Jan 21, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
The Sports Team Way To Success
The Sports Team Way To Success doesn’t just happen by accident – There is a lot of “off field” work by the coaching staff
Some sports teams are consistently successful – year after year after year. Playing in very competitive environments. It could be the Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots playing in the American NFL. It could be the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers playing in the American NBA. It could be Manchester United or Real Madrid playing in the European Football Leagues.
The same names seem to be there all of the time. Whilst others teams come, have a brief moment of fame and then disappear into the backwaters.
Why is this so? And can the same philosophy for successful sports teams be applied to successful businesses?
Or – Can you – as an individual – apply the sporting ethos and philosophies to your work, in order to be the best that you possibly can be.
- Study the successful teams
- Why are they consistently successful
- How do they build a culture of success
- What makes a positive winning attitude
- There are many factors
- You don’t need to “reinvent the wheel”
- They don’t give up after a loss – but take the learning’s on board and come back stronger
- In very competitive environments they manage to find a (what is sometimes a very small) winning edge
Going Forwards ..
If you think that adopting the sporting philosophy will get you the winners trophy – there are many resources “out there” for you to follow up
Not Only – But Also …….
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jan 21, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE
Project Manage – The Easy Way
Project Manage – The Easy Way
It doesn’t matter what the project is. It doesn’t matter how big or how small, the fundamentals are always the same. Follow these simple steps for project success – Every Time. Remember that discipline is crucial as is the need to follow the plan in order to Project Manage – The Easy Way.
Overview
- Depending on the complexity of the project create a Gantt Chart, or Action List or similar Tracking tool with “milestones” or critical dates
- Documentation is essential – use the Bullet Point format wherever possible
- Clearly describe what the end result will be
- If possible use General Assembly or “Finished” drawings or similar to show the completed project
- Create an approval document specifying the end result and/or any other key features
- Get sign off from all key stakeholders – make sure that they all clearly understand what they are going to get
- Clearly specify that there will be no “Scope Creep” – what you see is what you get
- Understand and document the starting point – the “where we are now” part
- Document how the Project will run and be managed
- Document the Scope of Work
- Detail all of the steps
- Ensure there are clear measures and milestones
- Delegate and agree responsibilities – who is going to do what
- Set up a Capital Tracking Spreadsheet and an owner
- Set up a reporting format and schedule
- Set up a meeting format and resultant action system
- The project must Measure and Report against the milestones
- Ensure that all of the Design and Details are firm and agreed to by all parties – Before Starting the Work
- Set up a disaster/contingency plan – Before Starting the Work
- Is this a new project ? Is there previous experience to draw on
- If there is previous experience – reflect on it – if it’s not used – nothing is lost – but it may be valuable and there is no value in reinventing the wheel
- Review the project – can the following questions be confidently answered
- Is the starting point clear ? –
- What will the completed project look like ?
- Have all key stakeholders signed off ?
- Has the work been planned in enough detail to successfully complete the project ?
- Has a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) been created
- If the answers are in the affirmative – the start button can be pressed with confidence
- All Systems are “Go”
Not Only – But Also …..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jan 21, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE
Project Decision Time
Project Decision Time
When and how to decide if a Project is Dead or if it is a Go’er —
So how do you know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em
- Typically we are all working on too many projects with limited resource. At what stage, and what triggers that decision to “cut your losses and walk away”
- Or the decision that you are on a winner and in it for the “long haul”.
As Kenny Rodgers sang in – “The Gambler”
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run”
Overview
- How many times do we hang in, telling ourselves that success is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. We’re nearly there, just a whisker more.
- But it never seems to happen and we look back and fret about all of the wasted time, effort and money.
- Conversely, how many times have we decided that a project is going nowhere and walked away from it , only to be racked with nagging doubts that maybe it just need a little bit more, in order to get it over the line. So close and yet so far. Maybe it was. But now, we will never know.
- OK, we’ve hung in when we should have quit and we’ve quit when we should have hung in
- So how do we get the odds in our favor in order to make the right decision
- Is there a sure fire way to make better decisions
- How can we hang in for the right ones and walk away from the wrong ones
There are books, magazines, web pages out there offering techniques and magic solutions, but at the end of the day, do any of them really work.
A common approach is to list the Pros and Cons. Pretty simple really. But does it work ?
For example, I really want to buy that 2 seater convertible. Expensive and totally impractical, but what an automobile!!!. How can I justify the purchase and feel good inside. I know, I’ll do a Pros and Cons list.
Mmmmmmm, not quite the result that I wanted, the number of Cons outweigh the Pro’s
But all is not necessarily lost. If I have another look at the list, maybe there are a few more Pro’s which I might have missed the first time around. Maybe some of those Cons aren’t really that important.
So, with a few adjustments I can cross out a few here and add a few there. Now, lets tally that list up again
Well what do you know, the Pro’s outweigh the Cons – lets go and buy.
My Answer
- Go with your First Gut Feel
- Don’t procrastinate
- Don’t get caught with “Paralyses by Analyses”
- Take that first, instinctive idea and like Nike used to say – Just Do It
- Generally people have a fairly good idea of which way they “really” want to go, before they start the process and will adjust the methodology to get the answer which they “really” want.
What Lessons can we learn
- Save yourself the heartache and troubled nights sleep.
- Statistically it has been proven that 90 percent of the time the first decision/idea/concept which forms in your mind is the one you will finally go with.
- Working on 99 other ways to do the job is just a waste of time and effort
Not Only – But Also ……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jan 21, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE
Bring people together with The Power Of Positive Listening
The Power Of Positive Listening
It may be an Engineering or IT Project – or it may be routine work tasks. However, there are times when it pays to adopt “The Power of Positive Listening” philosophy. It may not make you “the life and soul of the party”, but it could have a significant impact on the work at hand. Learn to listen, understand and “read between the lines” It is very easy to have preformed views and to want to express those views in a force able manner or to get into a shouting match, without really understanding the thrust of the conversation or dialogue. Learn to take a step back – listen – absorb and understand what is being said by others.
Overview
- Understand WHY you are in the conversation or the group or the meeting
- Be attentive – do not sit idly gazing at your phone – if you don’t want to be there – leave
- Do not blatantly, continuously yawn – It happens to us all – cover your mouth – turn away – do whatever it takes to disguise that yawn
- In simple terms – are you there to gain knowledge or to impart knowledge
- Some people are naturally outgoing and continually want to be the center of attention
- Some people are very reserved and reluctant to speak or offer an opinion
- Sometimes a group may be dominated by several “outgoing” people who will jostle for ascendancy. And more likely than not – valuable information will be lost in the verbal melee
- Sometimes a group will be dominated by reserved people and interaction can be very limited. – And it is very likely that important information may not be shared
- Generally there is a mix of both types of people
- Learn to read the mood of the group/meeting and respond accordingly
- If you are normally a quite reserved person – you may need to “step up” if a discussion is “dying” and needs a leader
- If you are normally an “outgoing” person in a group of “outgoing” people – and all are talking over each other – you may need to “step back”
- Learn to listen to others – you may have a very strong urge to interrupt – but learn to “bite your tongue”
- Make a great effort to understand what is being said – the words come out – BUT what is the meaning
- You may strongly disagree with something being said – BUT learn to “bite your tongue” and think it through – “is this a battle I can win today? Or is it better to let it go through to the keeper and pick a time and place of my choosing”
- Do not “cut off” someone mid sentence by talking over them – let them finish what they are saying.
- If you need to make a point or question a statement – learn to make a mental note to ask/clarify when the speaker has finished the sentence – or when they “draw breath”
- Always be polite – e.g. “excuse me but could I just clarify a point” “I apologize for the interruption but just wanted to clarify ….” etc
- It is not always convenient to have a note pad and pencil handy – but they are very useful to make notes whilst someone is speaking and you can let them finish what they are saying and have a reference to draw on with a later question or query. They may in fact not remember what they have said – But you have captured it for reference
Not Only – But Also …..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jan 21, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE
Motivation – The Will To Succeed
Motivation
What is Motivation ? A good question I hear you ask
In general – Motivation:
- Is the force which drives and makes you tick
- The drive that gets you fired up and then keeps you fired up
- The drive that gets you fired up and then keeps you fired up
- That high level of energy
- That high level of enthusiasm
- The fire that gets you out of bed in a morning
- The will to win – to be the best that you possibly can be
The Devil Is in The Detail
Generally – most of us have lots of Motivation and are very self Motivated and self driven.
BUT there may be times when elements of doubt can creep in to your (normally) very focused mind and you feel as though you have just hit a brick wall.
These could be caused by a whole raft of reasons.
Needless to say – It happens.
At times like these it’s good to have a support mechanism to fall back on.
- Communicate – talk to people – colleagues, friends
- Remember – When the going gets tough – the tough get going – convince yourself
- Balance – your life interests – your stressful projects – take a break
- Take more tea/coffee breaks and give yourself the chance to “pull back” and reflect on what your priorities really are
- You may need to – Learn to Eat an Elephant – if there is an overwhelming sense that the job at hand is too much
- Take one small bite at a time and completely devour – before taking the next bite
- Do you feel that you are in a hole and it is getting deeper – then stop digging
- Seek help when needed
This web page is not about heavy theory or instruction – The aim is for a quick, simple and effective burst to refresh or get you back on track.
Maybe a little humor will help – check out Motivation No. 101 for a slightly different perspective
Not Only – But Also …..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jan 21, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE
If its not documented – It never happened – Minute All Meetings
Minute All Meetings
It is vital to Minute All Meetings – Taking minutes of meetings is often regarded as an onerous task and some people will resort to all sorts of devious tricks to avoid doing it.
However – What is often overlooked is that the minute taker is a very powerful person.
They can influence meeting outcomes by slanting a “difficult” agreement or outcome a particular way.
And this is why it is very important to always have a skilled person taking the minutes and to always read and understand the minutes of all meetings.
