http://pm411.org project management internet radio show, templates, and webtools Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:37:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 The pm411.org Project Management Podcast is dedicated to help you at your job as a Project Manager or Program Manager, regardless if you have years of experience, or if you are just starting on your journey in Project Management. pm411.org is a place where you can come to find the latest in PM tools, PM Templates, PM tips, and PMI (PMBOK) methodologies that have been found to help others. It is a place where discussions can be had with project managers from around the globe and in every industry where project management permeates in our Project Management discussion forums. It is a place where you can find the best Project Management links to other sites dedicated to our wonderful profession. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no Ron Holohan, MBA PMP show@pm411.org show@pm411.org (Ron Holohan, MBA PMP) 2007-2012 Ron Holohan Project management internet radio show, discussion forum, methodology, templates, and webtools project, management, pm, prepcast, management, manager, pmi, pmp, team, management, schedule, budget http://pm411.org/wp-content/uploads/pm411logo_itunes.jpg http://pm411.org/2011/07/10/podcast-episode-076-the-pm-exam-simulator/ http://pm411.org/2011/07/10/podcast-episode-076-the-pm-exam-simulator/#comments Sun, 10 Jul 2011 06:28:50 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=2450 http://pm411.org/2011/07/10/podcast-episode-076-the-pm-exam-simulator/feed/ 2 pm exam simulator,pmi,pmp,pmp prep,pmp simulator,project management professional At some point you are going to have to ask yourself: "Am I ready to take the PMP Exam?" Here is the secret to answering this question and passing the exam on your first try! At some point you are going to have to ask yourself: "Am I ready to take the PMP Exam?" Here is the secret to answering this question and passing the exam on your first try! Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 22:09 http://pm411.org/2011/04/07/now-earn-30-free-pdus-at-pm411-org/ http://pm411.org/2011/04/07/now-earn-30-free-pdus-at-pm411-org/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:59:54 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=2100 http://pm411.org/2011/04/07/now-earn-30-free-pdus-at-pm411-org/feed/ 30 http://pm411.org/2010/07/11/podcast-episode-061-tips-for-new-project-managers-2/ http://pm411.org/2010/07/11/podcast-episode-061-tips-for-new-project-managers-2/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:30:45 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1564 http://pm411.org/2010/07/11/podcast-episode-061-tips-for-new-project-managers-2/feed/ 2 e-learning,josh nankivel,learning,networking,new pm,pmstudent,project manager Well, today we welcome back to the show Josh Nankivel who shares some tips on how to network with other more experienced project managers through a new tool he has created called pmStudent e-learning. Well, today we welcome back to the show Josh Nankivel who shares some tips on how to network with other more experienced project managers through a new tool he has created called pmStudent e-learning. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 24:37 http://pm411.org/2010/05/14/podcast-episode-059-the-pdu-podcast-with-cornelius-fichtner/ http://pm411.org/2010/05/14/podcast-episode-059-the-pdu-podcast-with-cornelius-fichtner/#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 05:32:39 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=1413 http://pm411.org/2010/05/14/podcast-episode-059-the-pdu-podcast-with-cornelius-fichtner/feed/ 3 cornelius fichtner,pdus Today I welcome back to the show Cornelius Fichtner of the world famous PM Podcast and the PM PrepCast to unveil a new product of his available through pm411.org, called The PDU Podcast. - You can earn 15 PDUs for free by simply listening to The pm411. Today I welcome back to the show Cornelius Fichtner of the world famous PM Podcast and the PM PrepCast to unveil a new product of his available through pm411.org, called The PDU Podcast. You can earn 15 PDUs for free by simply listening to The pm411.org Project Management Podcast episodes and then learning to claim your free PDUs here.  But what if you want to earn even more PDUs to fulfill the 60 PDU requirement?  Well, now we offer The PDU Podcast! Benefits of the PDU Podcast Earn PDUs Anywhere: With The PDU Podcast there is no need to go to a classroom. You don't even have to sit at your computer. Simply download the webinars to your iPod and play them wherever you are. Earn PDUs Automatically: Your PDU Podcast puts you on autopilot for your re-certification. New webinars arrive monthly. Automatically. ORDER NOW! Earn PDUs on Your Schedule: Work the webinars into your schedule and not the other way around. Play them when you have the time. Earn as many PDUs as you like: Cornelius is a PMI Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) and therefore the PDU Podcast offers "Category 3" PDUs. There is no limit to how many PDUs you can earn in this category. ORDER NOW! Learn from a Variety of Presenter: You'll receive presentations from a different presenter who is the expert on the topic at hand. Learn from their vast expertise and expand your own horizons. It's portable: Synchronize the webinars to your portable device and then play the webinars wherever your player goes. ORDER