Mar
18

Get off the gerbil wheel of project management

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Project management doesn't have to be boring

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately on large project-management conference calls where I’m the communication cog in a much bigger objective.  These calls run for a full hour, at which point you start hearing the bridgeline beeps as people jump off to log on to another project call.  The same people seems to be on each call — it’s not unlike one of those gerbil wheels that were really popular back in the 70s.   More often than not, I’m left feeling like I’ve just lost an hour of my life I’ll never get back and that I’m not quite sure what I need to do next.

I was moaning about this to a “project sponsor” and he asked me what I’d do differently — given that I spent a lot of my career on the other side of the table?  Before I could answer, he made it clear what he did in a previous life (i.e., consulting) by starting to ramble on about Gantt Charts, Risk Impact/Probability Tables, Influence Maps, or Critical Path Analysis.  As my eyes glazed over, I explained that my approach to project management has always been far simpler:  Who Does What By When.

Let me give credit where credit is due here.  I had long had difficulty explaining my approach until listened to the Manager Tools podcast and heard the hosts describe (Mark) Hortsman’s Law of Project Management.  It described my strategy perfectly, in simple terms that a Bulldog like me could embrace.

I had managed dozens of projects over the year and never really knew how to explain how I succeeded in driving them to successful completion more often than not.  When everyone focuses on the simple principle of Who Does What By When, reporting is easier and each person understands his or her role. Layer on the constant reminder that People Are the Engine of Project Success and you’re pretty much there.  My job as a project manager is to see the threats to project completion when things are going well and make the appropriate adjustments, and to eliminate any barriers to the job getting done the rest of the time. 

I run into a lot of good project managers who recognize team members and try to quickly distribute meeting notes.  And that’s great.  But the huge decks with 8- or 10-point type undermine their best efforts.  I think you can be very successful if you make sure everyone does their job and leaves enough time for the next person to do theirs.   Recognize people throughout, especially when they make it easier for someone else to succeed.

What strategies do you use to manage projects to completion, in time and on budget?  Have I oversimplified the process?

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Feb
12

Three words for 2012: Publish, Catalyst, Purpose

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Sometimes you just have to hit the Send button and publish

For the past few years, high-profile bloggers led by Chris Brogan have urged readers entering the New Year to identify three words that will act as rails to keep them headed in the right direction for the coming year instead of creating a list of resolutions that are either vague or directed toward a single goal.

Recognizing that I’m six weeks late to the party – which will make my first word somewhat ironic – I set down to identifying my words.  Part of the reason for the delay is that I had a somewhat different set of words on Dec. 30, when I sat down to write this.  My entire professional life is about Story or Narrative – creating a simple way to help people to relate to your message.  Facts are nice, but you have to make them resonate with your audience.  After a lot of thought, I decided that Story/Narrative was something I needed to think about every day to be more effective, and my three words needed to point me toward that end goal.

I suppose that last paragraph is another way to say I have four words, but I’ll stick with what I wrote.  So here are my three words for 2012:

Publish.  A phrase coined by Seth Godin, publishing is all about execution.  Items on my To-Do List stayed there too long in 2011, and I often felt in retrospect upon completion of projects that I could have “done better” or missed something big I shouldn’t have missed.  In fact, my To Do list was probably too long and acted as a distraction, so I added a “Big Rocks” section to help me prioritize my time. A lot of this word is about Simplifying and Focusing.  I was pretty successful in January and early February blocking out time on my schedule to concentrate on my Big Rocks and have been somewhat successful eliminating less important things so that I can focus on projects that matter, posting more frequently, clearing out my In-Box more often, and reducing the number of meetings I attend where I can’t provide value in favor of asking the organizer to let me know if he or she needs my help on something after the fact.

