People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast Andy Kaufman

Summary In this episode, Andy interviews Rich Maltzman and Jim Stewart about their book Great Meetings Build Great Teams: A Guide for Project Leaders and Agilists.
They discuss the common reasons why people dislike meetings, such as lack of purpose and poor facilitation. They introduce the concept of 'meeting goblins,' which are negative personalities that emerge during meetings, and provide strategies for dealing with them.
The conversation also covers the challenges and best practices of virtual meetings, as well as the benefits and potential pitfalls of agile ceremonies like daily standups. The conversation focuses on the importance of effective meetings in building great teams. Rich and Jim share their experiences and strategies for running successful meetings, including setting ground rules, timekeeping, and using technology like AI for meeting summaries.
They also discuss the impact of cultural differences on meetings and provide tips for managing diverse teams. The conversation concludes by emphasizing the link between great meetings and great teams, highlighting the role of meetings in fostering collaboration, building relationships, and achieving project goals.
Sound Bites "Meetings are a fact of life, often complained about but also often tolerated." "Connection before context. Before you start right into the meeting, make sure you have a little bit of social interaction." "Goblins are personalities that come out during meetings, and it's up to the meeting facilitator to recognize and address them." "Great meetings aren't just about agendas and facilitation techniques; they're about showing that you care about the project and the team." "Rosie the Reticent is the quiet version of Nadia the Naysayer." "Decision latency is one of the biggest reasons for project failures, so it's crucial to have the right people at meetings." "Understanding national, regional, and organizational cultures is important for effective meetings." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:17 Start of Interview 02:28 Why Do People Hate Meetings 05:06 Meeting Goblins 16:03 Virtual Meetings 19:50 Connection Before Context 20:53 Advantages and Warnings: Agile Standups 27:29 How Culture Impacts Meetings 34:42 When Too Many People Are Invited 41:53 AI and Meetings 47:38 The Link Between Great Meetings and Great Teams 51:26 Interview Wrap Up 52:00 Andy Comments After the Interview 54:16 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Rich, Jim, and their book here:
Jim on LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/jimstewartpmp/ Rich on LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/exclaim/ Their book on Amazon: click here If you’d like more on this subject, here are some episodes to check out:
Episodes 72 and 246, with meeting researcher Steven Rogelberg Episode 245, with meeting guru J. Elise Keith AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.
This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.
Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Power Skills
 
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: The Fantastical Ferret by Tim Kulig
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Energetic & Drive Indie Rock
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S30Oxdmi1dg
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this episode, Andy talks with Scott Walker who spent 16 years as a Scotland Yard detective. Scott and Andy delve into lessons on emotional intelligence and negotiation skills gleaned from Scott's new book Order out of Chaos: Win Every Negotiation, Thrive in Adversity, and Become a World-Class Communicator.
Key takeaways include seeking to understand before being understood, managing emotional states, and using empathy to build trust. Walker also discusses the importance of buying time and, interestingly, feeding egos in negotiations. It's an engaging discussion with one of the world's most experienced kidnap-for-ransom negotiators.
Sound Bites "Negotiation is simply a conversation with a purpose." "Kidnappers are businessmen looking to get the right deal for them." "Feeding their ego doesn't mean flattering them. It's about acknowledging their needs and concerns, making them feel heard." "Success leaves clues." "We need to get out of our own way, suspend our own ego, seek to understand before being understood." "If you can visualize a negative outcome closely enough, you train your body and mind to get through it, reducing the power that fear can have over you." "More Sherlock Holmes than Gordon Gecko." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:40 Start of Interview 01:50 How is Hostage Negotiation Relevant To Business Leaders? 03:33 In What Ways Are We Always Negotiating?/li> 04:49 What Does It Mean to Harness Your Red Center? 08:34 Accepting Where You're At 11:04 Steps To Regulate Your Emotions 15:29 Scenario: Nerves Before The Big Presentation 21:21 When You Start to Doubt Yourself 22:31 MOREPIES 26:36 Feed Their Ego? 30:12 Lessons for Parents 33:21 Interview Wrap Up 33:47 Andy Comments After the Interview 40:37 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Scott and his book at ScottWalkerCoaching.com.
If you’d like more on this subject, here are some episodes to check out:
Episode 397, with Dr. Julia DiGangi about her book Energy Rising Episode 394, with Joshua Freedman about his book on emotional intelligence Episode 380, with Monica Guzman about her book on seeing problems from a different perspective, and Episode 185, with Mitch Warner about their book Leadership and Self-Deception AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.
This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.
Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Power Skills
 
