Welcome
Welcome to the Foresight Newsletter, a free monthly publication of Prevoyance Group Inc. This newsletter shares project management tips and observations that I hope will prove informative and enjoyable.
Contents
Foresight is a monthly newsletter published by the Prevoyance Group, and this month contains four sections:
Project: Asking the Tough Questions
Life
Heard in the Hallways: Language
Travels with Patrick: American Badass
Project
There will be several times during the course of any large endeavor involving more than a few people where confidence in leadership will be questioned. The rumor mill will rise to a fever pitch, and members of the team will be looking to anyone available for answers. At this point, the classic response is to hold a large meeting, and wheel in some suits. After sprinkling some platitudes on "the troops" and making their pitch about the latest management initiative, foul-up or reorganization, they will ask that famous concluding query: "Any questions?"
At this point, the tension in the air is almost palatable. The audience looks around half fearfully, half longingly, wondering if a question will be fielded, when one of three things happen: a pointed and challenging question is raided, and an avalanche of passionate follow-ups ensues; a "posterior kisser" asks a watermelon question that gives the speakers an easy way to end the meeting (i.e. "how can our mission statement be both value-added and outside the box all at the same time?"; or the query is met with angry stares and pursed lips.
The first situation, while generally the least comfortable for the people at the receiving end, is the healthiest. If a team or group, or perhaps an entire company has arrived at the point where the folks whose title begin with "C" and ends with "O" must be called in, there is tension in group that must be defused before productivity and morale are irreparably harmed.
The "silent treatment" may be the most dangerous of all. Your audience either thinks you are incapable of addressing their concerns, or worse yet, unwilling. If you are repeatedly addressing your team, and requests for questions are met with blank stares or empty platitudes, take that as a sign that your team's confidence is severely shaken and you must take strong action to correct the situation.
So, how can you move from stone-faced silence to healthy (yet likely impassioned and angry) dialogue? A few tips to get you started:
- Every good speaker knows to put themselves in their audience's shoes. If you are on the receiving end of a layoff announcement, would you want to hear about how it will help the company reach it's new vision, and be bowled over with HR-speak about restructuring, right-sizing and resource actions? Similarly, if your project has missed a deadline despite the sweat and long hours of a dedicated team, will talk about the readiness of the business for change, and the revised project vision statement appease those who have put their family on hold for your "visioning" sessions?
- Solicit questions in advance of such a meeting, most effectively through one or two people who are willing to ask the tough questions in a smaller environment. Have an assistant who will anonymously read these questions to you, to spur discussion and break the ice. Ensure you chose the difficult questions, and resist the urge to self-select the easy choices, even if you lack a definitive answer.
- Cut to the chase. If something on the project is failing, put it out in the open, accept responsibility and move on. Don't tell people how great things are as the walls are burning down around you.
- Remember, these are the times when leaders are being critically examined, and most sorely needed. If you can establish a rapport with your audience, and get the tough questions out in the open through any means necessary, you will instantly gain credibility with your staff.
Life
- Micro cassette recorders and Dictaphones may seem like a quaint memory from the 1980's, but their digital successors can be helpful in capturing ideas. While there are far better methods for managing a to-do list or calendar, a digital recorder is excellent for passing flashes of inspiration. Put one by your bed and one in the car, or wherever inspiration strikes and goes unrecorded. New digital models make it easy to retrieve and delete individual captured "thoughts," although be forewarned that you may be scared by how you sound at 3AM!
- Multi-tasking as a productivity booster is one of the great lies of the modern era. Every serious study has shown over 40% of brain capacity is used solely to keep track of the different tasks. I would rather manage my tasks sequentially than put in a 60% effort on several tasks at once!
- Treat yourself right. When was the last time you really enjoyed a cookie or piece of chocolate? Take a moment to truly enjoy a treat once in a while. It's good for the soul, and better for the waistline to take your time and enjoy one treat, rather than mindlessly shovel in ten without really tasting them.
Heard in the Hallways
Nothing is more subtly impressive about a person than a command of language. Using concise and correct English in speech, emails and documents will noticeably set you apart from others, whose sloppy use of language subconsciously indicates an overall lack of care in their work. 90% of business is communicating, so it is certainly a skill worth mastering.
Travels with Patrick
One of my hobbies is riding motorcycles, and a couple of summers ago my wife and I took a long trip up to Quebec. At the Canadian border, as usual the Canadian customs agent was friendly and cheerful, and interested in our motorcycle. After asking the usual questions about the length of our stay and destination, her face brightened as she asked "Do you have any alcohol or drugs?" We responded in the negative and unconvinced, she asked: "Not even a little whiskey, some beer??" As we shook our heads, she excitedly queried: "Any weapons?" Again responding with a "no," she asked "No guns? Knives? Anything???" After shaking our heads, she looked thoroughly disappointed that her image of the American outlaw biker had been thoroughly shattered. With sadness in her voice, the welcomed us to Canada and sent us on our way. We've since made a note in our packing list to bring some grain alcohol and a surface to air missile next time we head north to better uphold our reputation.
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