Catalyst.  I recently helped beta Sally Hogshead’s new professional assessment based on research tied to her terrific book, Fascinate.  I scored as a Catalyst (Where Passion Meets Rebellion), a personality type defined as “enthusiasm and creativity brings people and ideas together for the purpose of innovation.”  My initial thought upon reading the report was that it was a perfect description; my second thought was that I got away from this strength in 2011 and need to figure out how to get back to it in 2012.  For more on Sally’s research, go here.  Another way to think about Catalyst is to focus on the attributes of a Linchpin as described by the aforementioned Mr. Godin — Linchpins “invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos.  They figure out what to do when there’s no rule book.”   I focused on this a lot in 2010; not so much in 2011. In the swirl that’s many of our days, we avoid being a linchpin in favor of the safety of being a team member or individual contributor.  I’m trying to be more of a linchpin this year (e.g., I’m introducing LinkedIn connections to each other).

Purpose.  This was going to be a different word until New Year’s Day, when the family went to see the movie “Hugo,” which among other things contemplates the notion of purpose in one’s life.  Over the past few years, I’ve spent far less time in church – OK, just about none – and far less time focusing on things that might make a difference in other people’s lives.  This is a problem if you’re 52 as I am.  What will people say about me when I’m gone? Did I leave the world a better place?  Did I make a difference in someone’s life who will go on to make a difference in many others (I’m hoping I’ve done that with my kids, but I’m thinking more broadly here).  Tony Schwartz wrote on this subject on the Harvard Business Review blog recently and he asks the question even more simply, “Why am I here?”  I’ve taken baby steps on this word recently – signing up to review United Way allocation requests next month and trying to drive some changes in some of our communications strategies at work – but this one will clearly be my most difficult challenge this year.

So what about you?  What are your three words?  Son Tyler’s are Positive Mental Attitude, and I’ve seen a difference in the past six weeks as a result of his following that mantra.  Even if you don’t capture your three words in a blog post or comment, think the concept through.  Write them on a file card and carry them around with you and take a look at them periodically, particularly if your New Year’s Resolutions have already fallen by the wayside.

 

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Feb
05

Six things businesses better learn from the Komen fiasco

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Beyond the political aspect of the whole Komen-Planned Parenthood debacle — which is why most of Komen’s partners likely stayed quiet — there are some lessons that companies can take from the last few days when they’re thinking about business decisions that could blow up on social media.

Control the news cycle.  Put out a press release before someone else does (Planned Parenthood beat Komen to the punch).  Tell your own people first, so they don’t read it on the Internet first.  Recognize who the media might call for comment (think of them as influencers) and make sure they understand what you’re doing and why.  When you’re rehearsing interviews (TV or print) with your executives, don’t throw them softballs.  But also think about talking to reporters who have been friendly in the past because a lot of reporters will use those early stories when writing theirs.

Assume the worst going in.  It’s difficult to believe that someone didn’t raise the question of the potential reaction.  You need a place to clearly make your case.  You need to have some idea of how you’ll respond to venom in 120 characters or less (not 140-you need to leave room for retweeting your message).  You need to adequately prepare your senior leaders that you can’t hide, that it won’t die down, and that one comment will become 20,000 in the blink of an eye.  Will you comment?  When will you comment?  Who will comment if you need to?

And take a look at your mission statement and see if your decision or action is consistent.  Those things tend to end up gathering dust on the shelf, but this is the time to make sure you can defend your actions against a mission statement that you most likely created at a time when cooler heads were prevailing and everyone was being consulted.  Are you ready to be accountable for your decisions — because social media is about to make you so.

How do you track the impact?  The big question is whether the venom is coming from Komen’s core constituency (e.g., walkers and recurring donors).  Do you have any way of telling whether the “haters” are also customers?  Followers or Likes are not necessarily the best indicator.  Part of this assessment for charities includes whether there’s competition for the dollars (both for cancer research and for charitable donations in general) and the likelihood that when push comes to shove, will people look elsewhere when it comes time to write the check or commit to the walk.  You need to figure out what the right metrics are (let’s say recurring donations) and a way (and timeframe) to track them and then set expectations.

