Episode 151: Book Review: Death By Meeting & Why should Anyone be Led by You?

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This episode is sponsored by The PDU Insider - Free PDUs Info For Everyone:

In the 2009 PM Podcast Listener Survey you (the listeners) told me that you would also like to hear book reviews. So we teamed up with The PMI Los Angeles Chapter's Book Club and we bring you today the reviews for 2 books:

1. “Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable about Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business” by Patrick Lencioni - reviewed by Joel Fleiss
2. "Why should Anyone Be Led By You?” by Rob Goffe and Gareth Jones - Reviewed by Hiba Hamdan

And here are the winners of our latest book giveaway. We have 2 copies of Terry Doerscher's Taming Change with Portfolio Management. As always, one copy goes to our premium listeners and one goes to our free listeners. And the winners are

• Premium Listener: Don Brown, Mesa, AZ
• Free listener: Benoit Ben

Congrats to both of you.

Episode Transcript

Below are the first few pages of the transcript. The complete transcript is available to Premium subscribers only.

Podcast Introduction

Cornelius Fichtner: This is The Project Management Podcast™. We bring project management to beginners and experts. Find us on the web at www.pm‑podcast.com or send your emails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cornelius Fichtner: Hello and welcome to Episode #151. I am Cornelius Fichtner. This is The Project Management Podcast™, nice to have you with us.

In the 2009 Project Management Podcast Listener’s Survey, you, the listeners, told me that you would also like to hear book reviews so we teamed up with the PMI Los Angeles Chapter Book Club and we bring you today the first reviews for two books:

The first book is “Death By Meeting: A Leadership Fable About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business” by Patrick Lencioni and the second book is “Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?” by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones.

This episode of The Project Management Podcast™ is again sponsored by the PDU Insider™. And again just sort of sponsored. That’s because the PDU Insider™ isn’t really our sponsor. The PDU Insider™ is a free website and newsletter that we launched on July 1^st. The mission of the PDU Insider™ is to provide information and education about professional development units, well PDUs, to everyone who holds a PMI® credential. We want to help you understand the CCR Program, shed light on the various categories in which you can earn PDUs and help you find high-quality PDU activities that not only allow you to earn PDUs but most importantly, help you grow as a project manager. So go ahead, stop by at www.pduinsider.com and sign up for the free newsletter and the free podcast. Earning PDUs was never simpler.

And before we get to the main interview here with the PMI LA Book Club, we have to announce the winners of our book giveaway. We have two copies of Terry Doerscher’s “Taming Change with Portfolio Management” and as always, one copy goes to our Premium Listeners and one copy goes to our free listeners. And the winners are:

First of all, there is Don Brown from Mesa in Arizona. He is the Premium Listener who gets a copy. And then there is Benoit Ben. He is one of the free listeners and he left a comment on our Facebook Fan Page. Yes, we had everyone put a comment onto the Facebook Fan Page. If you had wanted to win, that seems to have worked quite well. So we are very likely going to continue to do that.

Congratulations to both of you!

And now, our main interview for which we have two interview guests: Joel Fleiss and Hiba Hamdan.

Joel Fleiss is the President of Enterprise Portfolio Software Inc. They provide project portfolio management software tools that simplified determining how to optimally select which projects should be funded from a portfolio of potential projects and optimally allocating labor resources across multiple projects to maximize an organization’s return on investment. Mr. Fleiss is a member of the Project Management Institute and has his PMP® certificate. He was responsible for product design in three companies that he worked for or owned and has managed the successful implementation of numerous software products. He was the Project Manager or acted as Project Office Director for hundreds of successful projects during which time he started putting together the foundation for what has become the ABCs of requirements-based project management.

Hiba Hamdan is a Senior-level, Certified Project Management Professional and electrical engineer with expertise in driving large-scale, complex initiatives to highly successful delivery. Over the past 10 years, Hiba has worked with large global companies such as SITA, Equant Orange, and British Telecom. She is currently running her own project management and leadership consulting business.

Enjoy the interview.

Podcast Interview

Female voice: The Project Management Podcast’s feature Interview: Today with Joel Fleiss and Hiba Hamdan from the PMI-LA Book Club.

Cornelius Fichtner: On the phone with me are Joel Fleiss and Hiba Hamdan from the PMI Los Angeles Book Club. Hello!

Hiba Hamdan: Hello!

Joel Fleiss: Hello, Cornelius!

Cornelius Fichtner: Well, let’s get started with talking a few minutes here about the PMI-LA Book Club because it is our attention to do a few more book reviews in the future. So, but before we get to the books, let’s talk about the book club. Joel, what’s the purpose of the PMI-LA Book Club.

Joel Fleiss: Well, the purpose is really pretty forward. One is to improve our project management knowledge by reading varied topic of books on project management. Then we get together and we discuss our beliefs with other knowledgeable project managers and we get the chance to interchange project management ideas and network with peers so that we become better project managers.

Cornelius Fichtner: And the members are only members of the PMI-LA?

Hiba Hamdan: Not exactly. Right now, all the members are LA Chapter PMI members but we are certainly interested in anybody that has interest in project management or project managers or future project managers in joining us. Right now, most of our members have their PMP® or project management professional definitely from the Project Management Institute but there’s no requirement for that either.

Cornelius Fichtner: And you do meet in person right?

Joel Fleiss: Yes! We meet about every 9 weeks.

Cornelius Fichtner: Every 9 weeks so it’s not possible for somebody say who is India to become a member of your book club because they would have to fly to LA and meet in person.

Joel Fleiss: Yes! One of our members well…if they wanted, they can connect in remotely.

Cornelius Fichtner: Ah! Okay!

Joel Fleiss: We will do that. Yeah, I mean we’re using Skype like we are doing now for this conversation or some other electronic means.

Cornelius Fichtner: What are some of the books that you have read recently in the club?

Above are the first few pages of the transcript. The complete PDF transcript is available to Premium subscribers only.