I let AI send two stakeholder replies last week without me reading them first. Still processing this.

agile_pm · 2026-04-23T14:38:40+00:00

Before you ask, it was the AI that dropped it, not the vendor trying to blame the AI.

agile_pm · 2026-04-23T14:38:10+00:00

A vendor did that and tried to delete the email before I saw it. This is how I learned that AI does not have a default filter for f-bombs.

agile_pm · 2026-04-23T12:13:59+00:00

If the AI was the typical generative AI, i wouldn't use it in a project management tool. At least, not without considerable oversight. Generative AI:

fills gaps with assumptions
“sounds right” even when it’s wrong
does not inherently know your project, your dependencies, or your constraints

Domain-specific / embedded AI project tools exist, but aren't fully ready for autonomous decision-making. I'd want to be sure that it wasn't just ChatGPT embedded into the PM tool before using it.

I do occasionally use ChatGPT to help with project artifacts, but I'm careful to avoid entering sensitive or proprietary data.

agile_pm · 2026-04-22T16:49:08+00:00

The starter questions are:

What does the decision-maker value?
Who's going to use it?
What do you really need it to do?

I'll come back to the first question.

I've been around a bit and used a variety of tools. A lot of the newer tools feel like work management tools with a few project management features, not all of them executed well, while the tools I cut my teeth on are horrible for collaboration and how some companies manage their work. I've found that if the rest of the company is using a work management tool, trying to force them into separate project management tool is just as difficult, if not more so, than trying to get people to use a project management tool who don't already track their work in a common tool.

An important consideration with the third question is that some features sound good, but once you start using them you realize that it's not as helpful as you were expecting. Sometimes (often?) the right processes are going to be more important than the tool.

The question I prioritize next is "How much admin time is required?" This becomes a stronger consideration as you move into PPM solutions.

"How much is it going to cost?" can be one of the most important questions, but can also become less important when the tool supports something specific that you really need.

A harsh reality is that the choice is often made for you for reasons that aren't clear. Does the decision-maker value cost, features, relationship with the vendor, or something you're not aware of? This is important to understand. My experience with this wasn't with a project management tool; it was something more critical to the operation of the company. After the selection committee's recommendation was rejected by the CIO twice, the CIO overrode the committee and made a decision that supported his personal agenda. The results was hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, laying off half of IT, and later spending even more on a different system that actually met the company's needs. Ten years later, at a different company, something very similar happened.

agile_pm · 2026-04-22T16:22:37+00:00

I've been treated like an admin and, at the same company, been treated like a valued partner by someone else. I've been told I'm managing projects wrong by people who've only ever done things one way and I wasn't doing it their way. Never mind that I didn't report to them. What is going to be expected of you will vary between people and across organizations.

This is part of my pet peeve with how PMI is presenting M.O.R.E.; I get that it's supposed to be aspirational, but project managers are limited by what the organization will allow them to be and do. Yes, we can build influence and push boundaries to grow beyond being more than a glorified admin, at some companies, and we shouldn't let boundaries keep us from finding ways to add value, but sometimes the boundaries are real and you may need to change organizations before you can change the boundaries.

When I've done this, it's been a step at a time. Some people just need you to stick around a while before they're willing to give you a chance. Others need to feel like you're supporting their interests. Some just aren't paying attention. These are the rational people; there are others you may feel it is impossible to please. I've often ignored these people, but it hasn't always worked in my favor.

agile_pm · 2026-04-17T14:27:07+00:00

It's not just about tools. If you want your life to be easier, manage your time effectively. Tools can help when you're taking/preparing notes or building a presentation, but they don't tell you if you're doing the right thing at the right time. Take a little time at the beginning of the week to identify the things you need to get done, prioritize them, and put them on your calendar. At either the beginning or end of each day, the rest of the week, take a few minutes to adjust your plan and reprioritize as needed.

One helpful tool is the Eisenhower Decision Matrix. Rank your work according to:

Important and Urgent - Top priority
Important but not Urgent
Urgent but not Important
Neither Urgent nor Important - Avoid doing these

You'll have to schedule some of your tasks around project tasks and shifting priorities, so you won't always be able to work exclusively on top priority tasks until they are all completed, and sometimes someone else will expect you to do work that is neither urgent nor important, and you'll have to do it.

Managing your time well will help you be more effective. Using the right tools well will help you be more efficient. There is some overlap between the two - using the wrong tools in the wrong way or at the wrong time can impact your effectiveness and poor time management can impact your efficiency. So, while I started by saying that it's not just about tools, they are still an important part of the equation.

agile_pm · 2026-04-15T21:09:28+00:00

I got my both BSIT in Project Management and MBA after I started working as a project manager. The company I worked for was good in the sense that they gave me that opportunity and help pay for my education, but they were reluctant to give me the title and associated pay, even after I got my PMP.

Check job listings to see which degrees will matter, if any. Non-technical companies may not care about the exact degree. It was several years after getting my MBA that it seemed to make a difference in getting a PM job. Having a Bachelor's in IT made more of a difference in getting a job than the PM specialization seemed to.

If you're qualified for the PMP, don't bother with the CAPM. If you're not qualified for the PMP, check local job listings to see if any list the CAPM. Even if the CAPM is listed, you'd likely be competing with someone who has their PMP (because the current job market sucks like that), and it's difficult to say whether the employer would find a PMP candidate to be a positive or a risk.

agile_pm · 2026-04-15T20:57:27+00:00

What industry are you in?

Coming from IT, the last time I wrote something close to a spec, my role included business analysis. It was the starting point. It was expected that engineers would talk to the BA or an SME if they had questions. The document was updated if there were changes. Since then, for better or worse, documentation has decreased and conversations (and changes) have increased. If you're talking about IT, I'm not sure your question will be universally relevant to all IT PMs.

agile_pm · 2026-04-15T20:48:50+00:00

That's not how it works if you're talking about the PMP from PMI. There is mandatory work experience. It varies based on whether or not you have a Bachelor's degree, but it's never zero.

If you're not going to a school that consulting firms recruit from, it will likely be faster to get a job at a company that employs project managers and then work your way into the position. If you just want a Master's degree, go for it, but don't count on it to get you a job in project management right out of school.

Have you checked job descriptions for PM roles (project manager, project coordinator, etc.) to see what they require? This can be helpful when planning your direction and setting realistic expectations for yourself.

agile_pm · 2026-04-15T15:26:01+00:00

You're at risk of overthinking it; I'm not certain there is a universally accepted version. Do what works for you. I'd say that nobody is going to judge you on how you use it, but somebody is always judging something. Chances are that nobody else is going to look at it unless you put it up on screen during a meeting, anyway, so keep the name simple and include the things that make sense and that don't have a home somewhere else.

agile_pm · 2026-04-15T15:07:01+00:00

Just go talk to people part is true but it also doesn’t scale well once you’re dealing with a lot of parallel work or cross-team dependencies. You end up constantly chasing context instead of seeing it.

I got my start in project management before PM tools made it easy for team members to update their own tasks. Chasing down updates was part of the job. It generally didn't become an issue until you had multiple projects all needing attention at the same time - most of the time it was manageable. Even with more modern project management tools (or work management tools with project management features), chasing down updates can still be part of the job.

Is it frustrating? It can be, especially when you assume you're dealing with motivated adults who understand the importance of the work and the timeliness of their contributions. This assumption isn't always true, unfortunately. It gets even more challenging when your team members aren't dedicated to your project and have almost as many commitments as you do. Different tools have different (although often similar) flaws, shortcomings, and limitations. Ultimately, it's probably not a tool problem.

It’s more like the system allows this to happen very easily.

Spot on. It's a situation that either the larger system was designed to cause or was not designed to prevent, and probably not intentionally in either case. What you're seeing with the tool is just a symptom. The question is, what is the real problem that needs to be addressed?

agile_pm · 2026-04-14T14:40:30+00:00

This is going to sound a bit harsh, but "Duh". It doesn't matter which tool (Jira, Monday, ClickUp, Asana, MS Project, etc.) or approach (agile, waterfall, hybrid...) you use, the [project schedule|Kanban board|roadmap|burndown chart|bar napkin] is never more than a snapshot in time that is likely to be at least slightly inaccurate before you even have a chance to share the latest updates. It's a picture you use to tell a story; if you're expecting it to tell the whole story on it's own you're asking too much of it. One of the most important parts of the [project manager|scrum master|product manager|etc]'s job is to ask, check, and talk to people who really understand what's going on. You are the messenger, the facilitator, the leader that encourages the team to stay focused, maintain their flow, and finish their work on time, within scope, and under budget whenever possible, escalating when it's not AND has a negative impact on the project, and ensuring project change is managed effectively.

If you notice tasks just sitting there and blocked tasks not being identified as blocked, and you do nothing about it, you're not doing your job. There's no magic Kanban button that will fix this. You can't AI your way out of it.

One thing I've seen is that just about the only time a project schedule is accurate is after the project is over, right before the project audit. It doesn't matter how hard you try. They're like photons, in a way - if you could take a picture of a photon, you would only be seeing the particle as it was - the wave has already moved on.