There are a number of questions in this area.  There’s the point of view that you can’t afford to lose a single donation (or customer).  But is that really true?  If you’re losing “customers,” are they the “right” customers to lose?  Every business has customers who are less profitable than others (or even ones who are unprofitable).  In some cases, one of the impacts of a business strategy is that your better customers spend more or aren’t impacted by your decision and other high-maintenance, low-profit customers will go elsewhere.  There’s also the question of whether donors or customers will watch the process and decide that you’ve either (1) learned from your mistake or (2) never personally had a bad experience with you and thus will decide to let this one slide because the cause or product/service is a good one.

Are we exposed in other areas?  Reaction to the decision was one thing, but the comments quickly shifted to other things (e.g., executive salaries, percentage of donations spent on cancer research, amount of donations spent on Ari Fleischer).   What other corporate strategies will be tied to this one?  What long-buried news stories will be revived and replayed?  Google your senior executives and see how they’ve branded themselves online (did Komen really think Karen Handel’s published views on Planned Parenthood wouldn’t become a big part of the story?).  You have to ask the hard question — what else? — before moving forward.  Like sharks to chum, people will look for your weak spot and remember — they’ll all attack from different perspectives.

Don’t make a controversial decision that will end up being your first REAL foray into social media.  If you haven’t had conversations (as opposed to just listening or posting) with your customers and the blogsphere as a whole, this is not the time for on-the-job training.  Now is not the time to create an infrastructure,  to create approval processes that will help you respond within minutes or hours instead of days.  Engage experts to create these processes because your senior leaders are not ready to deal with the ferocity of a negative social-media reaction.

What’s the impact of reversing your decision?  Which hurt Komen more — the original funding decision or the reversal?  There’s a trust question here.  A reversal will raise questions both internally and externally about your will to implement tough decisions under pressure in the future.  And businesses in general need to start being concerned about the way the recent string of reversals by different companies is empowering the blogosphere to feel that they can make a difference.  Include an exit strategy in your original deliberations and assess the financial impact of flip-flopping.

Things look dark for Komen right now.  But the real test will come not during this news cycle but 3-6 months from now.  Will things have calmed down?  And will Komen have taken actions that restore their constituents’ trust?  Only time will tell.

 

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Feb
01

It’s a long way from strategy to execution

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I recently heard a podcast with Mark Horstman and Mike Auzenne (the Manager Tools and Career Tools guys) that quoted a passage from John Brown’s Body in a way that really resonated with me.  It really gets to the heart of the challenges of turning strategy and planning into execution.  Or, as Mike Tyson once said (and I can’t swear someone didn’t say it earlier), “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

With that in mind, I share the following passage with you.  I printed it out and put it on the bulletin board at work.

“If you take a flat map and move wooden blocks upon it strategically,

The thing looks well, the blocks behave as they should.
The science of war is moving live men like blocks.
And getting the blocks into place at a fixed moment.
But it takes time to mold your men into blocks
And flat maps turn into country where, creeks and gullies
Hamper your wooden squares. They stick in the brush,
They are tired and rest, they straggle after ripe blackberries
And you cannot lift them up in your hand and move them….
It is all so clear in the maps, so clear in the mind,
But the orders are slow, the men in the blocks are slow
To move, when they start they take too long on the way
The General loses his stars and the block–men die
In unstrategic defiance of martial law
Because still used to just being men, not block parts.”

What are you doing to make sure you’re not looking at your people as “block parts?”

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Dec
28

Six things I’m doing this week to hit the ground running in 2012

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I'm working on ways to simplify my day-to-day approach to work and be more effective.

It’s a slow week at work, the rest of the family is either doing other things or sleeping late, and I’ve been feeling lately like I’m not in control of things to the degree I have been in the past.  So I’m focusing on six things to get myself ready for next year — so I can be even better at executing on my goals…

  • Cleaning out my e-mail.  Yes, I’m one of those people who have 1,000+ items in my work e-mail and a somewhat smaller number in my home e-mail.  Our work system doesn’t let us keep more than three months in our Inbox so that tells you how bad things have gotten there.  But I’ve been saving important attachments to my laptop and printing out key messages and putting them in project folders.  I’m down to 680 and plan to be under 100 by the end of the week.
  • Eliminating piles.  Continuing the “I’m a packrat” theme, I finally confronted the three ugly piles (representing nearly three feet of paper) of completed projects, PowerPoint decks, and other “stuff” from the past year that needed attention (and a similar pile at home that includes ideas for blog posts and other things).  I got rid of two feet yesterday — most of that going into the shredder — and added a few important things to current project folders that will eliminate a frenzied search early in the New Year.
  • Blocking out time to get things done.  I listened to one of those “painfully obvious” podcasts (kudos to the guys at Career Tools) on the way home yesterday and immediately went into my laptop to block “me time” during the work day to ensure I could focus without distractions on MY key deliverables.  I recognize that there will be some unavoidable meetings that will be booked into that time, but now I’ll be able to consciously think about whether I really need to attend that meeting and/or will consider moving that Me Time into another open slot.
  • Taking a hard look at my project list.  One page that includes the project, key deliverables, and key partners.  There are too many items on the current list (which is arguably a good thing in the current environment), but I’m finding I need to reprioritize.  I’ve attached my project list template as one approach.  I include barriers in the Short-Term Deliverables column as needed, and put deadlines there.  Separate columns just got clunky.  I really think the Big Rocks section at the top helps me focus on the really important stuff.  My version is in Word, but I previously built it in Excel to help with sorting.  I know there are applications and other online tools for this.  For me, this works because I can store it on my desktop and easily update for 1-on-1s with my manager.
  • Identifying my Three Words for 2012.   Chris Brogan may not be the first to do this, but he’s certainly raised the visibility of this annual exercise.  These are words that will guide my (and your) efforts for the coming year.  It requires you to think through your biggest goals, your biggest rocks, and then think about how you’re going to achieve them in a simple, structured manner.  I’m still working on mine — and that will be the subject of a post later this week — by at least one will be Story focusing on the importance of narrative in what I do.
  • Better organize my Evernote files and start using a small notebook.  I downloaded Evernote about eight months ago but only recently started thinking through how to best use it — particularly since my company blocks it at work.  It’s a great way to capture ideas in one place from your phone, your desktop, or your web browser.  I need to spend some time this week searching out best practices and get into the habit of using it more than I have been.  I’ve also been carrying around a notebook for blog ideas and other thoughts that increasingly go through my mind without sticking long-term.  I think these two small things are a missed opportunity in 2011 that I need to focus on in 2012.

Are you cruising into the New Year by recharging your batteries and finishing a few projects or are you preparing to hit the ground running and execute on your key deliverables in 2012?  What are you doing to get ready?

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Oct
10

Why are you expanding your LinkedIn network?

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If the unthinkable happens, are you really ready?

I’ve seen a big uptick in the number of people inviting me to Connect with them on LinkedIn — and a lot of my current connections are also adding people left and right.  That’s not a particularly huge surprise since most of them work for the same company I do — one that recently said it anticipates cutting tens of thousands of jobs over the next few years.

I think most people who receive these Invitations just hit Accept and move on (or they go into their profiles periodically and do a Mass Accept).  But I tend to take a quick look before accepting.

Here’s the problem I’m seeing.  Very few of them seem to have considered WHY they’re doing all this Linking In.  One presumes their goal is to “start networking” in case the unthinkable happens.  I think I’d be focusing on Connecting with people who work OUTSIDE the same four walls I do.  Those people probably won’t help much since they’re likely to be worried about the same problem, even if they survive the first set of cuts.  There’s something to be said for both either expanding your network for pain empathy and/or gaining access to that other person’s network (i.e., people with 500+ Connections are likely targets).

