The Harvard Business Review article 'The Necessary Art of Persuasion' by Jay Conger is part of our resource list in the eCornell Project Leadership Class 'Influence Without Authority.'
The article describes how to persuade others by using four steps: careful preparation, the proper framing of arguments, the presentation of vivid supporting evidence, and the effort to find the correct emotional match with your audience.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tips on Managing Virtual Teams
I recently attended an eCornell webinar on How to Manage Virtual Global Teams. Bradford Bell, Associate Professor at the Cornell University ILR School was the presenter.
Professor Bell stated that virtual teams must correct for a lack of the usual opportunities for social communication present in teams that physically work together. He recommends having a face to face meeting early on in the process and utilizing social media. Bell also provided details on optimizing configuration issues and influencing team dynamics. I learned a great tip for reducing side conversations on conference calls and how to develop "swift trust" in virtual teams.
The archive of the presentation is here: http://www.ecornell.com/june16archive
The Powerpoint slides are here: http://www.ecornell.com/june16ppt
In my experience in working 'virtually' with coworkers from around the state, I have found that becoming Facebook 'friends' or following them on Twitter enables me to learn about their lives and engage more easily in social conversation.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Professor Bell stated that virtual teams must correct for a lack of the usual opportunities for social communication present in teams that physically work together. He recommends having a face to face meeting early on in the process and utilizing social media. Bell also provided details on optimizing configuration issues and influencing team dynamics. I learned a great tip for reducing side conversations on conference calls and how to develop "swift trust" in virtual teams.
The archive of the presentation is here: http://www.ecornell.com/june16archive
The Powerpoint slides are here: http://www.ecornell.com/june16ppt
In my experience in working 'virtually' with coworkers from around the state, I have found that becoming Facebook 'friends' or following them on Twitter enables me to learn about their lives and engage more easily in social conversation.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Friday, June 25, 2010
What is an influential person? How to influence behavior through the use of metaphor
Jeffrey Gitomer lists the character traits of an influential person in his article, 'People of influence are successful. Are you one of them? - How to be a power influencer.' I like how he classifies influencers as not just smart but shrewd.
Aphorism enthusiast and author James Geary gives a ten minute talk on the use of metaphor in the English language in this TED talk.
He referenced a study where participants were swayed by the use of metaphor when deciding on an appropriate solution to a problem.
Geary cited Elvis and Shakespeare when discussing metaphor. My personal favorite metaphor is Reagan's comparison of American to a "shining city upon a hill." His metaphor captured the imagination and pride of Americans.
How can I use metaphor to influence action in my project team?
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
He referenced a study where participants were swayed by the use of metaphor when deciding on an appropriate solution to a problem.
Geary cited Elvis and Shakespeare when discussing metaphor. My personal favorite metaphor is Reagan's comparison of American to a "shining city upon a hill." His metaphor captured the imagination and pride of Americans.
How can I use metaphor to influence action in my project team?
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
How To Motivate Creative Employees - The Lego study
In a blog post on the Samuel Bacharach blog titled, 'Leadership, Legos, & How To Manage', Bobak Moazami provides details on an employee motivation experiment utilizing Lego blocks. The study results suggest that employees become less motivated when their labor loses meaning.
When I read the results, my first thought was, Of course, that sounds like common sense. Author Dan Pink calls it Purpose, the need to work at a project that is bigger than oneself.
If this finding is common sense, are project managers using this tool to increase the motivation of their employees? What steps are we taking to show our employees the results of their work? Can I put together a brag book of past successful projects? Can I arrange for senior management to praise workers on their projects, in person or in writing, instead of just having the project manager pass the message along?
Do I register the seriousness of the situation when projects are stopped? When my team is forced to do the equivalent of see their Lego invention destroyed instead of admired and used?
I have a new friend that is an electrician. I asked him if he felt proud of the work he has done. He replied with an excited yes, and told me that he passes buildings he has helped wire in the Capital Region. He could easily list at least a half dozen buildings in Albany alone. How can I give my team a similarly concrete reminder of the successes of their work?
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
When I read the results, my first thought was, Of course, that sounds like common sense. Author Dan Pink calls it Purpose, the need to work at a project that is bigger than oneself.
If this finding is common sense, are project managers using this tool to increase the motivation of their employees? What steps are we taking to show our employees the results of their work? Can I put together a brag book of past successful projects? Can I arrange for senior management to praise workers on their projects, in person or in writing, instead of just having the project manager pass the message along?
