From Frameworks to Flexibility: Lessons from Morgan Davis

Bhavana Tadiboina
Apr 10
2 min read

In Episode 8 of Coffee & Project Management, I sat down with Morgan Davis, PMP®, PROSCI, MBA—a powerhouse project leader with over 18 years of experience across nuclear energy, oil & gas, and manufacturing. She's seen it all: emergency responses, major restructures, PMO transformations, and now, as a Fractional Chief of Staff, she helps leaders turn strategy into execution.

Talking to Morgan felt like having coffee with that one mentor who just gets how messy and human real project work is.

🧰 Frameworks Are Tools—Not Rules

Morgan isn’t anti-PMP or Agile—in fact, she’s used them all. But her approach is refreshingly real: “Project management is about knowing your work and choosing the right tool. Sometimes that means blending Scrum with traditional PM, sometimes it means tossing the book aside and experimenting.”

The best PMs? They adapt. They listen. They evolve.

💬 Risk, But Make It a Conversation

We talked about managing risk during COVID—and it wasn’t about spreadsheets or charts. It was about frequent, honest conversations. “If the risk is high, increase the frequency of your check-ins. Risk is dynamic. You can't manage it once and forget about it.”

That stuck with me. Risk isn’t a process—it’s a pulse.

👥 Stakeholders Speak Different Languages

Executives want data. Operators want brevity. Legal wants documentation. Morgan builds stakeholder personas to help teams craft the right message, in the right format, for the right audience. “You don’t guess. You ask. Talk to them.”

Simple. Human. Brilliant.

🚨 Why PMOs Fail

“Lack of change management,” Morgan said without hesitation. “The transformation might be solid. But if people aren’t ready, it won’t land.” Her success in PMOs came not from process, but from adoption—bringing people along, not dragging them through.

🤖 AI as a Project Partner

Morgan builds custom GPTs for everything from procedure drafts to marketing content. It saves her time, increases consistency, and empowers her team. Her advice? “You don’t need to code. You need curiosity and a clear problem to solve.”

This conversation reminded me: that project management isn’t about control—it’s about clarity, communication, and courage. Morgan leads with all three.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned by doing—not reading?