But many of these profiles don’t have Summaries (either expressing what makes them unique or saying what they’re looking for).  They just list their past employers — with no detail on accomplishments or even responsibilities.  Nothing that shows personality.  Nothing that shows what they could offer another employer.  Not even a recent Update that would show the kinds of things they’re working on.  Their headlines say what they do rather than who they are.  And no picture that will either create a visual connection with a prospective employer or client (or one that will help a new Connection remember who the heck they are).

It’s like they’re viewing LinkedIn as a check mark on a To Do list, rather than a strategic imperative.   They see it as a security blanket or fishing net, rather than a tool for reinforcing their brand identity to companies that may be looking for someone who fits their unique skills.  Because let’s face it — if the unthinkable happens in the current environment, you’re going to need all the help you can get to get someone’s attention.

I’m fine with hitting Accept to these invitations.  It’s clear from my Profile that I can help if you need some advice on strengthening your profile.  I’m happy — in most cases — to introduce you to my Connections.  But the truth is that Connecting also makes me more visible to a larger number of people and I know that I’ve optimized my Profile for searches and make it clear what differentiates me from others — particularly those who are Connecting without a plan or strategy.

Have you?

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Aug
29

A quick way to customize your LinkedIn profile

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I’ve offered some tips in this space for beefing up your LinkedIn profile.   Here’s a quick way to customize your profile and generate additional clicks to your website and/or blog.

You don’t have to use the LinkedIn default for Website pages; you can provide visitors to your page the actual name of your site or blog.  Just go into Edit Profile.  Odds are that many of you just used Company Website, Personal Website, or Blog.  Instead, go to Other and type in the actual name (e.g., Bulldog Simplicity) and make sure you have your full URL (including http://).

Voila!  Personalization…and most likely, more eyes on your website or blog.  And that’s the way to really drive home your personal brand to prospective employers or clients, who might otherwise have passed it by.

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Jul
05

Simple ways to build your social media presence

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If you're new to LinkedIn or Twitter, start slowly.

 I recently helped someone set up his LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. He was new to the whole social-media thing and just wanted to dip his toe in the water — basically the same place I was a few years ago – so I put together a few tips for LinkedIn and Twitter to try to help him.  My broad advice was to Think Reciprocity:  The more you help and give to others, the more they will want to help you in return.  I also advised him to schedule time each week (on a weekend or early in the AM) to do some of these things.  I hope these suggestions help some of you who are just getting started.  If you have loads of experience, please consider adding your suggestions.

For LinkedIn:

1.  Update your Status once or twice per week to show regular professional activity and to stay in front of your connections.  When people log in, their home pages pop up and show Status Updates from their connections.  Updating regularly will keep you visible to connections.  Avoid personal stuff.

2.  Regularly monitor other people’s Status Updates and send quick notes of congratulations (personal or on LinkedIn) where appropriate.

3.  Look for opportunties to Connect (clients, friends, fellow group members).  The key to LinkedIn success is 2nd and 3rd generation connections.  I prefer to personalize my Invites (and avoid the default), but others don’t worry as much about it.  It irritates me a bit, but I tend to Accept either way.

4.    Ask for Recommendations that use your keywords (it’s OK to provide guidance) and create unsolicited Recommendations for former associates or clients.  Once you get 5+ Recommendations, copy/paste them into Word and post the sheet through the Box.net application available through your profile.

5.  Join Groups along three paths: (1) potential clients; (2) people in your line of business; and (3) personal connections (e.g., alumni groups or sports affiliations through your children — those people you meet on the sidelines).  Spend some time in each one replying to Discussion Topics and building your network (which will likely lead to Invitations to Connect).  Don’t go crazy.  Set aside some time each week to do it. 

6.  Consider starting a Private Group, a by-invitation-only group to establish dialogue with and among influencers.  Consider using this as a place to bring together local businesses or clients.

7.  Use the Advanced Search function to generate prospect leads or prepare for calls and appointments.  Use 2nd Degree connections in your search rather than the default “All LinkedIn members” to see your best referral avenues/information sources for new relationships.

