Here are some Netiquette tips:

1. Don’t say anything that you wouldn’t say in person.
2. Be professional and careful what you say about others.
3. Never assume your email messages are private.
4. Keep messages short, simple, to the point, clear and logical.
5. Save your email to read later if you are worried about your tone.
6. Do not “reply all” unless everyone must get your response.
7. Do not reply all with “Thanks” to an entire distribution list.

The last tip is suggesting that email users should not send any replies if the entire message is only “Thanks” or “Thank you”–especially to an entire distribution list.

Some people are concerned about not saying “Thank you.” You may reply with “Thanks” believing it’s a short, simple way to graciously acknowledge what was sent to you.  However, those who receive such a ‘Thank you’ actually don’t need it; it’s just a distracting irritation that is quickly deleted.  In fact, it actually contributes to generating a large volume of email-especially if someone responds back to your thank-you message!

Further, multiply your ‘Thank You’ message times five or more per day then factor in all the other people that do it, and it’s easy to see why information irritations like these have actually been shown to contribute to information overload, a known cause of depression among those who spend 30 hours or more working on the computer per week (seriously).

The best practice is to let electronic message threads die a natural death. However, if you feel compelled to respond, include an explanation for how the information helped you rather than just a simple ‘Thanks” (e.g., ‘Thanks!  You saved me an hour of work!’).

By Tiffany Dahlberg, Ready2ACT

Many of us have learned what does and doesn’t work about interpersonal relationships through trial and error.

Sometimes, these lessons learned make great stories of our shortcomings in dealing with others. And the funny thing is, we’re still learning.

It’s a never ending process not a destination. Thankfully, training increases our awareness, exposes us to new techniques, and gives us some tools to be more effective in real-life situations.

One of the most helpful things I’ve ever learned was this: Keep in mind that everyone is always tuned into their own favorite radio station: WIIFM. What’s In It For Me? People naturally evaluate their choices based upon that basic question.

The answer to WIIFM is what motivates them to act or not act. Sometimes the answers appear altruistic (e.g. “I’ll help this person” a.k.a., “I get to be a giver or helper”), but the question stays the same.

If you know that people ask this question (consciously or subconsciously) when faced with a choice, and then you anticipate what you think that answers might be, you’ll be more successful with others.

Don’t guess their answers based upon values, assumptions, and perceptions that may or may not be true for them. If you’re a good guesser, you may be able to answer the question for the person and influence him or her to act in a certain way or make a particular choice.

For example, “if you get this project done on time (desired action), you’ll get a bonus (what’s in it for them).” Now, let’s admit the truth:many times we guess wrong about what people care about because we answer the question based on what motivates us or we “think” we know about the person, or what someone told us that isn’t true.

What you won’t necessarily know is that a project manager doesn’t care as much about a bonus as he or she does about free time. You may still get the result you want, but not because you correctly guessed why.

If you understand this very human response, you’ll realize what influences people’s behavior: However, you still only know the question. The answers can be quite complex and confusing at times.

The best way to find out is to simply ask others what motivates them. That way, you’re not guessing. And showing interest in their needs, cares, and concerns, is just another way to increase your success with others.

By Tiffany Dahlberg, Ready2ACT

In these tough economic times and constant onslaught of “bad news” perpetuated in the media, it’s easy to understand how some people can feel powerless.  While there may be little that you can control on global or national scale, you certainly do have control over your own personal power and how you use it to the best of your ability.

Lets’ examine three primary sources of personal power and how to use it for good:

1. Expert power:  This is power that you earn through experience, education, and/or reputation.  Many people underestimate their expert power because they assume it’s nothing special.  Once you realize that not everyone has your expertise, you can use it in unique and effective ways to gain influence and make more visible, valuable contributions to your company, community, or even family environment.  For example, a friend, who is an expert accountant, is helping her father with bills and financial issues regarding her deceased mother’s estate.
2. Reward power:  Everyone has the power to reward and recognize others.  Some people think they need positional power to reward others financially or with grand gestures, but the simple truth is that most people feel underappreciated.  So, a simple “thank you” or email to the person’s boss explaining why the person desires recognition goes a long way.  Not only will the person who you’re acknowledging feel good, but you’ll feel better too and win more friends.
3. Referent power: Referent power is the least understood, yet it can be very powerful.   You have referent power when you are liked, desired, respected, transformed, or inspired by other people. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Pope John Paul II all had referent power, and did great good with it. However, Hitler, Stalin, and Osama Bin Laden all abused their referent power with devastating consequences. Referent power can only be given to you by others and hence it can be taken away by them too. To keep referent power, use it sparingly and with positive intent and good will towards others.

