Forward Momentum: Delivering Results

By Vicki Wrona, PMP

Recently, a colleague made a statement that I love and thought I would explore that with you. She tells her teams, “Don’t make the same mistakes, make new ones.” This resonated with me for several reasons.

First, she gave her team members permission to explore, be creative, and make mistakes at work. If you are never wrong, never fail, or never make a mistake, then you aren’t pushing yourself and growing personally. The same goes with work. If you have never worked on a project or initiative which has had trouble or has not succeeded 100%, then you haven’t stretched yourself. Anyone who has worked on larger initiatives or more complex projects has had problems, even failures. Not everything succeeds. What we want to do is take control where possible and avoid those issues or problems which can be properly managed, minimizing the occurrences of problems or failures that are beyond our control.

Second, this statement emphasizes the rule to avoid repeating past mistakes. How do we avoid making the mistakes that have been made before? By reviewing lessons learned and familiarizing ourselves with the problems and issues that prior similar projects have had. We can also interview our SMEs (subject matter experts), those who have been involved with similar initiatives in the past. They have a wealth of information if we make the effort to talk to them and ask the right questions. I would suggest that when you initiate a discussion with a SME that you are prepared with the right questions to gather the information you need.

Another way to avoid making the same mistakes is to involve SMEs in the project or initiative. We cannot do all of our work alone; unfortunately many managers or project managers believe they are supposed to. That is not true. Involve your team, talk to SMEs inside and outside your team as well as outside your organization where possible, use all the resources you have. If at first blush you don’t think you have many resources or help, think about it some more. With some thought, you’ll probably realize you have access to more sources of information and knowledge than you think. Be proactive. I’ll bet you know of managers or project managers who are able to gather intelligence better than others. Emulate them.

In closing, keep this phrase in mind when managing your own work as well as other people. Be the role model you need to be.

How have you helped yourself or your team stretch beyond the comfortable while avoiding making the same mistakes?

By Vicki Wrona, PMP

Maybe you’ve heard the advice to “fake it ‘til you make it”. Well I’d like to expand on that saying.

Do you ever find yourself angry with something or someone and need a way to change your mood? If you are upset, sad, or experiencing a negative emotion that needs to go away, just smile. You may feel silly but your brain cannot handle the crossed signals coming into it. Your mind is clearly upset but your face is smiling. Within a few minutes, your mood will lighten, and you will find yourself able to deal with that difficult person in a rational way rather than emotionally and negatively.

I once worked for a telemarketing firm. “Smile and dial” they would tell us while we worked toward our goal of 200 calls an hour. If you smile while talking on the phone, that positive emotion comes through in your voice and the person on the other end will pick up on that. Do this especially if you are upset or dreading the conversation.

As covered in Whole Living Magazine, researchers at Northwestern University found that simply putting your body in certain positions triggers hormonal changes. Positioning your body in a posture of power to act more confidently raises levels of testosterone, a hormone which makes us take action, while also reducing cortisol, a stress hormone. This includes both sitting and standing positions, such as sitting with your hands behind your head and one ankle on the other knee or walking with your eyes focused straight ahead and head held high. Using this knowledge wisely can help you boost your performance at work and in life.

If you are working on a task or problem and just want to give up, give yourself the ability to be more persistent by crossing your arms. Your brain will pay attention to the body language more than your inner negative voices wanting you to quit.

You can also sit up straight or stand tall to boost your confidence. What I have found to work well is to sit or stand tall and talk with assuredness on what I DO know. That helps overcome nervous energy when making a big presentation or negotiating with a tough negotiator, such as your boss or customer. I’m not suggesting that we all become the cocky and annoying person who acts all-knowing and over-confident, sometimes due to lack of awareness and sometimes to cover a lack of knowledge and/or possible insecurity. I don’t want anyone acting like they know everything when they don’t.

Your mom may have used this technique when she put her hands on her hips to stand firm and make a point. At that point, you knew she was not budging.

Another interesting trick is to nod your head to increase positive feelings. Your body language reflects your inner state, so if you are feeling positive when talking, you may start to nod your head. It also turns out that if consciously nod your head while talking, you will feel more positive. It works in both directions.

If you don’t quite know what to say and want to encourage the other person to provide more information and continue to speak, you can either put your chin in your hand in a thoughtful pose or lightly stroke your chin. If you also nod your head at the same time, you encourage the other person to continue speaking and to agree.  This will help you gather more information and collect your thoughts before responding. Again, not only are you encouraging the other person to participate, you are convincing yourself to act reflectively when you need it.

