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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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Tags: pm soft skills
Showing 12 results:
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
Not All Project Wins Are Loud
Why Quiet Progress Is Still Powerful Progress
Read Time: 5 minutes
You didn’t make a big announcement.There were no banners or high-fives.But the project moved forward because you made it happen.
You aligned the team.You de-escalated a conflict.You clarified the scope before it derailed delivery....
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 23, 2025
pm soft skills
team dynamics
trust building
You Passed the PMP. Now What?
How to Turn a Certification Into Career Momentum
Read Time: 5 minutes
You did it.
You passed the PMP exam.You pushed through the prep, the pressure, and the late nights.And now, you’re officially certified.
But before you slap it on LinkedIn and move on...
Let’s talk about how to make that win ma...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 23, 2025
career growth
new pms
pm soft skills
When Priorities Change Midstream
How to Keep Delivery on Track When Strategy Shifts Under Your Feet
Read Time: 5 minutes
You built the roadmap.You aligned the team.You gained approval on the plan.
Then everything changed.
A competitor launched a similar feature.Leadership pivoted.Budgets got cut.The client reprioritized.
Now, wh...
by Daniel Hemhauser —
Jun 23, 2025
change management
pm soft skills
project delivery
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