light on this pervasive issue. BILL YATES:  And we had students and listeners reach out to us, and they had specific questions about scope creep.  I can’t wait to put those in front of Shannon. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yes.  So, let’s get started.  Hi, Shannon.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for being our guest. SHANNON KEENAN:  Thank you so much for having me.  I’m excited to be here and excited to talk a lit...

The podcast by project managers for project managers. How do successful project managers turn tough project negotiations into win-win outcomes? Discover a practical seven-step approach to managing claims, negotiating with customers, and closing negotiations effectively, offering a competitive edge for project managers handling complex projects. Stay in touch and give Rick some feedback on this podcast here: https://talk.ac/rickc?code=VELOCITEACH Table of Contents 02:34 … Meet Rick04:03 … Hiring Tips05:56 … Defining a Claim06:53 … Best Practices and Negotiation08:26 … No Knee-Jerk Project Negotiating10:15 … The Seven Step Approach to Managing Claims13:56 … Rehearse What you’re Saying15:14 … Leveraging Schedule or Payment17:07 … Connect with the Customer18:53 … Look for the Root Causes22:25 … Kevin and Kyle23:12 … Clarifying your Claim26:08 … Check the Numbers29:24 … Finding Leverage33:42 … Prioritizing Problem Areas34:35 … Successfully Closing a Negotiation36:13 … Contact Rick37:51 … Closing RICK CZAPLEWSKI: When you’re a project manager, your most critical project, the thing that is on your critical path as a PM is a distressed project.  If there’s a problem, that is your priority.  You have to get on that right away.  Because what you’re trying to do here is, if you know you or your company has done wrong, you want to put out the small fire before it blows up into an inferno.  That’s a common PM trap is, oh, man, this is a hard situation.  I’m going to leave it till the afternoon. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates.  We just want to remind you that if you’re looking for opportunities to acquire PDUs, your professional development units, toward recertifications, you can still claim your PDUs for all our podcast episodes.  Listen up at the end of the show for information on how you could claim your PDUs. Today’s guest is Rick Czaplewski and he’s a seasoned expert in project management, especially in the art of negotiation.  He teaches negotiation and leadership skills to executives and professionals.  Today he’s going to share some invaluable insights from his journey and the critical aspects of negotiation within project management.  BILL YATES:  Wendy, negotiating, dealing with claims, dealing with disputes, that’s a part of project management life that is not very appealing to most of us.  There may be a few out there who just love it.  But there’s a lot of fear and trepidation when it comes to that disagreement with your customer.  Rick is going to provide us with a seven-step process for how to go about facing those claims and some tips on how to negotiate your way through. Now, a couple things about Rick.  He is a unique combination of CPA and PMP.  Also, a little background.  Rick and I first met, I don’t know, at least 10 years or so ago.  He started his career with HP, and then he was working with Siemens.  He was working with Siemens Light Rail in Sacramento when I had the privilege of teaching a PMP prep class in Sacramento for Siemens.  Rick was my point of contact there and participated in the class, earned his PMP on his first try and gave me the most exciting tour of their facility so I could see how they take raw materials and build light rail systems out of them.  So, we are delighted to have him as our guest today. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Rick.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us. RICK CZAPLEWSKI:  Hi, thank you for having me. Meet Rick WENDY GROUNDS:  We are looking forward to this topic.  We’ve talked a bit about negotiation before, but you have something else.  You have a whole lot of different experience in negotiation.  So, we want to hear more about that and definitely get your advice.  But before we go there, can you tell us about how you got into project management, and a little bit about your career? RICK CZAPLEWSKI:  Yes,

