AI Driven PM

Rick A. Morris
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Technology
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to "AI Driven PM," the podcast where project management meets cutting-edge technology. Hosted by Rick A. Morris, a seasoned project manager, best-selling author, and dynamic public speaker, this podcast is your gateway to understanding and harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in your daily management tasks. Rick A. Morris is no stranger to the complexities and challenges of project management. With over 100 successful implementations of Project and Portfolio Management and Agile systems for top-tier companies like GE, Xerox, and CA, Rick brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the table. His credentials, including PMP, CHBC, PMI-ACP, and Six Sigma Green Belt, combined with his role as the National Delivery Lead for EPPM at Centric Consulting, make him an authoritative voice in the industry​​​​. In each episode of "AI Driven PM," Rick will dive into the theoretical foundations of AI and then demonstrate practical applications to enhance your efficiency as a project manager. Whether you manage projects, portfolios, programs, people, or products, this podcast is designed to provide you with actionable insights and tools to transform your management practices. Rick's approach is deeply rooted in his belief in the value of people and the importance of effective communication. His experiences, as shared in his six books, highlight his commitment to valuing individuals over mere metrics and his dedication to fostering a work-life balance​​. This human-centric approach is a cornerstone of the "AI Driven PM" podcast, ensuring that while you leverage advanced technology, you never lose sight of the human element in project management. Listeners can expect to learn about a variety of AI applications, from automating routine tasks and improving decision-making processes to enhancing team collaboration and predicting project outcomes. Rick will share real-world examples and case studies, drawing from his extensive career and consulting experience with diverse industries, including financial services, entertainment, healthcare, and manufacturing. The podcast is not just about technology; it's about integrating AI into your management style to achieve tangible results. Rick’s down-to-earth delivery style and passion for the profession make complex concepts accessible and engaging. Whether you're a seasoned project manager looking to stay ahead of the curve or a newcomer eager to learn, "AI Driven PM" offers valuable insights and practical advice. Join Rick A. Morris on this exciting journey to explore the intersection of AI and PM. Tune in to "AI Driven PM" and discover how you can make smarter decisions, streamline your processes, and ultimately, achieve more with the power of artificial intelligence.

