Kendall Lott and Mike Hannan with guest Hilbert Robinson explore exciting topics around product versus project management, setting expectations and how to address the variance between those and reality, the rounding of such expectations, and even the value of trade-offs when faced with new initiatives. Enjoy these topics and more for this segment of PMPOV.

Estimations - they are at the very core of PM activities, the ability to estimate, the reliance others have on our estimations, our continuing white whale pursuit of improved estimations all work to empower us as masters of the universe, to state our predictions of the future. And yet…they are all magical thinking at worst, and expectations-setting goal posts, ever receding into a distancing horizon, of our slog through projects and communications, at best. And then we report and update, in an endless vortex of communications, analysis and ... shame. Should we even have them in our discipline? What causes us to get them wrong? What role the tension of accountability and commitment vs the need to reflect likely return on investment for those stakeholders that expect value from projects? Listen in to our new roundtable format as Mike Hannan and I cohost with special guest Hilbert Robinson a wide ranging discussion on the role of estimations. That we need them becomes apparent. What we discover is estimations' unrealistic nature is actual a symptom of a series of other issues deep within our PM and organizational practices. Trust, focus, dilution, estimations…Oh My!

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PDU Information, use the following information in PMI's CCRS system to register the PDUs for this podcast:

• PDU Category: Online or Digital Media
• Provider Number: 4634
• Talent Triangle: Strategic and Business Management
• Activity Number: PMPOV0086
• PDUs for this episode: 1

It was summer 2020. Covid-19 lingered on, with no end in sight. After months of canceled performances, funds were dwindling at Washington, DC's Shakespeare Theatre Company. Their last hope, the annual fundraising gala, was set for October. As the date drew near, it became clear that there would be no party. The staff had to come up with Plan B, and they had to do it fast. This is the story of a creative project team, dedicated to their mission. Their clear, agile response provides concrete and inspiring lessons in the power of Project Management.

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About the Speakers

Amy Hand is the General Manager at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC.  Prior to joining STC she served as the Operations Manager at San Francisco Ballet, the Associate General Manager at American Conservatory Theatre, and the Production Stage Manager for Atlanta Ballet. 

Mara Mignogna is the Development Events Manager at DC's Shakespeare Theatre Company, and oversees the planning of all of the Theatre’s internal events including the 2021 Virtual Gala, Shakespeare Everywhere. Seeing the joy and lasting memories created fuels Mara’s spirit for designing and executing events.

LeeAnet Noble is a Howard University graduate, and certified in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from Purdue University. As an actor, director, choreographer, musician, and writer, her career has spanned over twenty years, working with STOMP, The Irish Repertory Theatre, Disney’s The Lion King Experience, and more.  She is passionate about creating change and celebrating inclusivity through the arts. 

Alan Paul is a director of theater and opera, and the Associate Artistic Director of Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. Alan is also the recipient of the 2014 Helen Hayes Award for Best Director of a Musical for his production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. 

Neal Racioppo, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the Shakespeare Theatre Company, has been an arts marketer in Washington, DC since 2001, working with STC and Arena Stage. He oversees the strategies and processes for STC's earned revenue and communications strategies. 

Roger Whyte is the Founder & Principal of RJ Whyte Event Production, established in 2010. With a background in technical theater and production, Roger has been able to apply his skills to events in both the in-person and virtual spaces. He is an expert in designing events that are on budget, achieve fundraising goals, run smoothly, and have people talking for years to come.

Laura Willumsen is Senior Director of Development of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, responsible for all fundraising efforts. Prior positions include Institutional Major Gifts Officer at the Smithsonian’s Freer|Sackler, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Director of Marketing for Pittsburgh Opera, and Manager of the Folger Consort. Willumsen holds a bachelors and masters degree in music performance.

How does a graduate program at a university - a program that has assiduously maintained a 100% face-to-face classroom ethos - swing into virtual reality at a moment's notice? The program in question here is Industrial Organizational Psychology. The university is the University of Houston, Clear Lake. For this virtual round table, three professors reflect on the past year: the response, the challenges, the losses and what will never be the same again.

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About the Speakers

Alex Milam is an associate professor and program director of the industrial-organizational psychology program at the University of Houston–Clear Lake. He has many research interests, notably workplace mistreatment, training and development, and the role that personality plays in the workplace. He has presented and published his research around the world, and his work on the personality of workplace incivility targets has been published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.  

Scott Elmes McIntyre, Ph.D. is a Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology and Occupational Health Psychology at the Department of Clinical, Health and Applied Sciences at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.  He, and his wife, Dr. Teresa McIntyre have conducted research on occupational stress in at-risk professions for more than 20 years. Dr. McIntyre has co-edited several books, such as “Occupational Health Psychology: European perspectives on research, education and practice.” Vols. I and II (2006, 2007 and the latest “Educator Stress: An occupational health perspective.”. 

