The Project Chatter Podcast

In this episode, Dale and Val talk to Dr Harris about the various definitions of Transformation, Digital, PMO and PM. Dr Harris is a visionary strategy executive, author and speaker with two decades of diverse industry exposure, highly skilled and experienced in international and multicultural business environments. Led and directed a plethora of large scale, complex project portfolios and programs (20 countries, up to $1.65 billion value and benefits of $178 million). Results-oriented, being capable to lead Business and Digital transformations, PMOs and sustainable strategy implementation, putting the pieces towards corporate excellence. Harris’s work often involves the integration of multiple strategy processes & tools taking into consideration diverse corporate environment factors, blended with change and risk management frameworks as well as, with global project management best practices (traditional / hybrid / agile). Personal Mantra: Being motivated by what others believe as complex and impossible to achieve. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by; PlanAcademy.com InEight.com JustDo.com Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it!

In this episode, Dale and Val speak with Matt Levy about his life and experiences leading to him becoming a world champion in life and in projects. This show we delve more into the habits, inspirations and motivations. Matt is a humble and dedicated person who is truly worth a listen to. Born 15 weeks prematurely, with cerebral palsy and vision impairment, Matthew has survived 50-plus operations – brain, heart, lungs, ears … you name it – to become the international swim star he is today. As is the case for the vast majority of Paralympic swimmers, Matt found the pool as part of his rehabilitation – to keep his body moving. But it was in 2000 when he realised he could be competitive, that the next 20 years of his life began to take shape. Matt Levy made his Paralympic debut in 2004 and won his first medal – gold in the men’s 4x100m medley 34 Points – in 2008. A five-strong haul at the 2010 International Paralympic Committee Swimming World Championships preceded his most successful Games campaign to date, with Matthew returning home from England’s London Aquatics Centre in 2012 with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals, and in 2016, he won a bronze medal in the men’s 200m individual medley SM7. As the reigning Commonwealth Games champion in the men’s 50m freestyle S7, and current S7 world record holder in the men’s 200m freestyle, = Outside the pool, Matthew is a member of Paralympics Australia’s Mob Leadership Team, and World Para-swimming‘s and Commonwealth Games Australia’s Athlete Advisory Groups. Matthew John Levy, OAM is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At five Paralympic Games from 2004 to 2020, he has won three gold, one silver and six bronze medals on top of this he is a change analyst in finance. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! Proudly sponsored by; PlanAcademy.com InEight.com JustDo.com

In this week’s pod we welcomed Dominic Siow to talk about performance and resilience in projects. Dominic is co-founder of EQ Strategist, a company with a mission to help create empowering workplaces where people wake up each and every day inspired to deliver extraordinary outcomes for their organisations. Prior to his present vocation, Dominic was a senior operations manager for IBM Australia and VP of Product Development at grapevine Technologies. Dominic has previously contributed as speaker and mentor at the Magic Moments Youth Leadership and Business Summit and as a Senior Leader at Robbins Research International events across Australia since 2003. He is the author of the Amazon Best Seller “What’s GREAT about this? How to be Resilient and Thrive through Disruption and Change.” The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: Storytelling is important especially in times of change. People need to be led and inspired Workplace culture is the shared beliefs and values of a team “what people do when the managers aren’t around” One of the main challenges in projects is that we have capable project managers but a lack of capable leaders. Aligning people on the right behaviours will inspire teams i Of the three employee types: Engaged employees outperform satisfied employees by 38% in productivity, inspired employees outperform satisfied employees by 149% Many companies do not look for inspiration when making recruitment decisions. Experience is often the sole driver Do not underestimate the importance of the storming process when creating a team. A leader needs to align the team on the ethos they want to engender All teams need to have a common purpose. Think about the outcomes of the project; the ‘why’ rather than the ‘when’ and ‘how’ Humans are motivated by purpose. If the why is big enough then the how finds a way Are your KPI’s outcome focussed? PM’s aren’t trained in managing politics in an organisation As a Project Manager you should not be motivated by your project not failing, you should not be afraid of telling the story to the management before it is too late for them to react Aligning diverse skillsets within a team is a challenge that PM’s must overcome. The diversity will give you a better view of the solution Choose to be curious! Resilience is the difference between reacting and responding to problems There are over 6000 human emotions but generally people are either in fear or in love Links to some of the topics discussed: Dominic Siow – What’s Great About This?: https://www.amazon.co.uk/WHATS-GREAT-ABOUT-THIS-DISRUPTION/dp/0648018601 Lencioni – Five Dysfunctions: https://www.tablegroup.com/topics-and-resources/teamwork-5-dysfunctions/ Proudly sponsored by: PlanAcademy.com | JustDo.com | InEight.com ----------------------------------------- Join us next week when we’re joined by Olympic gold medallist Matt Levy to discuss change and leadership. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! Dale and Val

