PDUs for PMPs, with guest Cornelius Fichtner, PMP

I love helping project managers get their PMP certification. For those of you who have completed that journey, you know it's a lot of work! There are plenty of you listening who have been putting it off and would benefit from taking action on that this year.

But what about once you get the certification? You enthusiastically cross the finish line and are awarded with... the need to get PDU's to retain your certification!

If you have a plan, getting your required continuing education credits is not that big of a challenge. But waiting until the end of your three year term is not a good plan.

This cast is to help you put together a plan to get those PDU's, and you'll hear from the one and only Cornelius Fichtner, host of The Project Management Podcast. Cornelius will tell you about his favorite ways to get PDU's, including a new offering he's rolling out soon called The PDU Podcast.

Click here to learn more about The PDU Podcast.

And, hey, for those of you who have been putting off getting your certification, give me a call! If you're in the Chicago area I have a PMP Prep workshop on some selected Saturdays over the next two months. As of the recording date, there are still 3 slots open. You can reach me toll-free at 866-884-5323.

If you can't attend the class, here's another idea! One of my favorite recommendations for helping aspiring project managers to get their certification is The PMP PrepCast, also from our friend Cornelius. It's one of the best values for the dollar to help you pass the exam.



I invite you to join me in our next episode when I talk with Dr. Ed Schein, the world renowned MIT professor and author of The Corporate Culture Survival Guide and Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help. It's been said that "Culture eats strategy for lunch every time." Don't miss this episode for expert insights on how to thrive in the culture of your company and industry.

You can receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!

And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!



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Labels: PMP certification, podcast, project management

posted by Andy at 8:57 AM

Steve Martin and Andy Kaufman on Influence

Here's the situation... you're responsible for delivering a project. Your boss comes in today and announces that senior management has decided that you must deliver your project 4 weeks earlier than originally planned.

You know that the project is already carrying a lot of risk, and cutting 4 more weeks seems completely unrealistic, at least from your perspective. Yet it also appears, from your perspective, that speaking up or pushing back could be job risking. They aren't looking for your input--they're looking for you to deliver on the demand.

Sound familiar?

Whether you are a project manager or responsible for leading a team, we are regularly faced with situations that require us to influence others. Yet here's my observation: influence skills are one of the most under-trained areas for many people today. It's almost as if we think influence training is for salespeople or lawyers or "those people over in procurement."

We all can benefit from developing our influence skills. One of my favorite influence books in the last couple years is entitled Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. I had the opportunity recently to speak with the co-author of Yes!, Steve Martin, and look forward to your feedback on the interview in this cast. By the way, you'll hear Steve share his thoughts on how to deal with that boss with unrealistic timeframes!

A practical next step to develop your influence skills is to get a copy of the book that Steve authored with Robert Cialdini and Noah Goldstein: Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. Also, check out Dr. Cialdini's classic: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Steve puts out a very helpful newsletter entitled the Inside Influence Report. I encourage you to sign-up for it.

If you are interested in developing the influence skills of your project managers, team leads, or other organizational leaders, give us a call! Between keynotes, workshops, and executive coaching, we have a number of ways that we can help your leaders improve their influence skills. You can contact us toll-free at (866) 884-5323 or via e-mail at show@i-leadonline.com.

I invite you to join me in our next episode when I talk with Cornelius Fichtner, the host of The Project Management Podcast. For those of you who are certified PMP's and are interested in some helpful ways to get the required PDU's to maintain your certification, you particularly don't want to miss this episode!

You can receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!

And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!



Download the episode

Labels: influence, podcast, project management, relationships

posted by Andy at 7:30 PM

Who's Got Your Back? An interview with bestselling author Keith Ferrazzi

I got a call this morning from a former coaching client. Two years ago when I was working with Jerry he expressed interest in writing a book, which I enthusiastically encouraged he pursue. Two years later hes made significant progress and now had questions about the publishing process. In roughly 20 minutes I happily downloaded lessons that were learned since I published my first book 8 years ago.

Why do I share this story? What if Jerry hadn't surrounded himself with someone who cared enough to help him out? I don't want to over-state the value of my advice for certainly there are plenty of websites and services that have information that could help him achieve his goal. Yet there's something even more powerful about having close access to a circle of people you trust, who you know care about your success, and are eager to help you achieve it.

Jerry has that in me. Who do you have in your inner circle or your "Go To Group" (a term I introduce in my keynote on relationships called The Dirty Little Secret of Business)?

Who we surround ourselves with is critical, and it's an important lesson in Keith Ferrazzi's new book Who's Got Your Back: The Breakthrough Program to Build Deep, Trusting Relationships That Create Success--and Won't Let You Fail. I first heard of Keith when he wrote the best seller Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time back in 2005.

I have to say this upfront: If you lead projects and teams, chances are your success depends far more than you realize on the relationships you build. If you haven't read Keith's books, get them today.

I look forward to sharing a recent discussion I had with Keith in this cast.

In addition to picking up a copy of Keith's books, I invite you to follow Keith's blog. You can find that, along with many additional resources, at KeithFerrazzi.com.

Hey, here's another idea. Our keynote entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business takes this topic of relationships head-on. If you have an upcoming company or association meeting and would like to help the participants better leverage the power of relationships, give us a call! It would be a real pleasure to help your event be a success!

I invite you to join me in our next episode when I talk with Steve Martin about the topic of influence! Imagine that--Andy Kaufman talking with Steve Martin! If you're expecting two comedians, you'll be disappointed. However, Steve is an accomplished U.K.-based author, speaker, and consultant on influence. I can assure you that his insights will definitely be helpful for those who responsible for leading people and delivering projects.

Quick note: You can now receive notices of new podcast episodes via e-mail, allowing you to listen to them more conveniently and in a timely manner. Sign up here!

And, one last thing! Would you take a moment to let a friend or colleague know about The People and Projects Podcast? I'd love to pour into them as well, to help them lead people and deliver projects.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Have a great week!



Download the episode

Labels: goal achievement, leadership, podcast, relationships, social networking, work/life balance

posted by Andy at 7:13 PM