Do I register the seriousness of the situation when projects are stopped? When my team is forced to do the equivalent of see their Lego invention destroyed instead of admired and used?
I have a new friend that is an electrician. I asked him if he felt proud of the work he has done. He replied with an excited yes, and told me that he passes buildings he has helped wire in the Capital Region. He could easily list at least a half dozen buildings in Albany alone. How can I give my team a similarly concrete reminder of the successes of their work?
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Monday, June 21, 2010
The case for Motivation : Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose
RSA Animate has drawn an insightful video based on Dan Pink's research on motivation, as printed in his book 'Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.'
Dan Pink also gave a 19 minute speech on the topic of motivation at a TED conference. The video is here:
I have two questions:
1. When faced with data that financial incentives DO NOT increase creative productivity, will you reject the facts and insist on CONTINUING to support the traditional system of bonuses and incentives for your team?
2. If you do want to improve productivity by utilizing this knowledge, HOW will you do it? How will you increase your team members' Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose? Will you give them time to work on their own ideas? Will you invest in their continuing education? Does your company produce products that benefit the greater good?
Dan Pink also gave a 19 minute speech on the topic of motivation at a TED conference. The video is here:
I have two questions:
1. When faced with data that financial incentives DO NOT increase creative productivity, will you reject the facts and insist on CONTINUING to support the traditional system of bonuses and incentives for your team?
2. If you do want to improve productivity by utilizing this knowledge, HOW will you do it? How will you increase your team members' Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose? Will you give them time to work on their own ideas? Will you invest in their continuing education? Does your company produce products that benefit the greater good?
Friday, June 18, 2010
How to Promote Creativity in Your Project Management Team
We studied several different ways to classify the personality and learning style of members of a project management team in my eCornell class - Dealing With Difference.
The MBTI assessment helps project managers assess the personality strengths of their team members. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory provides insight on how team members prefer to learn.
Both of these tools can be used to promote creative problem solving in a project management team, so I have been thinking a lot about creativity in the past month.
I would like to think I am a creative person. Watching creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson in a 2006 Ted Conference talk titled 'Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity' left me with a hard question to answer.
How Frightened Am I To Be Wrong?
The ability to be comfortable with being wrong is essential to allowing creativity to flourish in my life.
Robinson tells the story of a little girl who was given low marks in school because she needed to move in order to think, and school rewards those who can sit quietly as well as those who excel in certain subjects. She found her true calling when her mother sent her to dance school.
How does that apply to creativity in project management? Do I accommodate those who learn by physically trying out a new skill as well as those who prefer to gather data and input from others before trying the skill? Do I let the extroverts carry the discussion, or do I make sure that the introverts are also asked to participate?
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
The MBTI assessment helps project managers assess the personality strengths of their team members. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory provides insight on how team members prefer to learn.
Both of these tools can be used to promote creative problem solving in a project management team, so I have been thinking a lot about creativity in the past month.
I would like to think I am a creative person. Watching creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson in a 2006 Ted Conference talk titled 'Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity' left me with a hard question to answer.
How Frightened Am I To Be Wrong?
The ability to be comfortable with being wrong is essential to allowing creativity to flourish in my life.
Robinson tells the story of a little girl who was given low marks in school because she needed to move in order to think, and school rewards those who can sit quietly as well as those who excel in certain subjects. She found her true calling when her mother sent her to dance school.
How does that apply to creativity in project management? Do I accommodate those who learn by physically trying out a new skill as well as those who prefer to gather data and input from others before trying the skill? Do I let the extroverts carry the discussion, or do I make sure that the introverts are also asked to participate?
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Thursday, June 17, 2010
How to Influence Without Authority - eCornell Project Leadership Class
I am in my second day of the eCornell Project Leadership class - Influence Without Authority today. According to the course information, "to exercise influence without authority, you need to see your organization as a political system, understand the nature of power and influence in your organization, understand your own personal sources of influence, and know how to leverage your own personal political power."
It looks like I will be studying the retribution-based, rationality-based, and reciprocity-based strategies of influence. I will also learn about the Power Motivation Inventory.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
It looks like I will be studying the retribution-based, rationality-based, and reciprocity-based strategies of influence. I will also learn about the Power Motivation Inventory.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Monday, June 14, 2010
Review of eCornell Earned Value Management Class
I learned about employee motivation in my eCornell Earned Value Management class.
