Tag Archives: project

  • -
project work

Project Work Will Put You In The Lead

Tags : 

Are you ready to work? What about being ready to learn, contribute, or go the extra mile? Project work may be exactly what you need to create more success.

We might call work, work, but project work has a slightly different feeling. Thinking of work in terms of a project assumes that there is a beginning and an end. It is more than an ongoing effort with little urgency and a boring trudge that never ends.

Job Roles

Front line job roles often suggest they need self-starters, people who are motivated and people who show up both physically and emotionally.

Since it may not be described as a management role, it also implies that successful employees will receive direction from a boss or other colleagues.

Some people expect this style of leadership. They arrive, but they don’t start until they are given direction. Some roles this is appropriate for, but for those seeking more things are going to have to be different.

Should you start a project?

Project Work

One reason some employees never appear to be in any hurry is because there is always tomorrow. Tomorrow they’ll do the same thing they are doing now and the same thing they did last week.

No rush, no hurry, just another day on the never-ending project.

Workplaces often need more. They need people who not only accept direction and complete assigned work, but they need contributors.

Employees might consider how they can give more instead of doing less.

What if you took a risk to make a reasonable suggestion? A suggestion delivered with tact and respect not grumbling or aggression, might that make a difference?

Imagine if you bought a book that connects with your job duties or industry sector. Imagine what you might learn and how it may help you accomplish more.

What might happen if you asked about the possibilities of workshops, seminars, or other learning events.

How would things change when you do more for the customer, your team, or to benefit the organization?

When you think about it as a project it doesn’t have to be boring work that never ends, or a painful trudge day-in and day-out.

Have a goal, make the start, finish the project and then start another.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.


  • -
hard part

The Hard Part, How Does It Impact Your Project?

Tags : 

Have you been thinking about the hard part? Do you tackle the hard part first or do you get the easy stuff out of the way?

A better question to ask might be, “What is it about the hard part that makes it so difficult?”

Results are results. The outcome that you seek, or that the project commands is typically predetermined. Contrary to some scattered opinions, most projects have an end in mind.

Is the challenge about the time commitment or is it a skills gap? Does it require extra resources or financial support or is it just viewed as not so easy?

Have you considered what changes would make it better?

Hard Part

Sometimes the hard part feels like the scary part. It is the part that you have been procrastinating about. It might be avoided, put off, or granted the wish of disappearance.

Disappearance seldom occurs.

Perhaps breaking it down, creating smaller pieces would provide more focus and keep things moving. Would that make it better, easier?

One of the hardest things about the hard part is maintaining your commitment.

Doing the work is part of it, yet, having the skills and resources may also be a sticking point.

Making your work better will always have an impact on the project outcomes. When the toughest parts get easier the return on investment improves.

It seems that the magic of the project is always assessed by the difficulty encountered.

Making the toughest stuff easier is likely the pathway you seek.

Avoidance and delays always require more resources.

Don’t add to the difficulty.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.


  • -
finished

Are You Finished or Just Out of Time?

Tags : 

Many people accomplish a lot during their workday. For the project, new product development, or the marketing campaign, is the work finished or are you simply running out of time?

Procrastinating students do it, they wait too long to start and they must turn in their work on time. It may be true for your workout, doing your hair, or brushing your teeth. There is a deadline, and then everything stops.

I believe it was the famous American football coach, Vince Lombardi, who said, “We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.”

It happens for the blog post, the graduate dissertation, and the cabinet maker. One axis of measurement for the product always seems to be connected to time. When time is up, it is finished.

If we are almost out of time, the quality or level of innovation may suffer.

Standards or Efficiency?

Consider that your standards are your standards, and how you measure quality is conditioned by time.

It happens in manufacturing and it happens in healthcare. Time is always working against quality and is inclusive for the measurement of efficiency.

People claim, “We need more time.”

The response in one form or another often is, “Time is money.”

What is the most useful metric? What axis of measurement are you using?

Are You Finished?

The best work always seems to happen when the builder claims the work is finished. An alternate claim is, “I ran out of time, and so, I’m finished.” When this happens, something suffered.

For your next project, brainstorming session, or the report you are about to turn in to your boss, ask yourself how it would be different if you removed the axis of time.

Will it change the finished work? Should it?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.


  • -
entire project

Fun Stuff Only or Managing the Entire Project

Tags : 

Chances are good you have some project management skills. Certainly, there are project management professionals too, those who make a living managing projects. Are you skilled at managing the entire project?

I’ve worked with many different project management personalities.

There are those who like to talk about the project, but do very little tactically. There are those who hate the meetings and small talk but accomplish tremendous amounts of work.

Group Style

If you serve in a project group, a committee, or have the responsibility to lead or manage projects have you considered your style? What would others say about your style?

Years ago, I worked with a committee who had the responsibility for numerous events and activities throughout a year. Annual kickoff committee meetings always brought out a good amount of committee participation. Like many committees as time moved forward, participation dropped.

There were always standouts. The naysayers, the roadblocks, the pessimists, and on the other end of the spectrum there were the overachievers, the overcommitted, and the volunteer for everything (produce little) members.

Amid all this there were the steady members. Those who held things together, attained little recognition for large contributions, and dug in and got things done.

Do you pick and choose your contributions?

Entire Project

The most successful workplace professionals are well rounded with project management contributions.

It’s not appropriate or effective to manage only the pieces you truly enjoy.

If you’re inviting the in-laws over for dinner chances are good you’ll have to clean the house first. You’ll have to plan the meal, snacks, and beverages. Shopping for the necessities are on the list too. Then the meal prep, delivery, and the after dinner clean up.

Sure, you can delegate with the bring a dish, or bring your favorite beverage, but it’s still your responsibility.

Doing only the fun stuff only won’t complete the project and may result in unfavorable judgment.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+


  • -
work together appreciative strategies

3 Ways to Get the Team to Work Together

Tags : 

Are you working with a team on a project? Are you trying to start or launch something new, make a change, or simply make forward progress? How do you get the team to work together?

People have been asking the same question for years, “Why can’t we all just get along?” Answers to this question can be challenging. Finding mutual agreement in several key areas might help.

Discovering Harmony

Here are a few things that might help your team find harmony.

  1. Understand the goal. Sometimes co-workers lose sight of the fact that you are all in it together. It shouldn’t be this person against that person or this clique over that clique. Teams that can agree on the goal are a step ahead of the rest. You might have different ideas on how to there, but the goal is understood.
  2. Agree on measurement. Can you agree on how you will measure success? What are the timelines and milestones? If you can agree on the goal, you should be able to form some consensus on the measurement. What will you measure and how?
  3. Accept the facts. A willingness to search for and understand the facts might be critical. Evidence is often hard to disregard. At the same time, working too hard to prove the point isn’t necessarily the best approach. Consider facts to be tools. Use them as appropriate to help create effective measurement.

Teams that are on the same journey are the most effective. Those who can’t agree on the goal, measurement, or facts have additional challenges.

Work Together

We might need to accept that there is more than one way to get to the end result. Sometimes the process needs to be fluid, but the goal remains unchanged.

What would you do if you were ship wrecked? Most would prefer to cooperate and never crash in the first place.

Work together, it seems to make the most sense.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+


Search This Website

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Blog (Filter) Categories

Follow me on Twitter

Assessment Services and Tools

Strategic, Competency, or Needs Assessments, DiSC Assessments, 360 Feedback, and more. Learn more