High Performance Leadership

Don't start another project. Launch it. Give that project the energy, the momentum, the power it needs to focus on the goal, work the plan, and create something both useful and memorable. Your project is worth it. Give that new start the focus it needs with a workshop that brings together all of the key constituents. Let your project team feel part of something special by celebrating before they even get started. Giving your project a collaborative workshop launch could be the most high impact thing you could do for it. What goes into a collaborate workshop launch? You decide. I have found it helpful and energizing to include these: A vision/mission for your team.  This could be your project goal, expressed in a way that drives some excitement into the project A team identify. Depending on the project (and your budget) that could be as simple as matching T-shirts and coffee mugs, or as elaborate as a team name theme song, and video Carefully prepared agenda. Make si...

Do you enjoy project management? Projects provide us with all kinds of challenges (many of them associated with people) and all kinds of benefits. I spend much of my time facilitating project management workshops for people just starting out in their project management portfolio and sometimes they are doubtful as to the benefits. But the good stuff is there. Projects bring about change. Projects bring about growth. And, projects provide us with a perfect opportunity to grow as leaders -- because if we do not grow and learn we can scarcely complete the work in front of us. Every project gives you the opportunity to improve you and your world. Isn't that cool? -- Doug Smith

What propels your projects forward? We set goals. We form plans. We build teams. And then, when it's important, we drive our projects forward. Every project needs a leader intent on getting it done. How important is it to you? Does your team know? How will you prove it? -- Doug Smith

Do you have the people you need on your team to solve your biggest problem? You might need to find them. You might need to develop them. You might need to recruit them. But, you need them. You need who you need. It doesn't fool you or the problem to proceed pretending that you can solve that big problem without the necessary resources. Get what you need or stop fooling yourself. I hear what you're thinking (that's spooky but you know what I mean, don't you?) in that sometimes you just have to suck it up and put on your super hero cape and get it done all by yourself or with the limited resources you have. Just because resources are limited doesn't mean you can't develop them. And, just because resources are limited doesn't mean you can't interest another superstar in your work if the work is valuable enough. Your work IS valuable enough, right? Get the help you need. Even superheroes need teams when the problem is big enough. -- Douglas Bre...

How earnest is your mission? Is it clear, indisputable, energizing? My partner Dorinda has a favorite expression, "If you have a plan B to fall back on you'll fall back on it." I'm not saying that we don't often need a plan B. When we are leading high performance projects we need to manage our risks and that means establishing contingencies. But, those contingencies do NOT mean abandon the mission. The mission is the mission. There's no plan B for a genuine mission. -- Douglas Brent Smith

How old is the data that you are relying on to complete that project? How certain are you that the information you are relying on is timely and true? Statistics age faster than milk. Get fresh data when you need it. Oh yeah, you probably need it now. -- Douglas Brent Smith Are you launching a big project? Contact me today about how to get your project team ready for success. doug@frontrangeleadership.com

How many times during a problem solving effort do you pause to reach an agreement? In one of the many subtleties of managing a problem solving team we find our leverage in our agreements. When teams take the time to reach and confirm agreements on the details and behaviors as they go they are far more likely to be able to reach agreement on a solution AND the implementation of that solution. Sometimes agreeing on the right solution to a problem is tougher than coming up with a solution.  We generate lots of ideas. We develop some energy around our own ideas. We fatigue and subliminally wish to move on. We push when we should be listening. All of those issues are handled quickly when our team gets into the habit of reaching agreements. Agreements on details such as: how will we interact as a team? how do we reach decisions? what is our process for managing conflict? when do we step away and take a break? how long will we invest in this project? what are our roles? ...