NOW! You can Relax: Never again worry about not having enough PDUs to maintain your PMP or PgMP certification. Your PDU Podcast delivers at least 1 PDU to you month after month. Reliably. Play. Earn PDUs. Repeat. Yes... It's as easy as that. ORDER NOW! What You can Expect Monthly, recorded PowerPoint style video webinars. (Watch our samples here...) Presentations from the experts in the field who make their years of hands-on experience available to you. Challenging concepts that will help you grow as a project manager. Worksheets (with select webinars only) that allow you to apply what you learn on your projects the very next day. And most importantly: 20.5 Category 3 PDUs to maintain your PMP or PgMP certification! ORDER NOW! Monthly Webinars You receive your first webinar as soon as you subscribe. New webinars will arrive every 30 days. It doesn't matter when you sign up, you always start with the first one: No Presenter Topic Type PDUs 01 Steve Kaye Effective Meetings for Project Managers video 1.25 02 Margaret Meloni, PMP Dealing with Difficult People video 2.25 03 Thomas Cutting, PMP High Performing PMOs video 1.50 04 Diane Altwies, PMP Managing Teams in a Virtual World video 1.00 05 Jack Ferraro, PMP The Strategic Project Leader video 2.50 06 Jack Ferraro, PMP Build your Service-based Project Leadership Skills video 3.00 07 Gene Dutz Effective Teleconferencing video 2.00 08 Stan Levanduski, PMP Leadership Challenges of Complex Projects - Part 1 video 2.00 09 Stan Levanduski, PMP Leadership Challenges of Complex Projects - Part 2 video 2.00 10 Janice Preston, PMP Managing Stakeholder Expectations video 1.00 11 Mark Perry Effective Project Dashboarding video 1.00 12 Cornelius Fichtner The 4-week PMO video 1.00 That's 20.5 Category 3 PDUs in the first year alone. ORDER NOW! PDU Category You earn Category 3 PDUs from The PDU Podcast. We are a PMI Registered Education Provider (PMI R.E.P.) and there is no limit to how many category 3 PDUs you can earn from us and then claim in your renewal cycle. PDU Certificate You receive a "Confirmation Code" with each of your monthly webinar. Use this code on our Certificate Website to print your PDU Certificate. Then claim your Category 3 PDUs on the PMI CCRS website. Subscription Options Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 19:28 http://pm411.org/2009/12/12/podcast-episode-051-is-the-wbs-just-bs/ http://pm411.org/2009/12/12/podcast-episode-051-is-the-wbs-just-bs/#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:53:57 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=842 http://pm411.org/2009/12/12/podcast-episode-051-is-the-wbs-just-bs/feed/ 2 Communication,josh nankivel,mindmapping,monitoring and controlling,planning,pmstudent,project lifecycle,training,wbs,wbs coach,work breakdown structure Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast Newsletter delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented. - Way back in Episode 004, Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast Newsletter delivered by email for free! - Your email address and personal information are confidential and will never be sold or rented. Way back in Episode 004, I discussed one of the key building blocks of a successful project, known as the Work Breakdown Structure or WBS.  However, it is pretty evident that there is still a lot of confusion in Project Management on whether we truly need a WBS on our projects, how to structure a WBS, and how to use it throughout a project’s lifecycle.  In this episode I welcome back to the show pmstudent.com blogger and WBS expert Josh Nankivel as we dive deeper into the topic of the Work Breakdown Structure. Josh  has recently published a set of training tools called the WBS coach to help those of us that need to know how to create a WBS or those of us that just need a refresher on WBS development.  So is the WBS just…  BS?  Josh and I talk about why more PMs don’t use the WBS, we discuss whether it really helps in project planning, and finally we talk about the right and wrong ways of developing a WBS. So what the heck is a WBS? The WBS is a special kind of outline for your project.  It is deliverables-based, focused on project results, and usually includes a graphic hierarchy and a WBS dictionary.  Basically, it is a representation of your project scope. However, the WBS is not a task list, organizational chart, and it shouldn’t be time phased. Why should teams use Work Breakdown Structures? A lot of project managers don’t use a WBS as a tool on their project, or they see it as just another piece of paperwork.  But the WBS is the representation of scope on your project.  All deliverables, services, outcomes of your project should be covered by your project WBS. The WBS also provides clear definition of what the project will be producing.  It provides a common language and helps to structure reporting so that there is a common understanding with stakeholders.  It also provides a strong foundation for your project. The WBS also helps with clear change control.  The WBS provides traceability if anything changes to help team members and stakeholders understand how changes impact the project. Parts of the Work Breakdown Structure The “WBS Graphic” includes some kind visual hierarchy of the scope and how the deliverables are related.  There are a lot of tools that can create a WBS hierarchy – mindmaps, Visio, and even Microsoft Word. The “WBS Dictionary” goes into detail on each deliverable of the WBS.  