  1. 3d ago

    S2E12 - PACE - Predictability and Cadence Engine

    Executives aren't asking "are we busy?" They're not asking "are we shipping features?" They're asking one question: Are we predictable? Do the sprint commitments we make to the business actually hold up? Most agile teams can't answer that. Not because the data doesn't exist — it does, sitting in Jira, Azure DevOps, or a spreadsheet right now. Because nobody has built the engine to surface it. In Episode 12, Rick introduces PACE — the Predictability and Capacity Engine — the third AI agent in his production system series. PACE tells you the truth about your agile teams: not just what they delivered, but whether they're getting more or less disciplined over time, and exactly why. The Metric Problem: Velocity, burn down, and story points are lagging indicators. They show what happened. They don't tell you why stories slipped, whether you're improving or degrading, or what to do about it. Velocity going up might just mean you're getting faster at rolling unfinished work to the next sprint. The Distinction That Changes Everything: Is the problem capacity (team size, sprint commitment) or readiness (stories entering sprint without clear requirements, designs, or resolved dependencies)? You cannot fix a readiness problem by adding people. PACE separates them — every sprint, every team, over time. Two Metrics That Actually Matter: 📊 Slide Rate — % of committed stories that don't finish in their sprint. Target: under 10%. Warning: above 20%. 📊 Readiness Debt — % of stories entering sprint unready. This is a leading indicator. 40% readiness debt will cause slide. Not if. How much. The Real Client Story: Large financial services company. 43 sprints. 48,621 Jira issues analyzed. Surface metrics looked healthy — velocity up, cost per story point down. PACE found the team wasn't getting worse at execution. They were getting worse at readiness — and it was accelerating. Slide rate climbed from 11.8% to 18% to 28% for the new team. The instinct was to ask "how do we increase velocity?" PACE revealed the real question: "Why are we accepting unready work?" Four PACE Deliverables: Color-coded sprint dashboard (green/yellow/red by slide rate and readiness thresholds)Best and worst sprint identification (best = proof the team CAN be predictable; worst = investigation targets)Trend narrative ("slide rate increased from 10% to 25% — this is a process problem, not a people problem")Targeted action recommendations based on what the data actually shows Rick's Signature Metric: Cost Per Story Point Not just "did velocity increase?" but "did we get more done per dollar?" When you add 40 people, PACE shows whether you actually got more efficient — and what additional work was accomplished. Metrics that were previously impossible to calculate. The Discipline Paradox: Discipline feels like friction. Readiness checks, pushing back on unready stories — it feels like slowing down. But discipline is what makes teams fast. When stories enter ready, they complete on time. When sprints finish clean, velocity stabilizes. When commitments hold up, stakeholders trust you. PACE measures that discipline. Portfolio Scale: Run PACE across 10, 20, or 100 teams. Compare Team A (8% slide) to Team B (30% slide) on similar work. Spread what works. Organizational learning at portfolio scale — from data that already exists in your sprint tools. PACE + ARIA: ARIA (Episode 10) = project-level health. PACE = team execution discipline. Together they answer: "Is this project healthy?" and "Is this team predictable?" PACE's forward-looking health check flags current sprint issues before the sprint closes — no more waiting until it's too late. Next Episode: Gatekeeper — the portfolio intelligence agent that decides which projects should even start. Most organizations say yes to too many things. When everything is a priority, nothing is. Gatekeeper forces the hard conversations before commitment, not after. Remember: Discipline isn't friction. It's what makes you fast.

  2. Jul 16

    S2E11 - Atlas - The Project Estimation Agent

    You gave a number in a hallway once. Maybe a conference room. Maybe a Zoom call with the CFO. You didn't have the requirements. You didn't have the team's input. But you gave a number — and from that moment forward, it wasn't an estimate anymore. It was a commitment. Bad estimates don't happen because PMs are bad at math. They happen because we're asked to make precision commitments at the exact moment we know the least. And then we spend the rest of the project defending a number we never should have been asked to give. In Episode 11, Rick introduces Atlas — the AI estimation agent built and deployed in production to solve the estimation problem at its root. What Atlas does: Maintains a versioned practice library — every service type your org delivers, with roles, rates, phases, modules, and three-scenario effort estimates per componentGuides PMs through a structured estimation conversation, module by module, grounded in your delivery historyProduces three-scenario PERT estimates (optimistic, most likely, pessimistic) with fully formula-driven Excel workbooks — not a single number, a defensible range Two modes. One engine. Standard workflow: you know the project shape, Atlas builds from the practice library. Discovery mode: you hand Atlas an RFP or requirements document and she analyzes it, suggests component counts, and asks you to validate before a single hour is estimated. The 500-requirements demo: Real Salesforce implementation. Atlas ran 500 requirements through discovery mode, returned component counts (4 data objects, 11 workflows, 20 scripts, 13 reports, 23 custom fields), generated a structured assumptions document for architect review, and produced a third-revision estimate — in about one hour total. PERT output: 1.1Mto5.7M range, $1.8M expected value. What used to take days of line-by-line senior-architect review. Why three scenarios beat one number: A single estimate creates false precision. Three scenarios communicate uncertainty honestly, give clients room to understand what drives the number, and set up scope conversations that are evidence-based — not subjective. "We estimated 11 workflows, there are 17" is a defensible conversation. The RFP scenario: Client needed componentized pricing in their specific format by Friday. Atlas took the RFP, the existing estimate, and the client's format — and produced a structured response with assumptions, PERT parameters, and best/most likely/worst case. Wednesday to Friday. Done. The Atlas-ARIA closed loop: Atlas builds the estimate at the start. ARIA protects it during execution. When the project closes, actuals update the practice library AND feed ARIA's risk database. Both systems get smarter. Organizational learning encoded into systems that don't forget. The transformation: Estimation from 4 hours to 10 minutes. From PM-to-PM variance to organizational consistency. From hedging to authority. From "I think it's around this" to "here's what it costs, here's why, here's the math." Next episode: PACE — the Predictability and Capacity Engine. Portfolio-level agile predictability, sprint commitment discipline, and readiness debt. #ProjectManagement #AI #Estimation #PERT #PMO #ArtificialIntelligence #PMP #Agile #PortfolioManagement #AIDrivenPM #Atlas #ScopeControl

  3. Jul 2

    S2E10 - ARIA - Advanced Risk Intelligence Agent

    For nine episodes, we taught you how to use AI. Now we're showing you what we built with it. Episode 10 marks a major series pivot. Rick A. Morris introduces ARIA—the Advanced Risk Intelligence Agent—a production system running on real client projects right now. Not a proof of concept. Not a demo. Live. The 2008 Vision: In 2008, Rick wrote two books describing the future of PM: organizational memory systems that captured lessons learned from every project and automatically applied them to new ones. Mathematical risk profiles based on actual history. A database that weighted patterns by severity and repeatability. What killed it: The manual effort. When the person maintaining the system left, the knowledge left with them. What changed in 2024: Large language models finally caught up to the idea. The Problem with Current Risk Management: Risk register templates unchanged for 20 yearsProbability/impact scores based on gut feelLessons learned filed away and forgotten"We've been doing this for decades. It's absolutely insane." Why ARIA Is Different from ChatGPT: ChatGPT gives you generic PMBOK-based risk lists. ARIA knows YOUR organization's history: That your vendor management breaks down on projects over $2MThat your design phase runs 30% long with remote teamsThat your change control only works with a specific executive sponsor The Math: PERT Methodology Developed by the US Navy for the Polaris missile program. Three scenarios: Optimistic, Most Likely, Pessimistic (pulled from your historical database). Expected Value = (O + 4M + P) ÷ 6. Statistically sound. Not a guess. ARIA's Six Modes: Lessons Learned Ingestion - Fuel for everythingRisk Assessment - Full Excel workbook in minutesRisk Coach - Targeted guidance in the momentProject Closeout - Structured interview, closed loopProject Health Check - 8-dimension color-coded assessmentMaintenance - Database quality management Live Demo Results: Dynamics 365 implementation, 2.1M(cut222.7M), fixed price, thin requirements, like-for-like ERP replication. ARIA's immediate flag: "These characteristics align almost exactly with the single highest-severity record in the entire database." 10 minutes later: Excel workbook with 129 business days contingency, $1.43M (68% of contract), confidence band of 91-167 days, full PERT calculations, complete risk register with mitigation strategies, and an executive narrative—presentation ready. The Credibility Difference: "I think we need a buffer" vs. "This project shares characteristics with 12 historical engagements. Those engagements slipped an average of 68 business days. Here's the data." The Closing Truth: ARIA is your organization's memory. She doesn't forget. She doesn't retire. Every project that closes makes every future risk assessment smarter. This is the closed loop PMBOK has always described but we've never had the tools to execute—until now. Episode Timestamps: [00] Series pivot: from theory to production systems[02] The 2008 vision and why it failed[05] The problem with current risk management[08] Why ARIA is different from generic AI[09] PERT methodology explained[11] ARIA's six modes walkthrough[14] Live risk assessment demo: Dynamics 365 manufacturing implementation[20] Excel output walkthrough: executive summary, PERT calculations, risk register[22] What this means for PM credibility and the profession Resources: PMThatWorks.com | YouTube - AI Driven PM Next Episode: Atlas—the estimation engine. Front-end estimates built with the same rigor as ARIA's risk management. Practice libraries, PERT modeling, production-ready workbooks. Subscribe if you're ready to see what AI-powered PM actually looks like in production. Remember: AI shouldn't replace project managers. It should amplify us. #ProjectManagement #AI #RiskManagement #PERT #PMO #AgentBuilding #ArtificialIntelligence #ARIA

