Hi everyone!  I realized (after a kind “reminder” from a friend) that I haven’t updated my site with my news!  Here it is, 2010, and time flies when you’re having fun (and busy!).  Last posting (back in 2008 yikes!) I mentioned I was putting the podcast on hiatus due to starting my MBA.  Well, I […]

Hi everyone - I should have posted something sooner than this but the Controlling Chaos podcast is on hiatus for an indefinite time period.  I took a new position managing projects (aka acquisitions) in our M&A department at work and decided to start working on my MBA at the same time.  Crazy, I know.  So, […]

On this episode, I speak with Jerry Manas about his new leadership book, Managing the Gray Areas.  Jerry’s book explores the most challenging dilemmas that leaders struggle with, and offers a set of guidelines, principles, and tools that can help navigate these murky waters. Managing the Gray Areas touches on topics such as principles, values, ethics, decision-making, incentives, staffing, critical thinking, […]

Here is Part 2 of my discussion with Cheryl Mann, President and founder of Goals Insight, Inc., on techniques you can use to build effective teams! Cheryl was a super resource for me and I really encourage you to contact her if you would like some help on making your team as effective as possible!  To […]

I’m back!  This episode is the first part of a two part discussion with Cheryl Mann, President and founder of Goals Insight, Inc., on techniques you can use to build effective teams! Whether you are managing a scrum project, business process re-engineering project or even a construction project, effective teamwork is the critical success factor to […]

On today’s episode, I speak with Rich Maltzman, the co-author (with Ranjit Biswas) of a new project management book, Fiddler on the Project. A great new project management book with a twist … correlating project management with the story Fiddler on the Roof! We also discuss Knowledge Management and collaborative writing! Make […]

Wow! It has been a while since I released a show! Happy 4th of July to all my fellow Americans out there!
Today’s discussion is with Michael Deutch, Director of Solutions Marketing with MindJet, and we speak about the newly released MindManager Pro 7 and the new Project Management Jetpack, a set of 40 MindManager map […]

Once again, Mike Griffiths provides excellent insight on how project managers fit in on agile projects, with his article, The True Role of a PM on Agile Projects. This article couldn’t have come at a better time for me, personally.  Our company is going through agile growing pains and as we move more towards an agile […]

Hi everyone! Wow! It has been a while since I released a new show! Thanks so much for hanging in there with me. Today’s episode is an introduction to the new PMI-SVCast, the new podcast I’m producing for the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute!  The website is in the final stages of […]

Here’s a quick message about the podcast and what I’ve been up to! There are still a few days left to get in on the drawing for one of two books from Mike Cohn on Agile Estimating and Planning. If you’d like to receive Mike’s book, please e-mail me at bookgiveaway@controllingchaos.com by April 30, 2007. Good luck!
Click […]

See, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth!
I’m still hanging in there with keeping my podcast alive!  Life has just been so incredibly crazy, with starting classes, studying for the GMAT and getting the new podcast for my local PMI chapter up and running!  I have a couple of great interviews “in the […]

Hi everyone!  There is a great new project management site I wanted to tell you about!  The Project Management Learning Center (www.projectmanagementlearningcenter.com) is a Global online collaboration site for project managers with members from all over the globe.  Shawn Futterer, PMP, is the creator of the PMLC and his goal for the site is to […]

Okay … so a few days turn out to be ten …
The long awaited interview with Mike Cohn from Mountain Goat Software and author of Agile Estimating and Planning has arrived! Thank you to you all for hanging in there with me and coming back for a listen. In today’s episode, Mike and I […]

Hi everyone - I’m in Palo Alto this weekend taking a two-day Quantitative Review prep class to get me ready for the GMAT!  I’m absolutely brain dead but wanted to leave you a quick note that the podcast will be coming out in a few days.  I had a really fun and informative interview with […]

Thanks to everyone who has written in or called wishing me the best of luck with getting my MBA!  This has been quite a journey already and I haven’t even been admitted to the program yet!  If you’re interested in keeping up on how things are going, I’ve started a personal blog where I’ll cover […]

Is your own personal “brand” not what you want it to be? Listen in on today’s episode with dot beineix and learn a little something about what I went through to reengineer my brand! It was a fun discussion because I was the one being interviewed and its always fun talking with dot!
Derry Simmel is […]

On today’s episode, I chat with Eric Uyttewaal, PMP, the author of Dynamic Scheduling with Microsoft Office Project 2003, regarding the best way to build a dynamic project schedule.  What is a dynamic project schedule and what are the best practices to building one, you say? Take a listen and find out!  To find out more […]