The podcast by project managers for project managers. The Key Crossing Reliability Initiative by Baltimore Gas and Electric (BG&E) is a critical project replacing aging transmission lines across the Patapsco River, spanning 2.25 miles. Managed by Cody Duplisea, PMP, it powers over a million homes and businesses in Baltimore. Completed before the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, it gained high visibility for ensuring reliable power transmission. Table of Contents 03:03 … Meet Cody04:53 … Key Crossing Reliability Initiative Project06:31 … A High Visibility Project07:43 … Project Timeline08:23 … Cody’s PM Role09:11 … The “Above Water” Decision-Making Process13:30 … Width of the River15:00 … Tower Height16:16 … Stakeholder Outreach17:13 … Project Challenges19:45 … Decommissioning Old Cables21:03 … Kevin and Kyle21:47 … Handling Stressful Moments23:02 … Ensuring Good Communication25:58 … Balancing Onsite and In Office28:15 … Navigating the Unexpected31:13 … Extra Risk Mitigation Strategies32:29 … Project Takeaways33:57 … Lessons Learned36:27 … Find Out More37:22 … Closing WENDY GROUNDS: Hey folks, the bridge we’re talking about in this episode is the Francis Scott Key Bridge, over the Patapsco River in Baltimore. As many of you know the bridge collapsed around 1:30 a.m. March 26th this year after a massive cargo ship, called the Dali, lost power, veered off course and struck the bridge. Six construction workers died in this accident. This episode we recorded before the tragedy took place and before the bridge collapsed. We opted against editing our conversation and chose to leave it in its original state. So, we do talk about the bridge quite a bit in this podcast. WENDY GROUNDS:  You’re listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  My name is Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates. We hope to bring you some support as you navigate your projects.  We like to also delve into the latest developments that are shaping our world today.  And we’re thrilled to highlight a remarkable project on this episode.  This is called the Key Crossing Reliability Initiative, and it has been named a PMI Project of the Year Award Finalist for 2023. BILL YATES:  Yeah, this is such an honor to be able to speak with Cody directly about this project.  He was involved in it and led it.  Just to step back for a minute, this is a project that Baltimore Gas and Electric, BG&E, initiated.  They were replacing transmission line. So, as you guys know, I spent the first half of my career working in the utility space.  Utilities have a generation component, transmission, and distribution.  Transmission, these are the tall towers that we see when we’re driving down the road.  Those are high voltage.  They cover long distances.  And then distribution is that last piece that gets the electricity to our homes or to our business.  So, these transmission lines that we’re going to talk about are, again, they’re high voltage.  And in this case, they’re spanning across a river.  And we’re going to talk about eight transmission poles that are put in place to span like a 2.5-mile space.  Five of those are in the water, and eight total to get transmission, to get electricity from one side of the river to the next where you have a million customers who need electricity. WENDY GROUNDS: Our guest is Cody Duplisea, and he works for Burns & McDonnell as a project manager working on Baltimore Gas and Electric’s Key Crossing Reliability Initiative.  Cody’s career started in Northwestern Pennsylvania as a pipeline project engineer with National Fuel, and he has since become an integral part of the Burns & McDonnell PMOC for BGE going on nine years.  Since joining Burns & McDonnell in 2015, Cody has worked in the development of BGE’s Project Controls Organization for the STRIDE Gas Main Replacement Program, as well as managed multiple facilities’ enhancement projects.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. For the past 25 years, the Guédelon Castle project has been a mesmerizing journey into the past, building a medieval castle in the forest near Paris using authentic 13th-century methods. Sarah Preston details this project where a dedicated team of artisans and history enthusiasts have revived medieval construction practices, with meticulous attention to detail. Table of Contents 02:16 … The Inspiration for the Guedelon Project04:19 … The Onsite Experience06:08 … Dressing for the Project08:18 … Adhering to Historical Architectural Principles11:02 … Tool-Making Process12:49 … Funding the Guedelon Project16:07 … Safety Plans17:39 … Planning Permission Process18:00 … Where to Build the Castle?20:00 … Collaborating with Advisory Committees21:33 … Ren Love’s Projects of the Past23:51 … 13th Century Team Communication28:37 … Staff Training30:23 … Unique Project Challenges31:11 … Guedelon Project Lessons Learned35:56 … Modelling a Vault Build38:51 … Measuring Success41:08 … Leadership Lessons42:46 … Guedelon Project Completion44:01 … Find out More45:09 … Closing SARAH PRESTON:  …the castle is measured both in the height of the walls and the strength of the castle itself, but also in men and women who have gained this knowledge, who are sharing that knowledge and inspiring future generations. WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and here in the studio with me is Bill Yates. We are so excited about today’s project... BILL YATES:  Yes. WENDY GROUNDS:  ...that I just want to jump straight into that.  So about a year or two ago I watched a program, and it was a BBC series on a castle.  