Project managers are essentially problem solvers; they undergo lots of stress as they carry big chunks of responsibility on their shoulders. On the other hand, they don't hold any authority, teams don't report directly to them, and they can't tell teams what to do; they can only facilitate them towards a common goal. This is why our guest, Mary Anne Powers, believes that project managers must play Jedi tricks to build trust among those teams or, as she put it: define the swim lanes and have transparency around.

Mary Anne Powers is a Digital Pioneer and Strategic Business Leader specializing in operations, product development, and project management. Mary Anne thrives on solving complex business challenges, mentoring teams, and implementing processes and tools to help everyone focus on doing their best work.

In this episode, we explore the project management world, guided by the experienced Mary Anne, who kindly shows us shortcuts, secrets, and gems of her craft. She unravels her "Yoda approach" to project management, how she inspires teams, and what she considers are the most significant modifications the pandemic generated in the industry. We also talk about the loss of personal connection and the role of flexibility in project management. Finally, Mary Anne shares her experiences during the dot-com boom when she bet on the internet, and everyone around her thought it was just a fad.

Some Questions I Ask:

What would you recommend to others in your profession to minimize stress and maximize efficiency? (2:25)
What do you love about operations and project management? (3:44)
Operations management requires constant juggling of priorities. What type of personality do you find fits best in that environment? And what values do you look for? (13:47)
We're now living in a virtual work world, with many jobs being remote. How do you see that affecting operations management, especially in diverse cultures and international timezones? (15:44)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About the invisible hand of project management and operations work (3:53)
What is project management really about (6:39)
What happens when we force things into people (15:31)
We are going through the great reprioritization era (20:31)
Mary Anne talks about her mindset and convictions during the dot-com boom (20:58)
New technologies are toddlers; they will make mistakes, but they will also evolve and eventually grow (22:45)

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