  4. Jun 18

    S2E9 - Coach First, PM Second

    Rick almost skipped his coaching certification. Then one quote changed his entire approach to leadership: "If you give somebody the answer, you rob them of a lifetime of learning." In Episode 9, Rick A. Morris makes the case that in the AI era, coaching is no longer optional for project managers—it's the entire job. The Problem with Directive Leadership: Rick used to be a directive leader. He had the answers. He gave them freely. And every time he tried to take a vacation, his phone wouldn't stop ringing. His team couldn't function without him—not because they weren't capable, but because he'd never let them discover their own capability. The AI Era Shift: AI can automate task management, scheduling, reporting, and requirements. What it cannot touch: conflict navigation, emotional safety, capability building, and helping humans work through ambiguity and fear. "Teams don't need bosses anymore. They need coaches who help them perform at their best." Manager vs. Coach: Manager provides answers → Coach asks questionsManager directs action → Coach creates space for discoveryManager extracts work → Coach builds capabilityManager creates dependency → Coach builds ownership The Brendan Bouchard Moment: Rick shares his most powerful coaching story. He was venting to Brendan about a difficult team member when Brendan asked one question that stopped everything: "What did he say when you told him all this?" Rick hadn't told him. Not a word. One question. A lifetime of learning. That's coaching. Three AI-Powered Prompts Demonstrated Live: 🔹 Coaching Conversation Planner - Prepare for a real coaching conversation with a withdrawing team member. Claude's standout opening: "Sarah, I wanted to carve out some time that isn't about tickets or sprint status. How are you actually doing?" Full stop. Let her decide how much to give you. 🔹 Powerful Coaching Questions Library - Build a reusable question bank organized by situation: stuck team member, conflict, underperformer, career growth, resistance. Plus the critical principle: Don't lead the witness. ("Don't you think we should...?" vs. "What options do you see?") 🔹 Conflict Coaching Facilitator - Navigate the architecture debate between Sarah and Tom. Claude's insight: "Architecture debates between senior engineers rarely stay technical this long unless something else is driving them. This conflict has three layers—risk tolerance, identity/credibility, and decision authority ambiguity. Until you address layer three, the others keep feeding each other." Core Coaching Skills for PMs: ✅ Active listening (what's NOT being said) ✅ Powerful questions (help people think differently) ✅ Holding space (pause, create safety) ✅ Capability building (develop people, don't just extract work) ✅ Accountability with empathy (high standards + high support) Your Non-Negotiable Experiment: Use the Coaching Conversation Planner to prepare for a real conversation this week. Ask at least three coaching questions—and resist the urge to answer them yourself. Notice: Do people arrive at solutions you hadn't thought of? Episode Timestamps: [01] Christian Simpson and the quote that changed everything[03] The directive leader problem (why Rick's vacations were disasters)[04] The AI era shift: tasks automated, human side remains[06] Manager vs. coach mindset[07] Core coaching skills for PMs[09] Live Demo: Coaching Conversation Planner (the Sarah situation)[17] The Brendon Burchard story (best coaching moment of Rick's career)[19] Live Demo: Powerful Coaching Questions Library[23] Live Demo: Conflict Coaching Facilitator (Sarah vs. Tom)[27] Your weekly experiment Resources: PMThatWorks.com | YouTube - AI Driven PM Next Episode: Work-Life Balance 2.0—how AI changes the always-on PM trap. Subscribe if this made you rethink how you lead your team. Remember: The tasks are getting automated. The human side of projects is becoming your entire job.

  5. Jun 4

    S2E8 - Resistance, Revenge, Resentment

    "The danger in relationships is counting. Once you start keeping score, three things happen." In Episode 8, Rick A. Morris shares a lesson from his personal development journey—the Three R's taught by coach Paul Martinelli—and connects it directly to why your change initiatives are failing. The Three R's: 🔴 Resistance - Passive non-compliance. "I'll wait until this blows over." 🔴 Revenge - Active demonstration that the change doesn't work. Double-tracking. Slack complaints. Visible friction. 🔴 Resentment - Emotional withdrawal. "Leadership doesn't care. Nobody reads these reports anyway." Once here, the relationship is over. The Core Truth: "People don't resist change. They resist being changed." 69% of the population is High S (DISC). They love routine. They will change—but not because you announced it, ran a 90-minute training, and disappeared. Why Change Initiatives Really Fail: Change is done TO people, not WITH themFocus on the WHAT (tool, process) while ignoring the WHONo clarity on why the change mattersNo voice or input in how the change happensBroken trust from past failed initiativesLeaders disappear after the kickoffTraining, change management, and PM are cut from budgets The AI Change Warning: AI rollouts are more personal than any previous technology adoption. People feel automated out of relevance. Without managing the people side, even great AI tools will fail. Rick's Clarity Tool Story: After years of project rescue work, Rick found that resentment toward a failed tool was nearly impossible to overcome—even when rebuilding from scratch. He had to transition his business from rescue to implementation because the resentment gap was too wide to cross. Three AI-Powered Prompts Demonstrated Live: 🔹 Change Readiness Diagnostic - Diagnose where your team sits on the change spectrum and get a 30-day action plan. Claude's standout insight: "This is not a training problem or a tool problem. It is a trust problem with a workflow mismatch layered on top." 🔹 Resistance Root Cause Analyzer - Identify whether you're seeing passive, active, avoidance, or sabotage resistance—and surface the underlying fears driving it (incompetence, job security, workload, broken trust) 🔹 Co-Creation and Ownership Strategy - Design a strategy where people shape HOW the change happens, not just accept WHAT was decided. Claude's key reframe: "When they build it, it stops being yours." The Metric Rick Loved: Number of times leadership references the new tool's data in informal settings. Not a usage metric—a trust metric. Your Non-Negotiable Experiment: Run the Change Readiness Diagnostic on a current or recent change initiative. Take one action: invite co-creation or directly address a root cause of resistance. Notice: Does giving people a voice shift sentiment—even when the change itself is non-negotiable? Episode Timestamps: [01] Paul Martinelli and the Three R's (personal development origin)[03] The Three R's in change management (resistance, revenge, resentment)[04] People don't resist change—they resist being changed (the 69% insight)[06] Why change initiatives fail (and why we always cut the wrong things)[08] AI change management is uniquely personal[10] The Clarity tool rescue story[13] Live Demo: Change Readiness Diagnostic[20] Live Demo: Resistance Root Cause Analyzer[23] Live Demo: Co-Creation and Ownership Strategy[27] Your weekly experiment Resources: PMThatWorks.com | YouTube - AI Driven PM Next Episode: Coaching First, PM Second—why facilitation is your most valuable skill in the AI era. Subscribe if this changed how you think about change management. Remember: Catch it at resistance. That's where change is still recoverable.

