The Challenge:  A bank was implementing a new software system in the US and other locations around the world. The project leader was concerned that fiefdoms would wreck the project before it ever got off the ground. 

The more I focus on influence, the more convinced I am that we are the message. As Walt Whitman wrote, “We convince by our presence.” If we want to shift people’s energy along The Energy Bar™, our presence matters more than the techniques we use.

There are many techniques out there for getting people engaged in conversations. Techniques that show you how to involve people at every step in the life of a big project. And many of those tools are quite good.

An organization oversaw big construction projects and that demanded that project leaders coordinate the work of many other contractors and business partners. The problem was, projects were running way over time and budget, pretty consistently. It was clear they had to do something new, something different.

They came up with what I call a “What if?” scenario. They invited the decision-makers from the different organizations that needed to work closely on the projects. These were the people who could make decisions for their own organizations - and that’s important because if the team members can’t make decisions, the meeting goes nowhere.

In her post, The Positivity Trap: How Upbeat Coaches Can Kill Client Results, Krista Scott-Dixon writes that leaning too far into positive feedback can get in the way of a client’s work. Since I agree with her premise, I thought I’d pass along her post.

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/positivity-trap

My friends at the National Institute for Civil Discourse are taking their ideas home for the holiday. (Thanksgiving in the U.S. is this coming Thursday.) Your Civility Survival Guide is a nice list of things to consider saying – or not saying – during this big family day.

I plan to keep those ideas handy over the entire weekend.