Thursday 20 October 2022

How to Respond to Praise


 This post's podcast episode is available at SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.


DO THIS

Share the recognition with fellow contributors.


BY DOING THIS

– Thank the giver of the praise.

– Identify those who contributed.

– Specify the roles they played.


Change initiatives can be gruelling and can feel like a succession of uphill battles characterized by tight deadlines, difficult challenges, stretched capabilities, and long hours. Giving and receiving recognition energizes individuals and teams and builds momentum to tackle the next tasks and activities.

Acknowledgement for your hard work feels great. It’s tempting to accept it by saying, “Thank you, I have been working hard." The best response is to share praise with those who contributed to the success and detail how they contributed, which maximizes the distinction. Saying, “Thank you, we all worked hard to hit this deadline, and Tim and Sandeep created a focused plan to get us there,” broadens the recognition and signals that you are a humble leader. People will notice your thoughtfulness.

Round off your acceptance by connecting the team’s capabilities with future achievements. By saying something like, “We’re on a roll,” or “We’re ready for the next challenge,” you encourage the behaviours that got the results and create the momentum for success to become a habit.


KNOWLEDGE BITES




RECOGNITION PLANNER TOOL: How will I respond to praise?


Express gratitude:

_________________________________________________________________________

Who else contributed?

_________________________________________________________________________

What did they do?

_________________________________________________________________________


SUCCESS TIP

Keep a list of acknowledgements to motivate yourself and the team in challenging times and to create a project summary at the project’s end.


For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Responding to Praise podcast episode with communication and corporate affairs leader Saira Absar.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and  Change with Confidence, host of the  Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the  Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #businesstransformation #leadership #projectmanagement #praise #recognition #podcasts 

Sunday 2 October 2022

How to Negotiate Deadlines

 

This post's podcast episode is available at SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.


DO THIS

Calculate the minimum time required and add a 10% contingency before setting a deadline.


BY DOING THIS

– List all required activities.

– Estimate the time required for each.

– Add 10% to account for delays and emergencies.


Project timelines include end dates of all activities and those of the tasks required to complete them. For example, new software training must be completed on the 30th because the system is going live on the 10th of the following month.

An inherent risk of interconnected deadlines is that one unrealistic deadline for an activity cascades through all the task deadlines leading up to it, regardless of how much time is necessary to complete them. It only takes one miscalculation to fail to meet a plan timeline. Many people respond to unrealistic deadlines with reckless optimism. They cut corners, eliminate steps or shorten timelines without understanding the impacts of their choices. Before they’ve even begun, they’ve added risk to their plan and are in jeopardy of failing.

The best timeline planning approach is to map out the minimum time required to achieve all your tasks and activities. These facts are your best defence against unrealistic expectations. You might not get all the time you need, but you will get more than the original estimate, and leaders will now co-own the time risks.


KNOWLEDGE BITES





MINIMUM TIMELINE PLANNER TOOL: What’s the least amount of time I need to complete my activities?


SUCCESS TIP

Don’t explain in detail why you did what you did. It’ll sound like you’re making excuses and take focus away from how you are fixing the mistake.


For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Negotiating Deadlines podcast episode with executive and change leader Cathy Brown.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and  Change with Confidence, host of the  Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the  Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #businesstransformation #leadership #projectmanagement #deadlines #podcasts 

Monday 26 September 2022

How to Handle Mistakes


 This post's podcast episode is available at SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.


DO THIS

Own the mistake and how to correct it.


BY DOING THIS

–  Take accountability quickly.

–  Share steps to correct it and the help you need.

–  Detail what you learned and will do differently.


Mistakes are inevitable when managing change. There are too many moving pieces on different schedules and run by different people to avoid missteps.

Given the stress (and fear) that major change initiatives inevitably produces, people can default to responses that deflect ownership, compromise resolution, and obscure learning when something goes wrong. This behaviour often adds risk to the project and damages relationships. A better and more difficult approach is to expect and address mistakes as they appear.

Taking accountability for a mistake, especially in public, will set you apart. People will remember how calmly you handled the situation and soon will forget about the mistake. 

First, take ownership of the mistake. Next, state what you are doing to correct it. Talking about the solution focuses people on the path to correction vs. the actual mistake. Close off your comments by sharing what you learned and what you will do differently in the future.


KNOWLEDGE BITES



MISTAKE CORRECTION PLANNING TOOL: What are the steps I need to take to correct the mistake?



SUCCESS TIP

Don’t explain in detail why you did what you did. It’ll sound like you’re making excuses and take focus away from how you are fixing the mistake.

For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Handling Mistakes podcast episode with executive and change leader Michelle Yanahan.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and  Change with Confidence, host of the  Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the  Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #transformation #leadership #projectmanagement #mistakes #podcasts 

Tuesday 6 September 2022

How to Compete for Resources

 

This post's podcast episode is available at SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.


DO THIS

Provide greater detail on the benefits of your project.


BY DOING THIS

–  Map each stakeholder’s benefits (internal and external).

–  Meet with each stakeholder to get examples.

–  Use quotes to build credibility for your pitch.

 

Most organizations take on change agendas that are larger than the resources available to implement them. Leaders struggle to prioritize multiple change initiatives because they all provide benefits, and generally there are differing views on which ones will deliver the most value. 

Most people starting a change project jump into planning without stepping back to assess the environment in which the change will take place. For example, if your change is launching at the same time as three other initiatives, odds are that the people you’re impacting will not have the capacity (time, skill and resources) to implement the plan as well as you’d like. Securing adequate resources to implement your plan is one of the most important negotiations you’ll have. 

Meet with each stakeholder to better understand the benefits they’ll get from your change. Greater detail backed by credible endorsements will make them more tangible and perhaps more valuable when compared to other projects, securing the resources you need.


KNOWLEDGE BITES




RESOURCE BUSINESS CASE BUILDER TOOL: Why should my project receive resources over others?



SUCCESS TIP

Quotes from people who have a stake in the change are personal and emotional—they are more convincing than the numbers.


For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Competing for Resources podcast episode with executive and change leader Denis Kelly.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and  Change with Confidence, host of the  Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the  Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #transformation #leadership #projectmanagement #changesupport #podcasts 

Thursday 28 July 2022

How to Report Against a Timeline

 

This post's podcast episode is available at SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.


DO THIS

Control the perception of your reporting status. 


BY DOING THIS

–  Share your status beyond the reporting status meetings.

–  Provide evidence of progress for credibility.

–  Communicate action plans to close any gaps.


Proactive reporting will save you many stress-filled hours and gain you leader and team member confidence should you miss a deadline or outcome. The goal is to communicate constantly about whether you’re on or behind the plan. People can handle the truth but hate surprises; be the first to update stakeholders on your progress. 

First, you need to know your true status. Inaccurate reporting destroys credibility and raises concerns about your capabilities. A false update is most damaging when someone on the project team has better or more reliable data—information that contradicts your own stated accounts. 

If you’re on track, present evidence; if you’re behind, be clear on the gap and how you’ll fill it. Noting the activities already in play is an effective way to lower tensions and shift the focus from the problem to its solution.


KNOWLEDGE BITES



GAP CLOSURE ACTION PLAN TOOL: What is my plan to get back on track?


SUCCESS TIP

Being clear on how and when you’ll update leaders on progress helps build confidence in your capability to get back on track because it gives them something concrete to test.

For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Reporting Against a Timeline podcast episode with executive and change leader Jennifer Rhodes.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and  Change with Confidence, host of the  Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the  Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #transformation #leadership #projectmanagement #timlines t #podcasts 

Thursday 7 July 2022

How to Define Change Support

 

This post's podcast episode is available at SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.


DO THIS

Ask people what they need.


BY DOING THIS

–  Review and align on the impacts of the change.

–  Ask people to select types of support from a master list.

–  Incorporate feedback into the change plan.


It's a fine balance between too much and too little change assistance. If you provide too much, people get stressed and may choose to opt out of activities; if you provide too little, people won't have the required mindsets, actions and behaviours to adopt the change.

Support activities need to accommodate people's realities. They must fit their needs and be easy to digest. The best and fastest way to select change enablement methods is to ask the people who are adopting the change what they need. They’re experts on current ways of working and will have a sense of what capabilities they need to adopt and challenges to overcome. 

Review the impacts of the change with representatives of those adopting the change. Provide a list of support options – skill training, coaching, job aids, simulations, etc. – and ask them to choose the ones they need. These inputs will help create a pragmatic and effective support plan to transition people to new ways of working.


KNOWLEDGE BITES



CHANGE SUPPORT WORKSHOP: What learning methods will best prepare people to adopt change?

SET UP (5 min.):

–  State the objective of identifying change support that meets people's needs and preferences.

–  Discuss the main impacts of the change and what people must think, do and behave to adopt the new ways of working.

ACTIVITY (20 min.):

–  Present a master list of learning options.

–  Ask people to choose the ones that would help them.

DEBRIEF (20 - 30 min.): 

–  Ask people to share why they choose their options.

–  Test for agreement among group members.

ACTIVITY (15 min.):

–  Ask the group to select the support options they believe would best meet the organization's needs.

CLOSE (5 min.):

–  Thank the group members for their participation, and state that their guidance is an important input into creating the change support plan.


SUCCESS TIP

Including the contributors' names in the change plan highlights and rewards their participation in making the change a success.


For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Defining Change Support podcast episode with executive and change leader Stephen Sotto.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and  Change with Confidence, host of the  Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the  Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #transformation #leadership #projectmanagement #changesupport #podcasts 

Monday 20 June 2022

How to Overcome a Blocker

 

This post's podcast episode is available at SounderApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcher and Spotify.

When you are short of time, here is the one action that will give you 80 percent results in 20 percent of the time.

DO THIS

Align your work with their agenda.


BY DOING THIS

–        Ask them to clarify their issue or concern.

–       Demonstrate how your work will help them.

–       Adjust your approach to accommodate their comments.


Blockers are people who raise barriers to your success. They either don’t want something done or they want it done differently. Justifying your actions with facts is effective in the short term, but it won’t resolve the issue; blockers keep blocking until there is no benefit to doing so. A more effective approach is to demonstrate how your work will help them out.

Understanding their issue and how they believe the change you are working on will harm them is the first step in neutralizing the blocker. Next, demonstrate how your work will benefit them. If it doesn’t, demonstrate how alternative approaches will harm them more. Finally, make any adjustments (that won’t compromise your objective) to get them on your side, or at least to not block your success. 


KNOWLEDGE BITES




ALIGNMENT SCRIPT TOOL:  How will I neutralize a blocker?


Opening: 
________________________________________________________________________

Issue: 
________________________________________________________________________

Alignment of Outcomes: ________________________________________________________________________

Confirm Support: ________________________________________________________________________

Closing: 
________________________________________________________________________


SUCCESS TIP

Saying “thank you” as you leave reinforces the commitment you’ve made with each other and demonstrates your appreciation for that commitment.


For more stories, insights and advice, listen to the Overcoming a Blocker podcast episode with HR and change management expert Dr. Jamie Gruman.

Phil Buckley is the author of Change on the Run and  Change with Confidence, host of the  Change on the Run Podcast, and co-creator of the  Sharing Change with Confidence Newsletter.

#change #changemanagement #transformation #leadership #projectmanagement #resistance #podcasts