Dot Connector Blog

If you work in an environment where multiple projects are being worked on at the same time, you will often be a part of making decisions about what projects should be worked on, and which ones will have to wait.

In discussions with your team members and project teams, you will often get asked “is this particular task/project a priority?” Since you only do work that matters, of course it’s a priority! But be careful, there’s something you should always remember:

Priority is a relative term!

And because of that, you should always answer that question with another question:

Is this (task, project, etc.) a priority in relation to what?

That should be your answer! Then, you can have a productive conversation about benefits and trade-offs. Far too often, if you answer “yes” or “no” to the priority question, you don’t really deal with the issue at hand, which is basically: what do we work on, and what do we stop work on?

Try looking at things this way, and see if it works for you!

(Source: m o d e)

Many of the great people I work closely with hear me say this a lot: “you just never know when you might run into someone again.” I have several stories that support this idea. Here’s a little story for you today about my good friend Samer…

A few years ago, I was directing the sales, consulting, and account management functions of a web marketing consultancy in Detroit. One of my most dedicated account managers, Samer, came into my office one day and said: “I hate to do this to you, but I have to give you my notice.” I asked Samer to sit down, and he proceeded to tell me how he had been saving up all of his money to go on a trip around the world (literally!). After he told me about his plans, all I could say was “please stay in touch.” What a great idea, what great discipline it took for him to do this, and most of all…what an adventure!

Over the next year, I received emails from Samer every so often – his journeys in Europe, adventures in Thailand, etc. – all of his stories were amazing! When he did finally come back to the States, he came back to Detroit. Quickly, he realized he could not be in Detroit, and needed to move to New York City, where he could hopefully get a start in international business.

I talked to Samer just before he left. He told me “Reg, I have to get out of here, I’m moving to NYC.” I said, “Great Samer! where are you going to work?” Samer replied “I don’t have a job, and I’m going to crash on my cousin’s couch until I can find something.” That’s when I jumped in, “wait a minute Samer, let me call some of my contacts in NYC and see if I can find something for you.”

That day, I dialed up a few of my close contacts in NYC, and about a week later, Samer had an interview with Optimost, a company that helps other companies test new ideas on their websites. Samer was quickly hired at Optimost and began his new career shortly thereafter. Then, a few months into his new career, Samer got some great news: Optimost was opening a London office, and they wanted to send him there to help establish it! Finally, his dream of working in international business became a reality!

The moral of the story?

People will come in and out of your life. You should always meet and part on good terms, because you just never know how, or when, you might see them again.

Samer did a great job of ending his work relationship with me. In the end, it was his dedication, professionalism, and approach that made me never think twice about trying to help him find a new career.

If you’re thinking about changing careers, changing employers, or just changing something else in your life, think about this story and don’t “burn the bridges” you have to other people. You never know when those people may reappear in your life.

Are you about to start a project with a popular, well-respected, brand-name company? Cool! Here’s a tip: don’t assume they “get it!”

A common mis-perception I’ve made, and I’ve seen others around me make, is that just because a company has a well-known brand, they always do really cool stuff, they “get it,” and they can always live up to their well-known and respected brand. Although this is often the case, it is not always the case – hence, my words of caution for you as a project manager.

Here are a few examples (without naming the culprits!):

• A major professional sports organization – who is publically looked up to by millions, seems like a dynamic place to be a part of, is always in the media, etc. takes longer than expected to execute even the smallest projects due to the extensive layers of bureaucracy they have.
• A company with one of the most popular websites on the Internet – who seems like they are always innovating and doing amazing things, sells “vaporware” (i.e. software that doesn’t yet exist) to it’s biggest advertising clients, only to acknowledge later that their tools could not do what their overzealous sales force had said they could.

Of course, if I told you who these organizations were, it would pack even more punch. But, I just can’t do that.

The real point here is that you should never blindly put your faith in an organization you are working with just because they have a strong brand. If they are communicative, competent, truthful, innovative, etc. sure, put your faith in them. But don’t let their brand fool you into thinking they are something they aren’t.

Man built most nobly when limitations were at their greatest.

- Frank Lloyd Wright

If you manage a direct team of people, or if you manage project teams – take this one tip to heart: never surprise your people. Adopt a communication style where you want them to know what you know.

Why?

Leaders (whether leaders of a team or project managers leading a project team) get into trouble when they start limiting or throttling what information they share with others. They forget what they’ve told one person, they presume certain info won’t benefit others, etc. Inevitably, this hurts them in the long run, by undermining the trust they have built with their team. This approach also assumes you know who needs what info, when inevitably you don’t!

Instead, if you approach your communications with your team, or your project team, with a “as soon as I know, you’ll know” approach, you eliminate surprises and interact from a place of trust. They will surprise you with what they do with the info you give them. And, this trust is priceless, and insanely hard (if not impossible) to regain if you’ve lost it.

How can you do this? Here are 3 easy steps you can take TODAY to lead without surprises:

1. Meet with your team and tell them that this is your approach – make yourself accountable to them!
2. As every piece of information comes your way – voicemails, emails, reports, research findings, discussions in meetings, etc., you ask yourself: “could anyone on my team benefit from this information in any way possible, even just remotely?” If the answer is yes, share it immediately!
3. Setup “safe-time” with your team or project team – an hour a week as a group, and ideally an hour per week with each member. Make this a closed-door session where nothing will leave the room. This allows you to share things you can’t share publically, and allows your team member to share things with you. Many project managers skip this step, and it inevitably hurts them later in the project.

Follow these 3 steps to build trust with your team and eliminate surprises. And remember, you will be amazed at what they do with the info you provide them!

Here’s a tip when working with others: never, and I mean never, judge a person by their title. Why? Quite simply, people’s titles (especially in emerging industries) rarely describe what they do or who they are.

I’ve seen some of the most brilliant ideas come from talented people I’ve met that had “small” titles like Production Assistant, Marketing Coordinator, and Junior Media Planner.

On the opposite end of things, I’ve worked with more than my fair share of people with “big” titles like Director, Partner, and Vice President that didn’t live up to their seemingly “important” title.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s important – especially when working with partner and vendor companies – to understand the roles at that company, and how they relate to roles at your organization. However, never ever let yourself get caught up in someone’s title as an indicator of who they are.

Go on living the golden rule — treating others as you want to be treated — ignore titles, focus on ideas, and you’ll be amazed at where it can take you!