Recently, I had a very fun and informative discussion with Elizabeth Harrin, author of the book Project Management In The Real World, and very cool blog, A Girl’s Guide to Managing Projects, which I will be sharing with you all on today’s episode. We chat about project budgets, her book, her blog and how project management invades […]

Bas de Baar has several great videos out on YouTube based on his book Surprise! Now You’re a Software Project Manager.  They are a lot of fun so make sure to take a peek while you’re waiting for the remainder of my conversation with Bas!  Here’s the latest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Vbc7ASr80

This time … technical difficulties on the magnitude of losing the second half of Bas’ interview!  Yikes!  Bas will be back on the show again, once we re-record our interview. It may be a bit before we can coordinate schedules. Next weekend I’ll have a new show for you all and a fun discussion with […]

Are you a new project manager or just play one on TV? This episode is for you! Recently, I had a fun conversation with Bas de Baar, a Project Manager from The Netherlands and author of the book “Surprise! You’re a Software Project Manager!“. Bas wrote the book for people with little or no project […]

Happy 2007! For the first episode of the new year, I speak with Dr. Graham Oakes, founder and principal of Graham Oakes Ltd., a UK-based consultancy set up in 2003 to help organizations untangle complex technology, relationships, processes and governance. He has worked with organizations such as Sony, Amnesty International, Oxfam, Cisco, MessageLabs and the […]

Hi everyone - goodbye to 2006, hello 2007! This last year has been a very interesting one! But, I am really looking forward to seeing what ‘07 brings! I hope you all had a great holiday season and rang in the New Year with the ones you love. I know I did!
I have a great […]

We step away from the world of Software Project Management today and speak with Preston Smith from New Product Dynamics about how to build flexibility into new product development projects. I know it’s hard to imagine, but there are more than just software development projects going on out in the world! Preston is a founder […]

Funny coincidence today … Mike Griffiths has a new article out on gantthead.com today on The Five Myths of Leadership.  And Controlling Chaos is listed under the Agile Podcasts on gantthead.com as of today!!! Make sure to check out Mike’s article - it’s very good!

First Cool Project Management Tool Episode! I sit down to talk with Tim Bombosch, PMP, about using MindJet’s MindManager software to help you succeed in developing and managing your projects more effectively - through all phases of your projects. And a new segment from Derry Simmel, PMO Minute, is introduced! Jammed packed episode […]

You get a whole lot of Dina in this episode! I share some listener feedback, introduce a new segment called ‘If you were in my shoes …’ where one Controlling Chaos listener shares a situation or issue for review and feedback from the other listeners, announce that listening to podcasts can now earn you PDU’s […]

In this podcast, I share the first of a two-part discussion with Doug DeCarlo, author of eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles, and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility, on Critical Success Factor #3 from his book: The Flexible Project Model. Doug gives us an overview of the five cycles of The […]

Hi everyone! I was hoping my schedule was going to loosen up a bit and allow me to put out my shows on a more frequent basis … alas, tis not so. I was in the beautiful cities of Chicago and Washington DC the last two weeks for work and wasn’t at home to do […]

I am very pleased to have Diana Larsen from FutureWorks Consulting and Esther Derby of Esther Derby & Associates join me on today’s show to discuss Secrets of Agile Teamwork. Diana and Esther are consultants, workshop leaders and co-authors of Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great. Listen in and learn the secrets!
This week I am […]

I’m late again … crazy end of the year project closings at work … traveling … getting in the way of my podcasting! Today’s episode is with Mike Griffiths to discuss applying earned value management to Agile projects. This is a hard topic to discuss without visual aids so please visit Mike’s blog, […]

Mike Griffiths, a regular contributor to the Controlling Chaos podcast, has a great article on his Leading Answers blog, about Agile and “Traditional” PMI Methods. I really like Mike’s views on how Agile and other more traditional methods can work together and how one is not necessarily better than the other - they are different […]

Jerry Manas, the author of Napoleon on Project Management, joins me in this episode to discuss the events that lead to Napoleon’s rise, the key principles that enabled his repeated success, and the ill-fated actions that caused his downfall. Great lessons for project managers! Enjoy!
Just as a reminder, Doug DeCarlo donated a copy of his […]

Are you stuck with a Zombie Project? Don’t know what a Zombie Project is? Well, you need to listen to this podcast! Lee is back with me for this episode and we spoke with Payson Hall of the Catalysis Group all about risk communication tools that can help you keep your projects safe […]

This podcast concludes my discussion with Doug DeCarlo, consultant, keynote speaker, one of the founders of the Agile Project Leadership Network, and author of eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility. I also share some listener feedback and include some helpful resources below from Ian […]

Hi everyone - I am very pleased to announce the Controlling Chaos Podcast has a new sponsor! GoToMeeting.com - Easy online meetings … Anytime Anywhere! If you’ve ever wanted to do a meeting online, GoToMeeting.com is a great service to use! To give it a shot, click on the banner to the right or the […]

This episode covers the second part of my discussion with Doug DeCarlo, consultant, keynote speaker, one of the founders of the Agile Project Leadership Network, and author of eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility. We discuss how reality is the plan and how important […]

I am so excited to present to you, dear listener, the first part of my interview with Doug DeCarlo, consultant, keynote speaker, one of the founders of the Agile Project Leadership Network, and author of eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility. This is one […]

Hi everyone - Mike Griffiths, who was the guest on Episodes 010 and 011 on Agile Project Management, has a new blog available called Leading Answers: Leadership and Agile Project Management ideas, observations and resources. It’s a super site with great articles and links to resources that all “Agile-philes” will find interesting and useful! […]

Wayne Hart and I had a chance to talk with Nancy Tigner, a Senior HR Professional, on the importance of creating your own personal branding. Who are you, what does your work stand for? Want more information on how to create your own personal brand? Check out the helpful resources below! Enjoy!
Click here […]

Recently I sat with Derry Simmel, who is a PMO consultant and the Vice-Chair of Membership for the PMO SIG, to talk about how important it is for the PMO to remain independent to maximize effectiveness. I also cover a few listener e-mails! Please make sure to check out the helpful resources below! […]

Better late than never! Thanks so much for your patience in waiting for the podcast! Today’s podcast covers organizational culture, change and project management. Wayne Hart, PMP, and I had an interesting conversation on the importance of understanding your corporate culture and how to work within that culture to be successful in managing your projects. […]

Hi all - life seems to be insinuating itself again into my podcasting time!  For this week’s episode, I have a fun discussion with Wayne Hart, PMP, on the importance of culture and project management. Wayne and I had so much fun that we rambled on for over an hour.  Needless to say, I need […]

Hi everyone - We have a listener and friend in Sri Lanka that has a great blog, Projectized, who recently wrote about a Scrum “practice” project (Easy Scrum -2) she did recently with her team. This is a great way to introduce Agile concepts to your team - using new concepts and a familiar product […]

In today’s episode, Lee and I talk with Mark Horstman of the Manager Tools podcast on using the DiSC model for more effective communication. Manager Tools is currently the #1 business podcast in iTunes in the US and in Canada. Mark and his partner, Mike Auzenne, produce a weekly podcast covering management topics […]

Today we finish up my conversation with Mike Griffiths from Quadrus Development and the APLN on Agile Project Management. I appreciate everyone’s patience with the delay in posting the rest of the interview! Mike discusses several great resources for learning more about Agile and those are listed below under Helpful Resources.
Click here to listen […]

Hi everyone! I’ve just listed Controlling Chaos out on the new podcast directory called Blubrry. It was created by Todd Cochrane and his team to bring podcasters and listeners together to provide and listen to excellent podcast content. If you’re familiar with PodShow.com, Blubrry is a similar site but not so chaotic (pun […]

Hi all - The second part of my interview with Mike Griffiths on Agile Project Management is running late this week. Life and system issues got in the way! The next installment will be available this weekend.  It’s worth the wait and thanks for listening!

I had an opportunity to speak with Mike Griffiths of Quadrus Development in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on Agile Project Management. It is a great interview and we had so much information to share, of course, that I am releasing it in two parts. I share some listener feedback and there is a lot of great […]

This week’s episode is all about Work Breakdown Structures - what they are, why you use them (regardless of the ‘methodology’ you follow), and why they are so darn fascinating! Okay, maybe not so fascinating but very important! I’ve added some examples in the Helpful Resources section to help illustrate our discussion! Also, because of […]

In today’s episode, we finish up the conversation I had with Saul Ackovitz, PMP, on implementing project management best practices. I didn’t want to cut any of the great content out, so the segment on eXtreme Project Management and the first part of the discussion Lee and I had on work breakdown structures will […]

Today’s episode covers the first part of a discussion I had with Saul Ackovitz, PMP, about his role in implementing project management best practices in a large, financial services company. I also played a promo clip from www.fivebyfiveaudio.com, Rem LaVictoire’s (aka the “voice” of Controlling Chaos!) new website offering his professional voice services to corporations […]

