Best of thoughtLEADERS 2012: A 55 Gallon Drum of Awesomesauce
This year is almost over so it’s time for the year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2012. It’s time for the 2012 edition of The Figgies (here are the 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions). This is an annual event here at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. Here’s how it goes: this list [...]
How to Avoid the Perils of Being a Project Manager
Today’s guest post is by Rhona Aylward – a very experienced project manager who has seen some ridiculous things in her career. I’ve been involved with projects in one form or another for 14 years and over the years I’ve had some humdingers. I’d like to share some of the weirdest experiences I’ve had as [...]
Team Development is Not a Straight Line Drive
Today’s guest post is by Sean Glaze, an expert in team-building and coaching. You can read more about him at the end of the post. Here’s Sean… As a basketball coach, I used to talk to my team about the importance of the straight line drive when we focused on offensive team development. The idea [...]
Get Out of B.E.D. And Alter Your Outcomes
Today’s post is by Marty Stanley, author of Get Out of B.E.D. and the newest member of the thoughtLEADERS team. “We got it done, but it was ugly,” the manager said, shaking his head in disbelief. Miscommunications, lack of communication, an inexperienced team leader and management on vacation resulted in cost over-runs exceeding $50,000, delayed [...]
4 Keys for Successful Project Leadership
We always talk about project management but rarely discuss project leadership. There’s a difference. Leaders play a critical role in setting the conditions for a team to successfully manage a project. If you focus on the following four key roles you can play on a project as the project leader you’ll dramatically improve the odds [...]
If You Want to be More Productive Just Do Less Work
You work too hard. You do too much. Want to be more productive? Just do less work. I know you’re probably scratching your head right now wondering how to not get fired by taking this recommendation. The truth is you’ll probably be on your way to a promotion if you pull this off correctly. Here’s [...]
How to Eliminate the Word No from Your Vocabulary
I hate the word “no.” I hate saying it. I hate hearing it. It’s very unproductive. Believe it or not, you can eliminate it from your vocabulary and replace it with two simple words that can make all the difference in how you’re perceived and how much people want to work with you. I recently [...]
How You Can Prevent the Dreaded Scope Creep from Attacking
We’ve all dealt with the unpleasant dynamic of scope creep at some point in our careers. As leaders, our job is to manage scope effectively so our teams can get their work done without running themselves ragged. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Eikenberry (author of From Bud to Boss) for over [...]
Best of thoughtLEADERS 2011: The Awesomest Posts Ever
This year is almost over so it’s time for the year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2011. It’s time for the 2011 edition of The Figgies (here are the 2010 and 2009 editions). This is an annual event here at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. Here’s how it goes: this list is [...]
Leadership’s Role in Process Improvement
Those of you who know me well know I am not a process guy. The notion of process can make me physically ill. That said, there’s a huge role for leadership in process improvement. I’d argue that without good leadership, any process you try to improve will fail. I recently had the pleasure of speaking [...]