Dr. Lisa Sublett joined the UH-Clear Lake I/O program as an Assistant Professor of I/O Psychology in 2016. She teaches courses in research design and statistics, employee selection, and job attitudes. Dr. Sublett enjoys conducting research projects on diverse topics. Her current research interests include work-life balance, imposter phenomenon, employee attitudes, and employee stress. She has expertise in statistics and psychometrics and applied experience in designing employee morale surveys for companies in the Houston area. 

Project management is about people: working with people, for people, through people. So it goes to reason that managers who have a deeper understanding of human behavior will be more effective. Beyond managing their teams, PMs are heavily involved in forecasting - defining the scope, budget and schedule of their projects, and then making decisions based on those forecasts. How much do their own biases and neurological wiring play into these processes? We gather three keynote speakers from the upcoming UMD 2021 Project Management Symposium to discuss these issues and more.

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About the Speakers

Dr. Shari De Baets is a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Business Informatics and Project Management, Faculty of Economics in Business Administration, at Ghent University, Belgium. She has a Master’s degree in Industrial Psychology and a PhD in Applied Economics. Her work focuses on forecasting, and biases. She is co-host on the “Forecasting Impact” podcast, and is President of European Operations and Chief Forecasting Scientist at the Institute for Neuro & Behavioral Project Management.

Crystal Richards is the Principal and Owner of MindsparQ™, a talent development consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations better the skills sets of their teams in project management, communications, and leadership. She trains PMs to consistently deliver projects with clarity, confidence and courage. Crystal maintains an online community on project management and leadership themindsparq.mn.com

Stephen Shields, a Senior Consultant with Gallup, works with organizations to optimize their human capital. He consults with clients on employee culture, customer interactions, targeted hiring, and talent development, providing practical insights and timely interventions that facilitate learning, execution, and accountability.

Starting in January 2021, many of you reached out to us, wondering why you weren't able to claim a PDU for listening to PM Point of View® episodes. The short answer: You CAN continue to claim PDUs. But the process has changed. Listen to Kendall's explanation or read below. And if you have any problems, contact us via our website: www.mpoweredstrategies.com. Thank you for listening. (And for keeping it in scope and getting it done!) 

UPDATE: Due to changes at PMI’s CCR System, for those claiming PDUs at PMI.com:

• be sure to choose the fourth option, “Online or Digital Media,” in the Report PDUs page.
• MANUALLY ENTER provider code# 4634 and select “M Powered Strategies,”  
• MANUALLY ENTER the name of the episode in the course field
• Enter the date that you listened to the podcast
• Be sure to select the appropriate option, Leadership/Strategic/Technical in the Talent Triangle at the bottom of the page
• Check the box to confirm the validity of your submission
• Hit “Submit.” 

This will work for all published one-hour episodes.

Where do projects go wrong? What tendencies or approaches of Project Managers are NOT helpful to executives? What do they want their PMs to focus on more? How can PMs move up the ladder? In the second part of our 2-part series from the C-Suite, we get the scoop directly from a group of executives, representing a wide swath of enterprises. 

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

About the Speakers

Jeffrey Goldman is the CEO of GoldSentinel, which he founded in 2015 to address the growing need for better decision making through insight discovery. Prior to his current position, Jeffrey launched and led GoldBot Consulting, Inc., growing the company to a thriving multi-million dollar software development and analytic business.

Tom Klaff is a passionate entrepreneur and angel investor who has founded, led and sold six technology startups over a 25-year career. He is currently co-founder and CEO of Revolution Cooking, LLC, a technology platform company that designs, markets, and sells high-speed cooking appliances powered by its proprietary InstaGlo™ Fast Heating System.

Ken Loy has been CEO at Hensoldt, Inc. since its inception in 2018.  As a Defense Industry veteran, Ken led engineering development programs and business development accounts for Lockheed Martin Corporation, Engility Corporation and Georgetown University.  

Jeff Mascott is CEO at Adfero, a communications agency with an entrepreneurial mindset. Prior to launching Adfero, Jeff co-founded Fireside 21, a leading provider of CRM and web services to the U.S. Congress. He formerly led digital strategy for Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr., Chairman of the House Republican Congress.

Erin Pitera is the CEO of FMP Consulting, a strategic management consulting firm that delivers evidence-based workforce and organizational management solutions. As CEO, Erin Pitera provides strategic leadership and direction over FMP’s organizational performance by driving long-term business growth and providing exemplary client service.

Jeff Powell is the CEO of Strongbridge LLC, a government IT services provider. Mr. Powell has over 30 years of experience in government contracting, having led both small and large businesses in bidding, winning, and operating IT infrastructure and software development projects. 

Pat Sheridan is co-founder and Managing Partner of Modus Create, a global consulting firm that helps global 1000 businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Founded in 2011, Modus Create has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States for the past five years in a row. 