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5223-tranceverse
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: The Chillhouse by Frank Schroter
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHu8e0nk_7g
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this episode, Andy interviews Laura Mae Martin, Google's productivity expert and author of the book Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing. They discuss the concept of productivity and how it is often misunderstood. Laura shares her perspective on productivity, emphasizing the importance of intention and execution. She introduces the five C's of productivity and explains the concept of the list funnel. They also discuss the challenges of procrastination and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say no. Throughout the conversation, Laura provides practical tips and strategies for improving personal productivity.
Sound Bites "Sometimes I'll look at my calendar in a couple of weeks and be like, wow, Future Me is going to be very mad if I leave that there!" "When intention matches action, it's productive." "I was a recovering 'Say Yeser'." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:46 Start of Interview 02:59 What Does Productivity NOT Mean? 04:57 Intention and Action 06:20 Introduction to the 5C's of Productivity 09:10 Learning to Say No 12:48 The List Funnel 18:02 Dealing With Procrastination 22:50 Tool Hacks for Productivity 25:52 Tips for Parents to Help Their Kids With Productivity 27:24 Thinking About Future You 28:38 Interview Wrap Up 29:08 Andy Comments After the Interview 34:03 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Laura and her book at LauraMaeMartin.com. Also, check out the Google Workspace YouTube channel that Laura mentions. You can find that here: https://www.youtube.com/@googleworkspace/playlists.
If you’d like more on this subject, here are some episodes to check out:
Episode 376, with Nick Sonnenberg about his book Come Up for Air Episode 385, with Vanessa Patrick about her book, The Power of Saying No AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.
This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.
Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Power Skills
 
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: Brooklyn Nights by Tim Kulig
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11192-brooklyn-nights
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Tropical Vibe by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10446-tropical-vibe
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this episode, Andy Kaufman interviews Ryan Hawk, host of the Learning Leader podcast and author of the book The Score That Matters: Growing Excellence in Yourself and Those You Lead. They discuss the importance of valuing excellence and pursuing personal growth, as well as the dangers of comparing oneself to others and keeping score based on external metrics. They also explore the role of self-awareness and fear in leadership, and the importance of surrounding oneself with people who provide honest feedback. The conversation highlights the need for leaders to lead themselves first and develop transformational relationships.
Sound Bites "The world isn't driven by jealousy, it's driven by envy." "Leading yourself first is mandatory before you lead anybody else." "Surround yourself with people who will give you honest feedback and be prepared to accept it." "They don't care about your pants. They care about their pants." "So if you're not ready to crush it, your business falls apart." "The fear is fuel." "How can I best serve these people? How can I give everything I got to help them to better their life?" Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:09 Start of Interview 02:42 You Have To Value Excellence To Develop It 03:42 How Ryan's Family Influenced His View of Leadership 05:51 Where Scores Help Us (and Hurt Us) 10:39 What Are Some 'Outer Scoreboards' We Can Be Tempted To Fall For? 13:15 About Envy 14:23 You Have to Start By Leading Yourself 15:21 How to Be More Self-Aware 18:35 Learning How To Listen To Contrarian Feedback 21:15 What Holds Us Back? 22:54 Fear as Fuel 28:57 A Unique Way to Identify Your Core Values 32:27 What's The Quick Hack to Grow As a Leader? 35:41 Applying Leadership Ideas at Home 39:49 Interview Wrap Up 40:24 Andy Comments After the Interview 43:38 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Ryan, his book, and the Learning Leader podcast at LearningLeader.com.
If you’d like more on this subject, here are some episodes to check out:
Episode 391, with Adam Bryan about making the leap to being a leader Episode 242, with James Clear about his book on habits AI for Project Managers and Leaders With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.
This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.
Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Power Skills
 
