Articles and courses on Business development, sales, entrepreneurial strategies, innovation and intuition based on the physics of possibility (quantum theory and facts)

Managing Successful Projects

Successful project managers are masters of time management, understand human dynamics, and exhibit expertise in the many areas contributing to a project’s success

Managing Successful Projects–Real World Skills for Project Managers & Teams is a highly participative two-day program geared to both novice and experienced project managers. The course addresses the four major project management phases and the human dynamics critical to successful project completion.

Business Success Factors

[Copyright, Steven Lesser, Infoworks 2008 ]

Success Factors for Getting the Work Done In Today's Corporate Environment

Background

Our research over the past five years has focused on the question: “What competencies are required for corporate personnel to be successful in today’s corporate environment?”

We have asked this question of over 1500 persons – from line supervisors to CEO’s in diverse industries including financial, manufacturing, retail, and consulting. Data collection strategies included one-on-one interviews, focus groups and mailed surveys.

As we analysed this information with our customers, often for the purposes of strategic planning or curriculum development, it became useful to classify a number of these success factors into two broad and somewhat overlapping strategies for getting things done, as illustrated in figure 1:

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Lasso your future

"It doesn't pay to stay the same in a changing world."

Good business folk know the value of having S.M.A.R.T business goals and objectives (Specific, Measurable etc.), strong Project Management skills, and effective business systems.

Lasso your future

But few are aware of the real drivers to business success and change being due to the S.M.A.R.T.E.S.TTM business strategies and drivers.

There’s no point in ‘visualising’ and achieving your business goals only to find you or your team aren’t that excited or engaged in the business.

Can you imagine hearing “the worst thing about Fridays is having to wait two whole days to come back to work” and that it is genuinely meant? It is possible! What quality of life, both at work and at home do you want?

Many companies develop good systems, habits and routines that help them succeed, but those habits and ‘ways of doing things’ can become like freight-trains – really difficult to stop or change. We can easily forget just how much of our thinking and choices are based on past experience, knowledge, systems, and culture.

Spring clean

I'm in the process of moving, and I've decided to give to friends various books that I've enjoyed, but no longer wish to keep.

When reading books that I've purchased I highlight sections for quick future reference, and any books in my library without highlights usually means I didn't find anything of particular interest in the book. So before handing on a few, I've decided those that did grab my interest, to transcribe the highlighted sections, and rather than put in some quote file (which I'll soon forget), I've decided to post here.

The business value of purpose and meaning

As many business entrepreneurs appreciate, the really important things in starting and running a business are primarily 'mental' -- it's our vision to make a difference, to do things better and to test ourselves that fuels and motivates.

But what about the people that we employ?

It should be no great surprise that for "businesses that pay most regard to the deeper needs of their employees are the ones that perform best."1

The challenge faced when creating a strong, vibrant culture in a business is the intangible 'mental' dimensions - what we think, feel and believe about our work, fellow employees, customers, the work environment etc.

Why 'systemize your business'?

If you're seeking or wanting to

  • spend less time on the day-to-day running of your business,
  • sell your business,
  • improve employee morale, engagement and productivity,
  • have more fun at work, in a relaxed environment,
  • help employees "fire up" with creativity and enthusiasm,
  • sustainably increase efficiency, turnover and profit,
      or
  • simply take a holiday, free of worry about business performance and activity

then you will benefit greatly by 'systemising' your business so that it effectively runs itself.

The value of good business systems

Try this Quick Quiz, a quick litmus test  for any small business owner:

  1. The Barack Obama Time-out Test
    Are you able to take "big chunks of times during the day when all you're doing is thinking"1 about your business? Can we assume President Obama has good systems, and competent people able to take care of business while he's taking 'big chunks' of time to think about climate change, and the fate the human race?
  2. The Time-Away Test
    If you were unable to be contacted - no mobiles, emails, nothing! - for two to three weeks, would your business run as normal? Or would you need to be there, because you're "indispensable", micro-managing the business, having not yet systemised and delegated the day-to-day running of the business?