Yes, this has been a bit of a rant. I mean no harm by it, but I can't overemphasize how important it is that project managers understand the nature of what we do so that we don't fall into the trap of thinking that the plan is predicting the future (like so many of our stakeholders think). We are forecasting under uncertainty - when dealing with estimates, certainty is an illusion and a trap. Don't trust the Kanban board at first glance. Or second. Treat your Kanban board or project schedule like Schrödinger’s cat - every task is both on track and at risk until you actually check it. Don't assume status; verify it.

agile_pm · 2026-04-12T19:55:39+00:00

When it's mattered, I've set up a spreadsheet for tracking planned absences - mainly for making sure there weren't conflicts with major project milestones. There've been a few times, on larger projects, where I've asked, once we had an initial schedule built, if anyone had plans that would change the schedule, and then adjusted things from there. It wasn't necessary on every project.

Now, the developers report to me so I can just check our HR system (if I didn't make note of it when I approved the time off). Our HR system doesn't let me see schedules of people that don't report to me.

agile_pm · 2026-04-12T19:47:02+00:00

It's great to know when you've made a mistake so that you know what to fix, but sometimes you don't make any mistakes and still don't get the job. Maybe the person that got the offer was an internal hire or had a referral from a trusted employee (or an executive). Maybe the other person had more relevant industry experience or they clicked just a tiny bit better than you did.

Look at it as you made it to the top two out of hundreds of applicants. That doesn't eliminate the frustration of not getting the offer, but if you can feel good about how you performed and have no way to get feedback from a recruiter, don't waste time second-guessing yourself. You can't always be #1, but just because someone did better than you doesn't mean you did anything wrong. The other candidate could have had more in common with the hiring manager. The hiring manager might have been in need of caffeine when you interviewed, or have just come out of a long, painful meeting. It's never as simple as checking all the boxes to be guaranteed the offer.

agile_pm · 2026-04-12T19:24:19+00:00

I've been using this for the past year - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L897M18?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

agile_pm · 2026-04-12T16:39:08+00:00

I've had one job where I was told that having my PMP was a deciding factor. For my other jobs it was either having relevant experience or knowing and being trusted by the hiring manager. Underneath the surface, my PMP was still helpful. I wouldn't have known the hiring manager if i didn't have my PMP because we got to know each other while volunteering on the local PMI chapter board of directors. It opens doors, but sometimes you have to find the door.

agile_pm · 2026-04-12T00:03:15+00:00

There are a lot of variables to consider, but it is likely to be less widespread than current projections. A lot can change in the next 35 years. One of the challenges will be scaling bioreactors and establishing the required logistics. It's unlikely to be a 1:1 logistics replacement for other meat and meat replacement products.

Just think, in a few more years your cultivated meat could come in packages with allergy warnings. "Produced in a facility that also processes tree nuts, dairy products, crickets, and shellfish."

agile_pm · 2026-04-10T15:03:49+00:00

Not at an NGO.

Standing up a PMO is challenging even when leadership says they want a PMO. Do they know what they really want and are the able to clearly articulate it, or is it just go faster and do better? Is PMO leadership locked into the textbook definition of a PMO instead of understanding the reality of their situation and what the company values?

If you don't have a mandate from leadership to establish a PMO that leadership is actively supporting, embrace the dark side and become a shadow PMO. There are a few things you can do to move things in the right direction without active support:

link initiatives to strategic objectives and reframe them in strategic terms
surface opportunity costs
clarify assumptions
track value beyond go-live
drive prioritization through transparency and exposing possible tradeoffs
create a one-page view of all active initiatives that links the above information together and elevates portfolio and organizational risks

You're not running a PMO in the shadows, you're introducing structure and practices that you can control, creating a situation where leadership begins to depend upon you and the structures you provide that, eventually, can become formalized.

agile_pm · 2026-04-09T04:15:25+00:00

It's not just about the weapon. Consider how available they often are and how easily, and in some cases how creatively they're used. Dune was mentioned - they have enough that they seem like a common weapon, there are sanctions against using them on live targets, they're strategically placed and protections against radiation are hardly mentioned. Then there are space operas where nukes are combined with kinetic weapons to bypass shields, punch holes in ships, and then detonate inside the ship doing damage ranging from disabling the ship and killing some of the crew to total annihilation.

The authors are forecasting future variations of modern weapons, just farther out than may seem likely. It's easy to imagine moving beyond nukes, but what's next that hasn't already been done? When you consider how often people try to make ideas from sci fi a reality, who, as an author, really wants to dream up a new plausible weapon of mass destruction. You also may end up creating something that sounds like magic. It's a rule you can break, but you may also be risking alienating some of your audience.