Trevor Willby founded T-Rex in 1999 with a focus on long-term value creation powered by successful client delivery and employee successes. T-Rex Solutions is a proven mid-tier business, delivering next generation IT solutions for large enterprise transformation and modernization Cloud based efforts. 

Steve Williams is president of Pentagon Strategies, LLC. He has decades of experience in defense and aerospace, and is an expert in global teaming, multi-national programs, and government-industrial relations. As a CEO, Steve grew a private Transatlantic company to qualify as a top 100 global defense firm and named the F-35 Fighter Aircraft Supplier of the Year. 

Covid-19 has changed the way we operate on every level, including how we manage projects. It has made clear the fragility of our reality, and the fancy dancing required, not only to survive, but to move forward constructively. In the 4th and last episode from our series highlighting presentations from UMD's 2020 Project Management Symposium, we focus on the leadership skills and approaches that are needed in today's volatile, fast-shifting environment. 

To listen to all the symposium presentations in their entirety, you have until April 2021 to register for the 2020 UMD Project Management Symposium. Go to pmsymposium.umd.edu/pm2020

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

About the Speakers

Steven Gruyters partners with visionary leaders to design and deliver enterprise transformation initiatives geared towards speed, flexibility and maximum business value. He has been breaking down silos between business and technology organizations for over 20 years. He is currently booting up ZZEE Partners, focused on optimizing how people work together to unlock their potential.

Dr. Al Zeitoun  is a business optimization and operational performance excellence leader with global experience. He has worked with leading organizations, developing Enterprise Digital Transformation and Program Management Offices; guiding systematic methodology implementations, and executing complex missions and programs across diverse industries and cultures.

Harry Zolkower has spent over a decade as professional project manager, with many years of expertise in IT and all sectors of business, both public and private, for-profit as well as nonprofit. He is currently a project manager for Acumen Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in Salesforce project implementations.

What do executives want from their Project Managers? What are their expectations? What do they like about how PMs work? What do they not like? In this first of two episodes covering the Executive Point of View, we talk to 10 executives from a wide spectrum of businesses - software, kitchen appliances, construction, defense, etc. - to find out what it is that executives value in their PMs.

Listen, learn, and get a free PDU!

About the Speakers

Roger Collison is the CEO of Beracah Homes in Greenwood, Delaware. With over 17 years experience, first as VP, then President, now CEO, Roger has learned much about the construction industry. His focus has been on developing LEAN initiatives as well as DOE Energy Certifications.

Jeffrey Goldman is the CEO of GoldSentinel, which he founded in 2015 to address the growing need for better decision making through insight discovery. Prior to his current position, Jeffrey launched and led GoldBot Consulting, Inc., growing the company to a thriving multi-million dollar software development and analytic business.

Tom Klaff is a passionate entrepreneur and angel investor who has founded, led and sold six technology startups over a 25-year career. He is currently co-founder and CEO of Revolution Cooking, LLC, a technology platform company that designs, markets, and sells high-speed cooking appliances powered by its proprietary InstaGlo™ Fast Heating System.

Ken Loy has been CEO at Hensoldt, Inc. since its inception in 2018.  As a Defense Industry veteran, Ken led engineering development programs and business development accounts for Lockheed Martin Corporation, Engility Corporation and Georgetown University.  

Jeff Mascott is CEO at Adfero, a communications agency with an entrepreneurial mindset. Prior to launching Adfero, Jeff co-founded Fireside 21, a leading provider of CRM and web services to the U.S. Congress. He formerly led digital strategy for Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr., Chairman of the House Republican Congress.

Erin Pitera is the CEO of FMP Consulting, a strategic management consulting firm that delivers evidence-based workforce and organizational management solutions. As CEO, Erin Pitera provides strategic leadership and direction over FMP’s organizational performance by driving long-term business growth and providing exemplary client service.

Jeff Powell is the CEO of Strongbridge LLC, a government IT services provider. Mr. Powell has over 30 years of experience in government contracting, having led both small and large businesses in bidding, winning, and operating IT infrastructure and software development projects. 

Pat Sheridan is co-founder and Managing Partner of Modus Create, a global consulting firm that helps global 1000 businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Founded in 2011, Modus Create has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States for the past five years in a row. 

Trevor Wilby founded T-Rex in 1999 with a focus on long-term value creation powered by successful client delivery and employee successes. T-Rex Solutions is a proven mid-tier business, delivering next generation IT solutions for large enterprise transformation and modernization Cloud based efforts. 

Steve Williams is president of Pentagon Strategies, LLC. He has decades of experience in defense and aerospace, and is an expert in global teaming, multi-national programs, and government-industrial relations. As a CEO, Steve grew a private Transatlantic company to qualify as a top 100 global defense firm and named the F-35 Fighter Aircraft Supplier of the Year.