The classwork taught me how issues of motivation can be diagnosed and addressed the psychological contract as a conscious and unconscious source of motivation.
In the class project I had to discuss a recent project at work and critique my managerial behavior, how I manage myself as a resource and my efforts in using job design as a source of motivation for my team.
The lessons were clear and well thought out. The only section that was information-poor was the Accurate Self-Assessment competency. I feel frustrated because illusory superiority is a common cognitive bias. The Dunning - Kruger effect states that individuals who are worst at performing the tasks are also worst at recognizing skill in those tasks. Without being presented a reliable technique for self-assessment, how will I really know which areas I need to improve in my leadership style?
I have reserved some books at the library and I am also attempting to add to my knowledge in this area by looking online for a self-assessment model that is not specifically formulated for high school students entering college and trying to decide on a career.
Errol Morris from the The New York Times recently posted an interesting interview with Cornell professor of social psychology David Dunning on the Dunning-Kruger Effect in the article 'The Anosognosic’s Dilemma: Something’s Wrong but You’ll Never Know What It Is (Part 1).' I like Dunning's advice to college students -"find out who the smart professors are, and to get themselves in front of those professors so they can see what smart looks like."
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
The classwork taught me how issues of motivation can be diagnosed and addressed the psychological contract as a conscious and unconscious source of motivation.
In the class project I had to discuss a recent project at work and critique my managerial behavior, how I manage myself as a resource and my efforts in using job design as a source of motivation for my team.
The lessons were clear and well thought out. The only section that was information-poor was the Accurate Self-Assessment competency. I feel frustrated because illusory superiority is a common cognitive bias. The Dunning - Kruger effect states that individuals who are worst at performing the tasks are also worst at recognizing skill in those tasks. Without being presented a reliable technique for self-assessment, how will I really know which areas I need to improve in my leadership style?
I have reserved some books at the library and I am also attempting to add to my knowledge in this area by looking online for a self-assessment model that is not specifically formulated for high school students entering college and trying to decide on a career.
Errol Morris from the The New York Times recently posted an interesting interview with Cornell professor of social psychology David Dunning on the Dunning-Kruger Effect in the article 'The Anosognosic’s Dilemma: Something’s Wrong but You’ll Never Know What It Is (Part 1).' I like Dunning's advice to college students -"find out who the smart professors are, and to get themselves in front of those professors so they can see what smart looks like."
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Friday, June 11, 2010
Review of Job Diagnostic Survey for Job Satisfaction - eCornell Project Leadership Certificate
As part of the Earned Value Management Class at eCornell, we are learning techniques for designing jobs in order to maximize motivation in employees.
The Designing Jobs Appropriately segment focuses on Job Diagnostic Survey for Job Satisfaction authored by J.R. Hackman and G.R. Oldham. The coursework provides a detailed explanation of how to use survey results to provide job responsibilities that will motivate emplyees, but the class does not provide a copy of the actual survey itself. I have found a pdf copy of the survey at SWLearning.com, available here: http://bit.ly/crXwjI and a actual online test that is designed for restaurant staff but can provide results for people in any job here: http://bit.ly/ahbXU3
An important part of the survey that neither test compensated for is the Intervening Factor. The Intervening Factor states that if an employee does not have a need for growth in the job or in one aspect of motivation, he/she will not benefit from a job duty redesign that emphasizes those characteristics.
For instance, if I want to just do my job and get paid enough to engage in my hobbies, the boss making my job more complex by increasing my job skills or giving me ownership of the entire process of developing and producing the product I am creating would not motivate me.
The survey also does not ask the respondent if any of the questions are aspects of the job that he/she would base motivation upon. My job has a fixed work schedule, so I had to disagree with the statement that my job provides me the opportunity of self-directed flexibility of work hours. Flexible work hours is not a job perk that would motivate me. The test just automatically concluded that my job is less satisfying, without asking whether work schedule was a make-or-break source of work motivation.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
The Designing Jobs Appropriately segment focuses on Job Diagnostic Survey for Job Satisfaction authored by J.R. Hackman and G.R. Oldham. The coursework provides a detailed explanation of how to use survey results to provide job responsibilities that will motivate emplyees, but the class does not provide a copy of the actual survey itself. I have found a pdf copy of the survey at SWLearning.com, available here: http://bit.ly/crXwjI and a actual online test that is designed for restaurant staff but can provide results for people in any job here: http://bit.ly/ahbXU3
An important part of the survey that neither test compensated for is the Intervening Factor. The Intervening Factor states that if an employee does not have a need for growth in the job or in one aspect of motivation, he/she will not benefit from a job duty redesign that emphasizes those characteristics.
