Stephen B. on LinkedIn: The Pitfalls of 'Assuming Good Intentions'​: Why Behaviour Matters More in… (2024)

Value is a word I've been thinking about a lot lately. It holds a lot of weight and dictates a lot of decisions that are made, both in positive and negative ways. I think I've been mostly focusing on the subject of what value I bring in my approach to project management, to team building, to my production department, and in that...what is next for my aspirational self? The kinds of questions like "what do you want to work on next" or "where do you see yourself in 5 years" have been feeling pretty elusive to me lately. It's like I can't answer them, because I look at all the knowledge that's ahead of me that I will only ever know with experience so I guess, figuring out what I don't know? Then I convince myself that I know nothing and spiral down the self doubt train. 🚂 Toot Toot! All aboard!I've been in a pretty uneasy place this week, feeling like things are going too well and that hammer's gotta drop, festering in stress. Or that I haven't handled things as well as I would have liked, but I also tried my best so I hope that's good enough.More stress.And then it happened. Like the sun peeking behind gray, heavy clouds, I had several unprompted compliments come my way in unexpected conversations. Positive words out of my coworker's mouths, hearsay that clients I haven't even formally met have a good impression of me, and thanks from leadership about recent accomplishments. They let me know how they have noticed and appreciated the work I've done, and it was on things I didn't think had that big of an impact. I'm just doing my job, right? It reminded me that sometimes a small thing can have a ripple effect. I think I will continue to build the foundation of my aspirational self upon the quest to understanding people. My philosophy lies in treating people as individuals where they feel supported, challenged (in a good way!), and trusted to do their work. After all, they make the magic happen... I just ask how long will it take and did they make a Jira ticket for it? 😝 I think I can lay some of my internal struggles to rest a bit and ride the high of receiving meaningful feedback and praise from those around me. Taking time to let people know their impact on you, can really make all the difference. ❔ Do you have a time where you felt like you were struggling to find your value, especially in your early career?

15

8 Comments

🔥𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙙𝙄𝙣 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠!🔥🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 🚀______________________________________We often focus on the technical aspects when it comes to improvement projects - the latest tools, methodologies, and strategies. But have you ever considered the powerful role that owner psychology plays in the success or failure of these initiatives? 💡💥 𝙋𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨: A well-intentioned improvement project gets launched with high hopes, but somewhere along the way, it falls flat on its face. Deadlines are missed, budgets overrun, and frustration mounts. Why does this happen? It's time to lift the veil on the secret culprit: Owner Psychology. 💥🚦 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝: Owners who lack trust in the process, fear the unknown, or cling to outdated practices inadvertently create roadblocks that hinder project success. Their hesitation seeps into the team, impacting morale, motivation, and ultimately, results. It's not just a matter of following a project plan; it's about understanding the human dynamics at play. 🚦🌟 𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘺𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴:1️⃣ Control Freak Syndrome: Owners who struggle to delegate or micromanage every aspect, stifling creativity and innovation.2️⃣ Status Quo Bias: Owners who resist change and prefer to maintain the existing way of doing things, even if it hinders progress.3️⃣ Fear of Failure: Owners who are risk-averse and avoid taking necessary risks, preventing the exploration of new possibilities.4️⃣ Confirmation Bias: Owners who seek information that aligns with their preconceived notions, ignoring valuable insights and diverse perspectives.5️⃣ Short-Term Thinking: Owners who prioritize immediate gains over long-term benefits, sacrificing the potential for sustainable improvement.6️⃣ Lack of Communication: Owners who fail to effectively communicate project goals, expectations, or provide necessary support, leading to confusion and disengagement.#ImprovementProjects #OwnerPsychology #ProjectSuccess #TransformationalLeadership #CollaborationMatters

