Lesson 20: Managing the Unmanageable – When Everything Goes Wrong
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today, we’re tackling the nightmare scenario every project manager will eventually face—when everything goes wrong at once.
Lesson 19: The Politics of IT Project Management – Navigating Power Struggles and Executive Agendas
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today, we’re diving into a reality that every project manager must learn to navigate—corporate politics.
Lesson 18: The Vendor That Lied to Me – How to Handle Vendor Deception and Overpromises
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today, we’re tackling a problem that every IT leader will face at some point—vendors who lie, exaggerate, or fail to deliver on their promises.
Lesson 21: The Final Lesson – What 21 Years in IT Project Management Taught Me
Welcome to the final installment of my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Over the past 21 years, I’ve been through budget slashes, failed go-lives, executive battles, vendor disasters, and crisis situations—and I’m still standing.
Lesson 17: Crisis Mode – Managing IT Projects During a Pandemic
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today, we’re diving into a scenario that tested every IT team on the planet—managing projects during a global crisis.
Lesson 16: Surviving a Merger or Acquisition Project – IT’s Role in Corporate Shakeups
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today, we’re tackling one of the most disruptive events an IT team can face—a corporate merger or acquisition (M&A).
Lesson 15: Why You Need a Project ‘Kill Switch’ – Knowing When to Shut It Down
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today’s topic is a tough but necessary reality—knowing when to kill a project before it drains more time and money.
Lesson 14: The Day My Project Budget Was Slashed – How to Deliver More with Less
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today, we’re tackling a nightmare scenario that every project manager dreads—the moment leadership slashes your budget mid-project.
Lesson 13: Offshore Teams – A Blessing and a Challenge
Welcome back to my 21-part series on lessons learned throughout my IT project management career. Today, we’re tackling a topic that’s become a reality for almost every IT project—managing offshore teams.
About Tom Jones
Tom Jones: A Veteran IT Project Manager Navigating the Complexities of Enterprise Technology
Tom Jones is a seasoned IT Project Manager with over two decades of experience leading complex enterprise technology initiatives. Based in South Florida, Tom has built a reputation as a pragmatic, results-driven leader who thrives on solving intricate business and IT challenges. His expertise spans project management, IT security, large-scale system migrations, and process optimization, making him a trusted figure in the industry.
Early Life and Education
Tom was born and raised in Pennsylvania, eventually attending Penn State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems (MIS) in 2003. His passion for technology and business integration was evident early on, as he quickly grasped the nuances of systems architecture and project execution. His ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders became a defining characteristic of his career.
Professional Journey
Tom's career began at Unilever HPC as a Systems Analyst, where he got his first taste of large-scale enterprise operations. However, he quickly sought new challenges and moved to Washington, D.C., to work as a Consultant for the Department of Defense. This experience exposed him to high-stakes, mission-critical projects where precision and security were paramount.
Over the years, Tom took on increasingly demanding roles, managing SAP migrations, IT security projects, and various large-scale initiatives across industries. His ability to navigate high-pressure environments and deliver results led him to leadership roles in project management, where he excelled in driving teams toward successful project completion.
Leadership Philosophy
Tom's leadership style is rooted in accountability, transparency, and strategic execution. He believes that successful project management isn't just about timelines and budgets—it’s about aligning business objectives with technology solutions while fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. His direct, no-nonsense approach has earned him the respect of peers, executives, and technical teams alike.
Entrepreneurial Ventures and ezRACI
In recent years, Tom has expanded his expertise into entrepreneurship, co-founding ezRACI, a SaaS platform designed to streamline compliance, audit trails, and project management workflows. Recognizing the inefficiencies in traditional project management tools, he sought to develop a solution that integrates collaboration features like Slack and MS Teams, industry-specific templates, and intuitive dashboards for workload optimization. His goal with ezRACI is to help teams achieve clarity, accountability, and efficiency in their IT projects.
Personal Life
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tom is a devoted husband and father of two elementary school-aged children. He enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his kids' sports teams, and keeping up with the latest industry trends. His wife, who works at the local library, shares his appreciation for continuous learning and knowledge-sharing. Together, they have built a life centered around personal growth, resilience, and community.
Legacy and Vision
With over 21 years in the industry, Tom Jones remains a passionate advocate for effective project management and IT governance. Through his blog, he shares lessons learned, war stories from past projects, and insights on optimizing workflows in modern enterprises. Whether leading large IT transformations or mentoring the next generation of project managers, Tom's mission remains the same: to drive efficiency, innovation, and lasting impact in the world of enterprise technology.
As he continues to build ezRACI into a premier project management tool, Tom is committed to reshaping how teams collaborate, execute projects, and maintain compliance in an ever-evolving digital landscape.