S1E7 - Leveraging AI for Smarter Project Schedules and Lessons Learned

AI Driven PM

#Tech #MBA #Business #Rick A Morris

26:18

How do you know when it’s time to make your next big career move? With International Women’s Day around the corner, we are excited to feature Avni Patel Thompson, Founder and CEO of Milo. Avni is building technology that directly supports the often overlooked emotional and logistical labor that falls on parents—especially women. Milo is an AI assistant designed to help families manage that invisible load more efficiently. In this episode, Avni shares her journey from studying chemistry to holding leadership roles at global brands like Adidas and Starbucks, to launching her own ventures. She discusses how she approaches career transitions, the importance of unpleasant experiences, and why she’s focused on making everyday life easier for parents. [01:26] Avni's University Days and Early Career [04:36] Non-Linear Career Paths [05:16] Pursuing Steep Learning Curves [11:51] Entrepreneurship and Safety Nets [15:22] Lived Experiences and Milo [19:55] Avni’s In Her Ellement Moment [20:03] Reflections Links: Avni Patel Thompson on LinkedIn Suchi Srinivasan on LinkedIn Kamila Rakhimova on LinkedIn Ipsos report on the future of parenting About In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element? About The Hosts: Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030. Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders. Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.…

about a year ago 25:19

MP3•Episode home

In this episode of the AI-Driven PM Podcast, host Rick Morris explores how AI can revolutionize project management by enhancing lessons learned, risk assessments, and project scheduling. Rick delves into the importance of maintaining well-structured project schedules and offers practical tips on using AI tools like ChatGPT to analyze project data, identify delays, and uncover valuable insights. Whether you're looking to improve your project outcomes or learn how to use AI for smarter decision-making, this episode provides actionable advice to take your project management skills to the next level. Tune in and start harnessing the power of AI!

10 episodes

S1E7 - Leveraging AI for Smarter Project Schedules and Lessons Learned

AI Driven PM

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

10 episodes

#Tech #MBA #Business #Rick A Morris

All episodes

1
S1E10 - Season Finale - AI Agents: The Future of Project Management 30:12

19 weeks ago30:12

30:12

In the season finale of AI-Driven PM , Rick Morris takes listeners on a journey into the future of AI in project management, with a special focus on the game-changing potential of AI agents. Reflecting on the rapid advancements in AI, Rick shares his excitement about OpenAI’s anticipated release of AI agents, expected as soon as January 2025. These agents are set to automate complex project management tasks, from managing data to autonomous information gathering and sophisticated workflow management. Rick outlines specific ways agents can enhance project management: from real-time analysis of project timelines and resourcing, predictive modeling to preempt project bottlenecks, to sentiment analysis on project communications to monitor stakeholder satisfaction. He gives a compelling example of agents autonomously assessing project health by examining risk logs, tracking updates, and providing project managers with targeted insights and actionable recommendations. He also explores how agents can simplify the often arduous administrative tasks in Agile workflows, envisioning agents that handle everything from cost analysis to sprint reports, allowing project managers to focus on strategic insights. For Rick, AI agents offer an opportunity to automate repetitive tasks, reduce human error, and allow PMs to focus on forward-looking analytics and high-impact decision-making. Rick closes the season by inviting listeners to provide feedback and insights for season two, with a promise to explore these AI tools further as they come online. Looking ahead, he anticipates collaborating with leading experts, diving deeper into practical AI applications, and creating a hands-on, interactive learning experience for project managers ready to integrate AI into their practices. Joe Ours Webinar: https://centricconsulting.com/ub_nat_ai_agents_wbnr/…