I hope these tips help when you find yourself in a difficult, negative or uncomfortable situation.

How have you applied any of these body language techniques? If you have not used this trick, how can you apply it?

By Vicki Wrona, PMP

I would like to share an invaluable resource for running effective meetings. This concise book goes beyond the obvious high-level discussion of running effective meetings such as what to do before, during and after the meeting, but really gets into the heart of how to practically run an effective meeting, both with large and small groups. The book is called Great Meetings! Great Results by Pam Plumb and Dee Kelsey.

What I like about this book is that they discuss everything with regard to getting people together and getting results. This includes everything from understanding the purpose of the meeting and the audience to the techniques used to generate then classify and then select ideas to handling conflicts to breaking through creative blocks to making sure everyone clearly understands the outcome. Where else can you get so many concrete ideas in one concise place? I have found this to be a good reference book and have recommended it in my classes for years with good feedback from those who have used it.

One strength of this reference book is the section on breaking through creativity blocks to generate, evaluate and select ideas. We have all heard of various analytical techniques, but rarely are they used well. The most basic technique of all, that of brainstorming to generate ideas, is presented in ways to help your group avoid the most common pitfall of evaluating ideas too quickly. There is also a section on getting and keeping everyone involved at the appropriate level. Never again will you have meetings where people are allowed to sit and not participate. Anyone with ideas or knowledge will be engaged.

One of the techniques outlined in the book for large groups is an exercise called “Something in Common” which lets team members get to know each other a little better and to break the ice. Even if people have been working together for a long time, this is a fun and quick exercise.

First, pair participants up and ask each pair to find something unusual they have in common that they are willing to share with the larger group. Encourage them to go beyond the obvious and get creative. It is always amazing what people will come up with. Quickly go around the room and have each pair share their findings. I have had a lot of fun with competitive groups who try to outdo each other and be the pair with the most outrageous and true similarity. Then put two pairs together so that four people are now finding something in common. Again, encourage creativity and something else besides the items previously found. You can go around the room again and let each group share their results. Again, I direct them to do this quickly or else this exercise can take all day. J Lastly, you can let 8 people meet each other and find something in common if you choose. Obviously, the larger the group, the more “common” their similarities will be. The important thing, though, is not what they come up with but the sharing and discussion beyond normal work that they have.

I like that the book offers practical tips. For example, there are 3 case studies of one page each in length outlining how to handle:

• An undercurrent of hostility between group members
• When a participant attacks the facilitator
• The nay-sayer during brainstorming sessions

There is a nice section with tips and examples on staying true to your values as well. I like that reminder, because we get tempted to stray from our gut and don’t hear that message often enough.

I hope this helps you. Please let me know what you think of this reference.

By Vicki Wrona, PMP

I was watching Oprah’s Master Class with Morgan Freeman and in the show he said something I thought was profound. He said, “Is listening important? I can’t think of a single walk of like where it wouldn’t be.” I agree. The question is how do we apply this to our work and lives?

He said that as an actor, to get ahead in life, or in any area, you must be watching and listening carefully. In the show, he said, “I don’t think you’re going to get anywhere in life if you don’t listen, and certainly not as an actor.” When prepping for his role as Nelson Mandela in Invictus, he spent time with Nelson Mandela and observed all the little tics and mannerisms that made the man who he is. That is what a good actor brings to a role.

We must do the same thing as a project manager or a manager of people. When meeting with stakeholders on a project, we must watch and listen for their real requirements, the real needs behind what they say they want, the real concerns behind their reluctance. What is their real problem? What can we produce that will solve their real problem and not just a symptom? What do they really want and how do they want it? Why do they want it?

When managing people, we need to listen to their needs as well. Why are they doing the job they are doing? What motivates them? What are their goals? Everyone is motivated by different things, and each person brings their own priorities to the workplace. How can we best lead this person so that we get the quality work we need from them while appealing to their needs and goals? Both parties need each other. How can we best satisfy those needs?

The bottom line is that we have to remember to listen. It takes an effort. We all know we need to do it and yet we often fall into our old habits. I personally have worked on this. I have gotten better about talking less and listening more. But when I am tired or not thinking or stressed or frustrated, I revert back to old habits. This is a lifelong skill we have to work to develop.

What do you do to listen more?