4

🌌 Breaking Barriers: Theory of Constraints Beyond Projects!💡I've always been fascinated by innovative approaches that transcend traditional boundaries. Today, I'm thrilled to share a mind-bending revelation: The Theory of Constraints (TOC) isn't confined to projects and operations alone – it has the potential to revolutionize how we conquer our daily challenges too! In 1984, Eliyahu Goldratt introduced the Theory of Constraints to managers through his groundbreaking book "The Goal". At its core, TOC contends that several constraints hinder the ability of management or manufacturing systems to achieve their objectives fully. Invariably, there exists at least one constraint, acting as a limiting factor and creating a bottleneck. TOC employs a set of five focusing steps to identify and subsequently enhance this constraint, ultimately eliminating its bottleneck effect.Beyond the Boardroom:While TOC has been a game-changer in project management, its applications stretch far beyond the corporate realm. This revolutionary philosophy can supercharge our personal lives, igniting a spark of efficiency in everything we do!Embracing TOC in Daily Life:1. Identifying Constraints: Imagine being able to pinpoint the exact roadblocks holding you back – whether it's limited time, lack of expertise, or scarce resources. TOC talks about identifying these constraints as the first step.2. Exploiting the Constraint: Unleash your hidden potential! Once you've spotted the constraint, TOC challenges you to make the most of what you have, breaking through barriers like never before by fully utilizing your potential and eliminating unnecessary tasks.3. Subordinate Non-Constraints: From balancing career aspirations to family commitments, prioritization is the name of the game. TOC guides you to align non-constraining tasks that enhance constraints performance, creating a harmonious life blend.4.Elevate the Constraint: Stuck in a rut? TOC sparks the ingenuity needed to elevate constraints. Whether it's acquiring new skills or seeking support, you'll be amazed at your newfound ability to transcend limitations!5.Continuous Improvement: The journey of self-discovery never ends! Adopting TOC in our daily life will help us cultivate a constant growth culture and refine our approach to life's challenges.I'm eager to hear your thoughts! Share your views in the comment section below.#TheoryOfConstraints #BeyondProjects #LifeOptimization #BreakBarriers #PersonalDevelopment

26

2 Comments

Your project charter should spell out how the project is being managed And your organization change plan will be your tool

If you aren't experiencing failure, then you are making a far worse mistake!This Sunday I have been thinking about making mistakes and experiencing failure. It's not rare for a team to discover themselves in a situation where something did not go the way it should have. A mistake is something we all want to avoid. It does not create the feeling of satisfaction, bring joy or bring glory, at least typically. Yet, this should be every manager's job to create such an open environment, where failure is honoured. We all look back at our failures and say, this is what made us who we are. However, thinking about the future, we typically never wish to fail. Given the world of Instagram and news which only broadcast the biggest wins, it becomes unacceptable to make mistakes. When talking about companies and teams, it is vital to remember that failure is not a reflection of the team's worth or abilities, but rather an inherent aspect of the team learning process. By embracing failure, teams can develop resilience, and creativity, and achieve greater success in their endeavours. Creative teams will result in more motivated efforts which in the end will reflect in every company's financials.The willingness to fail has to be embedded in a company’s culture. Avoid merely saying that failing is safe, for many words are just words. Make mistakes a celebrated learning session. Celebrated in a way that everyone understands why and what went wrong. This is not the moment to pop the champagne but to objectively learn from the experience.After a mistake, make a thorough post-mortem. A post-mortem should include:🔸A summary of what went wrong in a few sentences.🔸Describe the sequence of events that led to the outcome.🔸What is the root cause of the outcome?🔸What is the impact to the business/team?🔸How was this mistake detected?🔸What actions were taken once discovered?🔸How this outcome will be avoided in future.Make the post-mortem available to everybody, who is affected (or the whole company)Encourage people to experiment, and empower teams with creativity. But preferably, do your experiments in a controlled way.

12

1 Comment

Handling scope creep is one of the most challenging and important aspects of a project manager’s role. This often means saying “no” when stakeholders request additional features or changes. In this article, the author outlines practical strategies for how to push back on more work in a way that maintains your relationship with the requester, whether that’s the project sponsor, a customer, or another stakeholder.Very insightful article as I feel the key points and learnings can be used beyond project management. Asking open questions like the ones below can be used in other situations. For example, when your People Leader asks you to change direction with a task, or adds more work to your already full plate...- What specifically would you like me to do?- What’s motivating your request at this time?- What are you hoping to achieve with this change?- On a scale of 1 to 10, how critical to the project does this feel to you?- If we had to make tradeoffs to fulfill your request, is there anything specific you’d be willing to give up?

11

The Growth Lab Founder, Jeremy Farrell, recently commented on a post on recovering from toxic managers. He used a list drawn from the below which he wrote about proactively creating psychologically safe environments (thereby avoiding toxic managers and cultures!). Psychologically safe teams are those in which members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of negative consequences. These are therefore fertile ground for the development of resilient people and organisations.Creating a psychologically safe project team requires a deliberate effort by managers, team leaders and members to establish an environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves without fear of negative consequences.Here are some ways to create a psychologically safe team:Lead by example: As a leader, model the behaviour you want to see in your team. Share your thoughts, ideas, and concerns, and be open to feedback and constructive criticism.Encourage open communication: Set the tone for open communication by creating opportunities for team members to share their thoughts and ideas. Encourage active listening, and respond with respect and empathy to feedback.Create a culture of trust: Build trust by being honest and transparent with your team. Encourage your team members to be open and honest with one another, and work to resolve conflicts constructively and respectfully.Provide psychological safety training: Training team members on the importance of psychological safety and creating a psychologically safe environment. This can include effective communication, active listening, and conflict resolution training.Foster team cohesion: Create opportunities for team members to get to know one another personally. This can include team-building activities or social events that allow team members to connect and build relationships.Celebrate diversity: Encourage team members to bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the table. Celebrate diversity and create an environment that values differences.Avoid blaming or shaming: Avoid blaming or shaming team members for mistakes or failures. Instead, focus on solutions and use mistakes as learning opportunities.By focusing on these strategies, you can create a psychologically safe project team where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of negative consequences. This can lead to better communication, higher quality work, and improved outcomes for the project.#projectmanagement#leaders#empathy#diversity#culture#resilience#toxicleadership#psychologicalsafety(Extract from 'Create a Resilient Project Management and Delivery Culture' by Jeremy Farrell)https://amzn.eu/d/dkTg8M3

CEO: “So, things aren’t going very well are they?”It’s November 2019, and I already feel like I’m on the verge of burn out.What I really wanted was a hug and a holiday, not my boss telling me I sucked.Still here I was, and I couldn’t deny that the feedback was accurate. Things weren’t going very well. And weirdly, it also brought into focus what I needed to do. I stopped worrying about the endless deluge of emails, meetings and distractions that were my regular day-to-day.I focused on working out exactly what was going wrong and fixing it.And that led me to fall back on a pattern I realise I’ve often used before when things seem bleakest:🛑 1. Leaning into the problem💬 2. Reaching out to others🎯 3. Distilling the essence of the problem🤝 4. Acting together🛑 Leaning into the problemI knew immediately this feedback wasn’t going away on its own. I needed to face it directly. I bought some time saying “You’re right, give me a few days and I’ll come back with a plan”💬 Reaching out to othersAt this point I didn’t really know what the problem was, or where to start.So I reached out to 5-6 peers I worked closely with and asked them for feedback on product in general.These conversations started to reenergise me.People were supportive and had ideas.I began to see a way forwards.🎯 Distilling the essence of the problemThe feedback from others was also fairly consistent. No one understood how or why we built things.Everyone had a different idea of what should be happening.Feedback veered erratically from questioning the problems we were solving to wordsmithing the copy.I realised we needed to define our development process publicly.We had to agree more regular check ins for alignment along the way.This wasn’t something I’d done before.🤝 Acting togetherNow I had a clearer idea of the problem, but no idea how to solve it.So again I reached out to others around me.This time some of the PMs reporting into me.Together we mapped out the development processCore to this were the check ins with stakeholders we’d commit to, and feedback that would be helpful at each stage.I passed it by the CEO, and we started to make the necessary changes.Success didn’t come overnight, but a corner had been turned.With a clear plan in place, the pressure was off.And gradually things improved.***Overall, the experience reinforced old truths, rather than taught me new lessons:* Product is a team sport* You do your best work by collaborating closely with your colleagues* It’s not all down to youSo if you’re feeling a little raw and tired towards the year end, don’t just cling on for Christmas.Grab a coffee with a colleague and ask for some help.Or DM me and I’ll share what wisdom and encouragement I can.

65

4 Comments

𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲.Little things completed correctly result in big tasks getting completed" is a fundamental principle of productivity and success. Here are some key aspects of how this principle works:👉🏻Building Blocks: Large tasks are often comprised of numerous smaller components. When you systematically and correctly complete these smaller elements, it eventually leads to the completion of the larger task. Each small step contributes to the overall progress.👉🏻Momentum: Successfully accomplishing little tasks can create a sense of accomplishment and momentum. This positive feedback can motivate you to tackle more significant tasks with the same level of diligence and commitment.👉🏻Quality Control: Focusing on getting the little things right ensures quality and precision. When every detail is attended to, the end result is more likely to be of high quality.👉🏻Reducing Overwhelm: Large projects can be overwhelming. Breaking them down into smaller, manageable tasks makes them less daunting and more achievable. This reduces stress and increases the likelihood of completing the project successfully.👉🏻Consistency: Consistently handling small tasks correctly fosters discipline and good habits. This discipline can be applied to bigger tasks, contributing to overall success.👉🏻Time Management: Effective time management involves prioritizing and completing smaller tasks efficiently. When you manage your time well on these smaller tasks, you free up time and energy for more substantial projects.👉🏻Learning and Improvement: By focusing on getting the little things right, you can learn from your experiences and continuously improve your skills. This can be applied to larger tasks, making you more effective in the long run.👉🏻Minimizing Errors: Attending to details reduces the chances of errors and setbacks. Addressing small issues before they become big problems can save time and resources.In both personal and professional settings, success often hinges on the ability to pay attention to the small details and execute them correctly. This principle is at the core of effective project management, time management, and personal development strategies. It's a valuable reminder that even the most ambitious goals can be achieved one small, correct step at a time.#work #people #leadership #motivation #teams #management #collaboration #sustainability #growth #opportunities #development #emotionalintelligence #success #learning #personaldevelopment #letsconnectDisclaimer-The video doesn't belong to me. I got it from an unknown open source .

4

2 Comments

RESILIENCE IN ACTION: BOUNCING BACK TO PROJECT TRIUMPH"Perseverance is not a long race; it's many short races one after another." - Walter ElliotThe ability to bounce back from setbacks and persevere is the heartbeat of success. Today, let's unravel the transformative power of resilience and how it can be the guiding light that leads your projects to triumph.EMBRACING SETBACKS AS STEPPING STONES 🌈Resilience is the art of transforming setbacks into stepping stones. A resilient project manager doesn't see challenges as roadblocks but as opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow. It's about navigating the unpredictable with a spirit that turns adversity into a catalyst for innovation.BUILDING A CULTURE OF ADAPTIVE FORTITUDE ⚓Resilience is contagious. By embodying resilience, a project manager inspires the team to cultivate adaptive fortitude. It's about creating a culture where every setback becomes a collective challenge to overcome, forging a stronger and more united team ready to face any storm that comes their way.STAYING THE COURSE WITH DETERMINATION 🚢In the face of uncertainty, a resilient project manager stays the course with determination. Rather than succumbing to doubt or fear, they lead with unwavering resolve. It's about instilling confidence in the team that, no matter the challenges, the project will prevail through persistence and resilience.LEARNING AND EVOLVING THROUGH ADVERSITY 🔄Resilience is a journey of continuous learning and evolution. Every setback becomes an opportunity to reassess, recalibrate, and emerge stronger. A project manager who embraces resilience understands that growth often comes from the most challenging experiences.NOW, THE QUESTION TO YOU:How can you cultivate and embody resilience within your project management approach, ensuring that every setback becomes a stepping stone toward the triumph of your projects?#ResilientLeadership #ProjectManagement #AdaptiveResilience #Perseverance #ProjectTriumph #LeadershipInAdversity #ProjectSuccess #CultivateResilience #AdaptAndOvercome #GuidingThroughSetbacks