Futureproof Your Career

Podcast: Elizabeth Harrin On How To Be Taken Seriously As A Project Manager If anyone knows about the challenges of being taken seriously as a Project Manager, it’s Elizabeth Harrin. After noticing how few women were writing and speaking about the topic, she realised that Project Management desperately needed a female perspective. Her goal of women being recognised as active players in 21st Century Project Management led her to create her blog – A Girl’s Guide to Project Management, where she offers Project Management news, opinion and coverage. Elizabeth recognises that Project Managers often aren’t taken seriously by the project stakeholders, sponsors or the team they’re leading. She believes that part of it is due to the nature of the job itself, where Project Managers have to get their thoughts across as leaders in matrix environments where nobody is obligated to report to them, and they have no authority beyond the piece of paper stating that they’ve been granted it by project sponsor. This is an uncomfortable position to be in! She admits that it’s something younger Project Managers often struggle with, as they’re new to the role and need to make a good impression while cultivating gravitas with senior individuals. Points raised in this podcast with Elizabeth Harrin: When Project Managers leave a place with processes for one without any, it can be challenging. Sometimes it’s the concept of Project Management itself that isn’t taken seriously or on the radar. Many organisations profess that they love change, but in actual fact often resist it. It’s common for Project Managers to feel like they’re one person fighting against years of culture. Its easier when you’re supported by Senior Executives as the implied authority cascades down. Sometimes the danger is that you don’t realise you aren’t been taken seriously. Project Managers must have strategies in place to be self-aware and create feedback loops. You need to counterbalance being yourself within a frame of reference where you’re taken seriously. Talk to your manager or mentor for industry-specific advice. About Elizabeth Harrin Elizabeth Harrin is an award-winning blogger and influencer who founded A Girl’s Guide To Project Management over a decade ago. She currently is works as a Healthcare Project Manager in the UK, along with running her own business and writing and consulting Project Management, with a focus on stakeholder engagement, communications and collaboration. Find Elizabeth online at www.GirlsGuidetoPM.com or on LinkedIn here.    

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As part of the Stakeholder Engagement Series to celebrate the launch of our new eCourse which is now available on our website, I recently interviewed Andrea O’Halloran about what can prevent meaningful stakeholder engagement. Let’s talk about how to create Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement We know good stakeholder engagement is all about communication. But sometimes it’s difficult to identify what we’re doing wrong. Andrea is the convener of the Diversity and Inclusion Network for The Australian Human Resources Institute. She is passionate about bringing out the best in people to achieve exceptional organisational and individual outcomes. She attempts to engage employees with a holistic approach to diversity that seeks out their unrealised potential.   Points raised in this podcast: There are a number of issues that can prevent meaningful stakeholder engagement, but they are often simple to fix. Meaningful stakeholder engagement is all about good communication. Project managers who work regularly on similar projects can be blind to implied knowledge and fail to fully brief the project team about the desired outcomes or leave out important details. Insufficient resources from inaccurate planning or budgeting can cause issues between stakeholders. An inexperienced or uninformed project manager can quickly lose credibility with their team. Stakeholders are often not given adequate opportunity to give input early in the planning phases. Project managers often think the whole team does not need to know the bigger picture and prefers to delegate tasks. This can prevent team members from working effectively as they don’t fully understand the project outcomes. Sometimes the project sponsor requests that the project manager not communicate with certain stakeholders. This can prevent meaningful stakeholder engagement. Building credibility early in relationships is essential for when difficult conversations need to occur. Keeping stakeholders informed is a process that should be formalised, documented and transparent. Being inclusive and working together as a team from the very beginning is important for building meaningful stakeholder engagement. When people feel threatened or undervalued they will not work well within the team. Measuring outcomes is important, but the culture should still be flexible and adaptable. A project manager needs to have the insight and confidence to make adjustments when necessary. Diversity and inclusion is important. Project managers should know their team well and how to get the best out of their team members. All team members should feel comfortable being collaborative, innovative and expressing their full self at work. What not to do? Don’t overlook stakeholders! Project managers should make sure they identify and reach out to all stakeholders in the early phases of

