by Mike Ososki, PMP, Public Relations Committee
Not bad for an introvert. From Accountant to Engineer to Project Manager, and presenting to us as a Motivational Public Speaker, Mr. John Stenbeck encouraged the room full of PMI folks that we, too, can be leaders. As John proclaims, “If I can do this, so can you!”
Mr. Stenbeck’s credentials are impressive: PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, CSP, Founder of GR8PM, teacher, Agile practitioner, best-selling author of 3 books, Keynote speaker with 50+ dates/year, a big name client list, plus guesting on Good Morning America, the Today Show, and Oprah Winfrey, all combine well for a highly credible first impression. He also had one of the coveted “Manage This” coffee cups.
In Monday’s Dinner Meeting, John cited F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real), acquired before age 10 (the “age of reason”), as a primary culprit inhibiting us from being all we can be. He encouraged everyone to step into that kind of fear, to grow and get through it, and to persistently challenge ourselves to keep stepping out. Success is deeply personal, and magic begins where comfort ends.
John’s two biggest heroes are his dad and Jim Rohn. Mr. Rohn virtually invented the modern category of personal and professional development. One of his students was Anthony Robbins. And his dad, a very successful businessman, asserted, “If you’re afraid of it, do it twice!” Aristotle shares relevant wisdom, too: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
The recommended goal is not perfection, but rather a statistically significant shift, thereby significantly enhancing the probability and likelihood of success. As a business analogy to your project management, the oft-cited Southwest Airlines is an excellent example how to align frameworks and improve processes. After a Gap Analysis, they determined to reduce on-ground turn-around time and to improve being on-time. Then the magic happened: Less cost + more sales = higher profit.
You, too, can create similar strategic capability by design toward your Goal Achievement. Leadership can be thought of as Experience (=education + skills), Attitude (=expectations, both internal and external, and people and processes), and Vision (=horizon alignment). Project management experience can further subdivide into traditional and Agile skills. Many PMs struggle most with Attitudes and Vision. Think of it as a 3-step process...
1. Assess Importance by evaluating Potential Impact of these various aspects.
2. Evaluate Current Performance for Apparent Opportunity toward Goal Achievement.
3. Identify the Opportunity Gap and Actual Opportunity for Goal Achievement.
Mr. Stenbeck believes in positivity, striving to practice the rule Whoever smiles FIRST, wins. Further, research has shown...
1. Written goals are powerful. 3% of 1953 Yale graduates had them, and in 1973, these same graduates’ net worth was greater than the other 97%.
2. In a survey of people with written goals, they were happier and felt luckier, more secure and thought themselves to be better liked, and generally believed in themselves more.
3. The act of taking a risk is what makes you feel successful—so take some meaningful risks.
Everyone has issues. Try to adopt a light spirit, to be entertained and fascinated vs. frustrated. Go for the warm fuzzy vs. the cold prickly. In one instance, John was very nervous before one of his presentations. An early arrival attendee in the front row offered to be his cheerleader by giving him a thumbs-up anytime John looked at him. It worked, and is a great leader example. One quality of a good leader is perhaps to find your life more interesting than you do!
For more from John Stenbeck, visit www.GR8PM.com.