  6. May 21

    S2E7 - Influence Without Authority

    "You own the project." That's the greatest lie ever told in project management. You don't own the people. You don't control the budget. You didn't set the strategy. You don't decide the timeline. But when things go wrong? Everyone looks at you. In Episode 7, Rick A. Morris makes the case that influence is the single most important skill a PM can develop—and shows you how to use AI to map, craft, and execute influence strategies that actually work. The Reality of PM Authority: People don't report to youIt's not your moneyIt wasn't your ideaYou don't own the outcome What you do own: the percentage chance of success. By doing analysis, framing decisions, and influencing whoever you're speaking with toward the right outcome. The Three Currencies of Influence: 💰 Credibility - People trust your judgment because you've earned it (not because of your title) 💰 Reciprocity - You help others achieve their goals, and they help you achieve yours (the most powerful lever PMs have) 💰 Vision - You paint a picture of success so compelling that people want to contribute Common Influence Mistakes PMs Make: ❌ Over-relying on logic ("surely they'll see the math") ❌ Positional pleading ("the CEO said so") ❌ Passive aggressive escalation ("I guess I'll have to escalate...") The DISC Secret Weapon: One message. Four different ways to say it. High D wants bullet points. High C wants data. High S needs to understand change impact. High I wants to know what's exciting. Meeting people where they are isn't manipulation—it's respect. Three AI-Powered Prompts Demonstrated Live: 🔹 Influence Network Mapper - Maps key influencers, identifies positions/motivations, recommends tactics, and builds a sequencing strategy. Claude's standout insight: "You're not building consensus. You're building a sequence of aligned conversations so that by the time you reach the CEO, the decision feels inevitable rather than contentious." 🔹 Stakeholder Persuasion Message Crafter - Craft messages that land. The Netflix analogy AI generated: "Netflix didn't launch with a recommendation engine. They launched with the catalog. An AI feature trained on zero user behavior doesn't differentiate you—it could embarrass you." 🔹 Reciprocity & Coalition Builder - Build genuine influence through service, not transactions. Rick's honest tool critique: Claude's suggestion to explicitly name a past favor was too direct. ChatGPT's approach—aligning the ask with their interests and removing burden—was more effective. (Yes, Rick will tell you when AI gets it wrong.) The Sequencing Strategy: Engineering manager → Product owner → Marketing director → CEO. Pre-wire every conversation so the final meeting is a confirmation, not a confrontation. Your Non-Negotiable Experiment: Use the Influence Network Mapper on a real decision you need to influence this week. Have at least one conversation using the strategy AI helps you design. Notice: Did mapping reveal leverage points you hadn't considered? Episode Timestamps: [01] The greatest lie in PM and the authority gap[04] Three currencies of influence (credibility, reciprocity, vision)[06] Common influence mistakes that kill credibility[07] DISC as an influence tool[09] Live Demo: Influence Network Mapper + sequencing strategy[17] Live Demo: Stakeholder Persuasion Message Crafter (Netflix analogy)[21] Live Demo: Reciprocity & Coalition Builder (+ Rick's honest AI critique)[27] Your weekly experiment Resources: PMThatWorks.com | YouTube - AI Driven PM Next Episode: The Three R's—Resistance, Revenge, and Resentment. Why change initiatives fail and how to navigate your way out. Subscribe if this changed how you think about your role as a PM. Remember: The most effective PMs don't win by being the loudest. They win by knowing exactly who to talk to, in what order, with what message.

