Risk comes from unknown and uncertainty. Therefore, the questions should around those two topics: 

• What do we don't know and what are the major sources of uncertainty in future?
• What are the external risks (e.g. economics impacts, competition, reorganization)? and the internal risks (e.g. team dynamics, lack of knowledge or experiences, logistics, office politics)?

A team leader can establish a routine for seeking advance advice from team members. This could be done through an email or a brief message asking for suggestions on improving teamwork.

The quality of the advice will depend mainly on having a team with diverse backgrounds. After gathering these suggestions, bring the topics to a team discussion to inspire new ideas. As a project manager, engaging everyone to unlock their potential and cultivate a sense of ownership is important. Additionally, it's helpful to break down problems into manageable parts and organize discussions to stay focused on the topics at hand.

A crucial part of this process is keeping notes and ensuring that all feedback is acted upon or addressed. If feedback is taken seriously, team members may be able to participate in future discussions.

Sprint planning meeting creates a plan for Sprint in agile project management with engagement from product owners, scrum masters, and the development team. PMO suggests that the scrum master take ownership of the sprint planning meeting and follow the guidelines to run the Sprint planning. 

Before the Spring Planning Meeting

• Schedule a 1-hr session before the Sprint starts.
• Make the request in email for the team to get ready for the sprint planning meeting with (1) product owner providing the list of to-dos for the next Sprint, (2) all the team members logging all the tasks they are working on or planning to do with the up-to-date status, (3) dev manager assigning all the tasks to the dedicated team member. The goal is for the team to have a clear scope and prioritization and effectively estimate the workload during sprint planning. 

During the Sprint Planning Meeting

• Start from the big picture by confirming all preparations are complete, including tasks in the current sprints, tasks in the plan, and the backlog. 
• Confirm the Sprint objectives by going through the tasks requested by the product owner. The team understands the requirements and thoroughly reviews the tasks with the scope, impacts, and dependencies. 
• Go through the current task and plan for work for each team member. 
• Review the tasks per Epic to make sure the sprint objectives are met. 

After the Sprint Planning Meeting

• Send meeting minutes with a report of the tasks assigned and the decisions made.

After the Sprint planning, all new requests must go through the change control process. This helps The project team stay focused on the planned tasks. 

Project managers need to stay well organized to effectively lead project execution. Here are six tips for new project managers:

• Use a Notebook and Pen: Write down tasks that require your attention and take quick notes during meetings. This will help you focus on the discussion and create minutes shortly after the call.
• Maintain a Calendar Book: While electronic calendars are useful for scheduled appointments, a physical calendar book is handy for quickly planning and flipping through dates.
• Keep Your Desk Clean: Ensure your workspace contains only essential items: your computer, keyboard, notebook, pen, and calendar. A tidy desk promotes productivity.
• Follow the 2-Minute Rule: If you can complete a task in two minutes or less, do it immediately to prevent it from piling up.
• Add Buffer Time for Deadlines: When setting deadlines, include extra time to account for unexpected delays. Avoid pushing deadlines unless absolutely necessary.
• Limit eMail Reviews: Review your email only twice a day, and no more than that, to avoid unnecessary distractions.

By following these tips, project managers can enhance their organization and improve their efficiency in managing projects.

The project scope refers to a detailed list of deliverables or features associated with a project. It's essential to clearly define the project scope before starting any project. A well-articulated scope description helps effectively manage stakeholder expectations. To clearly outline what is included in the project and what is not, we recommend dividing the description into two sections:

• The Scope outlines the list of deliverables.
• Out of Scope refers to the areas not included in the project.

The key is not taking things for granted. If there is an assumption or any constraints, you will also record them in your scope statement. Never assume people would know. Follow the change control process if any scope changes occur after the project kick-off. Scope change, or Scope creep, impacts the project plan, but it might not be as bad as it might be because of customers' increasing demands. Be clear of the Scope, but be ready to handle the changes. 

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People say that you don't take ownership of your project because you lack a proactive plan of action. The key difference lies in whether you are focused on managing day-to-day operations or if you have a clear future vision and understand what needs to be accomplished.

To address this issue, consider creating a to-do list at the beginning of each week. This list can help you assess whether your tasks are reactive or proactive.

I was disappointed to realize how bias affects people's judgments in the workplace. Once someone decides they don't like you, they will seek evidence to support their mindset, even if that evidence is not valid.

The story revolves around a junior project manager overseeing a complex project. The PMO removed him from some dev team meetings to help him focus on project execution. However, this decision later worked against him, as colleagues criticized him for not actively engaging with the team and missing meetings even though this change was planned in advance. They claimed he was not curious to learn from the group or follow up on matters, which wasn't true. In reality, the project was being executed successfully; it's hard to believe he could achieve that without any follow-ups with the team.

The takeaway here is never to underestimate the importance of your relationships with others. Everyone carries biases—in fact, it's a reality we all face. The key is to ensure those biases don't influence perceptions and decisions.

Team turnover can result in significant losses for an organization. It disrupts ongoing projects and negates the investments made in your resources. When multiple employees leave at the same time, the impact can be even more severe. As a PMO manager, it is essential to take proactive steps to prevent this situation and retain talent, particularly your most skilled team members. This is crucial for achieving your current objectives and ensuring long-term success. Here are some suggestions on how to effectively retain talent.

• Building Trust  Talented employees want more than just compensation; they seek respect, value creation, and a trustworthy leader who can guide them toward a successful career. The foundation for keeping your talent lies in establishing trust. This trust begins with respecting their knowledge and skills. To do this, it's important to listen to their ideas. While it's okay to disagree, you must take the time to understand their perspectives, engage in discussions, debate ideas, and explain your decisions. If you notice that a team member is hesitant to express differing opinions, this should be a red flag—it may indicate that they don't feel comfortable speaking to you. Always be truthful with your team. Share your vision so they can genuinely connect with your beliefs. 
• Keep Promises Moreover, it's crucial to keep your promises; don't make commitments you can't fulfill. Remember: if your team dislikes or trusts you, they will likely leave.
• Be inclusive. Make sure everyone feels valued and empowered to succeed. Ask them about their suggestions and feelings about working in the group. A question like "How could this fail?" Create a safe and stress-free community to share their thoughts. 
• Define Clear responsibilities. (warm, connection, compassion, how are you doing? What went well? What's not? How do you feel about the work?) Show interest, care, and pay attention. Assign tasks with pressure, but the team has the skill and capacity to accomplish them. Give work that demands hard work but not burnout. 
• Be a role model. You must do what you say, especially what you require others to follow. Do it yourself in both your words and actions. 
• Help them plan their career path so everyone in your team has a successful career and happy life. Ask, ' What is one thing you need from me to make you successful at work? "Give opportunities to learn and grow. Ask, "What excites you about the future?" to steer them in the right direction. Plan to learn something every week. Ask them what they learned. 
• Give credits. Praise your people publicly for their achievements. Each achievement takes hard work. Each accomplishment is worth celebrating. This is a tangible action to make them feel happy. Life is short. Everyone should only enjoy every moment. You become a cheerleader who supports them in learning, empowers them to achieve, and keeps them from failing to learn. Backup if they make mistakes. Your sincerity will pay back with their loyalty, and they will be delighted working with you as they feel the success themselves.
• Make the work fun. Ask them to share ideas and have fun. (lean to free services) Monthly Fun Day. 

Make retaining your top priority. Make your team know you care about their success. Your sincerity in winning their heart and minds will pay back. On the other hand, build a system with well-defined onboarding and ramp up the process to minimize the impact of personal change. ​