Once you have a better awareness and understanding of your own personal power, you can wield it to make your own world, big or small, a better place to live and work.

Knowing this may help you increase your feeling of power regardless of uncontrollable events, so you can have more control over your own life and positively influence those around you.

As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” And thank you in advance, for using your reward power.

by Tiffany Dahlberg

If you’re in business, you’re constantly learning.

Some need to stay up-to-date with advances in technology, techniques, certifications, regulatory & legal environments, or research just to stay viable and competitive. Others just feel more engaged, creative, and innovative in their daily work when they are learning–no matter what the content is.

That’s why knowing how you learn is critical to your success.

The Accelerated Learning Handbook by David Meier, discusses how recent brain research has shown that learning occurs most rapidly when students are involved in the following four kinds of activity during their learning experiences:

Moving and doing (Somatic)
Talking and hearing (Auditory)
Observing and picturing (Visual)
Problem-solving and reflecting (Intellectual)

When you decide to seek out education, ask questions to find out what kind of learning activity you’ll experience (S,A,V,I). If that training does not incorporate all four kinds, consider a learner-centered provider who does.

By thoughtfully combining intellectual activity, physical movement, and the use of as many senses as possible, Ready2ACT students have experienced quick, and lasting learning in our instructor-led training, E-Learning solutions, and customized, blended approaches.

If you’re a Auditory, Visual, and/or Intellectual learner, click on this 54-second video to learn from ingenuity expert, Red Green:

I’m continually surprised by how often people tell me that doing a Lessons Learned evaluation is valuable, yet they don’t do it as often as they’d like and sometimes not at all.

That in itself is a lesson learned that I’d like to share with you.

It’s important to incorporate what some people call a “post mortem” into your process. However, instead of just waiting until the end, ideally, you’d do it at intermediate points in your project. You can do a Lessons Learned for yourself on your project management abilities and/or as a project team evaluating the project.

Regardless if you do a Lessons Learned in person, virtually, or via survey, make sure that people understand your intentions. A Lessons Learned is not a blaming session. The point is to understand what went well, so you can keep doing it, and to identify what didn’t work, so you can fix it. It’s also a time to celebrate successes (rarely done but everyone appreciates it), bring closure to the phase or project, and analyze what’s needed for continuous improvement.

Be careful that a Lessons Learned evaluation doesn’t become a morale buster. The keys are to set a positive tone and to ensure that you assign action item to owners for any improvements; otherwise, the action items will simply sit undone lying on paper, which renders them useless and a waste of everyone’s time.

If

done right and well, the information gained by Lessons Learned can contribute to a valuable knowledge database for future projects and stakeholders and be critical for process improvements. Most organizations can’t afford to keep learning the same lessons over and over again. What about you?

Click here for a lessons learned template available free on our website.

Though people can sometimes be frustrating to work with, most of the time, we need to work together to get work done.

During training classes, I often tell participants that “I can teach you all these project management (or business analysis) tools and techniques, but if you don’t know how to work well with people, then you won’t be successful. That’s why I also do ‘people skills’ training.”

To this end, Ready2ACT is

collaborating with Ownership Thinking to deliver a one-hour webinar on “Building High Performance Teams”. On August 17, we’ll be discussing how to develop the 8 attributes of high-performing teams based upon my research and over 25 years of experience.

The eight attributes are:

1. Clear vision and common values
2. SMART goals
3. Strong sponsorship and resources
4. Right mix of talent
5. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
6. Mutual trust, accountability, and support
7. Commitment to collective results
8. High degree of cooperation and collaboration

Do you work on a high-performance team? You can check your team’s performance, by taking a free High Performance Team Assessment, developed for Ready2ACT clients.

Your questions and comments inspire us to write educational articles that are relevant and timely. We appreciate your feedback and welcome suggestions for

other articles and/or recommended publications.

• Do You Work on a ‘High-Performance’ Team?
• Lessons Learned
• Are You SAVI?
• The Triple Constraint
• Access Your Personal Power
• Five Tips to ImproveYour Project Success
• Avoid Scope Creep
• Why a PMP?
• Who is more important the Project Manager or the Business Analyst?
• Saying “Thank you” is Rude?
• Want to Increase Your Success? Find Out What Motivates Others.