The key to the WBS dictionary is to first define what is included and then create the details of what that deliverable is.  Many teams also create an “exclusions list” that specifies what is not included in the project scope in order to provide additional clarity to what the team is planning on delivering. “Deliverables” can be defined as anything that is results-oriented (e.g. a system, a sub-system, etc.) Josh differs from the PMI on the definition of “activities.”  Josh sees activities as a special kind of deliverable that are service-oriented (e.g. “project management,” “configuration management,” etc.) The “work package” is the lowest level of your WBS after decomposition.  You will later want to use your work packages to do activity definition, duration estimations, cost estimations, etc. “Control accounts” track your costs and progress on a particular piece of the WBS.  However, again, tasks are not part of the Work Breakdown Structure. So, why is there so much confusion around the WBS? One reason is because the WBS is typically understated in many PM textbooks and PM classes.  Whenever it is mentioned, it is usually just presented as a basic overview rather than providing details on how to create and manage a WBS.  Also, there is quite a bit of disagreement on how to create and use the WBS.  Unfortunately, Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 50:01 http://pm411.org/2009/08/10/episode-044-pmp-exam-tools/ http://pm411.org/2009/08/10/episode-044-pmp-exam-tools/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:53:30 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=558 http://pm411.org/2009/08/10/episode-044-pmp-exam-tools/feed/ 0 flashcards,pm exam,pm formulas,pm prepcast,pmp We are pleased to announce that we at the pm411.org Project Management podcast now offer 3 new tools to help you pass the latest version of the PMP Exam, which covers the 4th edition of the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK). We are pleased to announce that we at the pm411.org Project Management podcast now offer 3 new tools to help you pass the latest version of the PMP Exam, which covers the 4th edition of the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK). Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 16:11 http://pm411.org/2009/07/23/podcast-episode-043-interview-with-josh-nankivel-pmp/ http://pm411.org/2009/07/23/podcast-episode-043-interview-with-josh-nankivel-pmp/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:25:12 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=538 http://pm411.org/2009/07/23/podcast-episode-043-interview-with-josh-nankivel-pmp/feed/ 1 aspiring pm,josh nankivel,new pm,pmstudent.com Josh Nankivel, PMP, recently interviewed me for his pmStudent.com website, and he was willing to return the favor and he let me interview him last weekend for this pm411.org podcast. During the interview, Josh and I discuss all kinds of great stuff in... Josh Nankivel, PMP, recently interviewed me for his pmStudent.com website, and he was willing to return the favor and he let me interview him last weekend for this pm411.org podcast. During the interview, Josh and I discuss all kinds of great stuff including his past and current projects, the pmStudent.com website, the PMP and its future for project management, and even possible ideas for a great Project Management videogame! Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 27:03 http://pm411.org/2008/10/05/podcast-episode-037-the-role-of-the-project-manager/ http://pm411.org/2008/10/05/podcast-episode-037-the-role-of-the-project-manager/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:06:08 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=362 http://pm411.org/2008/10/05/podcast-episode-037-the-role-of-the-project-manager/feed/ 0 cornelius fichtner,pm prepcast,pmp,project manager,roles Today we preview another one of the PM PrepCast episodes that we offer through The pm411.org Project Management Podcast!  Today's episode is on the role of the Project Manager according to the PMBOK guide. Today we preview another one of the PM PrepCast episodes that we offer through The pm411.org Project Management Podcast!  Today's episode is on the role of the Project Manager according to the PMBOK guide.  You will definitely need to know your role and understand it well in order the pass the PMP exam. During this episode, Cornelius Fichtner, of the PM Podcast, walks us through some situational questions that you may face on the PMP exam like what to do when your project does not have enough funding or what to do if you find yourself with not enough resources.  By understanding the role of the project manager, as stated by the PMBOK guide, you can better answer the questions on the PMP exam. And if you are studying for the PMP, or if you are simply interested in learning project management best practices, we offer all 89 episodes - a total of over 35 hours of material that covers the entire PMBOK section by section.  Simply go to www.pm411.org/prepcast to learn more and to start downloading all episodes today for only $49.99 $99.97 (for the 4th edition of the PMP Exam).  That is hundreds of dollars less than many other resources that help you prepare for the PMP.  I can tell you that I bought these episodes and found it to be a great way to study while commuting, walking the dog, and exercising.  The PM Prepcast made sure I had the background knowledge of all the PMBOK processes to pass the PMP exam on the first try.  