Meet the Players in Projectland – Interview with Dawn Mahan

Dawn Mahan has conjured a new way to talk about how we manage projects. In her new book, Meet the Players in Projectland, she focuses on the different roles and the various ways people play these roles. Enter Projectland and see project management with fresh eyes.

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Dawn Mahan, Author of Meet the Players in Projectland

Dawn Mahan, like me, left a successful career as a senior project manager to found her own training business, PMO Training. There she leads a team of experts in the art and science of ‘getting results’ to help their clients accomplish more with their internal talent. We have a lot in common, as we discovered the first time we worked together online!

And now, since we last recorded an interview together, she has written and published her first book, Meet the Players in Projectland: Decide the Right Project Roles & Get People On Board.

This is a marvelous book and I’d recommend it to new and experienced project managers. That’s why I wanted to speak with her about the players in Projectland.

Projectland Questions for Dawn Mahan

Here are the questions I asked Dawn:

1. Where is Projectland?
   And why is Projectland like a jungle?
2. Who are the main players in Projectland?
   Can you give us a brief introduction to the characters we’ll find there?
3. The chapter I like best looks at the steering team. Can you tell us more about them?
4. I loved Dawn’s injunction to ‘love the creatures you’re with’. It reminded me of my rule that ‘you get the team you deserve’.
   What does ‘love the creatures you’re with’ mean to Dawn?
5. The last section is about getting your project started right with each player in Projectland lined up behind the project. I particularly liked Dawn’s advice on recruiting your team. So, I asked her to share some of her favorite tips.

You’ll Meet the Players in Projectland

In our conversation, you’ll meet the following denizens of Projectland:

• 05:46 – The Lion
• 07:20 – The Tiger
• 09:00 – The Owl
• 10:04 – The Eagle
• 10:58 – The Whale
• 12:58 – [The Hyena]
• 21:47 – The Gazelle
• 23:08 – The Bison
• 24:30 – The Dolphin

But, of course, there are more in the full Projectland book!

Getting in touch with Dawn Mahan

You can connect with Dawn…

• on LinkedIn
• on Instagram

Let her know that you enjoyed the show!

Get a Copy of Projectland

Learn more about Projectland and get your complimentary, confidential SAMPLE of Dawn’s bestselling book, Meet the Players in Projectland: Decide the Right Project Roles & Get People On Board from Project Guru Press.

Or just do it right and grab the full book from Amazon.

What Kit Does a Project Manager Need?

I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own. 

Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs

Note that the links are affiliated.

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