December 3, 2016 |
Resources
We can and should ask better questions. As children, we ask lots of questions, and are naturally curious about life. Much of that dissipates as we get older. In his book, A More Beautiful Question, Warren Berger examines how we …
September 4, 2016 |
Resources
What would make it possible for a company to last 100 years? And why are so many companies gone too soon?
Projects revolve around stakeholders
Projects stakeholders have an interest in the outcomes of your project. Some are more important to the life of the project, such as the sponsor, steering committee, or project team members. Others are no less important but are involved only …
October 13, 2015 |
Knowledge
Plan ahead to get the most out of project resources
by Denise Gifford One of the most common mistakes a new project manager can make is to request more information than is needed to run the project. Information is an important resource, but it is not free. Completing forms …
April 15, 2015 |
Knowledge
It pays to know your bottom line
by Steven Lesser Negotiators often have a position that is their rock bottom, their least acceptable deal. Sometimes negotiators communicate this as a take-it-or-leave-it. Some negotiators use the take-it-or-leave-it even when they are not at their minimum deal. When …
February 12, 2015 |
Knowledge
Why you need to commit to listen
How are your listening skills? We all know it’s important to pay attention. But most of us, including me, lose focus from time to time. Why don’t we listen? “I am distracted.” “I don’t like the person.” “They don’t communicate …
July 24, 2014 |
Knowledge
How to tune in to non-verbal communication
by Denise Gifford Do you know what your stakeholders really think about your project? You’ve read their emails. You’ve met with them. You’ve provided reports and solicited feedback. But what are they really thinking? Are they happy with where …
February 23, 2014 |
Knowledge
Four key steps for project managers
Stakeholder communication matters. What makes a project manager a good communicator? It is not as simple as sharing everything with everyone in a project. In our efforts to keep stakeholders informed, project managers typically communicate too much to too many …
November 28, 2012 |
Knowledge
Managing change: the keys to success
by Steven Lesser Change is a constant element in both our personal and business lives. Rarely do situations remain static, particularly in the ever-changing technological society in which we live. Since we cannot escape change, the question is, “How can we …
October 14, 2012 |
Knowledge
There's no "right" leadership personality
With the U.S. elections coming in November and the start of the pre-election debates, there is currently a lot of “noise” about what constitutes a good leader, a comparison of leadership styles of the two presidential nominees, Barack Obama and …
September 18, 2012 |
Knowledge
Building trust will transform your client relationships
Relationship selling is dead, or so contends author Matthew Dixon in his book The Challenger Sale. I think Dixon’s report of the death of relationship selling is an exaggeration. Let’s say relationship selling is evolving. Dixon advocates “challenge selling” over …