People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast Podcast By Andy Kaufman cover art

People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast

People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast

By: Andy Kaufman
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 Welcome to the People and Projects Podcast, where we provide interviews and insights to help you lead people and deliver projects. Since 2009, this show is brought to you by speaker, author, and executive coach Andy Kaufman. If you're looking for insights on project management, leadership, and how AI influences both of those, you've come to the right place! And if you hold a project management certification, you can even earn free PDUs for listening!(c) 2001-2025 Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc. Career Success Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • PPP 468 | How to Lead When You’re Suddenly In Charge. What To Do in the First 45 Days, with Executive Coach James Turk

    PPP 468 | How to Lead When You’re Suddenly In Charge. What To Do in the First 45 Days, with Executive Coach James Turk
    Jul 3 2025
    Summary When you're promoted into management, the shift can feel like you're suddenly in charge, but with very little guidance. In this episode, Andy chats with executive coach and author James Turk about his insightful book The Giving Game: A Manager’s Playbook for the First Year of Leadership. James brings decades of experience helping leaders navigate that tricky transition from individual contributor to team leader. They explore why being a subject-matter expert doesn’t automatically make you an effective leader, and why the first 45 days in a new role are so critical. James shares practical advice for building a strong team climate, coaching instead of controlling, and why clarity is one of the greatest gifts you can offer as a manager. Plus, they discuss what new managers often miss about feedback and delegation (and how to avoid those traps). Whether you’re newly promoted or preparing to step into a leadership role, this conversation is filled with actionable insights. If you’re looking for real-world advice on how to lead when you’re suddenly in charge, this episode is for you! Sound Bites “The number one reason employees don’t do what they’re supposed to do is that they don’t know what it is.”“Leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about creating the conditions for others to succeed.”“Climate is how it feels to work for you, and as a leader, that’s something you have the power to shape every day.”“Coaching isn’t fixing the past. It’s investing in someone’s future performance.”“Most people, when they’re promoted, don’t have the skills, and they’re afraid to admit it.”“If I want people to do the work, they need to know what’s expected of them.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction01:57 Start of Interview02:06 What early experiences shaped how you think about leadership?05:30 Why call it 'The Giving Game'?08:39 What would you coach me to do differently in my first 45 days as a new manager?11:01 Why focus on climate instead of culture?15:57 How do we shift teams from renter mode to ownership?20:18 Why do so many managers think we're being clear?21:42 How can leaders delegate in a way that builds ownership?22:47 When did you make a delegation mistake because of lack of clarity?25:25 What's an example of feedback that changed your career?27:59 What do you think about the 'feedback sandwich' technique?29:44 How can these ideas help parents at home?32:10 End of Interview32:31 Andy Comments After the Interview36:15 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about James Turk and his work at TheTurkGroup.com/TheGivingGameBook. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 466 with Sabina Nawaz. Sabina was the executive coach for Bill Gates and other Microsoft leaders and wrote a book that would be an excellent follow-up to this one.Episode 455 with Janet Polach. It’s a great follow-on to what we talked with James here today.Episode 391 with Adam Bryant about his book The Leap to Leader. Pass the PMP Exam This Year If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we’ve put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We’ve helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we’d love to help you too. It's totally free, and it's a great way to get a head start. Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I’d love to help you get your PMP this year! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills Topics: Leadership, First-Time Managers, Team Climate, Feedback, Coaching, Clarity, Delegation, Emotional Intelligence, Ownership, Communication, People Management, Personal Development, Project Management, Career Development The following music was used for this episode: Music: Imagefilm 034 by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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    38 mins
  • PPP 466 | 12 Tools Every Leader Needs to Navigate Difficult Bosses, with Josefine Campbell

    PPP 466 | 12 Tools Every Leader Needs to Navigate Difficult Bosses, with Josefine Campbell
    Jun 27 2025
    Summary In this episode, Andy welcomes back leadership coach Josefine Campbell to discuss her newest book, 12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader. If you’ve ever had a boss who seemed unpredictable, emotionally draining, or even manipulative, this conversation offers tools and insights that can help. Josefine shares the inspiration behind the book, which is based on the story of a coaching client who successfully navigated a toxic leadership environment. You’ll learn how to identify the early signals of stress in yourself and your team, apply tools like the Stress Staircase and the Three Relationship Circles, and recognize behaviors like “praise with a twist.” Most importantly, Josefine emphasizes the critical turning point: recognizing that while you can’t change a selfish leader, you can change how you manage yourself to better navigate the relationship. If you’re looking for insights on how to manage up, preserve your well-being, and lead yourself through challenging leadership dynamics, this episode is for you! Sound Bites “To qualify as a selfish leader, the way I use the term: it's someone who puts their own interests before the interests of the common good of the company, of the team, and of the people.”“Your breath is the only vital response you can control. It's your way back to calm in the moment.”“Over-responsibility is a shadow trait of high achievers. When you are highly responsible, it has a dark side. It makes it difficult for you to let go.”“I cannot change him. I can somehow manage him, but it is about how I manage myself to manage him.”“The turning point comes when you stop trying to change them and start managing yourself.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction02:07 Start of Interview02:20 Why This Book? What Sparked the Idea?06:00 What Is—and Isn’t—a Selfish Leader?08:40 Subtle Early Warning Signs of Stress10:09 The Stress Staircase: What It Is and How to Use It13:00 From a Hijacked Mental State to Being Ready16:49 Techniques: Rewriting History and Praise With a Twist23:35 Over-Responsibility and High Achievers26:20 The Three Relationship Circles29:04 Managing Yourself to Manage Them32:36 Stay or Go? Coaching Through That Crossroads35:01 End of Interview35:36 Andy Comments After the Interview39:03 Outtakes Learn More You can learn more about Josefine and her book at josefinecampbell.com/books. For more learning on this topic, check out: Episode 395, our first conversation with Josefine about leading through complexity.Episode 317 with Mary Abbajay about managing up and succeeding with any boss.Episode 422 with Bruce Tulgan on how to manage your boss. Pass the PMP Exam This Year If you or someone you know is thinking about getting PMP certified, we’ve put together a helpful guide called The 5 Best Resources to Help You Pass the PMP Exam on Your First Try. We’ve helped thousands of people earn their certification, and we’d love to help you too. It's totally free, and it's a great way to get a head start. Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I’d love to help you get your PMP this year! Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast! Talent Triangle: Power Skills Topics: Leadership, Project Management, Managing Up, Emotional Intelligence, Coaching, Stress Management, Toxic Leadership, Conflict Navigation, Workplace Psychology, Self-Leadership, Empathy, Team Dynamics The following music was used for this episode: Music: Summer Awakening by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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    42 mins
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