It has been a whirlwind week and it is only Wednesday! In the last 2 weeks, I have given 8 speeches in 2 countries and 6 different cities. I have also made major strides in seeing a huge dream of mine come to fruition. I am so full of energy, inspiration, and adrenaline as I have seen a dream turn in to an action plan. What was a wish now has a due date. What was a vision now has a task list. As I reflect, I am so blessed to have had an opportunity to learn, teach, and perform the art of project management. I want to issue you this challenge: Where is your project plan for your life?
Now I know there are many project managers that get a bit crazy with this and plan their lives down to the 10 minute increment, but that is not what I am talking about. What I am talking about is the things that we do everyday are the skills and activities that people flock to hear in self-improvement seminars. We tend to take these things for granted. Think about it. What is your plan for the next year? If you were to attend a commercial course or go hear any variety of motivational speakers, the message is the same. You must plan your success, it doesn't seek you out.
What are your goals for the coming year, two years, or five years? What are the building blocks to achieve those goals? What action can you take now to start down that path? This is a work breakdown structure for your life! Some of the most successful systems out there ask you to make a problem statement (i.e. scope). Then list milestones (key deliverables) and then break the milestones into "mini-goals" (i.e. the next level of the WBS) Then you take the mini-goals and create actionable tasks. The final step is to schedule actual work against the actionable tasks, estimate effort and duration, and create a way to measure success. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the project plan for your life!
Try it! It can really be powerful. This year, my business partner and I set a five year goal and announced a concept. Each day, I try to plan an activity to move us towards the concept. In just the past week, the momentum is taking a life of its own and we went from a concept to a planned date, activity, and scope. It is amazing that we have had the tools all along to assist ourselves in achieving the next level, we just are not using them to our benefit. They say that the cobbler's kids have no shoes ;)
Let me end with this question. What are you going to do tomorrow to take the next step in attaining your goals? If you do not know, then start with your scope. Then follow your instincts, project management can guide you the rest of the way. Good luck!
No Day But Today,
Rick
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Anytime I get too big for my britches..
I just have to come home. Kids are incredible and I am so blessed to have two wonderful children. They can light up the room, make you angry, make you laugh until it hurts, make you cry, and make you look inside yourself. All of that can happen in just a couple of hours!
My daughter asked me this weekend about writing a book and she felt that she should write a book. I took her up on her offer. Throughout the weekend she was thinking of characters, stories, situations for the characters, and the general flow of the book. It was truly an amazing process. She is 9 years old and has an incredible imagination. To see her eyes light up when she saw how it was all coming together is something I want to hold in my heart.
My son, who is 3, is fascinated with "Where The Wild Things Are." I caught him looking at himself in the mirror and practicing his "monster" face. He was practicing a scowl and getting his hands just right, and then would stomp in the room and announce that he was going to "Eat you up!" We just laughed and laughed!
We also got a chance to step out for some beautiful weather and go to a park. I forget how much fun it was as a kid to just be outside and run. They ran themselves silly and you couldn't get the smile off of my face.
As I reflect on the time this weekend with my family, I look at my station in life. The job is going well, new ideas and advancements for the company is growing. The speaking career is really taking off and I am getting booked in Germany, Panama, Brazil, and all over the US. I am in real negotiations with book #3 and have taken some major steps in advancing towards a life long dream. Yet, the role that I think I will really be measured on is the role of a Father and Husband. Was I the best that I could be for them? Sometimes, I have to remember that the career is a means for them, not the end or the quest.
I took time this weekend to work on that life long dream. Many are asking me what it is, yet, I do not want to jinx it or discuss it until it is a done deal. That could be a couple of days, weeks, months, or even years before it happens. As excited as I am about having a clear vision as to what my future holds, I am so glad that my kids reminded me this weekend of why I pursue this future. Why I am pushing the career so hard right now.
We were playing a game and my daughter questioned if I really did know anything. It made me laugh. It is truly amazing how someone can look at you and hold you in such high regard, love you as much as they do, yet can make sure that I keep things in perspective. I hope you take time as you read this to reflect on what is important in your life. What the quest is really for or why we do what we do. Realize that "tomorrow" is sometimes too long to wait to make time for what is important.
There really is no day but today,
Rick
My daughter asked me this weekend about writing a book and she felt that she should write a book. I took her up on her offer. Throughout the weekend she was thinking of characters, stories, situations for the characters, and the general flow of the book. It was truly an amazing process. She is 9 years old and has an incredible imagination. To see her eyes light up when she saw how it was all coming together is something I want to hold in my heart.
My son, who is 3, is fascinated with "Where The Wild Things Are." I caught him looking at himself in the mirror and practicing his "monster" face. He was practicing a scowl and getting his hands just right, and then would stomp in the room and announce that he was going to "Eat you up!" We just laughed and laughed!
We also got a chance to step out for some beautiful weather and go to a park. I forget how much fun it was as a kid to just be outside and run. They ran themselves silly and you couldn't get the smile off of my face.
As I reflect on the time this weekend with my family, I look at my station in life. The job is going well, new ideas and advancements for the company is growing. The speaking career is really taking off and I am getting booked in Germany, Panama, Brazil, and all over the US. I am in real negotiations with book #3 and have taken some major steps in advancing towards a life long dream. Yet, the role that I think I will really be measured on is the role of a Father and Husband. Was I the best that I could be for them? Sometimes, I have to remember that the career is a means for them, not the end or the quest.
