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When the pandemic and the government was doling out cash, we were happy for the support. But the additional money circulating in the economy created demand at the same time when supply chains were disrupted. More demand and less supply led to inflation. In response, the Bank of Canada started raising interest rates in March … Read more

Some of us are returning to work in the office, some continue to work from home, and others are permanently remote. Welcome to the world of hybrid meetings! During the peak of the pandemic, everyone worked from home and we got used to 100% virtual meetings. That was easy, ahem, after: The benefits of 100% … Read more

Early on in my career, my project was sabotaged. I will spare you the details but, in the end, after a setback and delay, the project was completed, and it was profitable. Looking back after decades, I find it interesting how senior professionals and even management can sometimes scuttle a project due to self-interest or … Read more

I had two different laser coaching conversations this week about “thinking too much.” John, not his real name, said he constantly thinks about future possibilities and how projects could unfold. He thinks this is a weakness. My response was to evaluate the value add of this thinking. If you catch yourself in a cycle of … Read more

No one ever told me to, “train up,” said a client who made a successful transition into a desired industry. The truth is you remain at the same level until you demonstrate that you have the capabilities to perform at the next level by delivering above expectations. That’s when others, especially your boss, takes notice. … Read more

“I don’t think I am providing much value to you,” I said to a client who has been seeing me for a while. Then I went ahead to share a bunch of project management knowledge resources. “But Wan, I think you are providing great value,” was the response. There’s obviously a disconnect. What was I … Read more

If you have a long list of identified risks, it can be a dreary task to update your risk management plan or RAID log. Stakeholders’ eyes glaze over. Here’s what you can do to create engagement: 1. Only highlight risks with high probability, impact, and rating.2. Then add a column for an estimated dollar value … Read more

According to Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic: “The time to worry is three months before a flight. Decide then whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying. To worry is to add another hazard.“ Likewise, for project managers, the time to worry is … Read more

It usually takes a few sessions after I start working with a new client before we establish a level of trust to go deep and personal. For those of you who have been following me for awhile, I think it’s time for me to share more personally. In August 2020, my wife and I arrived … Read more

In response to my post on How to Solve Stakeholder Management Problems, a reader responded that the term stakeholder has negative connotations to many Indigenous Peoples. In her comment, Denise Tregear suggested replacing stakeholder with the terms “Interested Parties” or “Partners” instead. While it’s true that words have many meanings and I struggle to write … Read more