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November 2017 – Three Reasons Your Project Will Fail

We all start projects with the best intentions.  Sometimes we experience so much pressure to start working, that we don’t do what’s required to prevent failure at the beginning.  Avoid these three common pitfalls:

1)   Poor sponsorship.
Just as there are important characteristics in team members, there are also critical qualities in good sponsors.  Sponsors tend to be in management level positions so they can removebarriers and obtain resources to get things done.  However, that doesn’t mean that they know what else they need to do to be a good sponsor.  Identify what behaviors you need in your sponsors, and then have a collaborative and respectful conversation with them.  Just like you, they appreciate knowing what they need to do to make the project successful!
2)   Missing agreement.
Every project requires a SMART objective – a Specific, Measurable, Agreed Upon, Results-oriented, and Time-based description of what it’s supposed to accomplish.  Once your project objective has been written, you must get agreement from your key stakeholders.  If you’ve done a good job of uncovering your stakeholders’ requirements, then getting agreement will be much easier.  If you haven’t then conflicts will arise throughout your project, which are usually symptoms of uncovered requirements.
3)   Incomplete requirements.
Most people haven’t had training on how to elicit, clarify, and validate requirements, so it’s no surprise that this is the most common reason for project failure.  Since requirements make up the scope of a project, if you are missing requirements you are missing scope. And if you’re missing scope, your stakeholders will be unhappy with the deliverables. Make certain you identify all of the stakeholders and then get a complete, correct, and clear set of requirements.

A common practice is to rush through the initiation and planning of a project and start executing before requirements are clarified and agreement is obtained:  This is a recipe for failure.  You certainly don’t save any time or money by producing deliverables that don’t meet expectations.  All three of the above pitfalls must be addressed at the start of your project.  Only then can you execute a well-crafted plan according to the needs of your stakeholders.  Slow down to go fast.

Contact us when you’re interested in learning more about successful project management.

October 2017 – We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You!

Happy Anniversary!
You’re invited to celebrate with us!
People often me ask me how I got started in my business. Although it sounds like I planned it all out, it was really serendipitous!

15 years ago I wasn’t challenged or realizing my potential in my position as a Business Analyst/Project Manager, so I decided to start teaching in the evenings at University of Phoenix (UoP) while I worked during the day at my regular job for a Fortune 50 company. UoP provided me with excellent training as a learning facilitator, and I taught management students in Critical Thinking & Decision Making, Management, Organizational Behavior, and Project Management.

As a marketing tool, UoP asked me to deliver one hour lunch and learns at companies. The purpose was to demonstrate the quality of instruction that company employees would receive by attending UoP. It was fun and interesting learning about other companies and from their employees.

After a year, I realized that teaching was my passion, and I wanted to help make people’s jobs easier and less stressful by teaching them professional development and project management skills. On Oct. 1, 2003 I started Achievement Consulting & Training, Inc. (later rebranded as Ready2ACT).

Finding my passion as a teacher and starting my own business has been my greatest joy! I can’t thank you enough for supporting my business, learning from you, and allowing me to be part of your life. If there’s anything that I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact me . As a thank you gift, I’m offering a 14% discount on our classes.


Thanks to you we are celebrating our 14 th  anniversary at Ready2ACT! As a token of our appreciation, we’d like to extend a 14% discount to you on our public and eLearning classes:

October 19, 26 and November 2, 9: Register by Oct. 11 for $308 off!
Golden, CO
October 19, 26 and November 2, 9, 16: Register by Oct. 11 for $350 off!
Golden, CO
December 11-15: Register by Oct. 31 for $350 off!
Golden, CO
Use discount code R2A14 for 14% off our eLearning courses through Oct. 31:
https://ready2act.com/classes/?target=e-learning-courses

Email us at  info@Ready2ACT.com  or call 720-373-2601 for more information.

Thank you for your support!

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September 2017 – What’s your Emergency Plan?

What’s your Emergency Plan?
 
By Tiffany Dahlberg  
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have affected the lives of millions of people and thousands of businesses.  Natural disasters notwithstanding, you could have a personal emergency that impacts you, your family, and your sept 2017company like when my husband was diagnosed with cancer.  What’s your plan when the unexpected happens?
Depending upon the size of your company and the impact of a disaster, you may need a risk assessment and mitigation plans for both projects and the organization.  However, I’m advocating two emergency plans that cover most situations:
1) Your Personal Plan and
2) Your Company’s Plan.