Let’s talk about the benefits of attending networking events In this podcast, Elise Stevens speaks with Sarah Cobb from BforB network marketing about the benefits of attending networking events and building relationships. Sarah is the current Australian franchisor for BforB and the managing director of Cariblue Franchising, working with businesses that want to grow. She was the 2013 Qld/NT Franchise Woman of the Year and the Australian Institute of Management’s 2012 Owner Manager of the Year for the Gold Coast. Sarah believes that to do business well, you not only need to know the people you’re working with, you need to like them and trust them as well.   Points raised in this podcast: Networking is about connecting with people. It’s a great place to find new opportunities and get information about your competitors. Networking can be as simple as attending a lunch or more deliberate, like a structured event. Networking is particularly important for people who work from home, or in small offices who don’t get the benefits of working within a large team of people. Usually we see only the tip of the iceberg in our working relationships. We make a lot of assumptions about what people do and how they operate. Taking the time to build a personal relationship through face-to-face communication can help you learn things about people you usually wouldn’t. Networking is not about numbers, it’s about focus. You’re much better off having a deep conversation with a few people, rather than a quick conversation with thirty people. Helping people can be hugely rewarding. Having good personal connections and a strong network can also allow you to connect people who need each other. Networking will give you the opportunity to constantly learn and reinvent yourself. Find the person standing alone in the room – they may just be the most interesting. Ask open-ended questions to get the conversation flowing. Listen to the Podcast: https://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/c8j67f/Complet_Sarah_Cobb_Oct2016.mp3 Get networking right now! Add Sarah on LinkedIn here or find a networking event near you here.    

How to become a trusted adviser – and not just an outsider As a project management consultant, John Alleyne knows how it feels to have to quickly establish working relationships and become a trusted business partner. In this podcast, he speaks to Elise Stevens about how to become a trusted adviser – and not just another project manager. John has worked in both the private and public sectors, primarily in IT, but also in finance, mining, construction and SMB in Australia, Asia, New Zealand and Europe. He is an experienced project and program leader, mentor and coach who loves to turn around a troubled project using good communication and collaboration. Points raised in this podcast – how to become a trusted adviser: Project managers are professionals and should be seen as trusted advisers, rather than outsiders. It is important to establish a good relationship with the customer and key stakeholders. This is called ‘customer intimacy’. Listening and asking questions is essential in the early phase of the relationship. A simple gesture such as saying hello to your stakeholders first thing in the morning can set up the entire day well and help create strong personal relationships. People feed off positivity – having a ‘bad day’ can easily rub off on your team and damage rapport. Project managers should talk to their customer about their business problems and come up with solutions with them, rather than for them. Trust is essential if you are going to make organisational change and deliver good outcomes. It is important you are seen to be working within the organisation, not as an outsider. Don’t rush into change. The organisation will be more open to change if you first demonstrate that you have taken the time to get to know their business and their processes. Still stuck on the outside? Visit John’s website for career and project management coaching or connect with him on LinkedIn. Listen to the below podcast to learn how to become a trusted adviser: https://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/24evbe/Complete_John_A.mp3    