It is called the Guédelon Castle, and it’s a remarkable project that’s been, gosh, I think for about 25 years they’ve been building this castle.  It’s nestled in the forest near Paris, and it’s a testament to the dedication of a team of artisans and history enthusiasts.  And they are resurrecting authentic medieval building techniques. This is an ambitious experimental archaeology project that has captivated historians and builders alike as they are meticulously recreating medieval construction practices, and they’re not using any modern amenities like electricity and power tools.  They are just building a castle using bricks and using... BILL YATES:  And they’re putting the bricks together, and they’re mixing the paint. WENDY GROUNDS:  Right. BILL YATES:  It’s just mind-blowing. WENDY GROUNDS:  It’s all from scratch.  The person we’re talking to is Sarah Preston.  She is originally from the southwest of England, and she’s worked at Guédelon since 2006.  She’s a guide, a photographer, a translator, a press officer, and she’s also worked as associate producer for numerous documentaries about Guédelon. So, when we reached out to them, they wanted to talk with us.  They were excited to share their project.  But they needed someone who spoke English.  Or we did, because we don’t speak French.  So, we are very excited to be talking to Sarah. BILL YATES:  You know, Wendy, one of the interesting things to me with this project, there are so many aspects to it.  But the lessons that they’ve learned with Guédelon are now being applied to the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, following the fire that was so devastating to that beautiful cathedral back in 2019.  My wife and I were fortunate enough to see Notre Dame before it burned.  And just the, you know, the heavy heart when I saw the devastation of that.  So, it’s especially neat tribute that this project is helping the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. WENDY GROUNDS:  Yeah, it’s pretty incredible, and I’m excited to get into it.  So do join us, folks, as we celebrate this remarkable project. Sarah, welcome to Manage This.  Thank you so much for joining us today. SARAH PRESTON:  Thank you for having me.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Happiness isn't just about feeling good—it's a strategic advantage in the professional world. In this episode we’re taking a look into the powerful connections between happiness, project success, and compassion. Emma Seppälä reveals how team happiness directly influences project outcomes and how a compassionate culture can reduce stress, boost productivity, and enhance team cohesion. Table of Contents 03:10 … Happiness Fuels Success05:07 … Impact of Stress on Creativity06:36 … Culture, Values and Happiness07:54 … Take Care of Yourself09:35 … How to Guage your Internal Landscape13:40 … Having the Right Attitude16:11 … Self-Critical vs. Self-Aware18:15 … Are You Being Too Nice?20:48 … Kevin and Kyle22:01 … Showing Compassion in the Workplace24:12 … Physiological Impact of Compassion26:55 … Compassion and Resilience28:28 … Learn to be Compassionate29:46 … Sovereign31:10 … Closing EMMA SEPPALA:  And a compassionate leader makes room for the human moments, makes the workplace not just a place of transaction but interaction, and gives grace when grace is needed, when suffering is present.  And what doesn’t make sense about that?  It just makes sense. And when that happens, the employee’s loyalty gets really strong because their leader had their back at a time when they needed it.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and in the studio with me is Bill Yates. We want to take a moment to thank our listeners who reach out to us and leave comments on our website or on social media.  You can find us on Velociteach social media, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.  And we love hearing from you, and we always appreciate your positive ratings on Apple Podcast or whichever podcast listening app you use. Velociteach is a community of leaders, project managers, and hard-working team members, here to support your growth and success. InSite is our project management mobile learning platform where you can prepare for your PMP certification or get better at your job by choosing from over 70 high quality and engaging courses. These courses cover a variety of topics such as communication, leadership, status reporting, the work breakdown structure, and more. Each course aligns with a PMI Talent Triangle, making earning and reporting PDUs easier than ever. We designed InSite for project managers who prefer a flexible and convenient method of learning from industry experts. Visit us at velociteach.com today to get started. Today we are looking at the intersection of happiness and compassion, and in this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Emma Seppala.  