208 - TZL - Justin Smith

Randy Wilburn [31:32] No, that's perfect. We'll make sure we do that and certainly, if anybody's listening to this that’s on Hawaiian time, we'll figure something out for you for sure. Justin, thank you so much for coming on the podcast and I really appreciate it as somebody that's been working with Zweig since ‘97. I appreciate the addition that you have been to the Zweig team of advisors, because, again, this is one of the most critical areas of a company - how you manage projects. You can either do it well, you can do it so-so, or you can do it really bad. And our goal is to get everybody into a place where they feel like they're doing project management at the highest level and that they can humanly do it. And certainly, what you have brought to the table and what you're bringing to bear through the training that you've created, that you've continued to refine is going to help so many firms be the better version of themselves. And so thank you so much. I appreciate you doing that and the effort that you're putting into making this a reality for so many design firms. Justin Smith [32:42] Our goal for firms is to look at where you are and move you at least one rung up the ladder. If you're currently passive, we want to move you from passive to active. If you're active, we want to move you from active to proactive. And kind of circling back to the beginning of the conversation you asked about scope creep. So, sometimes some of these things that we teach are mind bending and people look at them and they think I just don't see this working and then they try and they say where's this been all my life. Sometimes it's really simple. So when it comes to scope creep, here's a free tidbit for anybody listening. I made the comment at the beginning, you're either managing expectations or you're allowing them to be managed for you. When it comes to scope creep. Having that conversation early is going to help but it can be a difficult conversation to start. So my advice to anyone that's listening that's in the project management space is the next kick-off meeting that you have, ask this simple question. Mr. and Mrs. Client, how would you like me to handle it when you asked me to do something that's not in our scope? Ask it at the kick-off meeting, record the answer, send it out in the minute and if it comes up again, all you've got to do is circle back to the expectation that's already been set.

Randy Wilburn [34:00] That's perfect right there because again that puts everybody on notice that this is what it's all about. And, I mean, in a world where we document everything why not document that? That's perfect.

Made with FlippingBook Annual report