Insights
Practical thinking on project management, AI adoption, and organisational delivery.
Is Jira Right for My Company?
Most articles answering this question are written by people who sell Jira licences. This is the version from someone who has implemented it well and watched it fail. The deciding factor is almost never team size.
What Needs to Happen Before You Implement Jira
"We just need Jira set up properly" is the most expensive sentence in a tooling project. Jira records whatever clarity you already have, and adds none of its own. Here is the work that has to happen before anyone opens a workflow scheme.
How to Be Successful with Jira: Lessons from a Real Implementation
The configuration is almost never why a Jira rollout fails. What people resist is losing the workaround that was keeping them effective. Including one training approach of ours that did not work, and what we replaced it with.
Fractional PMO: Who Keeps the Operating Model Alive After the Project Ends
Every company that builds a governance framework discovers the same thing six months later: the framework needs a senior owner, and the work is about half a day a week. Hiring full-time for it is wasteful. Handing it to someone busy is how it decays.
AI Adoption Strategy: Why It Works When You Run It Like a Project
Every major LLM is already strong enough to deliver results. The problem isn't the models. The problem is on our end — and it starts with treating AI adoption like a real project.
Forward or Backward Planning? The Direction Matters
Why do some projects drag their deadlines while others stress the whole team? The answer might lie in the direction of your planning. 3 practical PM tips with real-world examples.
CEO vs CFO as a Project Sponsor — Know Your Sponsor Type
Project managers rarely get to choose their sponsors. We are the chameleons of the corporate world — we must adapt to every type. Learn how to spot a CEO-type from a CFO-type and adjust your style accordingly.
The PM's Secret Weapon: The Action Log & RAID Log
From a 1742 captain's logbook to modern project management — the Action Log is the PM's most powerful tool for documented accountability. Learn the 3 tips that keep projects on track.
Pretotyping, Prototyping, PoC or MVP? Choose the Right Validation Technique
Before you build an MVP, ask yourself: is an MVP even the right tool? From pretotyping to Pixar's storyboard method, discover four validation techniques that can save your project before it starts.
Anti-MVP: When Minimum Is Too Minimal (The 5 Risks of MVP Thinking)
MVP thinking has revolutionized product development — but can it go too far? Discover the 5 risks of excessive MVP focus, the critical difference between a Commercial and User Feedback MVP, and when completionism beats minimalism.
Known Unknowns vs Unknown Unknowns: How PMs Navigate Project Uncertainty
Known unknowns are risks you can plan for. Unknown unknowns are the surprises that define a PM's real skill. Learn how to manage both — with a real-world example from a financial center closure project.
Imposter Syndrome for Project Managers: 7 Strategies to Build Confidence in High-Stakes Meetings
Imposter syndrome is common among junior PMs. Learn 7 proven strategies to build genuine confidence in high-stakes meetings with senior executives — from a PM who's been there.
AI for Project Managers: Why Quality Beats Speed (And How to Actually Use It)
AI won't make you a 10× faster PM — but it can make you a dramatically better one. A senior PM's honest findings on using AI in real project work, with 3 practical tips.
Leading Without Authority: How Project Managers Build Influence
Project managers carry no formal authority over their teams — yet real project success depends on commitment and performance. Here's how to build genuine influence through Ethos, Pathos, and Logos — with real-world examples and three tactics most PMs overlook.
Business Acumen: The 11th Project Management Knowledge Area PMBOK Doesn't Teach
PMBOK defines 10 project management knowledge areas. But perfect execution of all 10 still doesn't guarantee business results. Here's why Business Acumen is the missing 11th — and how developing it changes the way you lead projects.
Types of Project Delays: Why Schedule Performance Index Isn't Enough
Not all project delays are created equal. The Schedule Performance Index tells you you're late — but it doesn't tell you why, or what to do about it. Here's a framework for diagnosing the real type of delay you're facing, with examples from real procurement and execution projects.
Project Deliverables vs PM Deliverables: Why Busy PMs Crash Projects
One of the PMs on my team had perfect meetings, beautiful slides, and a project that crashed. Here's the PRINCE2 distinction between project deliverables and PM deliverables — and why confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes in project management.
Types of Projects in Project Management: Deliverable-Based vs Results-Based
There are two types of projects in project management — and most PMs never stop to ask which one they're running. Here's the distinction between deliverable-based and results-based projects, why confusing them is how good PMs end up delivering the wrong thing, and the one question that cuts through it all.
The Superpower of Structure
"How on earth are we going to deliver this?" When everything looks too big and complex, that's exactly when a PM needs to shine. Learn how to turn chaos into structure with the Draw-Show-Go approach.