What does a life-altering injury at the University of New Mexico have in common with navigating enterprise-level software implementation? More than you’d think. In this special season reflection, host Devon Williams traces his journey from student-athlete to certified PMP, weaving together the lessons learned across Episodes 2 through 7.

This isn't just a technical deep dive into project charters and scope creep; it’s a masterclass in resilience. Devon explores the "human" side of the PMO: managing ambiguity during a global pandemic, building a racial incident reporting system from scratch, and the high-stakes negotiation of advocating for parental leave policy. Whether you're a seasoned PM or someone rebuilding your own "original plan," this episode offers a roadmap for building systems that matter when the conditions keep changing.

• Episode 2: The Pivot – After a life-altering injury, Devon applies the project lifecycle—initiation, planning, and execution—to build a mentorship program for Black student-athletes, proving that the best projects often emerge from the wreckage of an original plan.
• Episode 3: The Three Letters – A deep dive into the grueling journey of earning a PMP certification, demonstrating how treating personal goals like a high-stakes "game day" schedule can overcome life’s constant interruptions and shifting requirements.
• Episode 4: Navigating the Unknown – When the pandemic forced community engagement to go digital, Devon learned that the best defense against executive pressure and "rapid-fire" questioning is a solid Project Charter and clear documentation.
• Episode 5: Designing in the Dark – Faced with the ambiguous task of building a racial incident reporting "hotline," this episode highlights progressive elaboration: the art of building a solution while simultaneously discovering its requirements.
• Episode 6: Alignment at Scale – An exploration of enterprise-level complexity where the lesson is clear: alignment isn't about reaching a 100-person agreement; it’s about establishing a shared, functional workflow between internal teams and external vendors.
• Episode 7: Policy Over Preference – A personal masterclass in resource advocacy, where Devon uses documented policy and HR "receipts" to secure parental leave, proving that organizational rules protect you only if you know them better than your manager does.

When Devon found out he was going to be a father, he did what any seasoned project manager would do — he reviewed the documentation. What he discovered was a major policy change granting 12 weeks of paid parental leave. What followed was unexpected pushback, resistance, and the uncomfortable reality of having to advocate for his own rights at work.

In this episode of Memoirs of a Project Manager, Devon shares a deeply personal story about navigating policy, confronting dismissal, and using preparation and documentation to stand firm. This isn’t just a story about parental leave — it’s about knowing your rights, managing risk in your own life, and understanding that advocacy is not insubordination.

If you’ve ever faced workplace resistance, uncertainty around policy, or subtle discrimination, this episode will equip you with practical tools and the confidence to stand on facts — not fear.

You’ll walk away with:

• A framework for advocating professionally and effectively
• Why documentation is your strongest ally
• How to navigate pushback without escalating emotion
• A reminder that policy protects you — but only if you know it

Because sometimes the most important project you’ll ever manage… is yourself.

What started as a small, well-intentioned project quickly grew into something much bigger.

In this episode of Memoirs of Alignment, Devon Williams reflects on leading a university-wide implementation where executive vision, a brand-new Salesforce module, and an ambitious discovery effort collided. Through a massive discovery conference, cross-functional collaboration, and the challenge of aligning internal and vendor processes, this memoir explores what it really takes to move from uncertainty to shared understanding.

This is a story about scope creep, emotional labor, and the hard work of alignment—before a single line of code is delivered.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How “small” projects quietly become enterprise-wide initiatives
• Navigating ambiguity when technology is new and assumptions are everywhere
• Why discovery work is as much emotional as it is technical
• Aligning vendor and internal processes during agile implementation
• The power of narrowing scope and delivering in achievable increments

If you’ve ever facilitated a meeting that wasn’t really about the agenda—or managed a project where clarity had to be built before progress—this episode is for you.