Let’s talk about how to network Do you want to know how to network? We all know we should be networking. But how many of us are actually doing it regularly – and how many of us are doing it well? In this podcast, Elise Stevens speaks to digital marketing guru Ray Milidoni about how to get out there and network well. Ray has a passion for the start-up sector and watching organisations grow. He launched his first web agency at the age of 15 and is now the general manager of digital marketing agency WME which offers a range of services including web design and development, SEO optimisation, social media marketing, content production and more. Points raised in this podcast – How to Network: Project managers often go to networking events with a goal to hand out as many business cards as possible, but this can often be a barrier to personal interactions. While business cards are useful – consider whether you’re hiding behind them, or if you ever actually get in touch for that coffee you promised. Consider asking someone to connect on LinkedIn straight up instead! There is no hard and fast rule about ‘how to network’. It’s ok to be the quietest person in the room. Just turning up and being present may be enough the first time. Next time you go you can overcome a new fear like talking to a stranger. Try not to put too many expectations on yourself. If you don’t meet up to them you may be discouraged from attending again. The idea of approaching new groups of people at networking events can be nerve-wracking, but remember everyone else likely feels the same. The organiser of the networking event should help move people out of their familiar groups and encourage them to meet new people. Check in with the organiser at some point during the event. They may even name-drop you to others later. Remember you have two ears and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk. Open with a question like, ‘have you been to one of these events before?’ or ‘do you know the organiser?’ Once you get comfortable at networking events considering putting your hand up to be a speaker, or get on the organising committee and work the door so you get to meet each guest as they arrive. Swap the ABC formula ‘Always Be Closing’ to ‘Always Be Caring’ – instead of selling to people, show them how much you care about their work. People will want to engage with you more if you show that you care. By adding value to others and helping them at networking events, they will, in turn, see your value. Ray Milidoni also has a podcast, the Razor Sharp Show. You can also connect with Ray on LinkedIn. Listen to our podcast below about how to network with Ray Milidoni: https://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/5ehx48/Complete_Ray.mp3

Let’s talk about how to become a better influencer In this podcast, Elise Stevens speaks to Michelle Gibbings about how to become a better influencer. Michelle has more than 20 years’ experience helping people in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors succeed through organisational change. She is the Founder and Director of Change Meridian, a boutique consulting practice that helps organisations benefit from change. She is an experienced trainer, advisor, speaker and author. She has worked with a number of the world’s largest organisations including AMP, CBA, Coles, Mercer, MLC and NAB, on a range of issues spanning strategy, compliance, governance, risk and program management. Points raised in this podcast: A project manager navigates large and complicated pieces of work with a wide variety of stakeholders at all different levels of the organisation. In order to do so it is essential project managers are able to have the right types of conversations. Employers expect project managers to have good influencing skills. Do not mistake positive influence that benefits the project, with negative or self-motivated influence used to manipulate or gain power. Talk to people. Find out where you may need to improve and focus on building one skill at a time. You cannot influence well if you are not able to regulate your behaviour and emotions. Project managers must build resilience and coping skills so when things don’t go to plan they still appear calm and in control. This will help to build trust among both stakeholders and team members. Know the bias or triggers that trip you up and lead you to make unwise decisions. Understand the organisational dynamic, where the power bases lie and how to construct a stakeholder network that you can leverage to get things done. Learn to listen and ask the right kinds of questions. Be present when people speak to you so they feel they are being heard. Project managers should also work to develop good negotiation skills. Learn more about how to become a better influencer with Michelle’s book Step Up: How To Build our Influence At Work. Listen to Podcast 106: How to Become a Better Influencer https://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/4ighev/Michelle_Gibbings_July_2016_A.mp3  

Let’s talk about how to do career planning in a short period of time In this podcast, Elise Stevens speaks with career coach Scotia Lockwood about how busy project managers can do career planning in a short period of time. Scotia’s passion is to empower professional woman to take control of their careers, whether that is in finding a new role or developing their full potential in their current role, through coaching in communication, leadership skills, productivity effectiveness and building and maintaining successful relationships. She is a Certified Practicing Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and brings a decade of experience in human resources management and qualifications in management and psychology to her coaching. Scotia also volunteers as a mentor for the AHRI and QUT Business School, a career advisor for Suited to Success and a blogger for HRMonthly. Points raised in this podcast: Most of us focus on our jobs, rather than our careers. Staying back at work to get ahead in your current job instead of attending networking events can be holding back your career. Start small. Consider devoting one hour per week to your career. It is important to have a plan regarding your next promotion and your next employer. Not everyone is career-driven, however even if you don’t want to be a CEO, you should still have a plan for the unexpected, such as redundancy, and for changes in your industry in the future. The first step in career planning is to think about your values, what drives you to get out of bed, and what you’ve already achieved. Talking to colleagues or former employers and asking for feedback can build your confidence as others may be more positive about your career than you are. Research best practice in your current role via blogs and podcasts. Check out LinkedIn to find new roles or industries where your skills and experience are valued. Optimising your daily commute by using it for career development, such as perusing LinkedIn or reading a book related to your industry, is a great way to do career planning in a short period of time. Consider professional development, including seeking further training or qualifications. Start your career planning right now by following Scotia Lockwood’s blog here.   Listen to this podcast: https://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/tb358z/Scotia_Lockwood_Complete.mp3