  7. May 7

    S2E6 - Net Operating Value

    Ever had a project going great—on time, on budget, team energized—and an executive killed it anyway? Here's why: They weren't evaluating your project. They were evaluating your portfolio. In Episode 6, Rick A. Morris introduces Net Operating Value (NOV)—the metric that closes the gap between how PMs talk about projects and how executives actually make decisions. The Core Problem: PMs optimize in isolation. Executives optimize across competing priorities. Without a shared language for value, they talk past each other—and great projects get killed while mediocre ones survive. Net Operating Value Formula: NOV = Expected Value − Effort Cost − Risk Cost − Opportunity Cost That last variable is what most business cases never include. And it changes everything. "ROI asks: Is this worth doing? NOV asks: Is this the BEST thing we could be doing with these resources right now?" The AI Capacity Trap: Teams see velocity increase with AI and assume: more capacity = more projects. Wrong question. The right question isn't "Can we build it?" It's "Should we build it—given everything else we could build?" Three AI-Powered Prompts Demonstrated Live: 🔹 NOV Calculator - Calculate full project NOV including opportunity cost. Live result for Social Wishing: **Negative 280K return. AI verdict: "This is not an investment. It's an experiment with negative expected value." 🔹 Value Assumption Stress Test - Identify which assumptions, if wrong, kill the entire value case—then find the cheapest way to validate them. Claude's diagnosis: "This is not a 25,000 behavior experiment." Rick's favorite reframe: "Can we spend $15,000 over 45 days to find out if we should build this before committing the remaining budget?" 🔹 Portfolio Trade-Off Analyzer - Compare competing projects on NOV, identify must-dos vs. nice-to-haves, and communicate trade-offs without killing morale. Result: Greenlight the "cash generator" + "capability builder." Kill Social Wishing (for now). "Don't frame it as killing creativity. Frame it as disciplined capital allocation." The Full Circle Moment: The Social Wishing app—built all season—fails the NOV test. That's not failure. That's exactly how great project management works. Dreams deserve data before dollars. Your Non-Negotiable Experiment: Run the NOV Calculator on a current project. Then identify the one assumption that, if wrong, kills the entire value case—and test it. Notice: Does including opportunity cost change how executives respond to your business case? Episode Timestamps: [01] Why executives kill winning projects[03] NOV defined: Expected Value − Effort − Risk − Opportunity Cost[04] The AI capacity trap ("Can we?" vs. "Should we?")[07] Live Demo: NOV Calculator (Social Wishing gets brutalized)[15] Live Demo: Value Assumption Stress Test[22] Live Demo: Portfolio Trade-Off Analyzer[27] Your weekly experiment Resources: PMThatWorks.com | YouTube - AI Driven PM Next Episode: Influence Without Authority—how to lead when you can't command. Not your idea. Not your people. Not your budget. How do you move the needle anyway? Subscribe if this changed how you think about project value. Remember: Protecting your project means proving it deserves the resources over everything else competing for them. #ProjectManagement #PortfolioManagement #NOV #BusinessCase #AI #Leadership #PMO

  8. Apr 23

    S2E5 - Data Rules All 2.0

    Your status report is answering "Are we busy?" Your executives are asking "Are we going to succeed?" That gap is costing you credibility—and it's fixable. In Episode 5, Rick A. Morris—a Six Sigma practitioner and data obsessive—exposes the metrics trap most PMs fall into and shows you how to build dashboards that actually answer the questions that matter. The Core Problem: Activity metrics measure busyness. Outcome metrics measure results. Most PMs are tracking the wrong ones. The Lawyer Analogy: PMs build cases. Sponsors are judges. If you have more data than the person you're presenting to, you win the conversation. But only if the data tells the right story. "It's not a data problem. It's a framing problem. You're reporting inputs when executives are asking about outcomes." — Claude's blunt assessment What You Should Actually Be Measuring: ✅ Value Delivered - Features in production being used (not just shipped) ✅ Time to Impact - How fast from idea to user value? ✅ Quality Signals - Defect rates, technical debt, user satisfaction ✅ Team Health - Velocity stability, morale, sentiment (not just velocity) ✅ Stakeholder Confidence - Sponsor engagement, meeting attendance Rick's Signature Metric: Scope Stability Index New story points added ÷ total committed story points. If it exceeds 15% mid-sprint, execution predictability collapses. This is how you show sponsors the real cost of mid-sprint scope changes—with data, not arguments. The GrowthDay Lesson: A last-minute feature became the app's stickiest element. Rick only knew because he measured how users actually engaged with it. If you're not measuring features being used—not just shipped—you don't know if you're delivering value. Three AI-Powered Prompts: 🔹 Metrics Dashboard Designer - Build a dashboard that answers executive questions with outcome metrics, leading indicators, green/yellow/red thresholds, and audience-specific presentations 🔹 Predictive Risk Indicator Finder - Surface leading indicators of trouble before it arrives. Rick's standout AI insight: code review comment density per PR reveals whether slow reviews mean complexity or avoidance—and they require different interventions 🔹 Vanity vs. Value Metrics Audit - Diagnose your current report and swap vanity metrics for value metrics. Six out of eight common PM metrics are vanity. Find out which ones—and what to replace them with. AI's Role in All of This: AI can automate all the activity tracking—leaving you free to focus on outcome measurement, impact analysis, and inventing metrics that tell the parts of the story nobody else is telling. "AI can't do for you what it can't do through you." Your Non-Negotiable Experiment: Build your outcome metrics dashboard using Prompt 1Replace at least one vanity metric in your next status report with a value metric Notice: How do stakeholders react when your report actually answers their questions? Episode Timestamps: [02] Data rules everything—but we're measuring wrong[04] Activity vs. outcome metrics explained[06] The lawyer analogy: building cases, not reports[08] What to actually measure (value, time to impact, quality, team health)[11] AI's role in automating tracking vs. freeing PMs for outcomes[13] Live Demo: Metrics Dashboard Designer[19] Live Demo: Predictive Risk Indicator Finder[24] Live Demo: Vanity vs. Value Metrics Audit[28] Your weekly experiment Resources: PMThatWorks.com | YouTube - AI Driven PM Next Episode: Net Operating Value—how to stack-rank your portfolio and make trade-off decisions using data that reflects real business value. Subscribe if this changed how you think about data and project reporting. Remember: The PM who tells the better story wins. #ProjectManagement #Metrics #DataDrivenPM #AI #Agile #PMO #Leadership