So, check it out at www.pm411.org/prepcast today. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 20:08 http://pm411.org/2008/04/28/podcast-episode-029-project-cost-budgeting/ http://pm411.org/2008/04/28/podcast-episode-029-project-cost-budgeting/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:59:02 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/?p=204 http://pm411.org/2008/04/28/podcast-episode-029-project-cost-budgeting/feed/ 0 furniture VidenovToday, I have a special treat in store for you.  Today I am going to let you preview one of the 89 PM PrepCast episodes that we offer through The pm411.org Project Management Podcast!  Today's episode is on Project Cost Budgeting w... furniture VidenovToday, I have a special treat in store for you.  Today I am going to let you preview one of the 89 PM PrepCast episodes that we offer through The pm411.org Project Management Podcast!  Today's episode is on Project Cost Budgeting which is, of course, one of the many PM processes within PMI's Cost Management Knowledge area.  During this episode, Cornelius Fichtner, of the PM Podcast, walks us through the difference between Cost Estimating and Cost Budgeting. Then discusses using the project schedule, the WBS, parametric estimating, the cost baseline, project funding requirements and other topics you need to understand to successfully pass the PMP. Cost Budgeting is concerned with rolling the cost of individual work packages up to a total project baseline cost that can be monitored as part of the project's overall performance. Cost Budgeting Process Inputs In order to estimate the project budget needed successfully, Cost Budgeting uses several process inputs including: The Project Scope Statement The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The WBS Dictionary Activity Cost Estimates Activity Cost Estimate Supporting Detail Project Schedule Resource Calendars Contract And the Cost Management Plan Each of these inputs are required when using the tools and techniques to estimate the overall project cost. Cost Budgeting Process Tools and Techniques Some of the tools and techniques used in Cost Budgeting include Cost Aggregation, Reserve Analysis, Parametric Estimating, and Funding Limit Reconciliation. Cost Aggregation is simply estimating the cost estimate for each of the project schedule activities and work packages.  These can then be rolled up and "aggregated" to various cost management levels by using the WBS and combining the various related work package costs.  These are then further rolled up into the various control accounts and finally the overall project cost.  Simple enough, huh? Reserve Analysis creates emergency or contingency reserves.  An example of such a reserve is the Management Contingency Reserve.  These reserves are for unplanned, but required, changes to project scope and cost.  These reserves are used for risks to the project that have been identified as "unknown unknowns".  These reserves are not part of the project cost baseline, but should be included in the overall project budget.  Since they are not considered a part of the project cost baseline, they are not used for earned value calculations.  Think of Reserve Analysis as your extra money you keep in your checking account to prevent you from accidently bouncing checks to pay for your daughters highly variable wireless phone bill.  So, BTW did or didn't Bettylou break up with her b/f?  Parametric Estimation always reminds me of using a cookbook recipe and changing it slightly to either feed more or less people.  Basically you use an actual measurement from a similar previous project to estimate the cost of the current project.  For example, perhaps a previous project had a labor rate of $40/hr for 2500 hours for a total project labor cost of $100,000 .  You estimate through Cost Aggregation that this new project will take approximately 4000 hours.  By using parametric estimation with the same labor rate, you estimate the total labor cost for the new project to be approximately $160,000.  That's a lot of pies! Funding Limit Reconciliation is about "smoothing" out project expenditures to prevent sudden periodic over expenditures from occurring.  Fund disbursement is discussed early with the customer to determine the when exactly work can be scheduled to prevent over spending during a particular period.  If it is determined that Cost expenditures are constrained, then the Project Manager needs to know what effect this has on the overall project schedule and resources. Cost Budgeting Outputs The outputs generated by the Cost Budgeting Process include the project Cost Baseline, Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 28:11 http://pm411.org/2008/03/16/podcast-episode-026-the-meaning-of-life-or-at-least-of-process-groups/ http://pm411.org/2008/03/16/podcast-episode-026-the-meaning-of-life-or-at-least-of-process-groups/#comments Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:18:27 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2008/03/16/podcast-episode-026-the-meaning-of-life%e2%80%a6-or-at-least-of-process-groups/ http://pm411.org/2008/03/16/podcast-episode-026-the-meaning-of-life-or-at-least-of-process-groups/feed/ 0 process groups,product lifecycle,project lifecycle,project phases   So, do you know what the difference is between project phases and project management process groups?  - I recently received an email from Emmanuel, and guess what?  Emmanuel wants to know what the difference is between project management phases a...   