Let’s talk about using LinkedIn to build your personal brand Most professionals now have a LinkedIn profile – but how much thought have they given to the message they are sending to those they connect with? In this podcast, personal branding expert Jane Anderson talks to me about using LinkedIn to build your personal brand and why project managers, specifically, should do so. Jane has helped thousands of people with their communication and presentation skills by encouraging them to look at themselves through the eyes of their customers. Her LinkedIn profile is among the top 1% most viewed globally. With a background in sales and leadership development, Jane’s clients have included Virgin Australia, IKEA, LEGO, Mercedes Benz, Rio Tinto and the Australian Medical Association. She holds a Bachelor of Business in Marketing, a Diploma of Workplace and Business Coaching and Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training. Jane is a regular keynote speaker on personal impact and recently spoke at the 2015 REINSW Women in Real Estate Conference with Tracey Fellows, Mia Freedman and Kerri-Anne Kennerley. Points raised in this podcast: Project managers spend a lot of time promoting their qualifications or certifications but don’t often promote their own leadership style and personality. Focusing purely on credibility can make you come across as two-dimensional and lacking personality. Project managers can benefit from building a profile that has a strong sense of who they are and the types of projects they excel in. The best LinkedIn users are consistent, authentic, visible and accessible. Liking or sharing content that has nothing to do with your area of expertise can water-down or confuse your message. Keeping your message consistent is one of the simplest ways of using LinkedIn to build your personal brand and, in doing so, build trust. Project managers with conscious awareness and consistent curation of their personal brand are often more likely to be chosen for projects. Your profile should focus on your dream role, not your past. LinkedIn should be considered a search engine. Be sure the words that your potential employer would search for are used in your profile. LinkedIn eliminates the need for project managers to wait idly for job opportunities to arise, instead giving them direct access to potential employers who they can approach at any time. Don’t focus solely on the amount of likes, shares and comments you receive. Stick with your message, and continue to be consistent, and your engagement should slowly build. Project managers who are struggling with their personal brand can consider getting an expert to have a hard look at their profile.   View Jane’s LinkedIn profile View Jane’s book: IMPACT: How to Build Your Personal Brand for the Connection Economy View Jane’s book: CONNECT: How to Leverage your LinkedIn Profile for Business Growth and Lead Generation Listen to this Podcast:

