I am a believer in the power of project management.
As a professional project manager for twenty years, I have witnessed project success drive business results. I have also proven that project management can change lives and help achieve personal transformation. Now I am sharing some practical tips and techniques that you can use to help achieve your own personal goals, live your best life and become a PM Believer.
Colin Powell’s Rules for Project Management – Part 3
In Colin Powell’s Rules for Project Management – Part 1, I explained that America lost a great leader with the passing of Colin Powell. This is part two of my series saluting Colin Powell and his thirteen rules of life and leadership and their application to project management.
The first three rules that I reviewed were foundational or basics. Part two talked more about the importance of humility for leadership and project management. This final post addresses your attitude, one of the most impactful aspects of project management leadership.
Rule #4: It Can Be Done
Henry Ford said, “whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” This applies to our projects as well.
Projects initially succeed or fail in the project manager’s brain. If the project manager believes that the goal is reachable, others will too. On the other hand, if a project manager doesn’t believe in the project’s ability to succeed, other people will see that. That cynicism will be infectious, and the project will likely fail.
Begin every project with a SMART goal (see Get SMART), then you will have facts to tell you that the goal is attainable (as defined by the A). Then be all-in on your confidence in the team’s ability to get there (even if you ARE the team).
Knowing that it can be done will help you stay focused on assisting the team in figuring out how to do it.
Rule #12: Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers
When you begin with the confidence that the goal can be reached, that arms you with the ammunition you need to fight against the haters and critics. This fight will need to happen every day because there are tons of critics, starting with your own brain.
When you trust the critics inside your head (fear, imposter syndrome, negative self-talk) or those around you, your confidence in your ability to succeed will be shaken. Once that confidence is shaken, you begin to slip backward and start doubting that It Can Be Done. That doubt may be enough to ensure that it isn’t successful.
Listening to input and other perspectives is essential when building the plan to reach your goal. But, project managers need to develop a finely-tuned filter. Is this input coming from somebody trying to help you reach your goal? Or, is this input coming from somebody who is just being negative and trying to hold you back? This negative voice could actually just be your own fears too!
Rule #13: Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier
We all know perpetually negative people; they are the human embodiment of the character Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh. These people bring our spirits and our team down and are headwinds holding us back from our goals.
What about the people on the opposite end of the spectrum? The people who are always optimistic, supportive and genuinely passionate about helping others achieve their goals.
Positive teams accomplish more. We are naturally drawn to optimistic, positive people. They encourage us to have confidence in ourselves and push ourselves to be better. They help build positive energy, increasing productivity and producing better results.
As a project manager, having perpetual optimism and being a voice of positivity will help lighten the situation. This doesn’t mean that you ignore risks, just that you approach them from a perspective of “how might we prevent this,” always believing that there is a path forward.
Project managers can create a project culture focused on reaching the finish line instead of looking for a reason to give up.
Are you ready to be a PM Believer?
Today’s PM Believer concludes my three-part series exploring the project management lessons included in Colin Powell’s Thirteen Rules of Leadership. The final three rules I am presenting address the most impactful aspect of project management, one entirely in our control. Our attitude.
How have you applied project management for your personal success? Tell me about it at OperationMelt.com and make sure to join my email list to have updates delivered to your inbox weekly.
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Want to know more about how I changed my life with project management? Pick up your copy of my book Operation Melt: How I Used Life-Changing Project Management to Lose Over 100 Pounds In Under a Year.
About Operation Melt
Operation Melt provides engaging, practical content and hands-on coaching to inspire, motivate and equip you to achieve your big goals.
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