About the Sessions

These are the speakers confirmed for the Project Management Telesummit March 8, 9, 10
You can attend all 15 sessions for the all-inclusive price of $97 USD.
Click here for the main article Project Management Telesummit.

• Rick Morris: Stop Playing Games! A Project Manager’s Guide to Successfully Navigating Organizational Politics
• Peter Taylor: The Art of Productive Laziness
• Dr. Margery Mayer: Global Communications; what does it means in today’s business?
• Dr. Steven Flannes: Recognizing and Resolving Project Conflict
• Dr. Ginger Levin: Building and Maintaining Relationships and Making Effective Decisions
• Traci Duez: Change is Impossible Unless You Change Your Mind
• Dana Brownlee: The Secrets to Running Project Status Meetings that WORK!!
• Richard B. Sheridan: Agile and the Business Value of Joy
• Bernardo Tirado: How Does Understanding Human Behavior Increase Your Project Success Rate?
• Jason Fair: Agile in large Enterprise System Integration projects
• Todd Williams: Improving Project Inception
• Steve Martin: Consulting Secrets for Project Managers
• Geoff Crane: The Soft Skill Salsa: An Examination of Destructive Behaviors in Project Managers
• Tres Roeder: A Sixth Sense for Project Management
• Patricia Garofano: Look before you Leap: Managing the Successful Vendor Transition Project
• Brian Munroe: Rescue My Project – An Overview of Troubled Projects and How We Deal with Them”

Stop Playing Games! A Project Manager’s Guide to Successfully Navigating Organizational Politics By Rick A. Morris
Tuesday March 8, 2011 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM PST

Stop Playing Games!, by best-selling author Rick A. Morris, takes a completely different look at project management, using games like “The Pricing Game,” “Guess the Truth” and “Grapevine” to illustrate and help readers overcome organizational politics on projects. In this presentation, Rick Morris will bring to life true issues and solutions which help Project Managers avoid the games we are forced to play in our projects. By sharing his years of experience, Rick will show you how to become stronger, more process oriented, and more respectful of your projects, stakeholders, and sponsors. By providing real world advice, Rick will help you learn and apply the proper techniques which will immediately impact your projects.

See also: pduOTD article on Stop Playing Games

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The Secrets to Running Project Status Meetings that WORK!! by Dana Brownlee
Tuesday March 8, 2011 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM PST

Are your project status meetings nightmares??? Do they linger on and on with minimal effectiveness (and maximum boredom)? If so, this is the workshop for you! Project status meetings are an essential tool that project managers use to track project progress, identify issues, and monitor task performance levels. Unfortunately, too often they’re chaotic, inefficient, and frustrating for both the project manager and project team. This workshop presents a typical dysfunctional project status meeting (case study) and allows participants to discuss problems and recommended solutions. The workshop also presents best practices project managers can use to transform their status meetings. These best practices emphasize several concepts including: encouraging team member accountability, designing the meeting for maximum efficiency, simplifying agendas, summarizing progress, and staying focused. More effective project status meetings benefit the entire project team. This workshop explores a few key tips to make those meetings WORK!

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Agile in Large Enterprise System Integration Initiatives? by Jason Fair
Tuesday March 8, 2011 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM PST

ERP projects often are over budget and late on schedule. Return on Investment on large ERP projects is often delayed or never realized. The quality of the ERP solution that is delivered often is not what the customer expected. Many times the estimates that an ERP team makes are unreliable and far from actuals. Many times organizations have to apply additional resources to address the gaps and the issues of an ERP implementation. Often, key milestones on ERP projects are missed or delayed forcing the project to be late. How can we use Lean concepts and Agile techniques to address these common challenges in ERP projects? ERP projects have successfully delivered quality products by leveraging lean and agile principles and techniques. Learn about the common differences and challenges that are unique to an ERP initiative and its use of Agile. Discover how other ERP customers have adopted Agile in their enterprise projects and the key lessons learned from their projects. Learn how you can use the principles of Lean and innovative Agile techniques to create a high performing ERP team.

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Improving Project Inception By Todd Williams
Tuesday March 8, 2011 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM PST

Most failing projects are destined for that fate long before assigning a project manager. Their doom is sealed from the time the customer envisions the idea. Traditionally, project inception is defined as when the customer comes to a solution provider (internal or external to their organization) asking for a product or service. The actual inception is much earlier. It starts when someone says, “Wouldn’t be neat if I could…” From that point forward the customer’s exceptions are set, changed, and reset as the process of discovery refines the concept. By the end of the presentation, attendees will have an understanding of an array of techniques for improving project inception. These techniques range from items that can be implemented immediately to others that need significant organization involvement.