Let’s talk about how to manage a demanding workload Project managers often having incredibly arduous workloads. In this podcast, project leadership coach Susanne Madsen talks to me about how to manage a demanding workload. For 17 years, Susanne Madsen worked in the corporate sector leading change programs for organisations such as Standard Bank, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase before starting her own business. As a qualified corporate and executive coach and a member of the Association for Project Management, Susanne specialises in helping managers improve their leadership skills and become good role models. She is the author of The Project Management Coaching Workbook and The Power of Project Leadership. Throughout the podcast she provides valuable advice on how to keep your workload under control, by sharing valuable knowledge with colleagues who may be looking for new opportunities. Points raised in this podcast: Signs that your workload is not under control include working long hours, taking work home, abandoning relationship building, not finding time to liaise with clients, and not being proactive about quality assurance. Secretly, many people are holding onto their busy-ness, because it makes them feel in demand and indispensable. They may not necessarily be aware of this consciously. People often don’t like to turn down projects because they fear it will make them look weak, even when the extra work will have consequences for their existing projects. It is always be best to be honest about how much work you can effectively manage. Junior project managers are more likely to find themselves having to manage a demanding workload because they do not always have the confidence to be assertive and approach their superiors about their workload. When discussing your workload, being objective about the impact of taking on more work and avoiding emotion or frustration from the conversation will make it smoother. Try to identify and address the reasons you may be unwilling to turn work away. Delegation is an important part of being able to manage a demanding workload. Delegating tasks to other staff members who want opportunities can be an effective way of sharing knowledge, while also freeing up time for other work. Some people can find it difficult to delegate tasks, as they do not like to feel they have lost control. It is important to remember that everybody operates differently. Having overly high standards for work you delegate, and not giving enough instruction, will make others less likely to offer to take on tasks. Work out what your strengths are, and find others who may like to take on the tasks you find challenging. Good leaders nurture a collaborative environment. Avoid multi-tasking. Jumping from one task to another quickly is bad for productivity. Focus deeply on one task until it is done. Eating the ugliest frog first will make all other tasks seem simpler. Each morning, do the most important work first, even if it means closing down your email temporarily, or working from home.   Listen to the Podcast here: https://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/qy6m3w/Susanne_Madsen_April_2016.mp3

What to do when your project team hates each other Good project managers know the most important part of the project is the people. But what do you do when your project team hates each other? In this podcast, I speak with change management consultant Gillian Klette about how to resolve personal conflicts within your project management team. Gillian has more than 20 years experience in change management and project management, in a mix of private and public organisations. She is focused on change as it relates to people, including changes to business processes, systems and technology, job roles and organisation structures and provides coaching on emotions management, resilience, turning negatives into positives, breaking old habits, identifying and removing blockages and confidence, courage and determination. Points raised in this podcast:  Many project managers are task-oriented and don’t always think about their people resources. They can be at a loss as to how to resolve conflicts when their project team hates each other. Animosity can snowball when team members do not listen to each or express how they feel genuinely. When trying to resolve a conflict, it is best to express how the person’s actions made you feel rather than be accusatory about their behaviour. Teams can be made up of people from all over the world who do not always speak the same language, so it is often easy for people to cause offense accidentally, leading to unnecessary conflict. Clearly defining the role and expected contribution of each team member based on their strengths can help avoid team members feeling undervalued or overlooked. Team leaders should let their team know when they are observing friction and encourage them to work through it. Reconciliation should always be the goal. An honest one-on-one conversation in a relaxed environment such as a bar or coffee shop can be the best way to resolve conflict. Up to 80 percent of communication is non-verbal, which means people will often know they are disliked or not respected without it being spoken out loud. For more information visit Gillian’s website Gillian Klette Consulting. Listen to the Podcast:    https://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/qi8xza/GIllian_1_March_2016.mp3

Let’s talk about how to de-clutter your mind In this podcast, Barbara Clifford speaks with me about strategies specific to project management that can help to declutter your mind. Barbara has spent more than 20 years in time-precious industries such as film, hospitality and marketing, assisting professional business people to find clarity in their working environment, take control of their time and alleviate stress. She provides project management consultancy, time management and productivity coaching and stress management. As a student of the Stress Management Institute she can provide coaching solutions to help stressed individuals identify the causes of stress. As a talented speaker, Barbara has spoken for the Global Productivity Institute, Logan City Women in Business, Key Business Network, Entrepreneurial Mums, School Hours Business Mums, Leading Aged Care Services, Brisbane Speed Networking and Live Your Legend Brisbane. Points raised in this Podcast: Project managers often get caught up in things that don’t add value to the project/task at hand. While apps such as Evernote can help project managers us organise our tasks, we also need strategies to help us organise our thoughts. Shifting the way we think about stress can help us lead healthier lifestyles. Project Managers often experience anticipatory stress, which relates to things that will happen in the future. The key to resolving anticipatory stress is to separate what is important from what is not and what is within your control from what is beyond your control. Being able to identify what you can do, with what is within your control, will help declutter your mind. Quadrant mapping can help us identify tasks that will deliver the biggest return for the least amount of effort. Prioritising these things and resolving them quickly will mean you no longer have to worry about them. Most project managers are organized, detailed and systematic and often allow little organic or creative process in their planning. Physical and tactile processes, such as mind mapping with post-it notes can allow you to de-clutter your mind. Shifting perspective from a spreadsheet to a wall filled with a post-it note mind map can help project managers see things differently by changing how the brain processes the information. This can help to identify the root cause of the concern or distraction. Once the cause of concern or distraction is identified, you should make sure it aligns with the purpose and the mission of the project you’re doing or company you work for, so you can decide if it warrants your worrying time. Give yourself permission to think about certain things at a later time to help declutter your mind in order to focus on the task at hand. Taking a short 10-minute break between tasks can prevent the stress of one task being dragged into the next. The more we shift back and forth between one task and the next the less effective we are. A short break can help you be mindful and present in all tasks. The brain only works well for 90 minutes at a time so setting an alarm to go for a walk or have a stretch can also help declutter your mind. Being stressed all the time is detrimental to your health and productivity. For more information check out Barbara’s website The Time Tamer and download a free Productivity and Time Management Audit. Listen to the Podcast here:

Leap into a more powerful and purposeful future using personal development tools In this podcast, I speak with Founder and CEO of Break The Frame, expert change management professional Alli Polin who shares her take on leadership and how to make the leap into a more powerful and purposeful future using personal development tools. Alli is focused on incorporating fresh perspectives to leadership and unleashing your better self in the work environment and in life. As a gifted, genuine, connected speaker, Alli’s currently lives in central Australia and is an acclaimed speaker, executive coach and regularly conducts team building and organisational development exercises. Points raised in this podcast: The Five Myths Of Personal Growth & Development MYTH 1 – There is a finish line – with any personal growth or personal development that you take on, it is important to realise that there is no end point. Long-term growth is essential, always. MYTH 2 – A jolt of inspiration will equal long term change – inspiration is not long term change. MYTH 3 – There is a competition for self-actualisation – everyone is doing something and there is a lot of pressure to be ‘good’ at something. There is no competition, your growth and development doesn’t need to look anything like your neighbour. MYTH 4 – Habits once formed stick around forever – we need to remember that we have choices MYTHS 5 – If you’re not changing you’re being left behind – everyone takes their own time to assimilate change. Until you go through that change you don’t really have room and you need to give yourself space to change. More points raised in the podcast: The pressure is constant especially in the social space where personal development pressure has been increased with social media platforms. Separating the noise can be a challenge and getting caught up in buzzwords can be ineffective. Being kind to yourself is essential. Find your own place and pace, let go of the sense that you need to compete with anyone else’s leadership or life. Your story is your own and it is not worth competing with anyone else. Change the way you look at ‘SMART’ goals – consider looking at focusing on specific, measure, attainable, resonant and thrilling goals. What do you do when life feels like a hamster wheel? To keep that spark alive you need to make choices that help you take action and do more about what you want to do. Instead of putting pressure on yourself, if you fall off the wagon and feel pressure on where you are at professionally be kind to yourself and have ‘inward’ compassion and let go and then focus on growing. Failure can be considered as part of the innovation cycle, with this in mind in many organisations it is not outwardly acknowledged that is it ok to fail. Sometimes innovating a process without innovating a culture means often things are bound to fail. There are always takeaways from these experiences but failure is not necessarily a bad thing. Top tip for personal development from Alli is – do something that makes you feel alive, for some people it is networking, retreats, reading books — always focus on doing something that feeds you and challenges you and stretches your thinking in new and unexpected ways. Top tip from me – Really look inside yourself and find that spark or promise if it doesn’t already exist. Check out Alli’s website Break The Frame to find out more about effective personal success and the five my

Developing a coaching approach in project management In this podcast Sharon De Mascia from Cognoscenti Business Psychologists focuses on wellbeing, change management and leadership in a project management setting. This article has been created to offer insight on developing a coaching approach in project management. Sharon De Mascia is a UK-based Chartered Occupational Psychologist and a Chartered Scientist. She has over 25 years experience of delivering wellbeing, change management, entrepreneurial leadership and other organisational initiatives across both public and private sectors. She has worked with Marks & Spencer, the Vita Group, the Strategic Health Authority, The Highways Agency and The Co operative Insurance Society. More recently she has worked with Santander, ATL, MMU, and the New Charter Housing Group. Sharon commenced her career in clinical psychology and then specialised in business psychology, which gives her a unique insight into wellbeing in the workplace. In the past, Sharon worked for the Employment Service offering wellbeing services to internal and external clients. More recently, she has helped the ‘Centre for Mental Health’ to manage and deliver a training programme to help managers manage stress and wellbeing/mental health in the workplace. She has also worked with a range of organisations across all three sectors to help them create emotional resilience, manage stress and facilitate higher levels of wellbeing and engagement. Sharon also has extensive project/change management experience and is Prince2 qualified as well as being a qualified coach. Sharon is a supervisor for the global MBA at Manchester Business School and has authored a number of articles. She had a book published in 2012 by Gower entitled, Project Psychology: Using Psychological Tools and Techniques to Create a Successful Project. Listen to our podcast below on developing a coaching approach in project management. Points raised in this podcast: A coaching style is the best way to get the most out of your team members. People can use their own initiative. By encouraging people to problem solve and find their own solutions you increase the capability and motivation of team members. It also means you can delegate more using a coaching style. Increasingly project management roles attract people who are focused on IT and not always focused on people and communication. Individuals can focus so heavily on the tasks that they forget to focus on the people. Coaching techniques such as the grow model can lift performance and can turn around poor performance. Coaching approach enables people to explore why something isn’t working without damaging the relationship with the individuals. Focus on a collaborative approach and discuss how thing can be done differently. Changing the mindset is essential when coaching and encouraging team members. Incorporating coaching into project management is easier than it may seem. Coaching is focused on interpersonal skills. Be non-directive and encourage project team members to find their own solutions Practice being non-judgmental, try to understand the perspective of the team member and find out why they acted in specific ways. The greater the understanding we have the more likely they will develop the way we want them to. Change the power relationship. Project leaders need to practice talking to their project managers as two people working in collaboration focused

Let’s talk about: How to manage stakeholder expectations In this podcast project management consultant, speaker on personal growth and leadership, author and PPM expert Naomi Caietti from The Glass Breakers speaks with Elise about how to manage stakeholder expectations. Naomi is the CEO of a women’s network called “The Glass Breakers”.  Naomi was a speaker for 2013 Alcatel-Lucent International Project Management (IPM) Day and panel speaker for IPM Day Women in Project Management. She engages with global information technology project management communities on topics of leadership and project management as a published author, speaker, editorial board member, community manager, thought leader, mentor and blogger. Naomi is one of the top 50 project management professionals (PMP) on Twitter, a top contributor to the #PMChat for Community of Project Managers and is highly recommended for her project management leadership at work and in her community. Naomi has served on PMI-SVC Board of Directors and held other leadership roles for PMI Global Operations Centre (GOC) at the local, regional, and global level. Points raised in this podcast: Identify an approach to start with, define what your project is and develop an approach that will fit with the culture. Have a focus or behaviour – focus on communication, organisational awareness and strategic planning efforts. Understand who your influencers are – who are your stakeholders, identify who they are, define their business roles; make a list of this information. Get buy in – if you have a project charter with a scope, you need buy in from your stakeholders. Influencers may change depending on the stage, so you need to continually get buy in. Constantly work on your communication – managing stakeholder expectations is one of the most important elements. It’s not about making noise; it is about delivering the right message, to the right audience at the right time. The more stakeholders are bombarded with information they may get disinterested. Focus on your influencers who are impacted by the change that the project will bring, this is where you will find some issues and gaps in your project. Share everything about your project to your stakeholders and have the appropriate feedback and understand what their concerns are. Have empathy for the changes that will occur. There will be a variety of stakeholders in your project, focus on the ones that have a lot of influence, if you can develop some ranking for the stakeholders this may help you use this information to manage expectations. Sometimes the process is trial by fire, continuing to hone your skills is the key. Trust is important in all stakeholder relationships. Program and project managers need to build trust on teams and with stakeholders. You may need to use different leadership styles to develop in these areas. Engage early with stakeholders, communicate often and adapt for your project and customers. Try until you get the outcome you need with your stakeholder relationships. You’re always going to get it right, you really need to develop relationships. Leading a project is best done away from the desk. Excellence can’t be achieved without face time with your stakeholders. For more information on how to manage stakeholder expectations, Naomi or The Glass Breakers network visit www.theglassbreakers.net

