 Reforming Project Management |
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Friday, June 11, 2004
Safety Thursday Calls
There's another Safety Thursday initiative. It's run by Landstar. Safety Thursday Calls: dial 877-717-5921 at noon Eastern on the third Thursday of each month for a discussion of safety. I've yet to participate. Client meetings have kept me away. How about a few readers joining this month and then leaving comments on this weblog. The next meeting is June 17th. No need to make a reservation. Mark your calendar and call in. How to Turn On the Charm
I'm reluctant to write about Business 2.0 articles since the publishers decided to restrict access to the website. But Jeffrey Pfeffer is always a good read. He doesn't disappoint in his June '04 article How to Turn On the Charm. Paying attention to other people, in addition to being the best way to learn from them, happens to be one of the most powerful means of influencing them. And influencing others is what leadership is about -- getting other people to get things done. Courtesy pays off! People stand ready to serve you when you show respect and serve them. Didn't we learn this in kindergarten? Probably not! My current beef is with Blackberry-toting email-obsessive executives who constantly multi-task conversations and replying to whatever shows up on their screen. Show a little courtesy. Give those around you your full attention. There's no telling what you will learn if you put your attention on listenting. Thursday, June 10, 2004
Silence Kills - Love Enough to Speak
Silence is the principal source of dysfunction in organizations. Using examples of deaths in hospitals, the downfall of companies, and the gross tragedy of the Columbia shuttle, Grenny describes how a habit of silence during crucial conversations kills. Everyday on jobsites people avoid speaking about hazards, the recklessness of others' actions, and the inattention to the sanctity of life. The consequence of that silence is 1,300 injuries and 3 deaths each day. I've been quick to place responsibility for that silence at the feet of management. Grenny reports on a study of hand-washing in hospitals. The single greatest factor in having medical staff wash their hands at the appropriate frequency is the hand-washing example set by the senior staff. It is not training, nor is it the availability of sinks. What safety example do you set when you walk a site, in your conversations with workers, and in the actions you take? If we can generalize from hospital hand-washing, then your conversations and actions have more significance to the safety on the jobsite than the safety program. Having said that, silence is a choice. What is the threshold at which we refuse to remain silent. Is it self interest? Must your life be threatened before you cross that threshold? Or, can you choose to speak at the first recognition that we are not doing all we can to care for the sanctity of all life? Can you do that? Sure you can. And I can. And everyone on our jobsites can. We lack neither the know-how, nor the capability -- speaking -- for avoiding the needless deaths of construction workers. Perhaps, it is only a lack of love that is preventing those deaths. Love is the one resource with an endless supply. Giving love creates more love. Show your love to keep everyone safe. Choose speaking rather than silence. Read Safety Everyday's construction safety in the news sideblog. Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Tom Peters...Blogger
Tom Peters has joined the Blogging Revolution. Bookmark this site. Really. Yes, Tom Peters can be cranky. Yes, he can be iconoclastic. But Tom Peters is not to be ignored. If you are running projects, leading people, or managing a business, then you MUST read Tom Peters.
Monday, June 07, 2004
Tim Sanders, Love Cat
Last week I attended Coachville's Third Annual Conference. I so love hanging out with coaches. The perspective, compassion, and curiosity of coaches inspires. The theme for the conference is the business of coaching. Does it surprise you that we spoke repeatedly of love? One of the highlights was the keynote address by Tim Sanders, Love Cat. This guy is one amazing person. Tim is the author of the best-selling book on business Love is the Killer App. That's right, it's a book on business...the philosophy behind Southwest Airlines, SAS, and Yahoo! Here are my notes. Enjoy. The only purpose to lead or coach is to change the world. It's a hero's journey. Every good leader and coach is a life-long learner. Get the right paradigm...abundance. Faith drives it. Choose to be a good human being. Scarcity comes from reality minus perspective. It works in the short term. Fear predominates. Abundance is synchronized with the information world. Abundance is the driver of increasing returns. Take the right prescription.
Tim has a simple and powerful message that applies to the project world. Successful project managers are leaders and coaches. Choose the paradigm of abundance and the love cat prescription. Visit the Archives for more postings |
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