The Project Operator Every Human Needs Basic Project Management Skills (Yes, even you.) A few years ago, I helped a friend plan their wedding.It wasn’t my wedding. I wasn’t even in the wedding party. I was just the person they called when things started falling apart. The venue had backed out. The caterer wasn’t responding. No one had confirmed the photographer. With three months to go, they were overwhelmed, exhausted, and completely unsure what to do next. They weren’t irresponsible. They...
16 days ago • 5 min read
The Project Operator Lessons from Leading 5,000+ Meetings 891 words I’ve led more than 5,000 meetings. That’s not a brag, hell, far from it — it’s context, and a sad reality. As project managers, especially those with engineering backgrounds, meetings consume more of our time than almost any other activity. Yet most meetings range from forgettable, to useless, to downright painful. In my early career, I genuinely believed that a crisp, clear agenda would make any meeting effective. Engineers...
23 days ago • 3 min read
The Project Operator Career Paths for Engineers: Technical Specialist or Project Leader? 1363 words When I was a junior engineer, I thought my career path was clear: specialize deeply in power grid design, climb the ladder, and become the expert everyone goes to. The idea made sense. It was safe, predictable, and followed the path laid out by just about every company in whatever industry you can think of. But within a few years, that neatly laid-out vision lost its appeal. While I respected...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
The Project Operator 90% of Engineers believe these 3 things about Project Leadership - and they're wrong. 1,030 words When I started my career in engineering, I assumed project management was just a more advanced form of what I was already doing. You know the drill: get the design right, build a solid plan, then execute it with discipline. Logical enough, right? But when I transitioned into actual project leadership — leading teams, dealing stakeholders that change their priorities like...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
The Project Operator You don’t need a better PM Tool. You need a better people skills. 964 words. I have one giant pet peeve. It's when I hear people talking about the best project management software. Or the newest dashboard. Or using AI in project management. Blows my top. It assumes that all problems you are facing on your project(s), can be fixed with a different piece of software, a more beautiful Gantt chart, more automation, a better dashboard, better data analysis. And it's one of the...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
The Project Operator How to Lead Without Authority on Projects Read time: 7 minutes | 2,007 words Back in 2016, I was working as an electrical engineer on a portion of a large, company-wide electrical infrastructure program. Large budget, complex scope, and my portion relied on other team members from different disciplines accomplishing their milestones on time. But there was a problem. None of them reported to me. I had no formal authority. No direct line of control. But I was still...
about 2 months ago • 8 min read
The Project Operator You’re Not Cold. You’re Untrained. Read time: 5 minutes (1,250 words) I used to think being professional meant being clinical, neutral. Stick to facts. Keep emotions out of it. Be calm, collected, and logical at all times. That mindset worked just fine when I was deep in engineering work. In design reviews, technical meetings, or pulling together documentation, emotional neutrality was an asset. I could focus. Stay objective. Not get riled up. But once I started leading...
2 months ago • 5 min read
The Project Operator Build Relationships — Before You Need Them Read time: 3 minutes A few years ago, I was handed a project that came with two “bonuses”: An unrealistic deadline A stakeholder no one could reach Not “difficult.” Not “demanding.” Just… absent. She was from Finance. We needed her input to finalize the budget. But no matter how many times we reached out — emails, calls, meetings — she wouldn’t respond. I remember complaining to a senior PM on the team. He just smiled and said:...
2 months ago • 2 min read
The Project Operator Comfort in Uncertainty 803 Words I was teaching a class on Project Management recently, and a participant asked me if at the beginning of a project they would have to know all the steps for the entirety of the project. To plan for all eventualities. Know all the details. My answer was an emphatic "NO"! Many new project managers make this mistake. They try to plan for everything. They try to get perfect information. They try to know all the steps, and have all the answers,...
3 months ago • 3 min read