Please. Let it end. PLEASE!
A defining characteristic of a project is that it ends. Finally. Just finish it, right? If it were only that easy!

In another Top Shelf Replay, Kate and Kim revisit one of their classic past episodes, “The Closer.” We play highlights from the original Closer episode as they talk about how to build up to a crisp conclusion to your project, making it a win for everyone. Then, Kate and Kim talk through their revised perspectives and learnings since the original airing of the Closer - and some of their hard learned lessons since then!

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Projects aren’t remembered for how they started—they’re remembered for how they ended. In this PM Happy Hour episode, Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson unpack why finishing strong is critical to your reputation and your project’s legacy.

Drawing on real project stories, they explore the axiom that people will remember your project the way it ended—and two key corollaries every project manager needs to know:

• Corollary 1: People naturally forget past wins and focus on the most recent problems.

• Corollary 2: People will redefine success to fit the outcome—if it gives them a win.

You’ll learn practical practices to keep your stakeholders focused on value, even when things get bumpy, including:

• How to keep your team and sponsors aligned on the value proposition

• Why PMI has redefined project success around value delivered (not just the triple constraints)

• How to reframe challenges as wins without whitewashing reality

• Why a strong finish can redeem a rocky project—and a weak finish can ruin a good one

If you’ve ever had a project limp across the finish line, this episode will give you tools to finish strong and leave stakeholders with the story you want them to remember.

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Ah, executives. They fund your project, cheer you on, and sometimes… ask for things that make you want to slam your head into your Gantt chart.

Like:

• “The project’s almost done—let’s change everything!”

• “I read about [X] in CIO Magazine—can we bolt that on?”

• “Why are we doing it this way? Let’s redo it completely differently… and badly.”
  
  

In this Top Shelf Replay, we revisit the best parts of this classic episode, then Kate & Kim reflect on what they’ve learned since—especially now that they're the execs making the asks (hopefully less stupidly).

Oh, and yes—this is the episode where we try to talk Darth Vader out of building an infinity pool on the Death Star.

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Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership