Organized Chaos Café: Recent Episodes
B Chan
Ground-level casual conversations and short-takes on project leadership and transformation for the everyday person.
In this episode, Harvey Cicin Sian joins Ben in the Organized Chaos Cafe!
Harvey is a team leader at Le Bernardin, a renowned three Michelin star seafood restaurant in New York and he shares his experience in the event execution space. Leading a team of over 50 members in the high-pressure hospitality industry at the incredible restaurant. He discusses the importance of emotional intelligence, especially in managing team dynamics and client relationships during event execution.
Harvey also provides insights into the operational differences at a Michelin star level and the challenges of maintaining high standards under pressure. He emphasizes the mistake management and how it can be used to build stronger relationships for successful event execution.
Don't miss out on this!
Connect with Harvey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harveycicinsain/
We have Jason Thai-Kennedy joining us in the Organized Chaos Cafe! He's a learning and development expert at Electronic Arts where he'll share his insights on the importance of continuous learning, especially in the gaming industry.
We'll walk through his journey into learning and development, emphasizing the need for strong relationships with business leaders and creating a community for ongoing learning. Jason highlights the role of training in projects and provides tips for project managers in having more effective learning built into projects and how focusing on building relationships with operations professionals can yield amazing results.
Find Jason on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonthaikennedy/
"Will you be my friend?" Is it that simple to build connection?
In this month's episode, we're going to be exploring the concepts of connection, trust, and project leadership with my guest Richard Lee-Thai in the Organized Chaos Café! As a TEDx speaker, he details how his journey has had him dive deeper into how people build meaningful connections with each other.
We'll discuss into social infrastructure, third spaces, social fitness, project teams, and navigating interpersonal conflicts. Richard's insights on building trust, connection, and managing relationships in both personal and professional settings can hopefully help you build stronger project teams.Don't wait for excuses!
You can connect with Richard here:
https://excusestoconnect.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardleethai/
In this episode of the Organized Chaos Cafe, welcome Stacey Perlin who is deeply involved in various social and cultural organizations, including the Alberta Ability Network and the Calgary Folk Music Festival!
Stacey's multifaceted role also extends to the realm of mental health through her work with the Perlin Foundation for Wellbeing and BlissFest Labs. We'll talk about her involvement in the film industry, exploring the integral role of project management and how, despite the absence of explicitly titled project managers in film credits, how project management principles are crucial for handling the complex, high-risk environment of film production.
The episode delves into the similarities and differences between project management in corporate settings and film production, emphasizing the universal applicability of project management skills across various industries and scenarios!
Find out more about Stacey and what she's working on here:
www.perlinfoundation.com
www.blissfestlabs.com
https://linktr.ee/sperlin
Show notes:
01:53 Exploring the Intersection of Project Management and the Film Industry
09:00 The Role of Communication and Agile Methodologies in Project Success
09:53 Comparing Film Production and Project Management Education
16:52 Risk Management in Film Production and Beyond
24:50 Reframing Risk and Embracing Opportunities
27:28 Leveraging Social Capital in Project Management
In the Cafe, we have Olivia Montgomery joining us!She is an Associate Principal Analyst at Capterra and her research into EQ has took the PM world by storm!
In our discussion, we'll talk about the importance and challenges of Emotional Intelligence(EQ) in the workplace, particularly in the field of project management. Olivia highlights how high Emotional Intelligence (EQ) contributes to the success of project managers and makes project teams more collaborative and dynamic. We'll also cover how EQ can be misunderstood, the significance of self-awareness for EQ development, and the influences of neurodiversity on EQ.Find the EQ post: https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-the-most-successful-project-managers-get-their-edge-with-emotional-intelligence/
Connect with Olivia at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-montgomery/
Welcome to the Organized Chaos Cafe – the show where we take a look at project leadership to control a little bit of our every day craziness.
Today's conversation is with Erik Rueter where we'll learn about his exciting journey in both his studies and industry! As the founder of Human Centered Success LLC, we'll take a look at all the elements that have come together to create his unique approach to leadership.
We'll see how his educational journey has shaped his unique approach to project management as well as discussing a bit about DEIB to increase performance as well as the pitfalls of going through the motions. We'll then dive into how his video gaming theme has shaped his program at Human Centered Success!
Get ready for a relaxed episode packed with insights - so, without further ado, let's take a sip and chill out in the cafe!
Join me in an episode of the Organized Chaos Cafe as we talk creativity, art, comic books, and project management with Marvel creative inker, Dennis Crisostomo!
What drew my attention to him was coming across his comic book art in the Artist's Alley at Calgary Expo where where I commissioned a drawing of my favourite Canuck, Wolverine!
We talked about his journey as a creative and how project management fits into the creative process. Even with creative projects, there's deadlines to be met and stakeholders to be managed. Come listen to his stories and our conversation!
If you're looking for a creative to work with, you can find Dennis Crisostomo's:
- https://www.instagram.com/dens_crisostomo/
- https://www.facebook.com/denniscrisostomo
You can take a look at his latest project that's helping support the community impacted by the Maui wildfires:
- https://www.instagram.com/naupakasuperheropolymermaid/
Join myself, Ben Chan, and the Founder of Lead Outside the Lines, Tina Parker, in the Organized Chaos Café as we tackle our passion topic of authentic leadership! I had wanted to attend her presentation at the 2022 PMI Global Summit in Las Vegas but the session was so high in demand, I was left out in the cold to find an alternative session. The next best option was to have her on the podcast!
Grab a cup and listen as she shares her journey through the US Air Force and how she had to go through her own life-threatening harrowing ordeals to discover her path forward!
We'll talk about:
- The military approach to leadership creation
- A cautionary tale of servant leadership: The self-care hypocrite
- Expertise vs. Leadership
- Looking at what authentic leadership truly means
- What if I'm authentically an a$$hole?
- Vulnerability and being ourselves
- Building a team culture
You can find Tina Parker at www.leadoutsidethelines.com where leaders can break the mold and scale-up!
For more about Ben, Project Leadership Coaching and the Organized Chaos Café, go to www.clymbconsulting.ca!
PMCoachBen
CLYMBCoaching
OrganizedChaosCafe
This episode is a great conversation with Caroline Horste where we discuss her journey from Higher Education/Student Affairs into the space of project management. In moving into her role as a PM and a Director of Operations & Strategy at a start-up in the ed-tech space, she also discovered her passion in helping others learn more about project management.
Join us in the Café as we talk about how university projects may differ from projects in other industries, how transferrable project skills can be, and the opportunities that project management can open up for you.
You can find Caroline at:
https://www.instagram.com/carolinemanages/
https://carolinemanages.com/
Mark Cowley joins me in the Organized Chaos Café discussing his venture into project leadership coaching specifically with large capital projects! He'll go through a bit of the challenges of handling mega capital projects ($1B+ budgets), how he's handled cultural alignment in his international experience, and we'll also discuss the biggest mistake he has made as a project manager! Come have a seat!
You can find Mark at www.markcowleyservices.com for more information on his consulting and coaching services.
It's been quite a gap between episodes, so I wanted to give you a quick update on what I've been up to, what I've learned, and what's upcoming. Looking forward to doing more episodes!
"What could go wrong?" Famous last words. In this episode, we're taking an different experimental approach with our first panel! Our amazing guests in the Café discuss how risk shows up and how you can manage it in both a professional and personal stage.
Our panelists include:
- Rosanah Santos - Manager of Distribution Portfolio Delivery Office at SaskPower
- Martin Winter - Program Manager of Security & Information Systems at AltaLink
- Andrew Zakaluzny - Managing Partner at RLG International
We'll dive into project team risk identification mindset, wedding planning, and personal growth. Come have a listen and see what you take away from it!
Day-dreaming, a wandering mind, just letting your mind draw a blank... Do you implement a time to do nothing? Here's a quick book discussion on the book Auto-Pilot: The Art and Science of Doing Nothing by Andrew Smart where I go through my 3 key takeaways.
This month, as part of Asian Heritage Month, Reiko Rogers and I share a bit about our career journey and the intersection of culture. Learn a bit more about the hiring statistics she's noticed in her role as Sr. Manager in the AWS Global Talent Intelligence group as she goes through some great tips for the interview process.
As a PM Interview Coach, she's started to help boost the learnable skills that PMs should know in the interview process. Find more about her and her tips and tricks on Instagram & TikTok!
It's the pandemic, what should you do? Is your first idea to start a restaurant? Well for Vien Ly, she took the plunge into the restaurant business and has exceeded all expectations! In not only being the first purple rice yogurt drink restaurant in Calgary, she's also dived into her food innovation invention of a mochi croissant waffle. Come join our conversation in the café as she goes through her journey from an office administrator to restauranteur! Find the Chewgurt Yummy website here! https://chewgurtyummyyyc.ca/
What's the feeling you get when you think of public speaking? Nervousness? Butterflies in your stomach? Are you feeling confident? The thought of being the center of attention in front of strangers was a crazy thought until until I engaged my public speaking coach, Maria Malik (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sincerelymaria/). Join our conversation as we talk about her journey becoming a public speaking coach, the trials and tribulations, the transformations she sees in her students, and her amazing success experience with one of her LinkedIn posts going viral with over 38,000 reactions!
Are you ready to speak confidently?
You can also find her website at www.mariamalik.us
Navigating the project of parenthood can be difficult, daunting, and different for everyone! Join the conversation in the Café today where I'm speaking with the Aaron Li, co-founder of Colo Families (www.colofamilies.com), about his social enterprise focused on helping parents with pre and post-natal care to help those looking for more focused, customized care for the modern busy parent! We discuss a bit about what goes into starting a social enterprise, looking at childbirth and post-natal care as a project, and the general innovation of nursing in the industry. Enjoy!
Come join us in the dojo/café as we dive into a Cobra Kai-themed look at leadership! What does Cobra Kai offer it's students? How does Miyagi-Do compare? Is there room for Eagle Fang? Who will win? (Season 4 Spoiler Warning!)
April Moreno (www.aprilmorenophd.com) joins us and brings her personal Karate Kid link and her amazing public health leadership experience into the café. As the founder of the Public Health Podcast and Media Network (https://www.publichealthpodcasters.com/), she'll give some insight into the different dojos and the Leadership Challenge. Join our conversation and see which dojo you belong to!
Everyone has come across situations where they should speak up but didn't or go into debates that turned into uncomfortable arguments. Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler provides a unique and practical look into how to enhance our ability to communicate and carry out these crucial conversations. Here's my quick review of the book!
There's risk in everything we do. It's now at the forefront of many organizations' minds as we deal with climate change, a pandemic, cyber-security threats, the list goes on! But how do you manage risk effectively and make smart decisions around it? Join my conversation with Yat-Sing Cheng of BlueShift Advisory where he provides us his perspective on how managing risk for everyday life and enterprises. Hopefully this provides you with some ideas on how you can view, take on, and manage risk.
Another year has passed! How has that been for you? In this episode I give an overview of how my year has gone including what I learned, struggled with, and achieved! Now on to 2022 and kickstarting the Project Leadership Academy!
2021 Book List:
- Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall
- The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman
- Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Ultralearning by Scott Young
- The Prosperous Coach by Steve Chandler and Rich Litvin
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Project Leadership Webinar - https://www.clymbconsulting.ca/webinar-project-leadership-2021
Petroleum Engineering to Energy Tea Drink Founder?
Join our discussion with Mitch Jacobsen's journey into the energy beverage market as an entrepreneur to start Rviita - an energy tea drink with a unique low-carbon footprint bottle. We not only talk about his story, but how his project management and leadership come into play when jumping into an industry he wasn't familiar with. Come listen and get buzzed!
rviita #rviitalize #entrepreneurship #riseandrevitalize
Sept 2021 - I ran AND finished my first marathon! It was a grueling ordeal where it's the first time I've pushed my body so hard. That being said, I'll admit that my training regimen may not have been "top notch". This episode brings Adrienne Lee, a more seasoned runner, to the show where we share our experiences and how I could better my training and approach for the next run! She's part of the Run21Calgary group where they help runners new and old go the distance!
What does BBQ and project management have in common?
More than you'd think! Join the conversation here with Janice Smella. She's the Head Cook of Smellaque - crowned 2018 and 2019 Canadian BBQ Team of the Year!
We'll see what her journey was like venturing into the competitive BBQ scene and provide some insight into how her project management and mindset has helped her cook the perfect piece of meat!
Find her at her website or follow her on Instagram (@janice_smellaque). DELICIOUS!
You may be familiar with Dragon's Den and Shark Tank, but what does it mean to invest in the Dragons or the Sharks themselves? This episode takes a look at Alberta Enterprise where Christiana Manzocco looks at investing in the investors! We'll also have a glance at what are some of the factors that help contribute to a successful start-up! Excitement abounds!
What is Personal Brand Strategy? Nikki Takahashi knows a thing or two about leading this branding transformation with her clients! Join our conversation and listen to her journey in building her own personal brand (Nikki Tak). This interesting discussion meanders in interesting directions including Instagram influencers and karate! Anything goes!
brandstrategy #branding #podcasts #podcastepisodes #entrepreneur #solopreneur #transformation #coaching #karate
What does it mean to bank like a woman? Come listen to the discussion of what this transformation looks like as Jessica Wilkinson details her story in #TheHildaProject.