How to find a mentor with Heath Suddleson In this podcast US project management and leadership expert speaks about mentoring and how to find a mentor. Heath Suddleson has more than 25 years experience in managing projects in the design and construction industry where he has led teams in managing billions of dollars worth of projects. In these roles, Heath has served as the contractor, the Architect/Engineer, and even represented the owner. He learned some of his most profound lessons by serving in volunteer leadership roles in organisations such as the American Legion, the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering, and Toastmasters International. In his work with Toastmasters International, Heath served roles from local clubs through many levels in the organisation, even having served from 2009-2011 on the Toastmasters International Board of Directors. Most recently, Heath worked in a corporate role for one of the world’s largest engineering and construction companies developing and conducting training programs to help the next generation of project managers become more successful in their roles. His best selling book, The Attitude Check: Lessons In Leadership has become a practical field guide for leaders to harness their attitudes to increase productivity and reduce turnover in the work place. Some organisations have incorporated his book into their standard training programs. Points raised in this podcast: Mentors come in many different shapes and sizes, when choosing a mentor look at people around you and chose a person who you would like to emulate. Find out what you are looking for a mentor – you can have a range of mentors for unique areas throughout your life – your relationships, hobbies and workplace. Have as many mentors as possible. Find someone who you think is successful and the people you want to emulate. Once you find out who you want to mentor you, go ahead and ask them if they would consider being your mentor. When you ask someone to be a mentor, there is a range of responses. Whether they say yes or no, just asking is a positive step. Even if your mentor is not available, once you ask this individual will keep you in their radar ongoing. If you are assigned a mentor and their mentors are not delivering on their expectations. Mentors should be available and accountable throughout the process. Getting a mentor to tackle under performance and personal development will allow individuals to gain a support system including training and development goals. Reach out to mentors and ask them to help with the management of your personal development. Mentors are a pseudo therapist or even a doctor, if there is something going on in your life it is worth sharing this information with your mentor. Discuss information confidentially with your mentor so you can focus on your development and performance. Personal capability is key for finding the perfect mentor. Join professional organisations to find a mentor and build up your confidence. Think about the most impressive athletes you know of, they still have a coach. Being a successful project manager is no different. Everyone needs coaching and support. We never stop developing; there is always someone you can reach out to. Round tables, mastermind groups with peers and mentors are key for successful leaders. Look to the people who are doing what you want to do and ask them to be your mentors. The people who have succeeded want to help people achieve what they have achieved. If someone gives you a bo

About This Podcast: Are you feeling that you are out of control of you life? Not sure how to get yourself  back in control? Babette Bensoussan, an executive coach, shares here expertise on how to recognise that your life is out of control and how to get it back on track, using a practical 10 step process. Key Points Raised in the Podcast: How to diagnose that your life is out of control When you feel yourself turning your thoughts inwards with negative connotations, then perhaps it is time for a engaging a coach to help you look at things from a different perspective 10 practical steps to get control back in your life Make your life one that you want to live Practice the art of reflection Listen to the Podcast: http://fixprojectchaos.podbean.com/mf/play/bkfpqe/FinalBabetteNov2015.mp3   Links: Mindshifts Link to Babette’s website – Mindshifts for more resources