Hello Reader, I can’t believe that we are already on the countdown to the end of the year! There is still so much I want to do and so few weeks to achieve it in. Here are 3 things that I’m going to focus on next month, and I thought you might like to join me: 1. Hosting better meetings Recently I’ve had a few meetings with poor attendance and a couple where I took ages to get the minutes out. I know that’s bad practice, it’s just to do with having more priority things to do instead (for the...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Don't want to get blog posts by email any longer? Click here to receive the main newsletter, but opt out of receiving blog posts by email. As a project manager, we are always learning new things. If you hold a professional certification like the Project Management Professional, an APM qualification, or PRINCE2, you’ll also be expected to carry out some professional development each year as well. And that all costs money – often money that our employers won’t pay for us. There is another way...
10 days ago • 7 min read
Hello Reader, Just a reminder that on Thursday I'll be talking about how AI can (and should) be your productivity partner. Join me, and Mahesh Singh from Nimble, to talk about how AI-enabled tools can support focus, reduce mental overhead, and make multi-project working more manageable, without sacrificing quality. It's at 4pm UK time (8am PST, 9.30pm IST) on Thursday, 20 November. We'll be talking about: The hidden cost of multi-project management on productivity How to spot signs of toxic...
16 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Managing multiple projects isn’t the exception anymore, it’s the expectation. But with constant context switching, shifting deadlines, and stakeholder overload, project managers are at serious risk of burnout. Have you felt it yet? Join me, and the team at Nimble, to talk about how AI-enabled tools can support focus, reduce mental overhead, and make multi-project working more manageable, without sacrificing quality. I'll be chatting to Mahesh Singh, co-founder and CMO of...
30 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, I’ve always found giving feedback a bit awkward – even positive feedback where I was praising someone for a job well done. It has got easier now I have children, because frankly I get to practice giving feedback all day at home! It’s also got easier knowing some of the theory, and while I was doing my mentoring training I got to understand several feedback methods in detail. The SBI model for giving feedback is a classic. You frame the conversation like this: S: Situation...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, We need to make it EASY for stakeholders to work with us. During a podcast I recorded with the Customer Success Playbook team, I shared my stakeholder prioritization grid – a tool that's helped countless project managers navigate the maze of competing expectations. But here's the real secret: it's not about managing stakeholders; it's about understanding what they value most. We shouldn’t think about ‘managing’ other people’s behaviour. Instead, think about engaging them. Here’s...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, One of the things that comes up often with new members of Project Management Rebels is how to facilitate a project meeting without knowing anything about what anyone else is talking about. Especially at the beginning, you’re not an expert. So you have very little to contribute in terms of content or helpful insights. What you can do is own the job you actually have and facilitate the process. Think about how you can add value with your comments without simply agreeing. You can...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Six projects. Competing deadlines. Stakeholders pulling in different directions. Sound familiar?Managing multiple projects isn’t just about working harder. It’s about building systems that work for you. Without repeatable practices, even the most experienced project manager risks burnout, missed deadlines, and deliverables slipping through the cracks.I'll be chatting live with Cornelius Fichtner to explore what’s new in the second edition of my book Managing Multiple Projects....
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, I've had some emails about this and I've been invited to do a podcast episode on agentic AI, so I think it's a topic that is really resonating -- I wanted to make sure you didn't miss out if you are interested in learning more. My email software tells me you didn't get round to opening the message I sent about this upcoming event (apologies if you did, it's not brilliant at detecting stuff like that), so just wanted to float it back into your inbox. AI agents aren’t just tools...
3 months ago • 1 min read