The PM Playbook | Between The Milestones Newsletter

Your Weekly Guide to Real Project Leadership

Get practical insights, people-first strategies, and lessons from the field. Everything you need to lead with confidence between the milestones and handle what the real world throws at you.

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Between The Milestones

The PM Playbook’s weekly newsletter for real project managers solving real problems. Each issue delivers practical strategies, leadership insights, and honest stories from the trenches. It is designed to help you lead better between the big wins.

The Reality of Being a New PM

What No One Tells You About the First Year Read Time: 5 minutes You passed the exam.You got the role.You’re officially a project manager. And now, you’re in meetings where everyone talks in acronyms.You’re responsible for decisions you didn’t make.You’re trying to look confident, but your stomach...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 career growth new pms pm soft skills

When Projects Go Quiet

How to Spot the Signals Before It’s Too Late Read Time: 5 minutes The meetings are still happening.The updates are still being sent.But something feels off. The urgency is gone.The momentum has stalled.And the silence between check-ins is getting louder. Let’s discuss what it means when projects ...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 project reporting stakeholder management team dynamics

You Can’t Control Everything

How to Lead Through Setbacks Without Losing Trust Read Time: 5 minutes The vendor dropped the ball.The integration failed.The team missed a handoff.The client changed priorities mid-sprint. It wasn’t your fault.But it is now your problem. And how you respond will define how people see your leader...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 project delivery risk management trust building

The Plan Was Perfect. The People Weren’t.

What To Do When Team Dynamics Break the Delivery Model Read Time: 5 minutes You built the plan.The milestones made sense.The scope was clear.The resources were approved. And yet, it is still falling apart. Why?Because plans do not deliver projects. People do. And when people are misaligned, overw...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 conflict resolution project delivery team dynamics

The Role No One Prepares You For

What It Means to Be the Emotional Center of a Project Read Time: 5 minutes You are expected to manage timelines.You are expected to juggle scope.You even expected to deal with unresponsive stakeholders. But you probably didn’t expect this: Calming a panicked team member after a surprise escalati...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 emotional intelligence human-centered leadership team dynamics

Leading With Questions

How asking the right things makes you the most trusted voice in the room Read Time: 5 minutes You do not have all the answers.You are not an expert in every domain.But what you do have, the most powerful tool in your toolkit, is your ability to ask the right questions. It is not your knowledge th...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 pm soft skills stakeholder management team dynamics

The Right Work at the Wrong Time

How mistimed decisions derail good projects Read Time: 5 minutes You had the right goal.You had the right team.You had the right strategy. But you still missed the mark. Sometimes, the biggest issue is not what — it’s the when.Let’s talk about how timing makes or breaks delivery. Why Good Work Fa...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 change management continuous improvement project delivery

You Don’t Need to Know It All

How great project managers lead even when they are not the technical expert Read Time: 5 minutes You joined the kickoff.You scanned the system diagram.You asked a few clarifying questions. However, the truth is that you do not fully understand the technology. And that’s okay. Because your value a...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 pm soft skills project delivery trust building

The Real Reason Projects Fall Behind

Why early planning decisions shape everything that follows Read Time: 5 minutes Most people think late projects are caused by poor execution. But more often than not, the real damage is done in the first few weeks, before delivery even begins. The way you shape the scope, align expectations, and ...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 lessons learned project planning risk management

The Kickoff Meeting Is Not a Formality

Why the First Hour of a Project Can Define the Next Six Months Read Time: 5 minutes You built the timeline.You aligned the scope.You booked the kickoff. And then it starts. Half the team joins late.Stakeholders are distracted.No one knows who owns what. The kickoff was treated like a checkbox.Not...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 cross-functional collaboration pm soft skills project planning

Leading Without a Playbook

How to Navigate Projects You’ve Never Seen Before Read Time: 5 minutes Some projects come with templates, best practices, and clear roadmaps.Others… do not. You are thrown into something new: A niche industry A legacy system A process no one fully understands And somehow, you are expected to le...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 24, 2025 career growth new pms project delivery

You’re Not the Smartest in the Room—Good

Why Great PMs Don’t Need All the Answers Read Time: 5 minutes You've just been assigned to a new project.The engineers are seasoned.The analyst has been doing this longer than you.The client is a technical expert. And you are supposed to lead them. If you have ever felt outmatched by your own tea...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jun 23, 2025 pm soft skills team dynamics trust building

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Your Weekly Guide to Real Project Leadership

Between The Milestones

The PM Playbook’s weekly newsletter for real project managers solving real problems. Each issue delivers practical strategies, leadership insights, and honest stories from the trenches. It is designed to help you lead better between the big wins.

We Launch On July 9

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