Peter Taylor

The Lazy Project Manager

‘Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something’

Learn about the art of productive laziness with The Lazy Project Manager; understanding what is meant by the ‘productive lazy’ approach to Projects (and life) and learn how to apply these lessons ‘to be twice as productive and still leave the office early’.

The session will cover the definition of productive laziness, the science behind the theory (yes there really is some) and will share some personal learning experiences that led to the creation of ‘The Lazy Project Manager’. In addition, the audience will consider the three key project stages, one of which the ‘lazy’ project manager works very hard in and the second they should be in the comfortable position of enjoying the ‘comfy chair’ safe in the knowledge that the project is well under control and the final where often some critical work is missed.

Will AI 'terminate' Project Management

AI will reinvent project, programme, and portfolio management – but will it also mean the end of project management as a profession?

Gartner states that by 2030 – so we are not talking too far ahead, only 9 years – 80% of the work of today’s project managers, will be eliminated as AI takes on functions such as data collection, tracking, reporting, analytics, and predictive analysis.

80% of what you do as project managers today, or what your project managers do if you’re head of a PMO or head of a programme, or project practice, 80% of that work will just not be there anymore, it will be eliminated because AI will take it on, and deal with it, and deal with it no doubt in a very consistent and better manner.

This session explores what that means for project managers around the world and how good project managers will embrace this technological advantage for greater project success:

• How AI reinvent your project world
• How you can prepare for this seismic change
• The opportunity for you to focus on the people, and projects are about people

Join Peter Taylor, The Lazy Project Manager, to talk all things ‘AI’ in regard to both project management of the future, and tomorrow – what can it offer you right now, what is the promise of a more interesting and productive project future, and what are the stepping stones to consider on the way?

The Future of High-Performing Project Teams

For decades, project managers have been asking the multi-million, and sometimes multi-billion-dollar question: why did the project fail? High project failure rates are nothing new and have been well documented, but when project professionals seek answers, they usually return to the original project plan to identify flaws. Yet there is one place where most don’t look for the answers: the people.

Here is the value gap of the almost untouched area of project team performance management that has the potential to be the next quantum leap in project success.

PMO leaders, change executives, HR professionals, project managers, program managers, and portfolio managers – anyone who leads a team in the project world – can learn how to make this critical investment for any organization which wishes to thrive in the ‘new normal’ project-based economy.

Based on Taylor’s 2023 book ‘Team Analytics: The Future of High-Performance Teams and Project Success’.

Redefining PMO Success: Projects. Methods, Outcomes

It is critical to redefine the role of the Project Management Office (PMO) in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.

Discover why the traditional PMO model falls short and explore a fresh approach focused on “Projects,” “Methods,” and “Outcomes.”, learn practical strategies for building a value driven PMO that aligns with hybrid approaches, business agility, and AI advancements. Gain insights into innovative project management methods and discover how to drive meaningful outcomes for your organization. Walk away with a renewed perspective on PMO success and actionable steps for implementation.

Based on Taylor’s forthcoming book ‘PMO Projects: Methods: Outcomes – The new model for true project and change success’.

Leading Successful PMOs

‘How to build the best PMO for your business and keep it relevant to your business’

The presentation is about successfully leading a PMO (whatever you understand by those three letters) to deliver better projects, better business to the customers of those projects and to the organisation that you work for, and to best serve the contributing project managers from both a professional and a personal perspective.

The session will explore some of the research carried out by Peter Taylor for his book ‘Leading Successful PMOs’. The book brings together the experience and views of PMO leaders from around the world and the project managers that work within the PMOs, as well as those who are now seeking leaders for their PMOs.

The Lazy Winner

‘Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy’

Learn about the art of personal productive laziness with The Lazy Winner; Through the strength of saying ‘No’ and the skill of saying ‘Yes’ and understand how being ‘lazy’ can make you more successful?

Meet Nigel our hero and enjoy some of his educational sense of humour as well learning how he progresses on the path of enlightenment in all things ‘lazy’.

Escape your own limiting comfort zone with the influence of 5 and the relationship of 6 and gain insight in to how get past any roadblocks that life throws at you.

PM Superstars

How many people know what you do?

Beyond your fellow project managers and outside of your close family, who really understands what ‘being a project manager’ is all about? Possibly even your close family wave you goodbye each day without really understanding what you actually do. But you are a ‘Project Superstar’ and I can prove it!

Taking project management out in the open will spread the word outside our own community about what a great bunch of people we are and how project management is a valuable skill to pretty much everybody. We should appreciate how we are seen from ‘outside’ our project world and understand which of our many skills others would value.

The Presentation on Presentations

We aren’t born to be professional level presenters but through this entertaining presentation the ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ of good presentations are explored along with a ‘how to prepare’ for that all-important event.

With a few simple lessons taught through the very medium of ‘presentation’ the audience will take away some great ideas for improving their own technique and ‘death by PowerPoint’ is definitely not the outcome.

The Project Manager Who Smiled

Project management is a serious business; but it is a serious business that can be a lot of fun too.

Now whilst there is, quite rightly, lots of talk about the serious side of the profession there is a lot less that addresses the more enjoyable aspects, and so I give you ‘The Project Manager Who Smiled’ .

A good laugh not only reduces tension and relieves stress, but also helps to increase team bonding and boost morale

When you’re happy, you are more productive, more creative, more open, more likeable and a better leader

Strategies for Project Sponsorship

It has been said that ‘A project is one small step for the project sponsor, one giant leap for the project manager’ – but wouldn’t we all be that much happier if that ‘giant leap’ was supported by a really professional project sponsor?

Based on the research from the new book ‘Strategies for Project Sponsorship’ (Management Concepts Press) one of the books authors, Peter Taylor, explores the current challenges of project sponsorship maturity and will deliver some techniques for creating an effective partnership with today’s project sponsors, as well as looking to the future on what could be.

Social Project Management

A project is a temporary endeavour where people come together to work towards a common goal and purpose; it is therefore a temporary endeavour that must rely on a social system of communication and collaboration in order to succeed.

Social project management is a non-traditional way of organising projects and managing project performance and progress aimed at delivering, at the enterprise level, a common goal for the business but harnessing the performance advantages of a collaborative community.

There is a paradigm shift ongoing in many organisations that is about finding a practical balance between the challenges to traditional project management made by Project Management 2.0 – which encouraged a move away from centralised control of projects and instead promoted the value of team collaboration – and the practical recognition that large scale projects do require a stronger form of centralised control and governance.