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Between the Milestones is your weekly guide to leading projects with clarity and confidence. Each issue delivers practical insights, field-tested strategies, and stories from project managers facing real challenges. Whether new or experienced, this is where leadership gets real.

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What To Do When They Don’t Trust You Yet

Why Credibility Comes Before Control Read Time: 5 minutes You didn’t start this project.You weren’t there for the kickoff.And now, you’re leading it without the benefit of established trust. It’s a common but tough spot.You’re expected to drive outcomes, but the team isn’t fully bought in ...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Aug 14, 2025 pm soft skills stakeholder management trust building

If It’s Not in Writing, It Doesn’t Exist

A Handshake and a Head Nod Aren’t Alignment. You Need Receipts. Read Time: 5 minutes You leave the meeting thinking everyone’s on the same page. The plan sounded good. The nods were there. You even saw a few smiles. Then three days later… Stakeholders push back on what was “agreed.”Someone missed...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Aug 06, 2025 project reporting stakeholder management trust building

When Everyone Has an Opinion but No One Takes Ownership

Why Clear Ownership Beats Endless Input Every Time Read Time: 5 minutes You ask for feedback.You get a flood of it. You leave the meeting with more voices, more suggestions, more “shoulds”… But no clear decision. This is the hidden trap of collaborative chaos, where input is plentiful, but action...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jul 30, 2025 pm soft skills project delivery stakeholder management

What AI Still Can’t Do for Project Managers

Why Human Skills Still Win in Project Leadership Read Time: 5 Minutes Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way we manage projects.It can draft agendas, transcribe meetings, and sort action items in seconds.It speeds up admin, automates reporting, and organizes our digital chaos. But pro...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jul 23, 2025 emotional intelligence pm soft skills trust building

The Most Important Meeting You’re Not Having

Why teams need emotional alignment check-ins more than status syncs Read Time: 5 minutes You check in on the status.You check in on timelines.You even check in on risk. But when’s the last time you checked in on how people feel about the work? Not just morale.Not just capacity. Bu...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jul 17, 2025 emotional intelligence team dynamics trust building

How to Run a Project Without a Formal Title

Influence, Coordinate, and Deliver When You're Not the “Official” PM Read Time: 5 minutes Today, we’re diving into a scenario that’s more common than people admit. You’re managing the work, the people, the progress... but you don’t have the title. Maybe you’re a business analyst who’s taken the r...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jul 08, 2025 pm soft skills stakeholder management trust building

I Was the Bottleneck. I Just Didn’t See It.

How Good Intentions Slowed My Team Down and What I Changed Read Time: 5 minutes A few years ago, I was leading a high-stakes implementation.Tight timeline. Big client. Lots of moving parts. Every task flowed through me. Every update, approval, and final check.I thought I was being thorough. I th...

by Daniel Hemhauser — Jul 02, 2025 human-centered leadership project recovery team dynamics

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

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