Greetings Leaders!

Do you find yourself in the frustrating position where people just won’t listen to you, even though you think you have good ideas that will help your company, organization, or the individual? If you do, don’t lose heart! There are definitely some things you can do to change this. Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings Leaders!

While mentoring Project Managers over the years, I’ve noticed both the good and the bad. What are the top 5 mistakes Project Managers make? Well, we’re all different, but here are five sure ways to get shown the door both as a consultant and as an employee.

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Greetings Leaders!

I’ve been contemplating a situation that many of us have seen before. An organization spends a lot of money and time on building a culture of trust, openness and transparency. Yet, the changes don’t take and the company culture doesn’t change as expected. What gives?

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Greetings Leaders!

I was teaching class last night and we had a very lively discussion about Resource Management. Here was the scenario..

1. A Project Manager and a Line Manager meet to discuss getting a team resource for the project.
2. The Project Manager doesn’t like the team member that the Line Manager is going to give him.
3. The PM and LM get into a disagreement as this engineer has spouted off in front of the customer on past projects, causing a LOT of trouble.
4. The upcoming project demands a lot of customer interaction.
5. The Line Manager basically says too bad. He agrees to attend the PM’s meetings to ensure the engineer stays in line, but during the first few meetings, the LM is a no show.
6. The engineer ends up calling the customer inept in a meeting, and the customer threatens to reevaluate the contract.

What could you have done as the PM to prevent this from happening?

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Greetings Leaders!

Are you struggling to break out as a Project Manager at your organization? Well, you’re not alone. If we think about the 80/20 rule, only 20% of the Project Managers out there are going to rise above the others. After teaching project managers, consulting at many organizations and just reflecting on my career, I’ve come up with five things you need to do to get that next promotion.

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Greetings Leaders!

Are you facing some seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your life? Having problems at work? Is your boss abusive? Are you in a seemingly hopeless relationship? Finances keeping you down? Perhaps you are having difficulty with your kids or just finding your way through life. Whatever it may be, you can find the courage to deal with it. Your situation may not go change, but your outlook can.  Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings Leaders!

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile as I watch the friends of my son and daughter enter their 20s and graduate from college. With all the uncertainty out there, what advice can I give to them as they begin their journey into adulthood? If you’re in your 20s or early 30s, or know someone who is, read on for some valuable tips. Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings Leaders!

Like many of you, I have been watching the events unfold surrounding Jerry Sandusky, Penn St. and Joe Paterno. The NCAA came out with its ruling the other day. $60 million in fines and vacating all of Coach Paterno’s wins from 1998. I’ve also been watching the responses. Some calling it unfair. Others saying that the NCAA didn’t go far enough. Whatever your take, there are some life lessons here for all of us.

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Greetings Leaders!

So you have an interview coming up and aren’t sure what to do. Perhaps you’re 18 and you’ve never interviewed before. Maybe you’re just graduating and have to prepare for your first “real” interview. Or, you might be 45 and looking for work for the first time in 20 years and don’t know what to do. We’ll, if you have an interview coming up, you should find something helpful here.

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Greetings Leaders!

Every now and then I like to take an assessment of my leadership skills as a reminder of both my strengths and weaknesses. I recently took one at TeamTechnology and would highly recommend it to anyone who is searching for a new career or interested in leadership development. The assessment is based on Myers-Briggs and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. The results are very in depth, AND the test is inexpensive and quickly obtained.

All the best!

John