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Project Management Happy Hour

Project Management Happy Hour

Von: Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson
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PM Happy Hour is the place for frank and honest discussion about real world issues in project management. We do it in a way that's not too dry, though it may get a bit salty from time to time. Each episode, your hosts Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson cover a problem faced in project management today, and share practical advice, real-life examples and the occasional project horror story. Not only that, but every podcast is also an online class! Our host is a PMI Registered Education Provider, who has structured each podcast as an easy-to-listen-to lesson. To get credit, go to our web site at PMHappyHour.com, purchase your class, take the test (based on the content from our podcast) and you get your PDU certificate instantly!2026 | Project Management Happy Hour, LLC. Erfolg im Beruf Ökonomie
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  • 127: Your project can't possibly be as bad as working for Mr Beast, Part 1

    127: Your project can't possibly be as bad as working for Mr Beast, Part 1
    Jun 16 2026

    Ever worked with a stakeholder who changes direction faster than your project plan can keep up? Then this episode may feel a little too familiar.

    Kim and Kate dive into the rise of Mr. Beast and the making of Beast Games through a project management lens—not to critique content creation, but to examine what happens when vision outpaces execution. From sponsor behavior and scaling challenges to agile gone sideways, they unpack the risks of massive ambition without the systems to support it.

    If you've ever managed shifting priorities, difficult stakeholders, or a project that seemed to grow by the hour, this conversation will hit home. Grab a drink and join us for a fascinating look at project sponsors, leadership, and what real-world project management can learn from internet-scale production.

    🎙️ Spicy Quotes from the Episode

    "Those poor people. Those poor people. I feel so bad." — Kate

    "This has to be a textbook case of the absolute worst project sponsor I have ever seen." — Kim

    Key Concepts & Takeaways

    The Sponsor Shapes the Project
    Kate frames Mr. Beast not as a creator but as a project sponsor. Great sponsors create alignment; difficult ones can unintentionally create chaos, rework, and burnout.

    Scale Changes Everything
    What works at small scale may not work as it scales up - in this case, scaling from Youtube videos to a massive $100m production involving thousands of participants and multiple organizations. Scaling requires stronger processes, decision making, and management support - not just bigger budgets.

    Empathy Matters in Project Management
    Kate repeatedly returns to the human side of projects: behind every schedule slip or scope change are real people doing the work.

    Practical Takeaways

    • Evaluate sponsor behavior early, not just project requirements.

    • Reassess processes when projects scale dramatically.

    • Governance doesn't slow decisions - it can help speed them and ensure your project can effectively absorb changing priorities.

    • Consider the human impact of ambitious timelines and scope changes.

    • Distinguish between innovation and avoidable chaos.

    🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned

    • Folding Ideas video: "Why Was I Invited to Beast Studios?" (https://youtu.be/0dwagg5wYY4?si=wNMmjhncv06AqUul)

    • Project Management Happy Hour Website

    • PM Happy Hour Membership
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    29 Min.
  • 126: "What's your AI Strategy?" Handling the Executive who wants AI in everything

    126: "What's your AI Strategy?" Handling the Executive who wants AI in everything
    Jun 3 2026

    You know the moment.

    Your project plan is solid. The scope is defined. The team is ready. Then an executive walks by and casually asks:

    "Can we just make this AI?"

    Suddenly you're no longer managing a project. You're managing expectations, buzzwords, corporate excitement, and whatever article someone just read on the flight home from a conference.

    In this episode, Kim and Kate tackle the question nearly every project manager is hearing right now: What's your AI strategy?

    They discuss why this isn't the first technology hype cycle we've lived through, how to respond when leaders want AI without knowing what they actually want AI to do, and why saying "yes" doesn't mean committing to anything.

    Along the way, they unpack executive AI buzzwords, governance concerns, AI productivity myths, vibe coding, project management tools, and where AI genuinely helps versus where it's mostly creating noise.

    Most importantly, they share practical ways to stay credible, keep your projects grounded, and avoid getting swept up in the latest technology frenzy.

    So grab a drink, pull up your RAID log, and let's talk about surviving the AI gold rush without losing your mind.

    🎙️ Spicy Quotes from the Episode

    "My eyes actually fell all the way out of my head and are rolling down the street. I actually can't see anything anymore." — Kate

    "Your project cannot be more mature than the organization." — Kim

    "AI is not like magic pixie dust you sprinkle on your project and suddenly magical things happen, right?" — Kim

    "AI is not better than you at project management. And it probably never will be." — Kate

    Key Concepts & Takeaways

    AI Hype Cycles Are Not New

    The technology changes, but the executive behavior doesn't.

    Before AI there was cloud. Before that there was blockchain. Every generation gets its must-have technology that promises massive transformation. Project managers shouldn't panic when AI becomes the topic of every conversation. The important skill isn't becoming an AI expert overnight. It's understanding enough to have an informed conversation.