OpenBanking #BankLikeAWoman #Fintech #Payments
Here's a quick take on my latest read, The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman. An excellent read that also prompted me to veer off into comparing the nature of the Panda with the journey of self-discovery and authenticity.
Get ready to workout your mind! Come join the conversation with Linda Chan as she explains how her purpose as a fitness class instructor was impacted by COVID-19 and how her approach to fitness training intersects with her role as Director of Community and Collaboration at Benevity! #purpose #zumba #fitness #podcast
Come listen to the CEO & Founder of Archipelago, Andrew Zakaluzny, as he joins me at the Organized Chaos Café to talk about how his international journey has led him to create a company focused on awareness and readiness in projects. We also take some time to discuss the complexities in megaprojects and how authenticity and cultural values come into play with project delivery. You can find his company at https://www.archipelago.one/.
projectdelivery #projectreadiness #projectleadership #authenticity #projectleadership
We're continuing to see the rise in hate crimes against Asian Canadians and Asian Americans and it really got me thinking about how poorly people are engaging each other in today's society now. People turn to their own echo chambers of social media hoping to justify their thoughts, ideas, and actions rather than reaching out to understand. People would rather lash out to inflict their own hurt on others. This reminded me of a book by Malcolm Gladwell called 'Talking to Strangers' where he tells a story of Sandra Bland and the intricate elements culminating in tragedy all through an encounter with a stranger. We have an opportunity to do better. For more information and resources: http://aapodcasters.org/stopasianhate/ #stopasianhate
Come join the conversation here with Deepak Saini, CEO and Founder of Deepak Saini Health. We discuss his transition from the corporate world into a health and performance coach. We'll talk a bit about his journey in career, mentoring, health experimentation, and the mindset that he uses to help his clients reach their health goals. You can also find him at: https://www.deepaksainihealth.com/ https://www.personalbluezones.com/ Youtube: http://ow.ly/a5Ec50E0S3a #health #healthcoach #healthgoals #healthperformancecoach #mindset #podcast #mindset
Everyday project management IRL? BORING! Or can you use some of those structures in day-to-day life? Here are my thoughts on using some of the project management principles every day.
A quick book review of Breath by James Nestor.
In through the nose, out through the mouth... Wait... If I'm not even breathing properly on a normal basis, what else am I doing wrong?
A discussion with Colleen Lewis of Maverick Trailblazing and Partners (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mavericktrailblazing/) on some of the challenges that leader's are going through and their mindset in tackling the new problems of today.
2020 is out the door! In comes 2021! Will it be better? I hope so. Rather than New Year's resolutions, I'll go through my drivers that I'll uphold throughout the year and beyond. What are yours?
2020 was a doozy and I briefly review how my year went. Looking forward optimistically to 2021!
As a follow-up from last episode, this time we focus on what general approaches you can take to rescue a project once you've identified a larger problem. See what you can do to right the ship and get it moving back in the right direction.
Running projects is fine when it's all going smooth but how do you deliver when it's all going wrong? Well the first step is figuring out that something is amiss!
The new Organized Chaos Cafe Facebook group is also now open! Come join the discussion!
Here's a brief book review of James Clear's Atomic Habits and where I've applied it in my life
Just a few tips to help out those on the team. Even if you don't have great team leadership, it doesn't mean you can't excel!
Goal achievement can stress you out and leave you wondering what went wrong. You can't expect to slap it on paper and hope it all comes together. Here's some quick tips on how you can make it happen (or at least have a good go at it...).
Put your thinking caps on and start thinking about thinking!
When there's so much "noise" in the information we're consuming in small soundbites from biased news outlets, have you taken a critical eye to what you're reading?
An interview with Greg McLean (https://www.gregmcleanmp.ca/) to provide a quick glimpse into the transition into the political arena and leadership in a Canadian minority government in this unprecedented time of change. A view into building consensus, decision-making, and ethics in government.
The pandemic has changed how we educate our kids. Find out more about what this experience has been like... first-hand!
What's your mindset when you first started out your career? a new project? a new leadership role?
I'll go through some tips of my starting mindset when starting an engagement and even my first mistake when I started my first job.
This is my first podcast and I hope to continue learning and growing with this experiment .