Today, we conclude the discussion Lee and I had on Project Team Development and I provide a link to a great website chockfull of helpful project management templates. I also talk about an interview I did recently with Cornelius Fichtner of The Project Management Podcast all about our little ol’ podcast! Make sure to check […]

Lee and Dina discuss how to develop a high-performing project team. It is not easy but it can be done! This podcast covers the first part of our discussion - covering Tuckman’s team development model and the forming and storming phases of team development. Next week’s podcast will cover the remainder of our discussion.
Click here […]

I’m back from vacation! Thanks to everyone for being patient and waiting for part two of my interview with Rene Tyner regarding Scrum methodology. We’ve received some great feedback on the first part of the interview and I hope you enjoy the rest! Lee and I will be back together for the next podcast when […]

Hi all - a quick message as to why there is no new podcast this week!  Keep your subscriptions!  Episode 004 will be posted eventually!
Click here to listen to Dina’s message

In today’s podcast, I am running solo … Lee wasn’t able to join me for this podcast but he will be back for Episode 005! You will hear part 1 of an interview I did with Rene Tyner, a Certified Scrum Master and PMP Certified Project Manager, discussing Scrum, an Agile project methodology primarily used […]

We have several ways to get in touch and welcome your comments, feedback and suggestions! If you’re calling from the US or Canada, please feel free to use our toll free number 800-758-4024. We are still working on setting up international toll free service; however, in the meantime, you can us at +1-916-405-3784. We’d love […]

Hi everyone! Yes, there will be another podcast coming along … I promise. Life has just gotten in the way this week but we have an awesome interview with Rene Tyner coming up, who is a Certified Scrum Master, and we’ll be discussing Scrum methodology with her … probably in two parts. Lee and I […]

Today’s episode of Controlling Chaos covers the basics of Risk Management. Risk management is synonymous with Project Management. Lee and I talk about what risk management is, why it is important to manage risk regardless of the size of your project and how to integrate a solid, yet easy, risk management methodology into your project. […]

In today’s podcast, Lee and I explain a little about who we are, how we got into Project Management and our thoughts around what Project Management means to us. We laugh a lot and share what we’re hoping the podcast will be when it grows up.
Click here to listen

Lee and I sat down for our very first official recording session last night. It went great … well, at least we think it turned out great!  Still working on our logo and web design - hopefully, we’ll have a little personality showing.  In the meantime, I put up a quick logo since we’re in […]

Here is the first trial run at a podcast intro. Lee wasn’t available this weekend to record with me so I took a shot at it by myself. It’s a little rough but at least Rem’s intro and extro sounds good! Setting up your website to include feeds and getting them out in the podcast […]

Things are moving along!  The equipment is set up, the intro and extro are recorded (and sound awesome, I may add) and have been doing some practice recordings.  I was amazed that our little to-be podcast received a plug on The Project Management Podcast! Cornelius found our website by chance and talked about a new […]

I just received Adobe Audition 2.0 Classroom in a Book from Amazon.com. I’ve started working through the first lesson but I’ve already learned so much about Audition! It’s a great editing and recording software package and this book is great for someone like me who had no exposure to edit/recording software in general, let alone […]

Equipment!  Can putting a podcast together be any more complicated? I guess it doesn’t have to be but I’m pretty picky about quality! Since I’m going to have a co-host (or guest host … not sure how this is all going to work out), I decided my equipment set up needed to be a bit […]

Adobe Audition 2.0 came in yesterday and I am just itching to install it!  I’ve downloaded all of Bruce Williams’ “Building the pod” podcasts and plan on going through them one by one as I learn how to use Audition.  I also purchased a MXL990 condenser microphone with shockmount, M-Audio 2496 audio card, and a […]

Well, he’s been around a while. Have a new co-host to join my insanity - Lee! I’ll let him post his own blog and introduce himself.  While we work out all the details, I’m continuing my research on equipment and still waiting for Audition 2.0 to show up.
The podcasting community is so great!  I sent […]

In the last couple of days, I’ve been doing a lot of research on the hardware and software needed to produce a professional-sounding podcast.  Knowing myself the way I do, we can’t go out of the gate sounding like I’m talking into my microphone on my laptop.  So, ponying up some dough will be required.  […]

Okay.  So here’s the thing. I don’t blog. I’ve never done a podcast. I don’t even like the sound of my own voice.  Why am I even entertaining the idea of creating a podcast? Because I like podcasts, I love project management, and I think this would be a great hobby to get into! I listen to […]