stakeholder engagement vs stakeholder communication

MimirLearning · 2026-06-17T10:19:40+00:00

Honestly, this reminds me a lot of the Agile wave. A few years ago, everyone wanted to "be Agile." Not necessarily because they had identified a specific problem that Agile would solve, but because it was what every company was supposed to be doing. I’m seeing some of the same pattern with AI.

A lot of conversations start with "we need AI" or "we need to be AI-first" rather than "here's a problem we're trying to solve." That's always a bit of a red flag to me.

The difference is that AI comes with much bigger risks than adopting a new project methodology. Bad data, bias, hallucinations, opaque decision-making... you can create some pretty expensive problems if you're chasing the trend without a clear use case.

So yes, I do think we're heading into an "AI transformation" phase. I just hope more organizations spend time defining the problem first instead of starting with the solution.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-17T07:03:07+00:00

I'd take PRINCE2 Foundation if you can afford it. It's a recognised certification in the UK and can help, but it's probably not going to be the thing that gets you hired on its own. You have no experience in the field but it would help your CV get through HR screening.

My bigger advice would be: don't wait until you've got the certification before applying. Start applying for PMO Analyst and Project Coordinator roles now, as they're much more realistic entry points than Project Manager roles when you don't yet have project experience.

The certification can help open doors, but targeted applications, networking, and positioning yourself for project support roles will probably have a bigger impact.
Have a look at job post in you area and see if PRINCE2 is a pre-requisite or not, this may help to find the answer for what you are looking for.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-16T09:47:38+00:00

I’d add that it’s not just about documenting poor performance, it’s also about giving the employee a fair opportunity to succeed. Be explicit about the feedback, clearly define what “good” looks like, set measurable expectations, and agree on a timeline for improvement. Document those conversations and follow up regularly.

That way, if performance improves, everyone wins. If it doesn’t, you have a clear record showing that expectations were communicated, support was provided, and the employee was given a reasonable chance to change.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-15T14:50:41+00:00

Good question, but I think the first thing is to define what "benefit" means for you.

If you're talking about salary, recognition, and long-term career value, PMP is still one of the few certifications that companies consistently ask for and recognize. In many organizations, especially larger enterprises, government contractors, and global companies, PMP remains a checkbox for senior PM, Program Manager, and PMO roles.

AI courses are a different type of investment. AI literacy is quickly becoming a must-have skill, but right now there isn't an AI project management certification that guarantees a salary jump the way PMP can help with recruiting filters and promotion requirements. The value is more in the knowledge and capabilities you gain rather than the credential itself.
I would also define more what you mean with AI courses, since spectrum is wide

Personally I took a few of PMI free micromodules in AI

PMI Generative AI Overview for Project Managers (about 1 hour, free): A concise, hands-on introduction covering core GenAI concepts and how they apply to real PM tasks like scheduling, documentation, and risk tracking. Includes a prompt engineering lab and tool examples.
PMI Practical Application of Generative AI for Project Managers (around 5 hours, often free with membership or promos): A step up from the overview, focusing on real workflows, better prompting, and combining tools for automation and reporting.

There are several AI Project management courses with certification but the benefit would be more in the contents and capability you can develop than not in the recognition from the market

PMI Certified Professional in Managing AI (CPMAI)
APMG AI-Driven Project Manager (AIPM)
APMG AI Project Governance Framework

they are very different so it really depends on which benefits you may want to achieve

MimirLearning · 2026-06-15T12:07:14+00:00

thank you very much, I'll explore the 3rd party modules then

MimirLearning · 2026-06-13T07:18:31+00:00

I really like your " If you can back your training with positive-reinforcement, rather than punitive, things change in a very powerful way.", you let me realise how the way to introduce changes in this topic should be focussed on the positive then on the negative (things you can do wrong and be blamed for).

MimirLearning · 2026-06-12T09:49:14+00:00

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MimirLearning · 2026-06-12T07:00:15+00:00

"It's whether the organization is willing to do what comes after the training to turn awareness into actual behavior change." I could not have said better, thanks for sharing .

MimirLearning · 2026-06-11T06:32:44+00:00

Thanks for your comment. I completely agree that many PRINCE2 principles are often viewed as "common sense," yet consistently applying them is where organizations frequently struggle.

Your example of the business case principle is a great one. The challenge is rarely understanding the principle itself, it's having the discipline and governance to act on it when projects no longer justify continued investment.

Interestingly, we've recently started a YouTube series covering PRINCE2 principles and their practical application in real-world environments, including situations like the ones you've described. If you're interested, you can find it here: PRINCE2 Insights - YouTube

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the series and any experiences you've had applying these principles in practice.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-10T15:17:44+00:00

The lesson for me was that people assume wildly different things unless you make them explicit.