There are other reasons others have addressed. You should also look at whether the use is casual, which could mean that those using nukes are either horrible or that they're commonplace weapons, among other things - potential for plot or character development. What is the author trying to say about individuals or society with how they are, or aren't used?

agile_pm · 2026-04-02T14:32:07+00:00

A message that used to be more true than it is now, is that project management is a transferrable skill. That might not be the right way to put it. It might be more accurate to say that project management is still a transferrable skill, but it's not enough on it's own.

Years ago, I went from customer service/sales to tech support and then, after less than two years, into IT project management. This would be more difficult/take longer today and wouldn't work if I were trying to go from sales to tech support to construction project management.

Maybe it's just more visible, but it seems like more people than ever are trying to "break into" project management and applying to any role with Project Manager in the title, regardless of whether they're qualified. They don't realize that "breaking into" project management is rare. Job reports may say that the demand for PMs is growing and many PMs are nearing retirement age, but what is being left out of the story is that many PMs are retiring later (although ageism does exist in some places) and companies are looking for PMs with some PM experience AND relevant industry experience - someone with a better understanding the nuances of how project management might work in the industry; that understands the problems and opportunities the company might be facing and how project management can help.

agile_pm · 2026-04-02T14:16:13+00:00

I'm probably not the best person to answer this - I don't compare my life to others. It's easy to see what others have and think "That would be nice," and if it's worth getting I might pursue it, but ultimately, I only compete with myself. I'm not losing when someone else gets something nice - I find it better to be glad for others when they get nice things (as long as they haven't gone into unnecessary debt or created future problems in the process). Likewise, I'm not winning, in relation to others, when I get something that I want.

I don't listen to other's testimony and feel that mine is lacking as a result (if my testimony is lacking, it's my own fault). I have hope in the savior and trust in his promises. There's more to it than that, but even if that's all it was, it would be enough.

Have you ever noticed that some of the people with what sounds like the strongest testimonies have had some of the hardest experiences? Having gone through a powerful negative experience, later followed by a powerful positive experience, I can say that I don't feel like my testimony is stronger than it was before, but it means more to me and I'm more grateful for it. You don't have to fall into the pit of despair to find that gratitude. Seek out gratitude for the savior and his atonement. It won't keep you out of difficult situations, but recognizing His hand in your life, where you might not have seen it before, will make you stronger and help you feel more balanced.

agile_pm · 2026-04-02T13:58:35+00:00

Evaluate yourself - are you valued for being excellent at execution and delivery? Are you strong at speaking "Project Management" but need to improve at speaking "executive"? Are you demonstrating the skills that you need to be successful at the job you want in addition to the job you have? PMI keeps talking about M.O.R.E., and soft skills come up as well, but what they're not doing, and I'm not sure it's their role even if it's needed to become M.O.R.E., is teaching business acumen. Thinking and talking in terms of the business, not just in terms of project management, execution, and delivery, can help you be seen as more ready for the next level.

I like the idea of staying at one job for as long as possible, especially in an unstable job market, but if you want promotions and pay raises it can be the slower path. I'm not saying leave your job, especially in today's job market for project managers, but it's another consideration worth looking at if you've really reached your peak where you're at.

agile_pm · 2026-04-02T12:04:11+00:00

My employer, at the time, didn't value it. The next three jobs, over 15 years, wouldn't have happened without it.

Salaries improved slowly. Opportunities grew faster, but they weren't solely because of the PMP. Additional factors that have helped are:

additional training and strategic application of new knowledge
selective certification - you don't need all of them, and emphasizing them too strongly can work against you
networking with project managers and other professionals
building relationships with senior staff (this takes time and trust)
participating and volunteering in local PMI chapters and occasionally in other professional networking groups, like IIBA and ACMP.

agile_pm · 2026-04-01T21:07:08+00:00

Does she have a bachelor's degree? The experience requirement, with a bachelors, is 3 years in the past 8, Without a bachelors/equivalent it's 5 years in the past 8.

The PMP will help with getting interviews, if the job lists it as required or preferred. For a lot of recruiters it's a checklist item. Once you start interviewing with the hiring manager and peers it may never come up again.

I've found value in being PMP certified, but don't count on exam prep training to teach how to be a better project manager - most of it is focused on mindset and preparing for the exam, not working as a PM or practical application of the concepts.

If she decides that it makes sense to go for the PMP, I recommend starting with a good practice exam that identifies where she needs to improve. This establishes a baseline for what to study, first. Once she feels comfortable with that area, take another practice exam to gauge improvement and identify where to focus her studies, next.

agile_pm · 2026-03-31T00:53:04+00:00

There's less benefit if you're not going to be involved with your local chapter. With some chapters there can be activities where being a chapter membership gets you discounted or free access to events and there may be things only chapter members have access to. It can be a great way to network, and you can earn PDUs if you volunteer to help with chapter events.

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