8.  Look for opportunities to introduce Connections in your network to each other.

9.  Set aside 30 minutes per week to Answer (and Ask) questions.  It builds your credibility and leads to new connections.  Asking questions can also be a quick way to get new product ideas or feedback.  But don’t go overboard.  I think a lot of LinkedIn members wonder about their connections that are answering triple-digit questions every week (and that shows up on the daily and weekly Status Updates).

10.  Periodically scroll through the LinkedIn applications and see if any will help “personalize” your profile.

And for Twitter:

1.  Clarify your goals and stay focused.  Those goals may be as simple as Build Relationships and Drive Awareness (and that could be drive awareness of other people’s interesting projects.  Lots of people just use Twitter to promote other people’s things, interesting posts, and useful causes and charities.

2.  Promote other people on a (more or less) 10:1 ratio of promoting yourself.  Retweet often but ALWAYS give credit to the person who found it first (i.e., use via @XXXX).

3.  Leave room for retweets on your original tweet (i.e., keep your Tweets below 100-120 characters). If you’re Retweeting, add a comment (you’ll need a service like TweetDeck to do that).  Edit the original Tweet if necessary.

4.  Participate in professional chats (check your stream or search for hashtags (or use the word “chat” in a search).

5.  Respond to Mentions.  Thank people for Retwteeting you.  Use Direct Messages for 1-to-1 conversations.

6.  Take 10 mintues every few days to use Twitter Search to look for references to you and your company and to identify people to Follow who share similar interests or discuss interesting subjects.

7.  Use Twitter to ask your customers questions and good good answers.

8.  Spend a few minutes each week looking at your Followers lists to remove spammers and to identify people who look interesting and Follow them.

9.  Be conversational in your Tweets, even if it’s a collective “person” representing the company.

10.  No matter what anyone tells you, don’t set up an Auto DM (automatic Direct Message) to send to new Followers.  It doesn’t feel like relationship-building.

 

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Jul
04

As the economy improves, it’s time to refocus your LinkedIn profile

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I’ve received a number of LinkedIn invitations recently.  Some are from people who have been consulting out of necessity but for various reasons are now seeking full-time work.  Others are from people who seem to have just thrown a profile up on the LinkedIn, in hopes something good will fall into their laps.  Those have their current title as a headline and the rest of the Profile — Summary included — is basically a resume.

I just helped my son, a sophomore film student in Washington, D.C., create his LinkedIn profile as he starts looking for internships and freelance video- and audio-production work.  I’d like to share the document we used to create his profile and the one I use to help clients think through what they want and, perhaps more important, what they have to offer a prospective employer or client.

LinkedIn has a far simpler search engine than Google.  That’s why I spend a lot of time asking the people I work with to think through what their “keywords” would be if a recruiter or prospect would use to find someone like them.  We then focus on those words when creating the Profile, balancing the flow of the narrative with the recognition that the more time your keyword appears, the higher you’ll end up in the rankings. 

There’s a lot of advice on the Internet relative to writing your LinkedIn profiles.  I created this document for clients, Beefing Up Your LinkedIn Profile and am posting it here as free advice from someone who smiles when he gets an Invitation to Connect from someone who has clearly thought through hat they want to say about themselves and their personal brand.  I hope it helps!

If it gets you thinking, but you still need some help with the writing, feel free to let me know.

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Apr
01

Do you pass the “Hello” test?

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Hello…Hello…Hello.

Good morning…good morning…hello…good morning…

I was walking to an early-morning meeting in a different building yesterday and I heard a voice behind me repeating the same two phrases over and over.  Probably 20 in all.

I finally turned around, thinking maybe he was trying to get my attention.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning.  How are you?,” I replied with a smile and a quizzical look, realizing he had been talking to the people passing us going in the other direction.

“Great.  I was conducting a test and you’re the only one who passed,” he said with a look that mixed sadness and a bit of relief and happiness that someone had actually responded.

Would you have passed?

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