Stop Writing Blank Checks for “AI”: A Project Manager’s Guide to Real Budgeting

Stop Writing Blank Checks for “AI”: A Project Manager’s Guide to Real Budgeting Stop Writing Blank Checks for “AI”: A Project Manager’s Guide to Real Budgeting I see it every day one of my feeds: A CEO announces a “transformative AI initiative,” a top-tier consultancy hands over a seven-figure bill, and six months later, the… Continue reading Stop Writing Blank Checks for “AI”: A Project Manager’s Guide to Real Budgeting

Where Do I Start With AI? (Hint: It’s Not a Vendor Demo)

Where Do I Start With AI? (Hint: It’s Not a Vendor Demo) Where Do I Start With AI? (Hint: It’s Not a Vendor Demo) “Where do I start?” It’s the question haunting every boardroom and project kickoff in 2026. Usually, the response is a flurry of expensive activity: a department head signs up for a… Continue reading Where Do I Start With AI? (Hint: It’s Not a Vendor Demo)

Why Most AI Initiatives Fail Before They Start And Why “Phase Zero” Is the Step Everyone Skips

Why Most AI Initiatives Fail Before They Start And Why “Phase Zero” Is the Step Everyone Skips Why Most AI Initiatives Fail Before They Start And Why “Phase Zero” Is the Step Everyone Skips Most AI initiatives don’t fail because the model was bad. They fail because the organization wasn’t ready. I see this pattern… Continue reading Why Most AI Initiatives Fail Before They Start And Why “Phase Zero” Is the Step Everyone Skips

AI Without Phase Zero Is Putting the Cart Before the Horse

AI Without Phase Zero Is Putting the Cart Before the Horse AI Without Phase Zero Is Putting the Cart Before the Horse Most AI initiatives fail because organizations rush to what before agreeing on why. If you’ve ever seen a team rush into AI tools, pilots, or use cases without alignment, you’ve already seen the… Continue reading AI Without Phase Zero Is Putting the Cart Before the Horse

AI Agents in the Real World: What Breaks First

AI Agents in the Real World: What Breaks First AI Agents in the Real World: What Breaks First Last Saturday, I wrote about AI agents in Phase Zero — before tools, vendors, or pilots. This week, let’s talk about what actually goes wrong when you try to implement AI agents too early. These are not… Continue reading AI Agents in the Real World: What Breaks First

Working With AI Agents: Why “Set and Forget” Fails—and What Actually Works

Working With AI Agents: Why “Set and Forget” Fails—and What Actually Works Working With AI Agents: Why “Set and Forget” Fails—and What Actually Works Speaking from firsthand experience, AI agents are not set-and-forget systems. Anyone claiming otherwise has not operated one in production. They are far harder to set up and maintain than most marketing… Continue reading Working With AI Agents: Why “Set and Forget” Fails—and What Actually Works

Working With Agentic AI (Part 1): Lessons From Building My Own AI Agents

Working With Agentic AI (Part 1): Lessons From Building My Own AI Agents Working With Agentic AI (Part 1): Lessons From Building My Own AI Agents 🍀 What Leaders Need to Know Before They Begin Most people talk about AI like it’s magic. I don’t. Recently, I’ve started building multiple agentic AI systems for my… Continue reading Working With Agentic AI (Part 1): Lessons From Building My Own AI Agents

In a World Being Rewritten by AI, Servant Leaders Still Matter – 5 Principles to Stay Motivated and Present

In a World Being Rewritten by AI, Servant Leaders Still Matter – 5 Principles to Stay Motivated and Present In a World Being Rewritten by AI, Servant Leaders Still Matter – 5 Principles to Stay Motivated and Present My question is, Who Serves the Servant Leader? If you’ve been a servant leader for any length… Continue reading In a World Being Rewritten by AI, Servant Leaders Still Matter – 5 Principles to Stay Motivated and Present

AI Procurement Isn’t Project Management — Here’s the Framework Most Teams Miss

AI Procurement Isn’t Project Management — Here’s the Framework Most Teams Miss AI Procurement Isn’t Project Management — Here’s the Framework Most Teams Miss If your company is buying AI, you need an AI procurement process—not just project management. Too often, teams treat AI buying like any SaaS purchase or IT project. That’s a massive… Continue reading AI Procurement Isn’t Project Management — Here’s the Framework Most Teams Miss

Does Using a Big Vendor Improve AI Project Success?

Does Using a Big Vendor Improve AI Project Success? Does Using a Big Vendor Improve AI Project Success? (Spoiler: Only If You Know What You’re Buying.) AI projects have a reputation problem. According to recent reporting by CIO, 88% of AI pilots fail to reach production. CIO+3CIO+3CIO+3 That doesn’t mean AI doesn’t work—it means the… Continue reading Does Using a Big Vendor Improve AI Project Success?