In this episode, Dale and Val catch up with Jo Lucas and approach change and organisations in a fascinating and intriguing podcast. Change is amongst us all and how we, therefore, improve or create the right motive for change will take more than formal networks. Jo talks about her background and her mission to leverage the study of natural systems and apply them to real-world problems. Jo dives into what she calls the 'shadow organisation where formal networks are not the only way projects operate. Jo draws inspiration from natural systems and explains how this occurs within the organisation. To improve, grow and change it may be useful to decide how we use language and how we rewild projects by developing a relationship-based approach. Jo is the director of Co.Cre8 a consultancy, which brings the visionary together with the practical. Jo lead from within project organisations focussing as much on context and relationships, as on process and governance to create functioning networks that deliver. I bring systems thinking to the human networks which build up around large infrastructure projects and is a curious seeker of new ways of shaping them, that is more in harmony with the natural world. Jo also leads Ego to Eco, an initiative to connect together across organisational and institutional boundaries supporting our industry in these ecologically and socially stretched times to find new ways of working together. Jo has over 20 years of experience in implementing change within complex and ambiguous environments, including HS2, TfL, CITB, UCL, BAA, ODA, World Food Programme and Network Rail. She chartered as a civil/structural engineer in Australia before transitioning into implementing change on major infrastructure projects in London. You can check out the Ego to Eco story here For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by PlanAcademy.com JustDo.com InEight.com Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it!

In this week’s pod we welcomed Donnie MacNicol to talk about the art of complex change management. Donnie is the founder of Team Animation which works across multiple sectors energising leaders and teams delivering complex change to maximise value and certainty of success through a focus on the human dimension. Donnie acts as a catalyst to support organisations to improve their collaboration and productivity – aspects that will be critical to tackling the many challenges we face today including climate change and in particular in meeting the NetZero target. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: Change management is treated differently from Project Management. It should be regarded on an equal footing Project and Programme Managers should have a change management responsibility as part of their job description IMA can be used to structure conversation based on personality preference. This is similar to the Insights When companies do offsite meetings, they often discuss business issues during the morning and focus on people in the afternoon as it is seen as lighter and easier. This should be reversed Not enough people use tools such as Insights / IMA to understand the stakeholders when trying to understand complex projects When starting on a complex project, try to ingest as much knowledge as possible and seek to diagnose the key problems and root cause of failures. Be cynical when reviewing change projects. Who really stands to win or lose from the success of a change being implemented? Managers could implement a stakeholder map with a RAG status on who would benefit from the change being implemented The main learning point from people in project management has been cultural, getting managers and organisations to truly care about people and personality types. Models such as Insights, DISC and IMA have supported this The main reasons for change project failure are nonsense! It does not seek to ask why the reason for failure happened. Root cause, not symptom Consultancies are often the main beneficiary from project failure! Here are links to some of the topics that were discussed: IMA Model – Personality Types: http://ima-pm.co.uk/ Opiner - Video Research Resource: https://opiner.app/ ----------------------------------------- Join us next week when we’re joined by Jo Lucas to talk about rewilding organisation and minimal interference approach to change management. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Proudly sponsored by PlanAcademy.com Ineight.com JustDo.com Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! Dale and Val

In this episode Dale and Val talk to Americo Pinto about all things PMO, from what makes a good PMO to where it will be going in the future. With more organisations adopting PMO's across the globe it is great to see pioneers like Americo building and supporting the PMO community with groups like the PMO value ring and the PMO Global Alliance. Americo Pinto is a PMO expert and researcher, with large experience in complex projects and PMOs in Latina America and Europe. He is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the PMO Global Alliance, the worldwide community of PMO professionals. In 2011, Americo received in Dallas, USA, at the PMI Global Congress, the "Distinguished Contribution Award" for his contribution to the development of project management practices. He has more than 20 years of experience in PMOs, Portfolio and Project Management. He worked as a Senior Executive and Project Manager in companies such as Arthur Andersen, Deloitte, Dinsmore Associates, Compass International and Noorden Group. Currently, he is Chairman at PMO Global Alliance. Americo Pinto works as a professor at the most prestigious universities in Latin America and Europe. He is also a Doctoral Candidate at ESC Rennes School of Business, in France. For six years he was Vice-President of Programs and Vice-President of Professional Development at PMI Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Chapter. In this volunteer position he was in charge of several initiatives on project management development. Currently, Americo is an active volunteer in several international initiatives with PMI. Americo Pinto has published five books about project management and PMOs. He is certified as PMP (Project Management Professional), and he has a Business Administration Degree and also a Masters in Business Administration. Areas of Interest: PMO (Project Management Office), Project Management, Program Management, Portfolio Management, Project Management Maturity. Links to join for free the PMO Global Alliance https://www.pmoga.world PMO Value Ring https://www.pmoga.world/pmovr This episode is proudly brought to you by our sponsors PlanAcademy.com InEight.com JustDo.com  Thanks for listening

In this week’s pod we welcomed Elizabeth Harrin to talk about effective stakeholder engagement. Elizabeth Harrin is an author, trainer and mentor who helps people juggle their projects and ditch the overwhelm. She does that through straight-talking, real-world advice, based on her 20 years in project management roles. Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management who has written 6 books about project management. She also writes the award-winning blog, A Girl’s Guide to Project Management. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: ·  Project Managers do not and cannot manage people’s behaviour. It is arrogant to think you can ·  There is a need for people to feel valued within projects and organisations ·   How can you create a compelling story so people understand why the project needs to happen? ·   Try to condense your project story into two sentences so people can understand ·   Measuring engagement will always be subjective ·   Do you get the behaviour change you are expecting? ·   Do behaviours change actions or do actions change behaviours? ·   Try to understand the motivations of your teams even if you differ on some traits ·   Always try and find the easiest way to get your message across. This can be via phone calls, email, Kanban boards ·   The visibility of governments in holding daily press conferences to discuss the pandemic helped to manage the message around what was happening. People will make their mind up if there is a lack of communication ·   The power / influence matrix is outdated, we should be measuring the stakeholder life-cycle ·   Be curious when you receive blockers in the workplace. Try to understand what is driving certain behaviours Here are links to some of the topics that were discussed: Girl’s Guide to Project Management - https://www.girlsguidetopm.com/ This episode is sponsored by PlanAcademy.com, JustDo.com, and InEight.com. ----------------------------------------- Join us next week when we’re joined by Americo Pinto from the PMO Global Alliance. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! Dale and Val

In this week’s pod we welcomed Lindsay Scott and Eileen Roden from the House of PMO to talk about how to get the best out of your PMO teams. Lindsay has a published author, having edited the Handbook of People in Project Management and published the PMO Competency Framework. She has experience as a PMO Manager and careers advisor. Eileen is a Consulting Director Trainer and Coach at the House of PMO. She has written the PMO Competency Framework and the P3O Best Management Practice documents. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: ·  A PMO exists to enable decision making, assist on project delivery and create an ecosystem for projects to thrive ·  There are different definitions of what a PMO is. Ultimately it depends on the organisation structure. Sometimes you will need to explain how projects differ from Business as Usual (BAU) ·  Some organisations are just focusing on Project Controls rather than PMO which is broader ·  PMO’s are effectively facilitators. They can support with having the wider view of all projects within an organisation ·  PMO’s need to match the needs of the business. Sometimes the quality of outputs will deteriorate over time if the organisation structure changes frequently ·  It is difficult to promote best practice across the industry because of the different organisation set-ups ·  Many organisations are seeking to demonstrate PMO performance through KPIs. ·   Project Managers will deliver projects, PMO’s will enable better controls to review the project status ·   People are the key driver for getting the best out of PMO’s ·  Data analytics will have a huge impact on the industry, however people skills are the most important skillset for effective PMO’s ·  PMO will act as a translator between data analytics and Project Managements ·  The main evolution in PMO skillsets over the past 30 years has been in technology. In the last five years the key theme is managing agile projects ·  There are no consistent metrics across the industry to measure project success ·  There is no such thing as best practice. It should be re-branded as good local practice! ·  There is a debate between whether a PMO team should be permanent in order to transfer good practice and learning within an organisation vs whether they should be temporary to align with the finite nature of projects Here are links to some of the topics that were discussed: House of PMO: https://houseofpmo.com/ PMO Competency Framework: https://houseofpmo.com/competency-framework/ ----------------------------------------- Join us next week where we’re joined by Elizabeth Harrin to talk about effective stakeholder engagement and managing multiple projects. For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! Dale and Val This episode is sponsored by PlanAcademy.com, JustDo.com, and InEight.com.

In this week’s pod we welcomed Lorraine Humphrey to talk about Project Assurance and Risk Management. Lorraine is the interim Director of Risk and Assurance at Transport for London (TFL), a post she has held since April 2021. Lorraine moved to Project Assurance in 2018 after 12 years of project delivery as a Senior Project Manager. Lorraine recently completed her MBA and has also been shortlisted for Inspirational Women of the Year in the Women in Rail awards for her mentoring work and support of autism initiatives at TfL. The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: Assurance is ultimately about keeping honest Assurance teams will point out where things are not right and provide recommendations to senior management based on evidence PMO should be a critical friend to Project Teams Assurance team often sits under General Counsel / Company Secretary in an organisation structure. This promotes the independence of the team It is important to understand the political environment of the area you are working and not get dragged into it There is no ideal experience required to be successful in Project Assurance. The majority will have experience in project delivery, however, leadership is the most important skillset Transport for London reduced the number of assurance reviews in order to allow more time to analyse the findings and provide continuous improvements 10% contingency at the start of a project is often a red flag from an assurance perspective Avoid watermelon reporting! Where Level 1 milestones are reporting as being on time without supporting Level 2 / 3 milestones Transparency and being evidence based is the key to effective project assurance. Leaders may not agree with the findings but it should be as open as possible The best way to avoid biases and groupthink is via evidence Seeing Project Teams who actively avoid scrutiny on Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis is often a symptom that the underlying assumptions may not be strong EFC/EAC should be a dynamic figure. Static numbers may be due to hiding issues. Use assurance, don’t fight it -----------------------------------------

In this week’s pod we welcomed Sarah Schutte to discuss how to make law work for the construction and engineering industry. Sarah is an independent UK-qualified solicitor-advocate and runs her own legal and training consultancy. She has 19 years' experience as a specialist infrastructure lawyer, including 12 years working directly for industry. She has developed a niche practice in project management, project controls and the law (PPM and P3M and PMO). She collaborates closely with global Chapters of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the UK Association of Project Managers (APM). The main topics we discussed on the podcast were as follows: • The contract is the framework, means and vehicle for delivering and managing projects • Freedom of contract allows companies to agree anything within their contracts provided it is legal. They are then bound by these agreements • No project manager is taught contract law in PMBOK or APM frameworks. This should change given the importance to project delivery • The role of project managers has evolved to include leadership and motivation. The next evolution should be commercial know-how • NEC Contracts are written in the “simple, present, active voice”! • There is a difference between Commercial teams and Legal teams. Legal are generally consulted whereas commercial generally manage contracts. Legal can often be overly academic • Standard contract templates can be a useful starting point for projects in countries where contracts are not overly prescriptive e.g. Spain • Learning about the technical aspect of the project allows commercial teams to be value adding to the delivery teams • There isn’t a best time to speak to the in house legal counsel though most people leave it too late! • As a legal counsel, it is your duty to give advice and inform clients of potential consequences to their commercial position. • The transparency element of NEC Option C/D is overly weighted towards cost rather than time and quality • It is important to provide accurate reporting even if the contractor or internal team do not like the answers Here are links to some of the topics that were discussed: Schutte Consulting Peridot Consulting International LLP Project Business Foundation: not-for-profit education and accreditation for PMs dealing with outsourced projects. Basic knowledge of contract law for Project Managers: https://www.apm.org.uk/blog/basic-knowledge-of-contract-law-is-essential-for-an-effective-project-manager/ Basic Contract Law for Project Managers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKhhSNxgqVs ----------------------------------------- Join us next week where we’re joined by Lorraine Humphrey to talk about Project Assurance and Risk Management. Val and Dale are discussing the future of Project Controls at the Virtual Project Controls Expo next week. Be sure to tune in! For more information, blogs or to support our charities visit www.projectchatterpodcast.com If you'd like to sponsor the podcast get in touch via our website. You can also leave us a voice message via our anchor page and let us know if there's something or someone specific that you would like on the podcast. Stay safe, be disruptive and have fun doing it! Dale and Val