I took time this weekend to work on that life long dream. Many are asking me what it is, yet, I do not want to jinx it or discuss it until it is a done deal. That could be a couple of days, weeks, months, or even years before it happens. As excited as I am about having a clear vision as to what my future holds, I am so glad that my kids reminded me this weekend of why I pursue this future. Why I am pushing the career so hard right now.
We were playing a game and my daughter questioned if I really did know anything. It made me laugh. It is truly amazing how someone can look at you and hold you in such high regard, love you as much as they do, yet can make sure that I keep things in perspective. I hope you take time as you read this to reflect on what is important in your life. What the quest is really for or why we do what we do. Realize that "tomorrow" is sometimes too long to wait to make time for what is important.
There really is no day but today,
Rick
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A lesson from Undercover Boss
Have you had a chance to see this show? It is on CBS and has CEO's go undercover in their organization to get a sense of what it is like on the front lines. The messages have been amazing.
The lesson that I get from the show is to never be afraid to roll up your sleeves and participate at the ground level. This gives the unique perspective that many lose touch with. We all have many ideas on how to run an organization or improve operations. If we are lucky enough to set policies and make key decisions for a company, we rarely get to see the impact. We also forget at times how each job is an important factor in how the overall organization runs.
Key Executives from organizations such as Waste Management and 7-11 are participating in this show and learning lessons that change their behaviors. They see first hand how their policies are being carried out. For instance, Larry O'Donnell, President of Waste Management, was very focused on efficiencies. He wanted to ensure that everyone was a productive as possible. Then he saw how one of the plants were carrying out his effeciencies. They were docking double the amount of time they were late back from lunch. This was something he did not anticipate.
Joe De Pinto, CEO of 7-11 saw how their charitable plans were not being followed. A fantastic idea that was lacking in execution. He also was taken aback by the people that really made the operation tick. It is a lesson we should all learn. When is the last time we truly walked a mile in someone else's shoes? When is the last time we saw the impact of a decision?
For project sponsor's out there, when is the last time you really understood the impacts of the cost, schedule, and quality triangle? If you are not sure, maybe it is time for you to become the undercover boss.
No day but today,
Rick
The lesson that I get from the show is to never be afraid to roll up your sleeves and participate at the ground level. This gives the unique perspective that many lose touch with. We all have many ideas on how to run an organization or improve operations. If we are lucky enough to set policies and make key decisions for a company, we rarely get to see the impact. We also forget at times how each job is an important factor in how the overall organization runs.
Key Executives from organizations such as Waste Management and 7-11 are participating in this show and learning lessons that change their behaviors. They see first hand how their policies are being carried out. For instance, Larry O'Donnell, President of Waste Management, was very focused on efficiencies. He wanted to ensure that everyone was a productive as possible. Then he saw how one of the plants were carrying out his effeciencies. They were docking double the amount of time they were late back from lunch. This was something he did not anticipate.
Joe De Pinto, CEO of 7-11 saw how their charitable plans were not being followed. A fantastic idea that was lacking in execution. He also was taken aback by the people that really made the operation tick. It is a lesson we should all learn. When is the last time we truly walked a mile in someone else's shoes? When is the last time we saw the impact of a decision?
For project sponsor's out there, when is the last time you really understood the impacts of the cost, schedule, and quality triangle? If you are not sure, maybe it is time for you to become the undercover boss.
No day but today,
Rick
Friday, February 12, 2010
You have three choices...
This will be a short post, but it was on my mind.
I was completing my seminar with an organization and I received a question that I get often:
"What if none of this stuff works? What if the organization refuses?"
Unfortunately, there are really only three choices.
1) Persevere - You can work with the organization and continue to educate and be a positive force in changing the overall culture. If you truly follow the process of making emotional conversation unemotional (documented in my book) then through perseverance, will, and success, the culture WILL change. I have watched it occur over and over again.
2) Accept - If you feel that nothing you try will ever make a difference, then accept it for what it is. In essence, quit whining about it! ;)
3) Move On - If you feel that you can't persevere or accepting the results is not your style, then the only choice left is to leave the organization. I know that it can be difficult in these times, but if you can't live with the culture and do not have the perseverance to change it, then it is your only other option.
Understanding the three choices and being resolute on which one fits you and your situation can go a long way in making the first step. Once the decision is made (and of course, I will often choose #1) then you can focus on making the difference.
I promised it would be short!
No day but today,
Rick
I was completing my seminar with an organization and I received a question that I get often:
"What if none of this stuff works? What if the organization refuses?"
Unfortunately, there are really only three choices.
1) Persevere - You can work with the organization and continue to educate and be a positive force in changing the overall culture. If you truly follow the process of making emotional conversation unemotional (documented in my book) then through perseverance, will, and success, the culture WILL change. I have watched it occur over and over again.
2) Accept - If you feel that nothing you try will ever make a difference, then accept it for what it is. In essence, quit whining about it! ;)
3) Move On - If you feel that you can't persevere or accepting the results is not your style, then the only choice left is to leave the organization. I know that it can be difficult in these times, but if you can't live with the culture and do not have the perseverance to change it, then it is your only other option.
Understanding the three choices and being resolute on which one fits you and your situation can go a long way in making the first step. Once the decision is made (and of course, I will often choose #1) then you can focus on making the difference.
I promised it would be short!
No day but today,
Rick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)