She’s an expert in the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection.  Emma teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program.  She’s a psychologist and research scientist by training.  Her bestselling book “The Happiness Track” has been translated into dozens of languages, and she’s just published a new book, “Sovereign.”  Emma is also the science director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.  And so, she definitely has a lot of really great information on happiness, on success, and on compassion, which are the things we’re talking about today. We’re going to explore the intricate relationship between happiness and success, and we will uncover how cultivating happiness isn’t just a feel-good endeavor, but a strategic advantage, particularly in the professional realms, and how we can apply this to our projects.  We’ll also examine how team happiness can directly influence project outcomes. Fostering a culture of compassion doesn’t only alleviate stress, but also enhances overall productivity and cohesion amongst team members.  So, let’s get ready to be inspired by Emma. Hi, Emma.

The podcast by project managers for project managers. This episode explores the art of asking effective questions. Author Jeff Wetzler offers practical advice for improving our skill at asking effective questions. The “Ask Approach" is Jeff’s five-step method designed to enhance anyone’s questioning skills, and he walks us through each step and presents questioning techniques we can all apply. Table of Contents 02:43 … Motivation for Ask03:56 … Why People Withhold Information05:17 … Barriers to Sharing07:40 … What We Say vs. What We Think09:53 … What People Withhold12:00 … Asking Superpowers14:17 … The Ask Approach16:00 … 1. Choose Curiosity18:58 … 2. The Safety Cycle19:32 … 2.1 Creating Connection20:43 … 2.2 Open up First21:09 … 2.3 Radiate Resilience22:37 … 3. Pose Quality Questions24:41 … Using a “Why” Question26:23 … Clear up Confusion28:13 … 4. Listen to Learn31:31… 5. Reflect and Reconnect35:39 … How AI Can Help36:53 … Connect with Jeff38:25 … Closing JEFF WETZLER:  …we don’t realize there’s something that we need to know.  We’re not curious.  We walk around the world thinking that we’ve got it figured out, thinking that we know how this person is and what motivates them and what the right answer is in this situation.  And so, we’re trapped in what I call a “certainty loop,” where the pre-existing beliefs and assumptions we have about the world lead us to walk into any situation and just size it up in ways that essentially reinforce what we already thought and believed.  And we get that sense of, “Here we go again.  This is how they always are.”  And so all of that keeps us stuck.  And we don’t even realize there’s something to ask about.  WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and with me in the studio is Bill Yates.  We like to talk to you twice a month to talk about what matters to you as a professional in the field of project management.  And we like to bring top experts to speak to you. And today we have someone.  His name is Jeff Wetzler.  He’s written a book called “Ask:  Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life.”  And when Jeff sent the book to us, Bill and I both read it and were completely impressed.  And we thought, now, this is something we can talk to project managers about. Jeff has been on a quarter century quest to transform learning opportunities.  He blends a unique set of leadership experiences in the field of business and education.  And he’s been a management consultant to the world’s top corporations, and the Chief Learning Officer at Teach for America.  Most recently he’s a co-CEO of Transcend, an innovation organization. BILL YATES:  We have so much to learn from this book and from Jeff’s input or description of it.  For project managers, we ask questions all the time.  And quite frankly, some of us are good at it, and some of us are not.  Some of us are growing in this area, and this is an opportunity to take a conversation with a guy who’s written a book and researched how to ask questions that are effective, that are not throwaway questions, that go deep, that remove some of the barriers that people have to actually sharing what they’re feeling, what they’re thinking, what their experiences have shown them.  And what I love about it is he’s got a five-step approach.  I love a five-step approach, and he has that.  He lays that out for us.  And we’re going to walk through it with Jeff so we can understand how can we get better at asking questions that are effective. WENDY GROUNDS:  Hey, Jeff.  Welcome to Manage This.  Thank you for joining us. JEFF WETZLER:  Oh, it’s so great to be with you. WENDY GROUNDS:  We are going to ask you a lot of questions.  We’re just going to pick up from the [crosstalk]. JEFF WETZLER:  I love it.  I love questions. Motivation for Ask WENDY GROUNDS:  We’re going to start straight away.

