Disobedient Talk

The best project managers don’t just manage tasks — they act like they own the place. It’s not about having equity or a founder title; it’s a mindset shift that changes how you show up, how you solve problems, and how much people trust you…

Running a project, which, by definition, creates a new product, process, or service, involves taking risks. Sometimes it doesn’t work out. You step outside your comfort zone to pursue a big benefit, but it doesn’t pan out the way you hoped. When that happens, it’s…

You don’t need a senior management mandate to bring project management discipline into a team. But you do need to give people a reason to care. The most reliable way to do that is to show up with either a win they didn’t see coming…

Ask any room full of project managers if they have too much authority, and no one will raise their hand. Whether you’re a PM, a Scrum Master, or something in between, a lack of clear authority is one of the primary issues that hampers the…

For 20 years, I’ve watched project professionals argue over methodologies as if they were competing religions. Waterfall purists dismissing Agile as undisciplined. Agile evangelists mocking Waterfall as outdated. Hybrid advocates trying to define a common middle ground. Here’s what I’ve learned: they’re all correct, and…

One of the most common causes of project failure isn’t poor planning or bad technology — it’s misaligned expectations between the people doing the work and the people who sponsored it. It sounds obvious, but in practice, aligning expectations through discussion is often rushed or…

I’ve spent three decades managing project risks, and I can tell you with certainty: the traditional risk register is an artefact of the past. Not because the concept is flawed, but because the execution is hopelessly inadequate for the project complexity we face today. Here’s…

AI isn’t going away; if anything, it will keep reshaping the tools and expectations around project work.  The aim isn’t to defend your role from AI, but to make yourself the person who knows how to blend human judgment with intelligent tool support. Here’s how:…

What we often call “multitasking” is actually rapid context switching. Doing so can make us feel productive, but it is easy to cross a line into excess.  Too much switching slows you down and creates a “cognitive debt” that compounds throughout the day. We become…

AI presents a risk management dual-edged sword: it’s both a powerful tool for managing risks and something that itself requires risk management. Understanding both sides is crucial for project and program managers. Here are key considerations when using AI to enhance your risk management. The…

The information in this article was extracted from a LinkedIn Live interview with Michelle “Mace” Curran, a former F-16 Thunderbird pilot and a fabulous keynote speaker. I am grateful for the time and wisdom she shared in that interview, and for agreeing to have these…

AI is brilliant at chewing through the tedious admin work that clogs a project manager’s day.   Think of it as a sharp junior PM: fast, tireless, helpful, but not someone you let sign off on your deliverables. Reviewing the output of any AI is…