The Delivery Manager Daily

This week on Delivery Manager Daily, I'm joined by Matthew Barrington-Packer — product, delivery and transformation leader, creator of the VOLTS Method, author of Just Fcking Ship It, and host of Deadlines & Detours.

Matthew works with teams who are stuck in the fog of delivery: too many meetings, too little decision-making, too much theatre, and not enough shipping. In this conversation, we get into what it really takes to move work from vague intent to visible progress, why good ideas often die in polite rooms, and how the VOLTS Method helps teams turn stuck work into shipped outcomes.

We also discuss Matthew’s book, Just Fcking Ship It*, the thinking behind Deadlines & Detours, and the human reality of delivery, change, product leadership and transformation work when plans meet pressure.

Find Matthew here:
VOLTS Method: https://voltsmethod.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-barrington-packer/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DeadlinesandDetours
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voltsmethod/
Podcast: Deadlines & Detours on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Follow Mario De’Cristofano:
🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano
🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc
📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc
✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano
🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk
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In today’s episode of Delivery Manager Daily, I break down one of the oldest and most unhelpful arguments in digital delivery: Should we run with process, or without it?
The truth is far more nuanced.

Too much process kills flow.
Too little process creates chaos.
Real delivery lives in the messy middle — where structure supports speed without suffocating it.

We explore:

Why “no process” doesn’t exist — only undocumented process
When process becomes a cage, not an enabler
How Delivery Managers should think about flow over frameworks
Practical ways to tune process based on team size, maturity and risk
Red flags that you’ve slipped too far into chaos or bureaucracy
How to experiment with process instead of enforcing it
How to build a culture where process serves delivery, not the other way around

If you're working in an early-stage start-up, a scaling product business, or a huge enterprise wrestling with governance overload, this episode will help you diagnose where your team sits — and how to steer them toward the sweet spot.

Stay up to date with episodes, articles, and digital delivery insights:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodecrista (if you want alternatives, tell me)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariodecristofano
Website / Blog: https://mariosblog.co.uk
The Delivery Manager Daily Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5k8f9ZyH3JxJ0Kg (placeholder — add your Spotify link)
Follow Mario De’Cristofano:
🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano
🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc
📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc
✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano
🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 83, I break down the exact 90-day plan a high-performing Solutions Director should follow the moment they join a consultancy. No fluff, no corporate theatre — just a practical, commercially sharp walkthrough of how to expose the truth in a delivery organisation, restore control, protect margin, and build a predictable engine for long-term success.

I've learnt a hell of a lot in this area so I'll go through:

• How to conduct a zero-BS portfolio review
• Identifying the riskiest accounts before they explode
• Establishing minimum viable governance without bureaucracy
• Resetting client expectations and decision cadences
• Fixing the root causes of margin erosion
• Realigning people, skills, and capability safely
• Building a scalable delivery playbook
• Turning chaos into momentum — fast

If you’re a Delivery Manager, PM, Solutions Lead or aspiring executive, this episode is a masterclass in taking senior ownership and leading with clarity, discipline, and commercial integrity.
Follow Mario De’Cristofano:
🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano
🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc
📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc
✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano
🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk
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In this episode of The Delivery Manager Daily, Mario De’Cristofano explores how AI is reshaping the world of delivery — from digital transformation and software pipelines to logistics, forecasting, and real-time decision-making. We unpack what’s really changing, which skills delivery managers will need next, and how AI-driven delivery ecosystems are rewriting the rules of value, flow, and governance.

Expect clear, practical insight for Delivery Managers, CTOs, and digital leaders who want to stay ahead of the curve — with examples from enterprise, manufacturing, and tech.

This is the blog I refer to at the end of the episode >>>> here <<<<<<
Follow Mario De’Cristofano:
🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano
🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc
📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc
✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano
🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk
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I wanted to talk about how when organisations want to be truly Agile, it ain't about putting Jira in, mandating its use & bosch - you're Agile. A recent discussion in the pub with a buddy of mine found that he was going through some org challenges, & Jira was being penned as a panacea. Well we've talked about this before right? It's not. So let's find out why.

In this short podcast I refer to two great articles, & these are listed below.

As always, thanks for listening & see you on the next one.
Follow Mario De’Cristofano:
🔗 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano
🐦 Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/mariodc
📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mariodc
✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano
🧠 Blog:https://www.mariosblog.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.