The Yin and Yang of Attitude

Do you have a good attitude all the time? Go ahead, be honest. If you said yes, you're lying. If you said no, you're being honest with yourself. Have you ever heard self-help or motivational gurus speak about the importance of a good attitude? I actually heard one motivational speaker state that, "As long as you have a good attitude good things will happen to you." Now, I'd really like to believe that. But the plain fact is that I'm a realist. Having a good attitude does NOT prevent bad things from happening to you. What a good attitude can... Read More»

What is Your Purpose?

A key challenge in managing projects is dealing with chaos. Chaos theory is extremely useful to guide behaviors in an organization that depends upon project-based work for its vitality. An organic approach to the implementation of project management implies that we can learn tremendous lessons from that fabulous practice field where chaos flourishes - nature. My studies have led me to believe that a strong sense of Purpose will sustain us in all endeavors, however chaotic, and help us achieve better, more harmonious outcomes from our projects. The important lesson is to embrace a natural organic living systems approach to... Read More»

Project Mind Games - The Importance of the Psychological Contract

As well as a written work contract, project team members will have also defined a psychological contract that will influence how they contribute to a project. The psychological contract consists of a set of mutual expectations that team members and project managers have about satisfying a set of mutual needs. It is part of the mind games of project management. Team members will typically expect: Safe working conditions Fairness and respect Equal work distribution Clarity of role and responsibilities Clarity in work assignments Opportunities to develop Participation in project decisions Adequate rewards Recognition for achievements The project manager will typically... Read More»

Who Cares?

In my experience, the most successful projects are inclusive...that is, they make sure that all of the right people participate in the right communications at the right time. A couple of weeks ago, I had the task of hiring someone to hem several pairs of dress slacks. This simple project ultimately went well, but reached a moment of complete standstill, just because I wasn't applying this truth about being inclusive to my own life. Okay, let me back up a bit. I'm neither tall nor particularly talented with needle and thread. My five-foot-four (and-three-quarter) inch frame just isn't quite long... Read More»

How the performance and commitment you get result from what you "expect"

I sat facing the new VP, waiting for our meeting to start - and wondering whether I was about to get fired from my Director of Engineering role Either that, or I was about to get lectured, hammered, chided, and/or warned, for not being an experienced enough manager to suit him. After all, he had just been brought in to replace the founder of our start-up ("time to have some professional management now that the big company has bought you guys") and I was in my late 20s and even younger and less management-experienced than the founder. I was expecting... Read More»

The Humble Flipchart - a Project Manager's Best Friend

I was part of a workshop recently and I can honestly say that it was one of the best brainstorming sessions that I have been involved in for quite a while. Afterwards, I got to thinking about why the session worked so well and what dynamics were at play that resulted in all of the participants participating in a way that led to so much insight and creativity. I quickly came to the conclusion that the single most important factor was the use of a flipchart.This proved to me once again that when it comes to series brainstorming, the humble... Read More»

Rescuing Projects - Part II (the Informal Method)

Last month I wrote about formally rescuing projects where someone officially turns over the project to you. There are other, less direct ways in which you can be asked to help save a project. These requests and pleas for help can put a strain on the team dynamics, our relationship with our peers and other stakeholders. Following the guidelines below will help mitigate these issues and help keep your relationship in good standing. Phrasing - Instead of having your management team (and yourself) state things like "Mary will now be managing the project", soften the language by using statements like... Read More»

Negotiating for Results

One of my favorite courses to teach is negotiating for results. Currently I'm facilitating an online discussion about management and leadership. I thought it would be interesting to share a number of different comments, attitudes, and approaches that participants are posting: "I have known some good negotiators in my day, and I wouldn't rank myself up there with the best. I do okay negotiating with someone with whom I have a strong working relationship when there is mutual trust. In situations when I am negotiating over finances, such as with a vendor, I'm not that comfortable. I think the overarching... Read More»

Forget About Feedback

Project management is a tough job. Where else would you be expected to manage something that is temporary, has not been done before, is loosely defined, is constantly changing, is laden with complexity risk and unrealistic expectations and is set within fixed constraints including resources, budget, time, process, organisation and culture? Projects depend very much on the team and teamwork. One of the fundamental roles of the project manager is to provide feedback to team members on their performance. Feedback is supposed to show someone the impact of their behaviour with a view to helping them improve performance in the... Read More»

A Pleasant Project?

Would you describe your projects as "pleasant"? At a recent gathering of project professionals, a keynote speaker asked audience members to get to know each other at their tables by describing the most pleasant project they'd ever been a part of, and then share their findings with the larger group. More than half of those who shared - and the vast majority of the individuals I encountered later in the day - had a sad story to tell. Their words varied from table to table, from person to person, but the message was that they couldn't think of a single... Read More»