Here are six steps to follow for both plans:
1)    Get crystal clear on your values to determine what matters most in an emergency.  For me, it’s that my clients, employees, and family are safe, informed, and protected.
2)    Decide which timelines are acceptable for disasters.  For example, a two day disaster plan will be different than a six month plan.
3)    Create your plans by keeping them simple and allowing for flexibility aligned with your values.
4)    Ensure that all contact information is included (full names, email addresses, and phone numbers) along with your instructions of who to contact, when, and why.
5)    Distribute your plan to multiple people who need to execute it and be informed.
6)    Ensure that your plan is understood and updated regularly.

Although developing these plans can be emotionally difficult, think about how hard it would be to need a plan and make decisions under duress, or worse yet, having someone else do it and not know your wishes!  Keep it simple. Mine is one page. I hope you never have to use these plans!

January 2017

Four easy steps to improve your communication in 2017
Have you ever felt like you weren’t connecting with someone?  From your perspective, you were communicating clearly, yet the other person didn’t get it? Perhaps the other person interrupted you by asking questions that you haven’t answered yet?
Many people have been exposed to the concepts of different styles.  Most instruments have four quadrants of personalities or social styles or thinking styles or communication styles. If you are familiar with these various assessments, as I am having my education in communication and management, you may have noticed some similarities with the four quadrants.
Even if you aren’t familiar with any of these assessments, they can all be neatly summarized into the four items that everyone wants to know when you are communicating:
1)    What
2)    Why
3)    Who
4)    How
According to Dick Cochran at Comstar, this is the correct order to present your ideas, action items, or requests whether in a meeting or via a written format like email.  Some of you who are detailed-oriented may have noted that “when” is missing; you may add it at the end.

The reason why this order works is because the four quadrants consist of assertiveness and pace of communication on the horizontal axis (low on the left side, high on the right).  People who prefer the  “what” and “why” styles are higher on that scale meaning they are more assertive and less patient, so answer their questions first (#1 and #2). People who prefer the “who” and “how” styles are lower on that scale meaning they like more time to think and respond, so they will wait longer for their questions to get answered (#3 and #4).

Of course, no one appreciates being put in a box.  Most people slide up and down these scales to some degree depending upon the situation and the relationship.  Personally, I care about all four of these questions. Ideally, you’d know your audience and flex your communication to that person’s preference. However, many times our audience reflects all four styles, so this is a general recommendation designed to improve your communication.
I encourage you to structure your meetings and emails using this order, see if it makes a difference for you, and let me know your results.  If you are curious about different assessments to improve your communication and teamwork, please contact me.
Happy 2017!

 

 

December 2016

 The Power of Kindness

 

During this holiday season, I am grateful for the kindness that many of you have expressed. In November’s newsletter I shared the challenge that cancer has presented to my family. Your kind words, offers to help, and sympathy shown were greatly appreciated. On November 23rd, the surgeons removed all the cancer from my loved one’s body. We were extra grateful on Thanksgiving.

 

Cancer is not usually viewed as a gift, but we choose to look at it that way. For my loved one, it was a wake-up call to eat healthier, exercise more, drink less, and quit tobacco. For me, I spend more time with family and friends, connect more deeply with everyone I meet, and savor time instead of being rushed.

 

This experience has heightened my awareness of small acts of kindness and the massive impact they can have on someone’s life. I know I felt much stronger knowing I had the support of so many people. The simple acts of sending notes, sharing your stories, and offering assistance, helped me feel less stressed, more capable, and more connected to all of you. It felt much easier knowing that I was not alone on this journey.

 

This season, who will you smile at so someone feels seen? What can you say to ease someone’s fear? How can you help in a way that gives someone hope? Sometimes the kindness of strangers changes lives.

 

I wish you a happy holiday season and prosperous 2017!

November 2016

Giving Thanks in the Midst of Challenges

 

Life has its ups and downs.  I had realized my dream to design, build, and live in my new home.  My husband and I have enjoyed it for 5 months now, savoring the weather and view.  Then on September 30th, a close family member heard the news that no one wants to hear: “you have cancer.”

