In this weekly edition, learn about:

• Managing project risks so they work for you, not against you

• Making agile practical, quick, and easy to apply

• Getting decisions right—even when pressure is high

• Establish an Unforgettable Presence

Projects go off track for two reasons: missed risks and slow decisions. Agile fixes the rest.

This week shows how to spot problems earlier, stay flexible, and get real about how day-to-day calls are made.

How to Avoid Project Surprises

1) Tune Up Your Risk Process: Make Risks Manageable, Not Hidden
Risk management is more than a checklist—it’s how you avoid project surprises. The best teams start with a plan that matches the company’s attitude to risk, set clear rules for what’s acceptable, and use a range of ways to identify risks from brainstorming to trend spotting. Risks change, so the risk register must be kept up to date—never just filed away.

• Use SWOT and brainstorming to capture new risks regularly

• Set risk thresholds early, define a risk matrix before analysis

• Decide: avoid, transfer, reduce, or accept—assign each risk owner

• Link response actions to both project schedule and budget

• Put risk reviews on the team calendar as part of normal routine

Strong risk plans are flexible and specific, not just theory. A living process cuts down on big surprises and wasted effort.

2) Make Agile Work: Use Flexibility, Not Process Overload
Agile project management stands out by favoring small, fast changes and getting feedback quickly. Instead of perfect plans, teams use short cycles—like sprints—to develop, test, and adjust their work fast. Scrum, daily standups, and visual tools like Kanban all help keep teams moving, but what matters most is knowing when to change course based on what you learn.

• Start work with a rough draft, expect to adjust as you go

• Use sprints and daily check-ins to boost speed and focus

• Try Kanban boards to make workload visible for all members

• Release value early and keep user feedback central

For bigger teams, use scaled agile to align groups and stay flexible

Real agile means changing plans when user needs or results shift. Small, frequent updates keep work on track without endless meetings.

3) Decision Skills: Clarity Under Pressure
Good decisions are built on self-awareness, patience, and facts—not just gut feelings. Knowing your main goals, pausing before acting on emotion, and weighing choices logically help you avoid common mistakes. Keeping focus on long-term goals stops analysis paralysis, while reflecting on each outcome helps build future confidence.

• Tie each decision to your real values and current goals

• Pause when you feel strong emotions; facts first, action second

• Break down complex problems to avoid feeling stuck or overwhelmed

• Use empathy and check how choices impact others before committing

• Review your results to build experience and learn from mistakes

Skillful decisions happen when you control the rush and review your process. Over time, this approach builds steady confidence and sharper judgment.

Improving these three skills will help projects run smoother, teams adapt faster, and choices get easier. Use them week by week and see the results add up.

Are you an ambitious hard worker and high-achiever—but feeling stuck, unseen, and struggling to move up in your career?

Introducing Unforgettable Presence -Get Seen, Gain Influence and Catapult Your Career, by Lorraine K. Lee. Lorraine is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in workplace communication and presence.

Be Intentional With Your Professional Presence

You work hard. You deliver results. Yet somehow, it’s your peers who seem to get all the recognition and advance, while you’re stuck wondering why you’re getting left behind.

In Unforgettable Presence, Lorraine K. Lee reveals the secret that separates those who advance from those who stagnate: knowing how to be seen and heard in the right ways, at the right times, by the right people. Through her proven frameworks and strategies, she shows ambitious professionals how to transform from overlooked to unforgettable.

This book is the ultimate roadmap for how to take control of your career trajectory and create a presence that transforms you from overlooked to truly unforgettable.

Purchase her best-selling book here: https://amzn.to/3Hdv79r

In addition to her book, Lorraine shares her expertise through her popular courses at Stanford Continuing Studies and LinkedIn Learning. She empowers both high-potential and established leaders to supercharge their presence, influence, and impact.

Lorraine is passionate about helping ambitious professionals go from invisible to unforgettable. Before starting her own company, Lorraine spent over a decade as a founding editor at top tech firms like LinkedIn and Prezi. Her insights have been featured in media outlets including CNBC, Forbes, Inc., Bloomberg, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur.

The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn (PART 1)

Creating an all-star LinkedIn profile is going to be an important foundational piece to your LinkedIn presence. In fact, a complete profile makes you 40% more likely to be found and receive new opportunities.

But LinkedIn isn’t just about your profile anymore. There’s so much wasted opportunity because people aren’t taking advantage of all this platform has to offer. 

If you’re (1) looking to leverage LinkedIn to build a presence and brand but aren’t quite sure where to start, (2) nervous to make that first post or to use the platform for something other than the job hunt, (3) looking for a job but aren’t hearing back from recruiters, or (4) busy and don’t have time to sift through all the information out there, download the first part of this guide for free.

Access free resources: https://lorraineklee.com/free-resources/

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