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to "AI Driven PM," the podcast where project management meets cutting-edge technology. Hosted by Rick A. Morris, a seasoned project manager, best-selling author, and dynamic public speaker, this podcast is your gateway to understanding and harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in your daily management tasks. Rick A. Morris is no stranger to the complexities and challenges of project management. With over 100 successful implementations of Project and Portfolio Management and Agile systems for top-tier companies like GE, Xerox, and CA, Rick brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the table. His credentials, including PMP, CHBC, PMI-ACP, and Six Sigma Green Belt, combined with his role as the National Delivery Lead for EPPM at Centric Consulting, make him an authoritative voice in the industry​​​​. In each episode of "AI Driven PM," Rick will dive into the theoretical foundations of AI and then demonstrate practical applications to enhance your efficiency as a project manager. Whether you manage projects, portfolios, programs, people, or products, this podcast is designed to provide you with actionable insights and tools to transform your management practices. Rick's approach is deeply rooted in his belief in the value of people and the importance of effective communication. His experiences, as shared in his six books, highlight his commitment to valuing individuals over mere metrics and his dedication to fostering a work-life balance​​. This human-centric approach is a cornerstone of the "AI Driven PM" podcast, ensuring that while you leverage advanced technology, you never lose sight of the human element in project management. Listeners can expect to learn about a variety of AI applications, from automating routine tasks and improving decision-making processes to enhancing team collaboration and predicting project outcomes. Rick will share real-world examples and case studies, drawing from his extensive career and consulting experience with diverse industries, including financial services, entertainment, healthcare, and manufacturing. The podcast is not just about technology; it's about integrating AI into your management style to achieve tangible results. Rick’s down-to-earth delivery style and passion for the profession make complex concepts accessible and engaging. Whether you're a seasoned project manager looking to stay ahead of the curve or a newcomer eager to learn, "AI Driven PM" offers valuable insights and practical advice. Join Rick A. Morris on this exciting journey to explore the intersection of AI and PM. Tune in to "AI Driven PM" and discover how you can make smarter decisions, streamline your processes, and ultimately, achieve more with the power of artificial intelligence.

Information

  • Creator
    Rick A. Morris
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 R2 Multimedia
  • Show Website
    AI Driven PM