Start Here: Your Project Management Compass
Welcome to the Project Management Compass Newsletter by William Meller
Projects live at the intersection of people, priorities, politics, and pressure.
PMC helps you lead all three, navigate the challenges, and deliver what matters.
Most people are thrown into project management without guidance.
You’re responsible for timelines, people, budgets, and delivery, but no one taught you how to run a real project. And certainly not how to lead one.
Some are just starting.
Some are switching from other roles.
Others have been managing projects for years and feel stuck, buried in tools and meetings, unclear on how to actually grow.
Project Management Compass exists to support all of them.
PMC is designed to grow with you.
Start by learning the basics — how to lead your first project, run meetings, and manage expectations.
Then build systems, communicate strategically, and handle complexity across teams.
And when you’re ready, step into senior-level work — influencing stakeholders, owning outcomes, and building trust at every level.
Whether you’re leading your first project, managing cross-functional chaos, or trying to grow into a senior role, you’ll find systems, tools, and clarity here.
Subscribe today and get your free gift: Leading Better Project Conversations — The Quick Guide for Project Managers. Learn how to lead real conversations that build trust, align expectations, and solve problems before they escalate.
✅ Strategic questions to guide meaningful project conversations
✅ Feedback prompts to manage expectations with clarity and respect
✅ A simple prep checklist to stay focused before every meeting
✅ A step-by-step conversation roadmap to your hard conversations
WHAT IS THIS
Project Management Compass is a weekly publication for people managing real projects in the real world. It’s built on one belief:
Project management isn’t about certifications or frameworks. It’s about making sense of chaos and helping people move together toward a clear outcome.
If you're leading your first project, switching into project management from another career, managing multiple clients at once, or just want to treat project management as a life skill, this is for you.
No nonsense. No vague advice. Just real frameworks, insights, and reflections from someone who is doing the work.
Every week, you’ll get practical content to help you:
Lead your first (or next) project without feeling lost
Learn how to manage people, expectations, and chaos
Communicate clearly with your team and stakeholders
Track risks, plan work, and build trust
Stay calm when projects go sideways (because they will)
Build repeatable systems to grow in your career
Develop soft skills that they never teach in the certification guides
Make project management part of your everyday toolbox — even outside of work
This newsletter is for the person managing the project, not the checklist, not the process, not the tool. Not the certification guidance.
And if you’ve ever thought…
“I’m managing a project… but I’ve never been trained for this”
“How do I lead meetings and talk like I know what I’m doing?”
“Am I doing this right, or just winging it?”
“How do I grow from here without burning out or pretending to be someone I’m not?”
… you’re in the right place.
WHAT YOU GET
I won’t send you recycled productivity tips or theories that sound good but don’t help you.
You’ll get things you can actually use — templates, guides, honest reflections, and systems you can keep improving with.
Free subscribers get:
Minimum 2 essays per month
Snippets from premium content to explore ideas
Ad-hoc tools and thoughts to help you grow as a leader
Ad-hoc AI prompts for your daily work
Paid subscribers unlock:
🔐 Weekly premium issues packed with frameworks and/or templates
🔐 Access to special toolkits (including free ones that come with the subscription)
🔐 Strategic guides on feedback, influence, and decision-making
🔐 Exclusive content on career growth, visibility, and leadership challenges
🔐 Full archive of every premium post
And there’s more… As a premium subscriber, you’ll also get as a bonus:
When you upgrade, you’ll get instant access to the first three complete project management toolkits. We call these 3 first toolkits the “PM Compass Starter Pack.”
Each toolkit is built to solve a real problem in under an hour, using clean templates, ready-to-send scripts, and zero fluff.
What is included in the PM Compass Starter Pack?
✅ #01 — PMC Kickoff Starter Toolkit
Start your project like a professional — even if it’s your first time leading.
Kickoff Checklist
Kickoff Meeting Agenda Template
Project Canvas Deck
Kickoff Email Template
Sanity Check Sheet
✅ #02 — PMC Stakeholder Clarity Toolkit
Handle people, politics, and expectations without losing your grip.
Stakeholder Power Map
Expectation Tracker Sheet
Back-channel Radar Questions
First Conversation Checklist + Script
✅ #03 — PMC Status Report Survival Toolkit
Write sharp updates that build trust in under 10 minutes.
Status Report Checklist
1-Page Status Email Template
RAG Status Guide (Red–Amber–Green done right)
Bad News Script Cheat Sheet
All toolkits are delivered via Google Drive, in Google Docs and Slides. Just make a copy and start using.
ABOUT ME
I’m William Meller.
From Brazil to Sweden! I am an innovative and results-driven IT and Digital Manager with experience leading projects, programs, and portfolios across different industries.
I hold an MBA in Business Management and a certification in Strategy Execution from Harvard Business School. I’ve been honoured as one of PMI’s Future 50 Leaders and a recipient of the Under 35 Changemakers award for leadership and impact.
I’ve guided global teams through complex initiatives, managed portfolios over $10 million, and helped people grow into the leaders they were meant to become.
But honestly? My favorite part is seeing someone grow. Seeing someone go from "I have no idea what I'm doing" to "I’ve got this."
What drives me is simple: People are the fuel that powers my passion.
They inspire me to give my best every day, and that energy is in everything I build.
Thanks for being here. Let’s build something great, together.
Welcome to Project Management Compass!