Tagged with: communication-skills • free training • human-behavior • mental flexibility • mental-models • metaphores • personal development • six thinking hats • stress
We all know what we “should” do to run a project. Putting the right structures and processes in place. Getting the proper authorizations and doing communication and stuff.
But sometimes we are operating in unknown organizations. Sometimes we think we have the right authority, but in reality we don’t. Sometimes we just get a team assigned without any real influence in the selection process.
That’s ok. It’s our job to fix it. Deal with it. Or leave it.
But that’s easier said then done.
When our project sails under a clear sky on a smooth sea, you have no problem following the right procedures. This gets a lot harder when shit hits the fan, you are under pressure, dodging bullets and running for your deadline.
Not good. But human.
There is no instance fix. But this is something you can work on.
Perhaps something for the new year?
Train mental flexibility and communication skills.
This “mental flexibility” thing is nothing more than “thinking outside the box“, “seeing other point of view” and “knowing your own assumptions and biases”.
There are exercises you can do to train this. Like “Six Thinking Hats For Project Management” , “Project Potion: Meshups” and “Team Metaphor Game“. And here are 25 more ways.
Training communication skills is so easy these days: start engaging online. Start a blog, start commenting on a blog, get a twitter account, just choose your own tool and have fun with it.
Free training. Wow.
Thanks for the reminder of the 6 hats metaphor.
We’re struggling with our selection processes for senior PP&C leaders. Wearing all six hats at once is one of the characteristics of a PP&C (Program Planning and Controls) leader in our domain.
Keeping a team of 6 or so planners and cost analysts focused with 20 to 30 Control Account Managers (CAM) on a 1/2 billion dollars of development for a flying machine is not for the faint of heart.
This is inspire them to understand they actual do have to have all six hats on at once.
Wow. That’s huge! They probably have to wear more than 6 hats
Glad you like the reminder. To be fair, I have to remind myself also more than once
Bas,
You also reminded me of “Thinking outside the Box”. I have just published a presentation entitled “Thinking in the Box”. I challenge that thinking out of the box is not as creative as thinking in the box, in emulation of complex system, which rearrange within a boundary (box) and are self-motivated to do so. How to accomodate a spirally-growing system within limited boundary requires genuine creativity. Here is the link
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/18707993/Creativity-in-the-Box
Nice article. exercises mentioned helped me plan for my team better.
@Vithal: Thanks! Let me know if they work for you.
@Ali: Ahhh. Actually there is no box
Love the article you link to. Great and inspirational stuff.
Bas: smart idea! Do we really need a box?
BTW: You inspired me with a good (bad) idea on creative company vision. I might right it soon. Thanks, man
The idea is up. It is entitled
“The Cost of Poor Vision on Companies”
Here is the link
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/19238451/The-Cost-of-Poor-Vision-on-Companies
Thanks for the great mental boost Ali!Good stuff.