So, do you know what the difference is between project phases and project management process groups?  I recently received an email from Emmanuel, and guess what?  Emmanuel wants to know what the difference is between project management phases and project management process groups!  Wow, Good question, Emmanuel, and thank you for your email!  I like getting email, and I like getting email concerning project management topics even more.  I guess I am just kind of silly in that regard.  But, before talking about the differences between project phases and process groups, we need to first understand the difference between Project Lifecycles and Product Lifecycles. Product and Project Lifecycles  A product lifecycle includes everything from a product's first concept to the point when the product is eventually discontinued and made into that EBay collectable that you are sure your Aunt Sally would love!  And within the product lifecycle, we have the project lifecycle.  The project lifecycle is a subset of the product lifecycle, where the product or service is developed and goes from initial concept to initial production.  So, to summarize, the Project Lifecycle is the process whereby the product is created, and Product Lifecycle is the entire life of the product.Confused yet?  Well hang on to your saddle as we start down the path of project phases and process groups.  Yee Haw! Project Phases Project phases are discrete sections of the project lifecycle that are established to help projects follow a common process methodology within an organization.  Not all organizations use project phases, although there are many good reasons to use them, including: Better resource planning Better deliverable tracking Project decision points throughout the project Tighter project control and risk management Earlier identification of problems And increased process consistency from project to project Process Groups Process groups are part of every project, whether we realize it or not.  The Project Management Institute defines the five project management process groups as Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.  PMI states that "collectively, these five groups are required for any project; [they] have clear internal dependencies, and must be performed in the same sequence on each project."  A lot of folks interchange the phrase "project management process group" with "project phase" without really knowing truly what the differences are.  However, the PMBOK is quite clear that "Project management process groups are not project phases!"  Just like your brother Frank does not equal "rocket scientist".  Sorry Frank! True, some industries use project phases that resemble the naming conventions of process groups, but process groups are repeated throughout the project and even throughout a phase.    Guide to the Project management Body of Knowledge, 3rd Edition, 2004, Project Management Institute, PA, 2004, Figure 3-2 p40. Putting It All Together Let's use a simple example to demonstrate the difference between project phases and process groups.  Let's even choose an industry we are all familiar with - our lives! Consider the lifespan of a person.  Would you agree that there are different phases within a human life?  You start off your life for the first 20 or so years in the Childhood phase.  You move on and enjoy the Young Adulthood phase between the ages of 21 and 41.  Then comes the Midlife phase from 42 to 62,  Elderhood Phase between 63 and 83, and then the Late Elderhood Phase.  Each phase in your life has certain milestones and deliverables, such as learning to walk and talk, graduating from school, getting married, having children, having grandchildren, sometimes even great-grandchildren, retirement, and then the day when you get to meet the great program manager in the sky! Now, getting back to Process Groups, Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 8:47 http://pm411.org/2008/01/21/project-management-and-politics/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/21/project-management-and-politics/#comments Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:47:09 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2008/01/21/project-management-and-politics/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/21/project-management-and-politics/feed/ 1 http://pm411.org/2008/01/05/earn-pdus-through-pmi-by-listening-to-the-pm411org-podcast/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/05/earn-pdus-through-pmi-by-listening-to-the-pm411org-podcast/#comments Sat, 05 Jan 2008 14:37:46 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2008/01/05/earn-pdus-through-pmi-by-listening-to-the-pm411org-podcast/ http://pm411.org/2008/01/05/earn-pdus-through-pmi-by-listening-to-the-pm411org-podcast/feed/ 2 http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/ http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:52:20 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/ http://pm411.org/2007/09/18/podcast-episode-013-how-i-became-a-pmp/feed/ 0 Sorry - I am reposting this episode since there were some link issues with the original posting... - I am happy to announce that on September 7th, 2007 I passed the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification Exam. Sorry - I am reposting this episode since there were some link issues with the original posting... I am happy to announce that on September 7th, 2007 I passed the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification Exam.  In today's show I talk about...   Why I chose to become a PMP® What I did to prepare for the exam and how long it took me What sections of the exam I felt were especially difficult What I would do differently if I were to take the exam over again And finally, how I believe being a PMP® will help me at my current job I also created a template (PMP® Practice Exam Answer Sheet Template) that I used while taking practice exams which you can use yourself.  Also, here is the link to the PM PrepCast.  Thanks for listening!  Ron Holohan, PMP®  Get the pm411.org Project Management Podcast delivered by email for free! Full Disclosure:  We are an affiliate of the PMP® PrepCast™ and earn a referral commission in exchange for actively testing and promoting this beneficial project management tool to our readers and listeners.  The commission earned helps to offset our hosting, equipment, and publishing costs and allows us to continue to provide our readers and listeners with valuable free content. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 18:08 http://pm411.org/2007/03/24/43/ http://pm411.org/2007/03/24/43/#comments Sat, 24 Mar 2007 07:33:15 +0000 Ron Holohan, MBA PMP http://pm411.org/2007/03/24/43/ http://pm411.org/2007/03/24/43/feed/ 1 pm,pmo,project management,tools,topics Finally, our first episode of the pm411.org podcast is complete and available.  In this first episode, we cover the following topics: A little about me, your host, Ron Holohan What the pm411.org podcast and website hopes to achieve Finally, our first episode of the pm411.org podcast is complete and available.  In this first episode, we cover the following topics: A little about me, your host, Ron Holohan What the pm411.org podcast and website hopes to achieve An overview of some of the tools planned to be available on pm411.org. My hope is that The pm411.org Project Management Podcast and website will provide a beneficial tool for those of you in the project management profession. About Your Host My name is Ron Holohan and I have a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana as well as a MBA with an emphasis in Management from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. I have been managing projects for over 13 years. I started out my career doing something other than project management, as is the case with most project managers. After graduating from the University of Illinois, I started my career as an electrical engineer developing electronic room thermostats and residential furnace safety controls for a company in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. About 18 months into my career, while taking MBA classes at night, I got the opportunity to lead my first project team on a gas ignition control for European boilers and gas clothes dryers. In this role I led the product development team into initial production and also provided customer technical support. I grew through the ranks at my company and later managed a few engineering functional groups while still leading the design and development of particular products. In 2000, my wife and I decided to make a life-change and we moved to the Chicago area where I began working as a project manager for a company that produces professional audio equipment. This job was doubly exciting to me since not only did I get to manage projects, I got to be involved in developing audio products, which is the reason I originally decided to go into engineering.  I had been a musician and guitar hobbyist for years and now I got the opportunity to develop products that I was truly passionate about. Later I got the opportunity to manage a group of talented project managers as I transitioned into more of the program management side of developing products. Although I have a lot of experience under my belt in project management, I still find myself learning new ways of getting projects done quicker, cheaper, and better. I learn quite a bit from the successes and failures of other project managers I work with, and I enjoy providing insight to my own experiences in project management as well. I am married with two young daughters.  I’ve still managed to find time to play guitar for a Chicago-based rock band. As a musician, I’ve owned a small home-recording studio for many years and now plan to also use it to create these podcasts. How did The pm411.org Project Management Podcast came to be? I started listening to various management podcasts from iTunes in late 2006. One of the first podcasts I listened to was the lively and humorous Manager-Tools Podcast.  I also started listening to Cornelius Fichtner’s PM Podcast and Mark Perry’s PMO Podcast, which if you haven’t yet checked out, you definitely should! So in the course of listening to several of these podcasts, I decided that I might be able to also share some of the experience that I have gained over the years by hosting a project management podcast to help project managers become better at their jobs. One of my other objectives is to create a forum for shared knowledge with the global PM community, so we can learn from each other’s experiences. So topics that I hope to cover on The pm411.org Project Management Podcast include project management methodology, software and book reviews, PM best practices and tricks of the trade, the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK), team building, and other general project management topics. Ron Holohan, MBA PMP no 13:00