1
S1E9 - AI in Portfolio Management 27:14

21 weeks ago27:14

27:14

In this episode of AI-Driven PM , Rick Morris explores the transformative potential of AI in portfolio management, sharing insights from his extensive experience with over 150 implementations of project and portfolio management tools. Departing from the typical format, Rick focuses on the theoretical side of portfolio management and how AI can reshape decision-making in this area. The episode emphasizes that while many organizations invest in portfolio management tools to address project management issues, they often underestimate the quality of data required. Rick discusses common issues, such as the challenges in defining project scoring and ranking criteria, especially in balancing metrics like ROI, risk, and strategic alignment. He argues that AI can alleviate this by analyzing vast datasets to develop optimized, data-driven criteria and innovative project insights. Rick highlights specific AI capabilities, such as leveraging historical project data for predictive analytics, which allows for accurate forecasting of ROI and risk. He also introduces the concept of dynamic, ongoing portfolio balancing through simulation models and scenario analysis, made possible by AI’s processing power. Ultimately, he sees AI as a game-changer that enables PMs to refocus on strategic oversight rather than manual data handling. Rick wraps up by reinforcing that AI won’t replace project managers but will elevate those who know how to harness it effectively. This episode is a compelling vision of how AI can redefine the role of PMOs in strategic alignment and operational efficiency, preparing project managers for a future where AI-driven insights become integral to decision-making.…

1
S1E8 - Fulfilling the Promise of Lessons Learned 22:59

25 weeks ago22:59

22:59

In this episode of AI-Driven PM , Rick Morris dives into the powerful potential of operationalizing lessons learned in project management using AI. He discusses how most organizations invest countless hours documenting lessons learned, only for them to sit unused in spreadsheets or on SharePoint. Rick shares insights into how AI can transform this valuable, yet often untapped, data into actionable risk assessments and smarter decision-making tools. He also introduces a prototype developed by Centric Consulting that automates the process, pulling insights from historical project documentation to predict risks and optimize future projects. Tune in to explore how AI can truly fulfill the promise of lessons learned and change the way we manage projects.…

1
S1E7 - Leveraging AI for Smarter Project Schedules and Lessons Learned 25:19

27 weeks ago25:19

25:19

In this episode of the AI-Driven PM Podcast , host Rick Morris explores how AI can revolutionize project management by enhancing lessons learned, risk assessments, and project scheduling. Rick delves into the importance of maintaining well-structured project schedules and offers practical tips on using AI tools like ChatGPT to analyze project data, identify delays, and uncover valuable insights. Whether you're looking to improve your project outcomes or learn how to use AI for smarter decision-making, this episode provides actionable advice to take your project management skills to the next level. Tune in and start harnessing the power of AI!…

1
S1E6 - Enhancing Sprint Retrospectives with AI-Driven Techniques 25:34

29 weeks ago25:34

25:34

In this episode of the "AI Driven PM" podcast, host Rick Morris dives into the critical topic of sprint retrospectives and lessons learned in project management. He emphasizes that while retrospectives are valuable, their true potential is often underutilized when lessons learned are merely stored without further action. Rick discusses common challenges, such as lack of psychological safety and the difficulty in soliciting honest feedback due to personality dynamics within teams. He introduces innovative strategies to improve the facilitation of these meetings by leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT. Rick outlines practical steps for collecting anonymous feedback, analyzing it using sentiment analysis, and facilitating discussions that focus on key issues like team dynamics, workload, and stress. He also demonstrates how AI can help craft actionable insights from the feedback, ensuring that retrospectives lead to meaningful improvements. The episode is packed with actionable tips on how project managers can use AI to enhance their retrospectives, making them more effective and impactful. Rick also provides a sneak peek into future episodes where he plans to explore how AI can create continuous feedback loops to prevent recurring issues.…

1
S1E5 - Jump Starting Your WBS with goblin.tools 22:27

31 weeks ago22:27

22:27

In this episode of AI Driven Project Management , host Rick Morris dives into the crucial yet often overlooked concept of Work Breakdown Structures (WBS). Rick explores how breaking down large goals into manageable tasks is essential for effective project management. He introduces the concept of Life Breakdown Structure (LBS) and shares practical examples to illustrate the importance of WBS in both personal and professional life. Rick also showcases an AI tool, Goblin Tools, to help project managers get a head start on creating WBS, making the process easier and more efficient. Tune in for actionable insights and a glimpse into the future of AI-enhanced project management.…

