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Argue, Commit, and Collaborate: How to Drive Success After a Tough Decision
Years ago, I was deeply involved in a critical strategic decision for my company. We had invested many years and millions of dollars into the technology that had powered our business for decades. However, this platform was based on older technology and had significant limitations. On one side of the debate were leaders who favored…
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Undercommit and Overdeliver: Building Trust and Boosting Team Morale
Imagine briefing your stakeholders on the status of your project. You share your team’s progress, risks, and a projected completion date based on the best data available. Despite emphasizing the fact that this is a projection, not a guarantee, your stakeholders will likely walk away with the end date as a firm commitment. This happens…
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Decisiveness
When a decision needs to be made, waiting for perfect data often leads to inaction, missed opportunities, and lost momentum. In both the military and business, the ability to make quick, informed decisions is crucial. In military training, leaders are taught that doing something – anything – is better than waiting. Inaction allows the enemy…
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Leading Through Change: Why Explaining ‘Why’ Matter
The most important part of leading through change is not just making decisions – it’s explaining why the change is necessary and why it’s the right decision at this moment. Change is Tough – for Everyone Change shakes things up. It disrupts our routines, makes us feel unsure, and often demands more energy than we…
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The Project Management Triangle: Balancing Time, Cost, and Scope
A common phrase captures the essence of the Project Management Triangle: “You can have it fast, cheap, or done well. Pick two.” This principle, widely recognized in project management, emphasizes the relationship between time, cost, and scope (or quality). Adjusting any one of these elements inevitably affects the other two. In most business scenarios, time…
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Project Status Reporting: The Metrics That Matter
Throughout my career, I’ve led numerous projects, and one question has consistently been asked by leadership, stakeholders, and team members: “How are you doing?” Status reporting is essential. Your stakeholders and leadership need to understand the progress of the project and when it will be delivered. Your team members need to see their progress to…
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Proactive Risk Management: Securing Project Success Through Early Action
For a long time, when I communicated the status of a project to my stakeholders, I would say something like, “Here is where we stand, and here’s what that tells us about our delivery date. I have 80% confidence this date will hold, and I’ll keep you updated as things change.” I would spend significant…
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Managing Multiple Product Priorities
As a leader overseeing a project, one of the most critical challenges you’ll face is managing multiple product priorities. Most projects come with a variety of stakeholders, each with their own set of needs and expectations. Product Managers might have a wishlist of features that users would appreciate, often with input from multiple business segments.…
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Streamlining Your To-Do List: Staying Focused as a Leader
A leader’s role inevitably involves constant interruptions. This stems from the simple fact that you’re responsible for many people, each with complex jobs. The projects you lead likely involve multiple stakeholders and priorities. On any given day, questions arise that require your input. Blockers may emerge, and you’ll need to step in to remove them.…
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Navigating the Invisible Divide: Leading for the First Time
When you step into a leadership role for the first time – especially when the people you now lead were recently your peers – you may be surprised to notice an invisible wall forming between you and the members of your team. The colleagues you once vented with about company quirks or second-guessed management decisions…
Code, Lead, Inspire 