When development project program requirements run up against project budget constraints you can expect Value Engineering and program modification to occur in short order. When done correctly these activities can be beneficial, resulting in program adjustments that fine tune the project without sacrificing important program elements or operational requirements. That is not always the outcome, however.
Amid the hurried pace of the typical facilities management workday, it often seems as if there is not a moment to spare. Making time for thoughtful, reflective, and critical thinking, however, is one of the most important assets in your leadership toolkit.
Avoiding strategic planning landmines is as important as developing vision, developing measurable goals, and aligning strategy across the enterprise. Do all of that well and you are on your way, but you must avoid traps that complicate or doom your strategic plan.
Two of the biggest challenges in strategic planning are lack of focus and discipline. Both mitigate against drawing hard lines when the time comes to decide what can and cannot be included in the plan. Just because you can or hope to do something does not mean you should. Strategic planning is about one thing at its core; developing direction and momentum guided by strategic focus. Do not let that focus be diluted by distraction or lesser priorities. If it is not compelling enough to be part of the strategic focus, then it is not compelling enough. Period.
Corporate workplace professionals are busy figuring out what their new normal should be and how to get there. Some have done the work, have a clear roadmap, and are ready to make their move. Others still have work to do to decide what the new work environment should be, or don’t yet have a clear roadmap. For these, temporizing actions may be the most appropriate immediate strategy.
Our grandchildren visited for a few days recently, and we did what families do. We talked, ate, played games, and got in a bit of outdoor activity. I am teaching the older ones a couple of family-safe card games, they are teaching me poker. Go figure. They were here several days and through it all it seemed someone was always telling a story.
Successfully focusing on these nine characteristics and protocols put any endeavor in position to succeed, in the marketplace and in relationships.
Military life is probably the largest leadership lab there is. You not only learn who the real leaders are and what makes people want to follow them, you also learn who the good followers are, those who do the job and will follow regardless of consequence. In short fashion and no particular order, here are a few take-aways from my long-ago sojourn in the military that still serve well today.
I am a big fan of blogs and podcasts, as readers here will know. One area of interest is the general topic of leadership. I rank these as my favs. They fall into general categories, which is how I’ve organized them here, virtually all of them are produced as part of a larger platform.
Project management is a discipline-centric process. Regardless of what type of project you are managing, be it a production process, communication project, construction, IT or any other; you are sure to have a folder full of forms and templates. Sometimes it seems keeping up with the meetings, meeting minutes, schedule updates, budgets, and executive reporting is more than a full-time job. Sometimes it is, indeed.
These days most of our face time seems to come by Zoom, Teams, and a host of other applications meant to improve connectivity, boost collaboration, and engage us in a more efficient and effective manner. Naturally, folks have figured out how to measure these benefits. I wonder, however, if they are measuring the most important quality of connectedness – commitment.
