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Episode 345: My Project is Failing, It is Not My Fault (Free)

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This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast. PDU for PMP®:
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Peter Monkhouse
Cornelius Fichtner and Peter Monkhouse

This interview with Peter Monkhouse was recorded at the 2015 PMI® Global Congress in Orlando, Florida. We discuss his paper and presentation "My Project is Failing, It is Not My Fault". Here is the paper's abstract:

Projects fail. This is not new; projects having been failing for years. Studies have been done on why projects fail. The Project Management Institute (PMI) reported in the Pulse of the Profession® (2013a) that poor communication is the number one reason why projects fail. In fact, PMI states that poor communications is a contributing factor in 56% of the projects that failed.

But is this the fault of the project manager? A good project manager follows the appropriate methodology for the project, including using a variety of communication tools. But it is not just the method of communication that matters, it is the also the content of the communication that is important. The project manager needs to communicate with the project sponsor and stakeholders in the language of the business. The project manager needs to take the project data and convert it into business information that is actionable for the project sponsor and key stakeholders.

To do this, there are two tools the project manager can use. The first is to determine how the product or service of the project supports the organizational strategy. Knowing how the project supports the strategy of the organization will provide the language of why it is important for the project sponsor to support the project.

The second tool is the business model canvas which uses nine building blocks to describe how the strategy of the organization is implemented through organizational structures, processes, and systems. Knowing which block the project impacts will provide the project manager with the context to describe the project in the language of the business.

A project manager that speaks the language of the business will communicate more effectively with the project sponsor and project stakeholders, and improve the chances of the project meeting its objectives.

PDUs: Business Acumen, PMI Global Congress, PMI Global Congress NA 2015, Business Model Canvas

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Episode 344: Get a 25% Discount on ALL Neal Whitten eLearning Courses

To get you started on the right foot for 2016 we are offering an exclusive arrangement with Neal Whitten: All PM Podcast listeners who use the coupon code "pmpodcast" when purchasing a Neal Whitten eLearning Course from Velociteach will receive a 25% discount.

How to order and get your discount:

Offer Valid from January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2016

This includes the course "Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance" which is the basis for our interview with Neal in episode 344. Here is what Neal has to say about that particular course:

The session I conducted at the PMI® 2015 North American Congress was called: Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance. It was one of the most popular sessions with over 250 people attending—of which only five hands were raised indicating that they were satisfied with their work-life balance. That’s about two percent. Of course, these folks selected this session because of their current dissatisfaction with their work-life balance.

The session was based on a new eLearning course (2.5 PDUs) I developed in partnership with Velociteach, a bellwether project management training company. The course is the same name as the session. Here is a description of the eLearning course:

Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance (2.5 PDUs)

If you have difficulty in juggling the demands of your job and your non-work life, you’re not alone. Many people feel like their lives are overcommitted and see no relief in sight. Nowadays work-life balance can seem like an unrealistic objective and can seem more elusive than ever. I have personally wrestled with my own work-life balance issues for most of my adult life but—as a senior-aged person—I have learned a massive amount of knowledge and, dare I say, wisdom, about the highly important subject of finding a satisfactory harmony across all aspects of life. I have also read the research and musings from many valuable contributors that have opened my eyes even wider on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. My mission here is to sift through the data and present to you meaningful information that can help you not only better understand your work-life balance but to give you ideas that can help you achieve the integration that is most important to you.

Listeners of The PM Podcast receive a 25 percent discount on all my eLearning courses (there are ten as of right now) by simply using the coupon code “pmpodcast” when they purchase a course through Velociteach.

PMI Global Congress, PMI Global Congress NA 2015, Project Manager Skills

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Episode 344: Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance (Free)

Play Now:

This episode is sponsored by The Agile PrepCast. Earn 37 PDUs::
Agile PrepCast PDU

Neal Whitten
Cornelius Fichtner and Neal Whitten

This interview with Neal Whitten was recorded at the 2015 PMI® Global Congress in Orlando, Florida. We discuss his paper and presentation "Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance". Here is the paper's abstract:

If you have difficulty in juggling the demands of your job and your non-work life, you’re not alone. Many people feel like their lives are overcommitted and see no relief in sight. Nowadays, work-life balance can seem like an unrealistic objective and can seem more elusive than ever.

I have personally wrestled with my own work-life balance issues for most of my adult life, but—as a senior-aged person—I have learned a massive amount of knowledge and, dare I say, wisdom, about the highly important subject of finding a satisfactory harmony across all aspects of life. I have also read the research and musings from many valuable contributors that have opened my eyes even wider on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. My mission here is to sift through the data and present to you meaningful information that can help you to not only better understand your work-life balance, but can also give you ideas that can help you to achieve the integration that is most important to you.

PDUs: Ways of Working, Project Manager Soft Skills, PMI Global Congress, PMI Global Congress NA 2015, Project Manager Skills

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Episode 344: Power Snippets

Click here to download the Power Snippets PDF Document...

This PDF Document is the first of two handouts that Neal gave to the attendees of his session "Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance" at the PMI® Global Congress 2015 in Orlando FL.

The document is also part of a Neal Whitten eLearning course called "Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance" and was developed by Neal Whitten in partnership with Velociteach.

Project Manager Soft Skills, PMI Global Congress, PMI Global Congress NA 2015, Project Manager Skills

  • Last updated on .

Episode 344: Self-Assessment Questionnaire

Click here to download the Self-Assessment Questionnaire PDF Document...

This PDF Document is a the second of two handouts that Neal gave to the attendees of his session "Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance" at the PMI® Global Congress 2015 in Orlando FL.

The document is also part of a Neal Whitten eLearning course called "Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance" and was developed by Neal Whitten in partnership with Velociteach.

Project Manager Soft Skills, PMI Global Congress, PMI Global Congress NA 2015, Project Manager Skills

  • Last updated on .

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