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Change is Impossible Unless You Change Your Mind By Traci Duez
Tuesday March 8, 2011 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST

“Discover how Neuro-Axiology (study of human value) impacts your ability to change, not only yourself, but others.”

Change is the only constant in life. If you have a difficult time with change, changing the way you think about change is the key to your success in your career and your life. There are a few ways to deal with change. There are…

o Those who can handle change and are productive.

o Those who can create change and can solve problems; who are seen as successful.

o Those who can inspire others to change and are leaders who create vision, focus on opportunities, and consistently surpass expectations.

Which of these would you prefer to be?

Neuro-axiology will help you to not only better handle and manage change, but also how to inspire it in others. You’ll learn a new way of looking at thinking and changes. You’ll see how common approaches to change can be counterproductive and how to best lead change in your organization and your life.

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Recognizing and Resolving Project Conflict By Dr. Steven Flannes
Wednesday March 9, 2011 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM PST

Conflict is a natural but very challenging aspect of project management, due to the demanding project model of matrix management, the interpersonal complexities of virtual teams and cross cultural influences, and the emergence of interpersonally complex business models, such as supply chain systems. Unaddressed conflict results in project delay, a drop in team member motivation, and the risk of poor quality or terminated projects. Most of us grow up in settings in which we receive no formal training in resolving conflict, and then in later years find ourselves in project settings where we are required to resolve conflict in order to achieve project success and career advancement. This presentation offers tangible skills that project professionals can use to productively resolve conflict. These skills include key interpersonal communication techniques, a grasp of individual differences among stakeholders (so that conflict resolution initiatives can be tailored to the individual’s personal style), and operational skills in employing five distinct conflict resolution techniques, plus the knowledge of when to use each approach.

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Consulting Secrets for Project Managers By Steve Martin, PMP, CSM
Wednesday March 9, 2011 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM PST

Being a strong Project Manager takes more than a solid set of project management skills. Because the very nature of projects is to introduce change, it is increasingly important for those that lead projects to have effective interpersonal skills. Furthermore, in today’s “buyer’s market” of employers, project managers need to also understand the lingo, business, and strategies of their clients.

In this session, you’ll learn about a “balanced approach” to project management that has been found to be successful as a project management and change management consultant. You’ll see how combining technical PM skills with business knowledge and people skills can help you achieve greater results. You’ll hear some of the findings from the latest research on people skills, and you will receive a list of several actions you can take to increase your effectiveness as a Project Manager and Change Leader. Come hear these field-tested secrets from the consulting frontlines and start using a balanced approach to obtain better project outcomes.

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The Soft Skill Salsa: An Examination of Destructive Behaviors in Project Managers By Geoff Crane
Wednesday March 9, 2011 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM PST

As project managers, we hold very influential positions. A big part of our job is to manage the expectations of stakeholders, project team members, vendors and sponsors. Because we interact with so many people during the life of our projects, how we behave has a direct bearing on project outcome. This presentation takes a look at specific behaviors common to project managers that can have adverse impacts on the projects under their care.

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The Art of Productive Laziness By Peter Taylor
Wednesday March 9, 2011 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM PST

‘Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.’ by Robert Heinlein

Learn about the art of productive laziness with The Lazy Project Manager; understanding what is meant by the ‘productive lazy’ approach to Projects (and life) and learn how to apply these lessons ‘to be twice as productive and still leave the office early’. The session will cover the definition of productive laziness, the science behind the theory (yes there really is some), and will share some personal learning experiences that led to the creation of ‘The Lazy Project Manager’. In addition the audience will be led through the three key project stages, one of which the ‘lazy’ project manager works very hard in and the second they should be in the comfortable position of enjoying the ‘comfy chair’ safe in the knowledge that the project is well under control. A specific focus will be made on the third area, project closure, which can be done so much better with very little effort but with a significant value add for all ‘would be’ lazy project managers.

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A Sixth Sense for Project Management by Tres Roeder
Wednesday March 9, 2011 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST

Research shows that projects tend to fail due to people-related issues versus technical-skills related issues. Furthermore, a poll of 776 attendees at a recent global webinar reveals that by an overwhelming wide margin, project management is considered to be a profession of people who must accomplish results through other people. From research, polls, and our extensive experience running projects, successful project managers need more than great technical skills. They need to possess skills for leadership, self-awareness, communication, building genuine team buy-in, and establishing and maintaining executive relationships. In short, they need A Sixth Sense for Project Management®.