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5223-tranceverse
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/2992-tuesday
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this episode, Andy talks with K. Scott Griffith about his new book, The Leader's Guide to Managing Risk. The book explores the importance of building resilience and reliability in projects, teams, and life.
The conversation delves into the social and technical aspects of producing results, the need for human-resilient systems, and the impact of at-risk choices and cutting corners. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing risks, as well as creating a culture of safety and employee engagement.
In this conversation, Scott discusses the importance of managing risks in projects and organizations. He emphasizes the need to create a culture of psychological safety where team members feel empowered to identify and report risks. Scott explains the process of managing risks, including balancing risk and reward, understanding and managing risks, and considering performance shaping factors. He also highlights the importance of building reliable systems and applies risk management principles to parenting.
Whether you're a project manager, a leader in your organization, or someone interested in the art and science of risk management, this episode is packed with thought-provoking insights and strategies to help you lead with confidence and navigate uncertainties more effectively.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:52 Start of Interview 04:54 Why Tend to Focus on the People Instead of Systems When Things Fail 06:41 How Much Should You Invest in Mitigating Risks? 10:39 The Difference Between a One Off and a Pattern 13:36 We Often Learn the Wrong Lessons From When Things Go Right 16:27 Defining At-Risk Choices 21:42 How Can We Help Reduce At-Risk Choices? 27:40 How We Can Inadvertently Make It Worse as Leaders 29:42 The Process Doesn't Start With Firing the Manager! 41:04 How This Applies to Parenting 45:07 Interview Wrap Up 45:48 Andy Comments After the Interview 50:19 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Scott and his books at LeadersGuideToManagingRisk.com.
If you’d like more on this subject, here are some episodes to check out:
Episodes 49 and 50, with Dr. David Hillson, the "risk doctor" Episode 240, with Jim Detert about speaking up when it feels risky Episode 379, with Angie Morgan Witkowski about how to look at risk differently Check out Beacon by Anvilyard!
In risk management, anticipating problems is half the battle. Now imagine a tool that brings this foresight into everyday project tracking, where goals are updated automatically, risks are forecasted early, and you're equipped to navigate setbacks before they arise. Beacon, a Jira App offered by our sponsor Anvilyard, gives you this power.
By integrating with your Jira instance, Beacon makes it seamless to track and forecast the health of your project goals. It flags any goals at risk, giving you the foresight to course correct before your team misses. With Beacon, your team stays aligned and on track, effortlessly navigating toward success. I’ve been impressed with the tool, so check it out. You can learn more and try it for free by going to PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com/beacon. Thanks!
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Ways of Working
 
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: On Point by Steven O'Brien
Available at: https://www.steven-obrien.net/
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Energetic & Drive Indie Rock by TaigaSoundProd
Available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjeI1ViDB-c
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary In this episode, Andy welcomes Paul Falcone to discuss his book The First-Time Manager: Leading Through Crisis. The conversation dives into common challenges faced by managers such as performance conversations, dealing with dysfunctional teams or bosses, and navigating situations like having to fire an employee or dealing with a younger (or older) manager scenario. Whether you're a new manager or been around for a while, there's insight in this episode for you.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:38 Start of Interview 03:02 Dealing with Performance Issues 10:10 Terminating Employment 13:54 Delivering Bad News 19:02 When You Have a Dysfunctional Boss 24:08 Empowering Leadership: Building a Creative and Innovative Team 26:04 Turning Around a Dysfunctional Team 28:15 The Fall Off the Planet Test 30:14 Earning Respect as a Young Manager 34:26 Addressing Profanity in the Workplace 37:24 End Of Interview 41:40 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Paul and his books at PaulFalconeHR.com/books.
If you’d like more on this subject, here are some episodes to check out:
Episode 360, with Janet Polach, about her book for first time managers Episode 368, with Jim Wetrich, on where good leaders go wrong Episode 358, with Donato Tramuto, on compassionate leadership Join us for LEAD52 I know you want to be a more confident leader--that’s why you listen to this podcast. LEAD52 is a global community of people like you who are committed to transforming their ability to lead and deliver. It’s 52 weeks of leadership learning, delivered right to your inbox, taking less than 5 minutes a week. And it’s all for free. Learn more and sign-up at GetLEAD52.com. Thanks!
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Power Skills
 
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5223-tranceverse
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/2992-tuesday
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license