IN THIS CHAPTER

Being proactive and looking at the big picture

Leading others through encouragement and respect

Communicating effectively and acknowledging other people’s accomplishments

Successful project management indeed depends on what you do (and how you do it), but perhaps even more impactful is how effectively you can motivate and work through others. Your attitudes and behaviors toward people affect how they respond to you. If we could, we’d place a large Tip icon on this entire chapter because it offers ten tips that can help you successfully win people’s support.

Be a “Why” Person

Look for the reasons behind requests and actions. Understanding why helps you respond appropriately to team members, executive leadership, and all other project audiences (which, in turn, increases people’s motivation and buy-in). First, look to understand the reasons behind other people’s requests and actions; then share your findings (see Chapter 5 for more about how to be a “why” person).

Be a “Can Do” Person

Look at all problems as challenges and do everything you can to find ways to overcome them. Be creative, flexible, and tenacious. Keep working at the problem until you solve it (flip to Chapters 5, 6, and 16 for more on how to be a tenacious problem-solver).

Think about the Big Picture

Keep events in perspective. Understand where you want to go and how your plan will get you there. Recognize the effect your actions have on current and future efforts. Share your vision with other people (see Chapters 5 and 16 for more on how you can keep your project elements in perspective).

Think in Detail

Be thorough. If you don’t think through your project’s issues, who will? The more clearly you describe your intended results, the more easily people can recognize the benefits associated with your project. And the more clearly you define your intended work, the more often people will ask important and insightful questions — and believe that they can perform the work successfully. Clarity leads to increased personal motivation and reduced chances of mistakes (Chapters 5 and 6 offer tips on thinking in detail).

Assume Cautiously

Take the time to find out the facts; use assumptions only as a last resort. With every assumption comes a risk that you’re wrong. The fewer assumptions you make, the more confidence you can have in your plan (see Chapter 5 for more information on assumptions and Chapter 10 for tips on how to deal with risk and uncertainty).

View People as Allies, Not Adversaries

Focus on common goals, not individual agendas. Making people feel respected and valued encourages teamwork, collaborative and creative thinking, brainstorming, and the willingness to try new ideas even when failure may be possible — all of which are essential to managing a successful project. Viewing and treating people as adversaries can put them on the defensive and encourage them to become enemies (refer to Chapters 4 and 16 for ways to get people on your side).

Mean What You Say and Say What You Mean

Communicate clearly. Be specific by letting people know exactly what you mean. Tell them what you want them to know, what you want them to do, and what you’ll do for them. Don’t leave these details up to their imaginations. You may think that being vague gives you more leeway, but in reality, being vague just increases the chances for misunderstandings and mistakes (check out Chapter 15 for ways to communicate more clearly).

Respect Other People

Focus on people’s strengths rather than their weaknesses. In each person on your team, find a quality that you can respect. People work harder and enjoy their work more when they’re around others who appreciate them and their efforts. Respect is a boomerang. The respect you afford others will come back to you as they become more comfortable and willing to follow your leadership. (See Chapter 16 for more helpful tidbits on respecting and encouraging other people.)

Respect takes time and diligence to earn, but it can be lost in an instant and, once lost, can require a Herculean effort to regain.

Acknowledge Good Performance

Take a moment to acknowledge good performance. When someone does something good, tell the person, the person’s manager, other team members, and the person’s peers that you appreciate the effort and its results. Recognizing good performance confirms to a person the accuracy and value of their work; your praise tells a person that you appreciate their efforts, which motivates them to work with you and other team members on future projects.

When acknowledging a person’s performance, mention the quality of the results they accomplished as well as the effort they invested. Be specific — tell the person exactly what they did or produced that you appreciate. Be sure to provide your feedback promptly; don’t wait weeks or months before recognizing someone for their hard work, or your feedback’s impact will dwindle (see Chapter 16 for more about acknowledging good performance).

Be a Manager and a Leader

Attend to people as well as to information, processes, and systems. Create and share your vision and excitement with your team members, but don’t forget to share a sense of order and efficiency, too. Encourage people to strive for outstanding results and provide the guidance and support to help them achieve those results (see Chapter 16 for more on management and leadership).