1
S1E4 - Exploring the AI-Powered Future of Risk Management 31:29

33 weeks ago31:29

31:29

In this episode of the AI Driven PM Podcast, host Rick A. Morris delves into the often-overlooked yet critical topic of risk management in project management. Rick shares a compelling story from his experience in the banking industry, highlighting the common but flawed mindset that "this project has no risk, because it must be done on time.” He introduces the "13th Floor Principle," which metaphorically explains how ignoring risks doesn't eliminate them. Rick breaks down the traditional risk management process, from risk identification and qualification to quantification and mitigation. He emphasizes the psychological challenges project managers face when considering potential risks, especially after creating an optimistic project plan. To address these challenges, Rick explores how AI can revolutionize risk management by leveraging historical data, lessons learned, and project documentation to generate dynamic and adaptive risk assessments. In a practical demonstration, Rick uses ChatGPT to brainstorm potential risks for a hypothetical project of migrating from Salesforce to Microsoft Dynamics. He showcases how AI can drill down into specific issues, such as data compatibility, and suggest mitigation strategies. Rick also illustrates how AI can analyze project schedules and RFPs to identify variances, lessons learned, and potential risks. Rick concludes with a vision for the future, where AI consolidates vast amounts of project information to provide actionable insights and help project managers set up effective contingencies. He encourages listeners to engage with the podcast on social media and share their feedback and suggestions for future episodes. Tune in to learn how AI is set to transform risk management and elevate your project management skills to new heights. Don't miss this insightful episode filled with practical tips and forward-looking strategies.…

1
S1E3 - Enhancing Your Productivity with AI Assisted Formulas 31:44

35 weeks ago31:44

31:44

Welcome to Episode 3 of "AI Driven PM" with your host Rick Morris! In this exciting episode, we dive deep into how AI, specifically ChatGPT, can significantly enhance productivity in project management. Rick shares practical examples and real-world use cases on leveraging ChatGPT for automating tasks, generating complex Excel and Google Sheets formulas, and acting as an intelligent tutor. Rick also explores the benefits of using ChatGPT in a conversational tone to solve technical challenges, making it easier and more intuitive than traditional search engines. Whether you’re dealing with complex data sets or looking to streamline your daily tasks, this episode is packed with valuable insights. Tune in to hear Rick’s hands-on demonstration, personal anecdotes, and a special challenge for listeners to start automating their own workflows. Plus, don’t miss the listener feedback segment where Rick addresses questions and shares more tips on maximizing ChatGPT’s potential. Join us on this journey to make project management more efficient and innovative with AI. Remember to reach out with your feedback and share your experiences in automating tasks using ChatGPT. Let’s drive PM productivity together!…

1
S1E2 - ChatGPT as Your Thinking Partner 30:24

37 weeks ago30:24

30:24

In this podcast episode of "AI Driven PM," host Rick Morris delves into the transformative role of AI, specifically focusing on ChatGPT, in project management. Rick begins by discussing the multifaceted nature of PM, covering project, portfolio, program, people, and practice management. The episode highlights ChatGPT's potential as a thinking partner, helping project managers with tasks like document summarization, brainstorming, and content generation. Rick shares personal anecdotes and practical examples to illustrate how AI can enhance efficiency and creativity. He addresses common fears about AI, emphasizing the importance of practice and prompt engineering to fully leverage AI tools. Rick also recounts his experience writing books with a co-author and draws parallels to using AI for content creation, underscoring the iterative process that ensures the final output remains true to his vision. Listeners are guided through hands-on examples, including summarizing requirements, drafting SOW introductions, and role-playing difficult conversations with stakeholders. Rick stresses the importance of validating AI-generated content and offers insights on using AI for generating project documentation, such as risk assessments and acceptance criteria. Throughout the episode, Rick encourages listeners to experiment with AI tools, integrate them into their workflows, and use them to reduce non-value-added tasks, ultimately improving project management efficiency and effectiveness. The episode wraps up with a reminder to continuously explore and practice with AI to unlock its full potential in project management. Tune in to "AI Driven PM" for more insights on how AI can accelerate your project management capabilities.…

1
S1E1 - Welcome to AI Driven PM 24:26

39 weeks ago24:26