For instance, if I want to just do my job and get paid enough to engage in my hobbies, the boss making my job more complex by increasing my job skills or giving me ownership of the entire process of developing and producing the product I am creating would not motivate me.
The survey also does not ask the respondent if any of the questions are aspects of the job that he/she would base motivation upon. My job has a fixed work schedule, so I had to disagree with the statement that my job provides me the opportunity of self-directed flexibility of work hours. Flexible work hours is not a job perk that would motivate me. The test just automatically concluded that my job is less satisfying, without asking whether work schedule was a make-or-break source of work motivation.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Monday, June 7, 2010
Developing the Influencing Skills of your Leaders - eCornell class
I recently watched the webinar 'Developing the Influencing Skills of your Leaders,' originally delivered live on the web on April 21, 2010. This event was sponsored by eCornell in partnership with Samuel B. Bacharach, McKelvey-Grant Professor, ILR School at Cornell University.
I agree with his theory that charisma, good ideas and vision are not enough to make a good leader. Leaders have to get things done. Leaders must be able to execute. My favorite quote of Bacharach's is, "vision without execution is ... hallucination."
Bacharach also speaks about the importance of forming coalitions and anticipating and developing effective replies to the top six arguments against your idea before you pitch it at the meeting.
Watch the webinar here: http://www.ecornell.com/apr21archive/
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
I agree with his theory that charisma, good ideas and vision are not enough to make a good leader. Leaders have to get things done. Leaders must be able to execute. My favorite quote of Bacharach's is, "vision without execution is ... hallucination."
Bacharach also speaks about the importance of forming coalitions and anticipating and developing effective replies to the top six arguments against your idea before you pitch it at the meeting.
Watch the webinar here: http://www.ecornell.com/apr21archive/
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Friday, June 4, 2010
eCornell Project Leadership class review - Earned Value Management
I am starting to learn about Project Control Systems and employee motivation in my eCornell Project Leadership Earned Value Management Class.
The first module focused on learning mathematical formulas that enable project managers to definitively assess the progress of their teams in a project.
The balance of the course is focusing on employee motivation. I am learning about the Psychological Contract, the Cycle of Demotivation and Perceptual Objectivity.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
The first module focused on learning mathematical formulas that enable project managers to definitively assess the progress of their teams in a project.
The balance of the course is focusing on employee motivation. I am learning about the Psychological Contract, the Cycle of Demotivation and Perceptual Objectivity.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
eCornell Project Leadership class - how to anticipate personality conflict as a project manager
In my Dealing with Difference class for the project leadership certificate from eCornell, one assignment is working with our Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment. I took a version of the MTBI at Human Metrics. The free test is here: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
I am an INTJ. Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking and Judging. According to Human Metrics, potential careers could be in the fields of Engineering, Law, Library Science, Management, and Computer Programming.
According to Kiersey.com I am a 'Mastermind,' skilled at contingency planning. Famous masterminds include: Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Ulysses S. Grant, Frideriche Nietzsche, Niels Bohr, Stephen Hawking, Ayn Rand and Sir Isaac Newton.
I agree with this finding. I am very attached to having a clear plan for everything I do. I write out my yearly goals every January and post them near my kitchen sink, where I review them when I fix breakfast every morning. I enjoy long distance running, and have kept a detailed running log for the past year. I enjoy choosing, developing and following a training plan for my running.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
I am an INTJ. Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking and Judging. According to Human Metrics, potential careers could be in the fields of Engineering, Law, Library Science, Management, and Computer Programming.
According to Kiersey.com I am a 'Mastermind,' skilled at contingency planning. Famous masterminds include: Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Ulysses S. Grant, Frideriche Nietzsche, Niels Bohr, Stephen Hawking, Ayn Rand and Sir Isaac Newton.
I agree with this finding. I am very attached to having a clear plan for everything I do. I write out my yearly goals every January and post them near my kitchen sink, where I review them when I fix breakfast every morning. I enjoy long distance running, and have kept a detailed running log for the past year. I enjoy choosing, developing and following a training plan for my running.
Thank you for your time! If you have any questions about my experience with the eCornell Project Leadership classes, please email me at lisson@gmail.com
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