Project Shrink

We all learn important things from the people we work with. One of the first things I learned was to celebrate early. If you have the funds in your project budget for one team party, do it at the beginning of the project, not at the end. Celebrate you are going to work together. Fun, [...]

If your project has a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, one that is life changing, one that makes your existence worthwhile, one that makes you feel powered up like an energizer bunny, it’s almost difficult to be not motivated. Being part of something bigger, using the coolest, latest, state-of-the-art technology will light everyone’s fire. It’s what [...]

In this new video chat I’m talking with Andrew Meyer. The topic of our chat is the alignment of individual and organizational objectives. Andy is founder of Capability Alignment Professionals. His company is a leader in building focused business communities that leverage the lessons from social networks. It’s all about close communications and alignment to [...]

How do you get your team all fired up and motivated? The answer might be: Hot Causes and Cool Solutions! In his book “Market Rebels: How Activists Make or Break Radical Innovations“, author Hayagreeva Rao explains that … “… if you want to mobilize networks of people and markets to embrace and spread an idea, [...]

Of all the discussions I write about on this site, there is one dilemma that I think is the most fundamental of all; one essential choice for managers to make: are you going to use a directive top-down leadership style, or are you more leaning towards a bottom-up facilitating kind of attitude? I know, this [...]

Every time someone mentions that he will work from home instead of being in the office, I get visions of the Dilbert comic in which Dilbert is walking around in his bathrobe, unshaven while telecommuting. I know, my bad. I have got to have more faith in humanity and find a cure for my cartoon-operated [...]