The podcast for project managers by project managers. In this second part of our conversation about Decoding Megaprojects with Bent Flyvbjerg, we explore the idea of "Pixar Planning," a method inspired by Pixar Studios' approach to making movies. Next, we tackle the concept of Modularity, and the significance of standardized, modular approaches in driving efficiency and reducing the frequency and severity of project failures. Table of Contents 01:22 … Pixar Planning06:33 … Iteration10:37 … Modularity12:46 … Modular vs. Bespoke16:20 … Kevin and Kyle18:04 … Examples from Shipping Containers22:26 … Advice from Bent28:26 … Contact Bent29:22 … Closing BENT FLYVBJERG:  So, my advice to anybody working in any field is start thinking about how you modularize what you're doing.  Don't ever do bespoke projects.  Only if it's absolutely unavoidable should you ever do bespoke projects.  You should always do projects that have an element of standardization and modularity.  And the larger you can make that element of standardization and modularity, the more successful your projects will be.  So that's the direction of travel for the whole project industry, no matter what type of project you're working in.  And every one of us who's working in this industry can make a huge contribution by constantly thinking, how do we make what we do more modular and more standardized? WENDY GROUNDS:  You're listening to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I'm Wendy Grounds, and as always, I'm joined in the studio by the one and only Bill Yates.  This is Episode 2 of our conversation with Bent Flyvbjerg.  We are thrilled that he generously extended his time with us, and we are eager to share our conversation with you today. Before we dive in today's episode, we want to remind you to check out our website, Velociteach.com, where you can easily subscribe to the show so you never miss out on the latest insights and discussions.  And you can also earn PDUs, your Professional Development Units, by listening to our podcast. Pixar Planning BILL YATES: We’re going to jump right back in where we left off. Just a quick review. The first two things we talked about were: thinking from right to left; and thinking slow and acting fast. Bent, I want to shift to a third key concept. You know, where we've seen some of their amazing movies, and Pixar Studio follows this same idea “think slow, act fast” when they take their approach to making movies.  Some of the great stories that I've read through “Creativity, Inc.,” written by Ed Catmull.  As you and I were just talking before we even started recording this, such a great book, such a great leader Ed Catmull is.  When I read the book back in 2016, I didn't latch on to what you found in this and through your research, which is this concept of Pixar planning.  So this idea of Pixar planning, I know you go into it deep.  What is it that makes that unique, and how can we apply these same concepts to our projects that Pixar does when they're developing their movies? BENT FLYVBJERG:  So Pixar planning is not a concept that Ed Catmull came up with.  This is what we call it because we think that their method is so important and ingenious that it deserves a name, you know.  And it deserves the name “Pixar Planning” because Pixar is the organization who came up with this.  And what surprised us was how much Gehry's method and the Pixar method, which was spearheaded by Ed Catmull, who was the CEO of Pixar then, he later became also CEO of Disney Animation and Pixar at the same time, and he's now retired.  So he and his team pioneered this.  And when I read Ed's book back in 2016 also, I was so excited because – and I started asking my students at Oxford to read the book. And at first they were like, what?  We don't work in the movie industry, and certainly not animated movies.  Like why would we want to read about animated movies?  You know,