Blog Posts
Protect, Survive and Prepare
I launched ProjectTalks Virtual this past week. I must say, running a conference virtually is not easy. We certainly ran into our fair share of technical issues – but learned
Compassion Wins – Every Project Team Needs a Whale
This post was originally published in October, 2016. With the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting all of us world-wide and the much closer-to-home mass killing in Nova Scotia, it was time
Culture Drives Strategy at Medtronic
“Culture drives strategy” says my podcast guest, Michael O’Connor. Michael is the Director of Strategy and Project Management at Medtronic out of the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area. Metronic is a
Be Aware of Your Personal Limitations
I originally wrote this April, 2018. I think it deserves another read during this global pandemic as we all adjust to a very different way of living and working. I
This is a Black Swan! – Podcast
Do Black Swans exist? Yup, in real life and as a metaphor for events that come to us as a complete surprise. Google the words ‘Black Swan’ and you will
Communicating Like a Leader Today Calls for a Different Approach
Communicating like a leader is critical today more than ever. But do we need to rethink HOW we communicate? Maybe the email blast to all of our customers or staff
Now is the Time to Think Strategically – in Sprints
At the time of writing, our world is in a state of crisis – with the Covid-19 virus taking control. For many of us, times like these pose immense obstacles
Drastic Times Call for Kinder Measures
“Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own.” Adam Lindsay Gordon These beautiful words are inscribed over the fireplace in the building my Great Grandfather
When was the last time you said, “Why are we still doing this?”
Leaders at all levels, these days, are dealing with rapid change and uncertain times. This has brought a new reality to our planning and the execution of our plans. More
A Good Leader Has Three Plans
(first published in April, 2014 – three months into my blogging journey!) Good leaders don’t need just one plan – they need three! A organizational strategic plan A professional strategic
Do You Have a Plan B?
If I suggested to you that your current plan was going to fail somewhere down the road, would you be ready? The optimist would say ‘I don’t need a Plan
Leadership is Earned – Not Awarded
Respect, trust and loyalty are earned over time. We have heard this many times before. And then in walks the new boss and within the first few months it becomes
Does Your Organization’s Culture Support Successful Strategy Execution?
My friend Mona Mitchell and I published our book called “The 7 Elements of Strategy Execution” back in 2018. In the process, we interviewed a number of senior executives and
Good Decision-Making – Part 2
In my last posting, we explored the business of decision-making. Great leaders know how to make decisions logically and in a timely manner. In post #1, I suggested that good
Good Decision-Making – Part 1
Good decision-making skills are in my top 5 list of the most important leadership qualities. If you ask a group of employees about what they look for in a good
Project Management | Best Practices for Decision Management
Source: Project Management | Best Practices for Decision Management
5 Things a Leader Should Do to Set a Good Example
Originally published in August, 2015 I was recently listening to a group of teenagers talk about their summer jobs and most of the talk was about the leadership style that
Strategic Thinking Requires Strong Delegation Skills
I am swamped! I have a to-do list as long as my arm. Everyday I walk into my office, new stuff pops up. I feel like I am always fighting
Strategic Planning is the Fun Part. The Hard Work Starts After That.
When leaders start thinking strategically, the creative juices flow. What are we capable of doing? How far can we take this? What could tomorrow look like? What would happen if…?
5 Reasons Strategic Plans Fail
the majority of strategies fail in some way, shape or form.
Great Leaders Produce Great People
great leaders build great people
Strategic Thinking Starts in The Home
Whenever I present to audiences about strategy or strategic thinking, our minds always go to our organisations, divisions or departments – our corporate lives. But strategic thinking actually starts
Happy Thanksgiving
I am a Canadian, I live in Canada and I celebrate Thanksgiving sometime in October, like all Canadians. But this year, Karen and I decided to spend the month of
What About All The Other Projects?
(originally published March, 2018) I ran into a colleague recently who talked about a disastrous office relocation. It seems that everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Knowing my
Get Out of the Weeds
One of the most difficult things we have to do as leaders, is to get out of the weeds. We’ve grown up in the subject matter space where we have
Who is your CSO?
If you want to get from here to there, successfully, you need a CSO – a Chief Strategy Officer. When my friend, Mona Mitchell, and I wrote the book “7
3 Ways to Say Thank You
(First posted October, 2017) When was the last time you said, ‘thank you’ unexpectedly to someone on your team? This past weekend was our Canadian Thanksgiving – a wonderful time
Are You Thinking Effectively?
Are you thinking efficiently or effectively? This is a question I heard posed by my friend, Wissam Al-Hussaini, during his delivery of one of the three modules in a new
Agile Strategy Execution
I was working with an organization last week who has a great mantra or mission statement: “Small enough to be agile, large enough to be global”. I loved it. I
Are you Emotionally Fit to Lead?
(originally published May, 2015) Forbes.com recently published an article called “5 Ways To Transform Yourself Into A Leader” in which it suggested that leaders need emotional fitness. How true. We