    Other key concepts covered:

    • Learn the Language Without Drinking the Kool-Aid

    • Don't Let Projects Outrun Governance

    • Ask "How?" Before You Ask "Why Not?"

    • AI Is Only As Good As Your Data

    • AI Helps More With Starting Than Finishing

    Closing Reflection

    The next time someone asks, "What's our AI strategy?" maybe the better question is:

    "What problem are we actually trying to solve?"

    Because the organizations that benefit most from AI probably won't be the ones chasing every new buzzword—they'll be the ones that stay focused on outcomes while everyone else is getting distracted by the hype.

    🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned

    • Project Management Happy Hour Website

    • PM Happy Hour Membership
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    39 Min.
  • 125: How to survive the AI landscape as a PM with PMI's Dr Kelly Heuer

    125: How to survive the AI landscape as a PM with PMI's Dr Kelly Heuer
    May 20 2026
    AI is changing work fast enough to give every project manager emotional whiplash. New tools, new workflows, new expectations… and somehow you're still expected to hit deadlines, manage stakeholders, and explain for the fifth time why the project scope changed after leadership changed the entire business strategy. In this episode, Kim and Kate sit down with Kelly Heuer from Project Management Institute to talk about the skills that actually survive industry shifts, changing technology, and whatever shiny new buzzword LinkedIn is obsessed with this week. They unpack why "soft skills" are actually the hardest skills in project management, how business acumen separates strategic PMs from task trackers, and why learning to navigate ambiguity matters more now than memorizing formulas from the PMP exam. The conversation also dives into the uncomfortable reality that project success is rarely about perfectly following the original plan. Sometimes the real job is realizing the plan should change in the first place. Along the way, they cover durable vs. perishable skills, why varied career experience is secretly a superpower, how PMs can become more effective strategic partners, and why "say the thing" might be the most important career advice you'll hear all year. Grab a drink, question your project charter, and let's get into it. Guest Bio As Vice President of Learning at the Project Management Institute (PMI), Dr. Kelly Heuer brings over two decades of experience in higher education to lead PMI's Learning division. She oversees a global portfolio including professional standards, publications, live and enterprise training, and digital learning products that equip project professionals worldwide to drive project success. Kelly holds multiple degrees in philosophy, including an AB from Harvard and an MA and PhD from Georgetown University. She began her career at Georgetown, helping launch the university's first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in bioethics and co-founding its ethics and social innovation lab. She most recently served as Vice President of Learning Experience at edX, driving learning strategies and digital innovation across the company's portfolio. As the first in her family to pursue higher education, Kelly is passionate about mentoring first-generation students, coaching formerly incarcerated individuals, and supporting colleagues exploring alternative career paths. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner, Arjun, and their two children, chess enthusiast Kiran and aspiring explorer Ryan. 🎙️ Quotes from the Episode "If you're thinking the thing, if you're wondering the thing, if you're confused about the thing, say the thing." — Kelly "Human skills are more important than artificial intelligence skills." — Kate "Soft skills are the hardest part of project management." — Kate "Comfort with ambiguity. It's acknowledging change as a constant, not as something you're going to design around or manage your way away from." — Kelly 📌 Key Concepts & Takeaways Durable Skills vs. Perishable Skills Technical skills expire faster than most PMs want to admit. Tools change. Platforms die. Entire workflows disappear. But communication, business acumen, stakeholder management, adaptability, and decision-making under uncertainty keep paying dividends across every phase of a career. "Say the Thing" One of the biggest career mistakes is staying quiet because you don't want to sound inexperienced, difficult, or slow the room down. Asking the uncomfortable question early often prevents much bigger problems later. Business Acumen Is the Real Career Multiplier Technical project management skills are still important—but they're table stakes now. The PMs who move into larger, more strategic work understand value, organizational priorities, market shifts, and executive decision-making. Varied Experience Builds Better PMs Working across industries, teams, and business problems creates stronger long-term judgment. Diverse experience teaches pattern recognition, adaptability, and strategic thinking in ways repetitive specialization sometimes doesn't. Learning Happens in the Field Courses, books, and certifications matter—but they're only part of the equation. Real growth happens when people practice skills, make mistakes, reflect, adapt, and try again in live environments. Discussion Highlights One of the strongest threads throughout the conversation was the idea that project managers are being forced to rethink what makes them valuable. Kelly talked about how rapidly technical skills are expiring, referencing research showing that the "half-life" of professional skills has dropped dramatically over time. The implication wasn't that technical knowledge no longer matters—it absolutely does—but that technical expertise alone is no longer enough to sustain a long career. Kate pushed hard on the idea that so-called "soft skills" have always been the hardest part of the job. Not the formulas. Not the ...
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    59 Min.
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