Successful implementation efforts often require people with differing interests to cooperate in order to create a shared benefit. Integration is how you make that cooperation happen.
Read moreProject Sponsors – want to have an impact? Ask great questions.
Over the twenty years I’ve spent implementing organizational initiatives, I’ve uncovered a secret weapon for project success. Someone who asks great questions.
Read moreWho ARE these people?
In my work in implementation, I am constantly reminded that the most elegant technical solutions are not worth much, if stakeholders and end users aren't on board. For this reason, I read regularly from the fields of behavioral economics and psychology. In this post, I share some insights from my recent reading.
Read moreHow can I be more clear?
The ability to clearly formulate and express ideas is critical to successful implementation efforts. If you weren't born with it, how do you develop it? I've identified five common practices and one overarching truth about achieving clarity. If you can accept this truth — Clarity takes effort — then the five practices outlined in this post should help you.
Read moreWayfinding tips for Project Managers
Through recent experiences hiking in the California desert, I've learned a lot about being lost and finding my way again. These wayfinding lessons have proven to be useful in areas of my life beyond hiking — including my work as a project manager. If you find yourself leading a project that’s gotten off course, these tips may be just what you need to get back on track.
Read moreDesign Thinking: The methods don't work without the mindset.
My big takeaway from experimenting with design thinking over the last 10 years, is that it's is less about mastering design methods, and more about mastering myself.
Read moreMake Time Your Friend
There is art and science to facilitation. This post leans more towards the science, particularly related to time. While a facilitator is not simply a timekeeper, a good facilitator must use time intentionally to achieve the desired ends of a meeting.
Read moreWhy WOULDN'T you use evidence?
For me, the most compelling argument for evidence-based management involves a shared responsibility to make work better. My experience is that we CAN make it a lot better, just by putting in a bit more effort upfront. So perhaps the question isn’t why to use evidence, it’s why in the world wouldn’t you?
Read moreMy bottom-line lessons on project management.
After twenty years leading projects, my approach to project management is pretty practical. There is always something fancy you can do, but for me it comes back to some core ideas.
Read moreThe difference between 'doing' and 'achieving'.
There is a growing body of evidence that how we implement a new practice, or program, affects the outcomes we see as a result. In other words, the way you do it, impacts what you get out of it. Implementation science offers methods that help us to better ensure we get the intended benefits from the new practices we adopt. In this post, I discuss three concepts from implementation science that I have found particularly useful.
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