Tres Roeder, Founder and President of Roeder Consulting, spent several years researching the human side of change, allowing him to identify a set of 6 disciplines that make up A Sixth Sense for Project Management. He determined there is a science to people skills. By possessing a set of interpersonal skills to effectively manage the human side of change, this is where true project success and lasting long term change comes from.

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Building and Maintaining Relationships and Making Effective Decisions by Dr. Ginger Levin
Wednesday March 9, 2011 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM PST

Increasingly, effective interpersonal skills are essential to our work whether we are a portfolio manager, a program manager, or a project manager. Change is constant and cannot be avoided and instead must be embraced and exploited. As well, we work so often in a virtual environment in which we may never see the people on our program and project teams face to face, and as a portfolio manager, we may not have face-to-face meetings of our Portfolio Review Board or similar group. The number of stakeholders with whom we must interact, both internal and external, continues to increase. Dr. Ginger Levin, PMP, PgMP, and OPM3 certified, will discuss two key interpersonal skills in this presentation, approaches for building relationships and decision making, based on her new book, Interpersonal Skills for Portfolio, Program, and Project Managers, and will present some key guidelines for success in these areas.

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Agile and the Business Value of Joy by Richard Sheridan
Thursday March 10, 2011 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM PST

Agile can produce better results, more cost effectively and with a far better chance of measurable project success, but can it also produce “joy”? And “joy” for whom? Is there business value in joy? Can joy be sustained over the long term, even for projects that last for years?

Richard Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Menlo Innovations will discuss how Menlo used agile to very intentionally create a culture focused on the business value of joy, not only for his team (and himself), but also for Menlo’s clients and their users. At the heart of it all is a very disciplined agile team and process that has been in place since 2001.

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Look before you Leap: Managing the Successful Vendor Transition Project by Patricia Garofano
Thursday March 10, 2011 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM PST

When you need to change vendors, what are the best practices for finding and securing a new vendor, negotiating a contract that holds the vendor accountable and managing the transition with minimal impact to your customers? How do you achieve success in the transition? This presentation will cover issues to consider before you decide to change vendors, planning steps, execution of the plan and how to close out the project after the transition is complete.

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How Does Understanding Human Behavior Increase Your Project Sucess Rate? By Bernardo Tirado
Thursday March 10, 2011 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM PST

This session will provide Project Managers (PM) with the fundamentals in how to maximize project success through human performance. We will explore the fundamentals of business psychology (known as Industrial Psychology). The goal is to equip PMs with a greater understanding on how managing the softer skills side will generate/drive hard dollar results.

The presentation will not only focus on how to manage team dynamics (if you are a Project Leader) but also how to work through the team dynamics of change targets. Tools and strategies will be discussed on how to manage the day to day challenges PMs face in doing more with less and the ever evolving environmental landscape.

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Rescuing Troubled Projects by Brian Munroe
Thursday March 10, 2011 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM PST

MTI Learning Inc.’s Founder and CEO, Brian H. Munroe, is a seasoned leader with solid sales management, customer service, account management and project management experience. He is currently a member of the Project Management Institute as a certified PMP and is the President of PMI’s Troubled Project Specific Interest Group (SIG). Brian has led many projects in the technology, education, financial, utility and health care sectors and together with the team at MTI Project Management, conducts Project Rescue consultancy services for many of these clients. As a skilled public speaker and trainer, Brian has had the opportunity to partner effectively with customers in Canada, the United States, and various regions in Asia and Europe. He is an expert at implementing sound project management principles and best practices and enjoys sharing his experiences with audience and students around the globe.

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Global Communications; what does it means in today’s business? By Dr. Margery Mayer
Thursday March 10, 2011 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PST

Today’s business is global, many companies have locations around the world and others use resellers, partners or subcontractors to deliver products and services wherever needed. In all cases being able to communicate effectively and in the manner expected at each location is critical and often overlooked. There is a natural assumption that if one is a good communicator they will be equally as successful when communicating with people from another country and culture. Communicating without sensitivity to another country’s culture, norms and values often leads to misunderstandings, frustration, and a lack of motivation. This presentation provides insight into best practices from global operations and project leaders gathered from personal interviews. Real situations will be presented to the audience for their ideas and suggestions or observations which will lead to active discussions.

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