I well remember a very highly charged, regular monthly meeting with a number of managers. It lasted over 2 hours and ended with reluctant agreement over a number of contentious issues, by all of the key players.
At the next monthly meeting, recollections of what had been agreed varied widely and as no minutes had been recorded – It was another long, emotional, highly charged meeting.
BUT this time – it was agreed by all in attendance – that in future – very accurate and detailed minutes should be taken, documented and distributed.
The simple message is:-
- Keep accurate minutes of all meetings
- Email copies of the minutes to all attendees
- Email cc copies to anyone remotely associated with the meeting, project or topic
- Read and ensure that you understand the minutes of the meetings – even if you are only on the cc list
- Remember that the minutes should be an accurate record of the meeting and outcomes
Some meetings will have a system of rotating “scribes”
Other times one person is nominated as a permanent “scribe”
There is no right or wrong – whatever suits the circumstance and creates an accurate record
Cross reference with Meeting Agenda
Not Only – But Also …..
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jan 21, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Keep A Paper Trail
Deliberate or accidental misunderstandings can be a result of relying on verbal communication, Therefore it is vital to always – Keep A Paper Trail – i.e. to keep accurate records. There may be a deliberate intention to “muddy the waters” or there may have been an “off the cuff” comment which was taken as a firm commitment or a similar statement uttered in the heat of the moment to placate an irate individual or to win a purchase order.
In some instances it may be a case of companies or individuals not having disciplined procedures in place. But if “the sediment hits the fan” ….. The bottom line is ………
If its not Documented – It didn’t Happen
It is very easy for people to verbally say or agree to many things – but when the time comes to honor that verbal dialogue, there can be a chasm between what you “thought” that you heard or agreed to, and what others “ maintain” that they actually said or intended to say.
Key Points
Life and business can be a maze – Many Things Could Happen – Keep A Paper Trail
- Follow company protocols – Keep a Record – Keep a Paper Trail
- If there are gaps in company protocols – Keep your own Records/Paper Trail
- CYA (Cover Your Anatomy)
- Keep a record – emails – meeting minutes, hand written notes, dates, conversations etc – all communication, agreements and decisions which could come back and bite you
- It sounds like like basic stuff – but enthusiasm, fear and various other emotions can significantly impact decisions and recollections of verbal conversations – particularly if there are financial implications – Get It In Writing and signed off if possible
- If the sediment hits the fan – a Paper Trail will verify what was actually said/agreed – without any wriggle room
- It goes without saying that the amount of detail is relative to the subject matter – to ensure that there can be no misunderstanding of what was said/agreed
- You hope that you will never need it – However, Murphy’s Law tells us that if we have it – it is unlikely to ever be needed – But if we don’t have it …………. We could be in trouble !!!
Going Forwards ..
Cross reference with Clear Message
This web page is not trying to teach complicated methodologies or heavy instruction. The aim is for quick, simple, basic and effective Tips and Tricks to get you back on track and to keep you there by following the 3R’ Philosophy
Review – Refresh – Reset
and follow the KISS Principle
Take A Break ……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
Jan 20, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized
Always have a Meetings Agenda so as to keep the meetings on track and on time
Meetings Agenda
In my early days I sat through many meetings with no fixed Agenda. Many times they would meander off the subject matters or were hijacked by participants with side objectives or “pet” issues and the meetings achieved very little other than to waste everyone’s time.
It is critical to always have an Agenda for all meetings and to keep meetings to a fixed time.
Always have a Meetings Agenda
Personally I do not like meetings to go longer than 1 hour. But there is no hard and fixed rule.
Although not directly part of this post – You may also consider “Stand Up” meetings as a way to encourage shorter meetings. As the name implies – all participants stand during the meeting – Some people like them – Some do not.
General Guidelines
- Always have an agenda
- Distribute the agenda to participants well before the meeting
- Request confirmation of the agenda – to minimize the risk of the meeting being hi jacked by someone with another agenda
- Set a time for each item on the agenda – a stop watch or similar is obviously required
- Plus a nominated timekeeper
- Make it clear at the start of the meeting that the agenda and times are to be followed
- If anyone wants to change the agenda at this stage – the answer is NO – Unless there is a very good reason – Obviously common sense needs to prevail
- New issues may need to be the subject of a new meeting – Which will need to be arranged for a new date
- Note that the allotted times are a guide – allow some latitude
- If a participant is going well over the allotted time – They need to be “politely” reminded of the time limit
- If the issue is likely to need extended time/debate/discussion – It should be closed down and noted/minuted with something along the lines of … the XYZ subject/issue was not resolved because of ABC and another meeting will be scheduled to address this….. – together with any relevant detail.
- It is very important to be polite but firm – if required – A slice of humor will help to soften any tensions
- Focus on the desired outcomes
- Keep the meeting on track and do not wander off into ancillary areas
- And finally – Always keep accurate minutes of the meeting – it is important to Minute All Meetings
Not Only – But Also……
When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break
- Open List Of Pages – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of Old Engineer Memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
- Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy Review – Refresh – Reset
- Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
- Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
- Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment
Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits
