A clear definition of done can make or break a project. In this episode, How to Make "Done" Mean Done, I share lessons from projects where success was obvious, as well as moments where even well written requirements failed to reflect what the customer really needed or what the leader intended. I also talk through how expectations get added quietly, why shadow scope appears, and how to protect the finish line so teams can deliver with confidence.

What You Will Learn:

• How to define done based on outcome, not activity
• How to translate requirements into real customer needs
• How to align what done means for each stakeholder group
• How to prevent shadow scope and last minute additions
• How to call work finished and protect your team’s momentum

Resources:

People Process Progress: https://peopleprocessprogress.com

The People, Process, and Progress of Project Management: https://a.co/d/49be40g

People first, Process aligned, Progress together.

Faith in Action Friday 02: Faith in the Right People

Sometimes people are at their lowest, and one moment of noticing can steady them. I share two moments that shaped me. A dad at daycare who saw I wasn’t ok as a new father, and a stranger during my midlife crisis who told me, “God will get you through this.” Those moments reminded me that faith in people is found in small acts of attention.

This episode connects to the full episode, How to Get the Right People in the Room so Progress Happens. Progress requires trust, the right voices, and the courage to invite people back into your life.

Today’s question:

Who do you need to invite into your world again?

People first, process aligned, progress together, so that YOU can;

Own your mind, move your body, anchor your spirit.

Most meetings look right on the surface, but progress slows when the people who understand the work are not in the room. In this episode, How to Get the Right People in the Room so Progress Happens, I share how to identify the real business owner, balance the right voices, set expectations that matter, and protect the purpose of the meeting. You will also hear why strong leaders do not sit in every meeting, and how trust and presence shape better decisions and better outcomes.

What You Will Learn

• How to choose the right people for key conversations
• How to identify the real business owner
• How to balance technical, workflow, and business voices
• How leaders empower teams through trust
• How to create clarity, purpose, and real progress

Resources

People Process Progress: https://peopleprocessprogress.com

The People, Process, and Progress of Project Management: https://a.co/d/5MN3yEm

People first, Process aligned, Progress together.

In this first Faith in Action Friday episode, Lessons in Faith from Viktor Frankl, I share how Viktor Frankl’s experience in the worst human conditions helped me reconnect with my own faith. Not religion, not routine, but real faith in meaning, faith in people, and faith in myself. Frankl’s story reminds us that even when everything is taken from us, we still have the power to choose our response. In this short reflection, we explore people, process, and progress through the lens of faith and consider where a little trust could lighten the load we carry.

Key Points:

• Faith is not ceremony, it is connection and trust
• Many people have lost faith in something larger than themselves
• Frankl’s story shows the strength of choice in the middle of suffering
• Faith reconnects us to purpose, people, and ourselves
• Today’s consideration invites you to notice where faith could help you breathe easier

Listener consideration:

Where in your life have you been carrying the weight alone when a little faith could lighten the load?

Closing message:

• People first, process aligned, progress together.
• Own your mind, move your body, anchor your spirit.

When a project starts to slip, silence is the real risk. In this episode, Kevin Pannell shares how to escalate early, run real-time retros, and rebuild the plan using the KISS method, keeping it simple and strategic.

Learn how to make escalation collaborative, protect team trust, and turn failure into alignment.

Based on the Progress section of The People, Process, and Progress of Project Management.

In 1985, forty-six of the biggest names in music walked into a studio on Sunset Boulevard after the American Music Awards. No press, no leaks, just purpose.

We Are the World was not just a song, it was a project. A one-night mission to create something that would feed millions of people suffering from famine in Africa.

In this episode of People, Process, Progress, Kevin revisits the story he first explored in a March 2024 Hope is NOT a Plan episode, this time through the lens of leadership, culture, and the Seven Project Pillars.

Through the calm and clarity of Quincy Jones and the creativity of Lionel Richie, this team turned ego into empathy and chaos into collaboration.

You will learn how thought leadership, intentional communication, and structured coordination helped them pull off one of the greatest overnight projects in history, and how those same lessons apply to your projects and teams today.

Episode Quote:

“Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie did not lead through control, they led through trust, and they showed us that people will rise to the mission when the purpose is clear and the tone is right.”

In The Right People on the Bus, I share how a Nick Saban clip popped up in my algorithm this week, and it hit home. His message about getting the right people on the bus, and the wrong people off, speaks directly to project leadership. As project managers, we build our own teams every day, and success depends on who is on board, how we support them, and when we recognize it is time for someone to move on.

In this episode, I share what Saban’s philosophy means for project teams: how to foster high performers, coach those who need direction, and help those who are ready to get off at their own stop. Leadership is about alignment, accountability, and care, not control.

???? Takeaway: Make every effort to keep everyone on the bus, but recognize when it is time for someone to find a different route.

???? Learn more about my books and podcast at https://peopleprocessprogress.com

???? The Stability Equation: 7 Pillars for a More Balanced Life

???? The People, Process, and Progress of Project Management

????️ Own your mind, move your body, anchor your spirit.

In Build the Sidewalk Where People Already Walk, we explore what happens when project teams design based on real behavior instead of assumptions. Drawing from a Lean Coffee discussion and PMI’s survey findings that the customer is the ultimate indicator of success, this episode challenges leaders to define “done” through the eyes of the end user. Kevin shares how observation, empathy, and feedback lead to better requirements, stronger outcomes, and lasting trust. Learn how to build projects that people actually use and appreciate.