 

Suddenly, life changed. The carefree relaxation that came from enjoying the fruits of our labor disappeared and became filled with research, doctor appointments, and difficult conversations.  For the past three weeks, we have transitioned to an “alkaline” diet, which is touted as “anti-cancer” diet.  The impact of changing nearly everything we eat has affected our social life, meal-times, and simple enjoyment of cooking and dining together.  This is serious, yet we are doing our best to still do things that are fun. We refuse to let cancer rob us of experiencing joy in our lives, especially in the face of death. We are more grateful than ever.

 

homenov-quote
As a professional, I would have never shared this deeply personal life challenge with you because it’s my family’s problem.  In the past, I’d pretend that everything was rosy when it wasn’t and stuff my emotions, which led to what I felt was living a lie and losing myself as a result.  The truth is that my personal life does impact my professional life because I’m me regardless of my environment.  This time, I choose authenticity, honesty, and connection, with you and everyone I meet.

 

I have learned that relationships with others are what makes life meaningful.  And so I’m sharing this information with you in the hopes that you will hold your friends and loved ones a little closer and longer, be a little nicer and kinder, and be grateful for all that you have in life because we never know how much time we have together.

 

I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving full of gratitude, even for tough times, as it makes us appreciate what we have and gives us the opportunity to be stronger, more compassionate, and more loving.

Thank you for your friendship.

 

October 2016

Are Your Values Aligned?
 
My husband came to work to see this poster hanging on his door (see image to the right).  One of his employees posted it as a surprise, which was worth his time to take the trip the store and spend the money, not to mention coming in early, all to get a laugh. You see, “fun” is an important value at his workplace.  And this was one way to express it, just like Teton Distillery does through their vodka inspired Employee Retention Program.
 
What does your company value?  And how do those values manifest in behaviors?
 
On October 3rd, Ready2ACT celebrated our 13th year in business thanks to you! As a service business, it is vitally important to develop and nurture strong relationships in order to thrive.  If I didn’t value that, there would be no way to have a sustainable business.  Admittedly, I’m not always great at expressing my appreciation.  As a leader, I’ve realized that knowing that I care isn’t enough.  My behavior needs to reflect my values.  After all, we are judged by our actions, not our thoughts.
 
Employees disengage when they read the company values, but do not see them reflected in behaviors such as decisions, hiring, compensation, recognition, policies, etc.  For example, one client said that they valued their employees as family yet didn’t invite all employees to the company picnic.  When I called them out on this, they admitted that only office employees were seen as family members but not field guys. Inconsistency causes confusion.
 
Are your values and behaviors congruent?  If there is a disconnect, why?  What can you do about the lack of integrity that comes with this incongruence?
Most employees can’t just change the values at their companies.  However, as an employee, you can point out inconsistencies, you can behave in ways that reflect your values, and if the company values don’t fit with your values, I encourage you to find a place that does. When there is a good job match, the company benefits and you’ll feel like you belong.  Your energy, morale, and productivity will increase because you’ll feel like you are contributing to something that you believe in. The company wins, and you win because your values are aligned.
 
Ready2ACT offers job fit assessments to help companies hire and promote the right people to the right jobs, using their natural strengths.  These scientific assessments are a powerful predictor of performance when used in conjunction with culture fit.  Contact us for more information.

 

September 2016

How Vodka Retains Employees

While on vacation in Idaho, I visited Grand Teton Distillery.  While on tour, I was surprised to see their employee retention program (see photo).  Curious, I asked, “Is that real?”  The employee replied, “Yes, and it works.”  Still fascinated, I asked more questions: “What is it?” Reply, “Vodka.”  I asked. “How much do they get? She quickly rattled off at least five reasons to imbibe like when the boss is having a bad day or when they celebrate, etc. but they limited person to less than 1 oz. a day.

In a day, fraught with lawsuits and HR policies, I was shocked over this “employee retention program.”  It certainly wouldn’t work for the majority of my clients who require drug testing for safety reasons, yet this very small distillery was very proud that they employed people instead of using bottling machinery, they sourced ingredients locally, and they loved their jobs, bosses, and fellow employees.  No one seemed to abuse the “free vodka” program; it was just another way to express their culture of fun.

What is your employee retention program?  According to Turning the Corner, LLC, here are three tips to consider:

 

Money isn’t the answer. Raises and increased benefits are important to the well-being of your company, but often the positive results are short-lived. As long as base needs are met, engagement surveys show that many employees will work for less if they believe in the mission, values, and goals of the company.

  1. Know what is important to your employees. Don’t give your employees a branded t-shirt if what they really want is flexible work schedules. Knowing what your employees find important can help you create programs that are valuable to your teams. You may not be able to meet every need, but your efforts will be noticed.
  2. If they want to go, help them leave. If they want to stay, develop them. Sometimes great employees will have opportunities outside of your organization. Embrace this fact and make it easier for them to reach their personal goals. They will become your advocate. Help the ones who are staying with you by creating opportunities for growth, both professionally in your organization and personally. Mentorship programs are a great place to start.
  3. The key to a successful employee retention program is understanding what your employees want and need. While some may like accolades or occasional corporate bling, the vast majority want to feel valued and have significant roles within your organization.

Most times it’s as easy as treating your employees like your customers. Find their pain points and needs, then fill them. We have seen floundering companies lower attrition rates and increase profits simply by showing their employees they are valued.
Contact us if you’re interested in developing an employee retention program.  We will come to your company to teach and demonstrate motivation, rewards, and recognition techniques.

August 2016

Six Ways to Improve your Problem Solving 

Every day we are faced with making decisions; some are easy and quick and others are difficult and time-consuming.  For those decisions that require deep thinking, it’s helpful to use a simple systematic methodology that not only saves time, but also ensures you have thoroughly examined the situation.  I first learned Edward DeBono’s powerfully simple tool the “Six Thinking Hats” in 2000 and share it with others as a critical thinking method.

The idea is that thinking can be conducted in a way that more fully explores topics employing formal techniques based on the brain’s behavior.  What makes thinking difficult is the conflicting thoughts of our heart (emotions), our head (logic and information), and our soul (hope and creativity).  “Six Thinking Hats” provides a way for us to separate these thoughts and then focus on one thinking mode at a time.  These modes are represented by six different hats.

 

Six Thinking Hats:
  1. Yellow Hat:  Listing the benefits, pros, and good reasons to support ideas and actions
  2. Green Hat:  Brainstorming ideas, creating alternatives, and thinking “outside the box”
  3. Red Hat:  Listening to and expressing your intuition, feelings, and what your gut says
  4. Blue Hat:  Summarizing, organizing, and facilitating the thinking styles and outcome
  5. Black Hat:  Pointing out risks, cons, and concerns to apply cautious thinking
  6. White Hat:  Understanding data, facts, and figures in a neutral and objective manner
Many of us have “default” hats that we tend to wear most often; for example, I prefer the yellow, green, and white hats.  Because we may wear only a few hats automatically, this technique encourages us to examine all sides of an issue by trying on all six hats, one at a time.

 

This critical thinking tool is easy to remember and apply to your own thoughts as well with others’ thoughts, especially during problem-solving meetings.
Contact us if you’re interested in helping your team come to decisions more quickly and solve problems thoroughly.  We will come to your company to teach and demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving techniques.
Image by iStock, at Morguefile

July 2016

As we celebrate Independence Day, I reflect that “independence” means having the freedom to make choices: Choices about the job you work, your relationships, how you carry yourself, your attitude, how you nurture your body, mind, and soul.

 

Think about your past, present, and future choices. Are you choosing servitude or freedom with your decisions? As a teenager, I observed how my mother’s and father’s career choices were limited by their high school education. Determined to have more options, I worked two full-time jobs for the first year after high school graduation to earn enough money to pay for my first semester at a local, traditional college. While attending classes all day, I continued to work full-time to pay for my bachelor’s degree. This choice to get a higher education didn’t guarantee success, but it did teach me critical thinking skills, demonstrated the perseverance and commitment to get a four-year degree, and opened doors that might otherwise be closed.

 

To open doors, open your mind! And you’ll see limitless possibilities, gain freedom of control, and experience ultimate independence. For over 200 years, our nation has done the heavy lifting to maintain its independence, so American citizens have freedom of choice. It’s our responsibility to celebrate our independence every day!
(reprinted from July 4, 2008)