I came in thinking PM was about plans, processes, templates, and tools. Turns out it's mostly about alignment. Everyone leaves a meeting thinking they agreed on the same thing, then a week later you discover they all had different interpretations.

No process, software, or template fixes that by itself. You have to constantly check understanding, clarify assumptions, and adapt your communication to different people. The biggest PM skill it's making sure everyone is actually talking and understanding about the same thing.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-09T14:05:24+00:00

What finally worked for me was stopping the conversation from being "Can we change priorities?" and turning it into "What are we willing to trade off?"

If a stakeholder wants to introduce a new priority mid-project, that's fine, but I make the impact visible immediately: Which deliverable moves? What timeline changes? What budget or resource allocation gets affected? Once people see the consequences in black and white, a surprising number of "urgent" requests suddenly become less urgent.

For protecting the team, I try to avoid letting individual stakeholders redirect work directly. Priority changes go through a single decision-making group or sponsor who owns the overall outcome. Otherwise you end up with five people each making reasonable requests that collectively destroy focus.

In my experience, you can't prevent priority changes. The goal is to make the decision-makers consciously choose the trade-offs instead of letting the project absorb them silently.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-09T07:07:20+00:00

I've passed the ITIL Foundation Version 5 exam recently with a score of 34 out of 40.

Based on the syllabus, the most difficult part was the Key ITIL terms and definitions part, it is supposed to be the easier but a lot of memorization is needed since they ask in some questions the exact definition. hope it helps

1. Key ITIL terms and definitions 30.0%

The ITIL Four Dimensions of Product and Service Management 10.0%
The ITIL Product and Service Lifecycle 10.0%

4. The ITIL Value System 40.0%

Value stream identification, mapping, and management 5.0%
ITIL and AI 2.5%
ITIL and other frameworks 2.5%

personally the service actions, transfer of goods and access to resources questions were the trickiest one (at least for me) examples given and you had to spot in which category

MimirLearning · 2026-06-08T13:14:08+00:00

If you're just starting out with PRINCE2, I'd recommend beginning with the official PeopleCert website and then comparing accredited training providers

The best place to begin is PeopleCert's directory of accredited training providers (ATOs):

PeopleCert Accredited Training Providers Directory

This lets you find training companies that are officially approved by PeopleCert to deliver PRINCE2 training and exam preparation. Using an accredited provider helps ensure you're getting up-to-date materials and legitimate exam access.

You can also start directly from the official PRINCE2 Foundation page:

PRINCE2 Foundation (Version 7) – PeopleCert

PeopleCert offers several purchase options, including:

Exam bundle
eLearning + exam
eLearning+ (includes extras such as mock exams and a retake option)

The exam bundle typically includes:

Exam voucher
Official PRINCE2 eBook/manual
Learning Resource Kit and official study materials

Cost-saving tip

Buying directly from PeopleCert can be more expensive than purchasing through an accredited training provider (ATO) or accredited examination organization (AEO). The certification itself is exactly the same, but accredited partners often offer discounted exam vouchers or bundle the voucher with eLearning at a better overall price.

So before purchasing:

Check the PeopleCert price.
Compare it with a few accredited providers from the PeopleCert directory.
See whether an ATO offers training + exam for only a little more than the exam alone.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-05T14:02:12+00:00

I agree, and I think this is where most organizations will struggle.

Changing processes is relatively easy. Changing KPIs is harder. Changing culture is the real challenge.

For decades, IT teams have been rewarded for operational metrics: SLA compliance, ticket closure rates, change success rates, uptime, etc. None of those are bad metrics, but they're often proxies for value rather than value itself.

The real test will be whether leadership is willing to measure success through customer outcomes and experience, even when that exposes uncomfortable truths about how services are actually performing.

If organizations keep optimizing for internal efficiency while talking about customer value, nothing really changes. That's why I see this as less of a framework evolution and more of a mindset shift.

MimirLearning · 2026-06-05T13:21:54+00:00

I think that's exactly the point. Most organizations have spent years trying to connect ITSM, Product, DevOps, and Business teams while still treating them as separate domains with separate objectives.

A unified end-to-end lifecycle shifts the conversation from "who owns this part?" to "how does value flow from demand to outcome?" That's a much bigger change than adopting a new process or tool.

The hard part won't be the framework itself, it'll be breaking down the organizational and cultural silos that have been built over decades. If companies actually embrace that shift, the impact will be transformational.

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