Project e-Tip 038: Interested in Change? Start Using a “To-Don’t List”

by Hal on December 8, 2004

in PM practice, tips

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Organizational change is one of the harder changes to make. It takes leadership, attention, and changes in routines. I prepared today's e-Tip for project managers and project executives who are introducing lean project delivery approaches.


The Project Reformer's e-Tip of the Week
038: Start Using a "To-Don't List"

Bosses listen up…

How you spend your time matters far more than what you say when it comes to your staff or project team members. Are you holed up in your office or out where the work of the project happens? Do you stop when you walk a jobsite to fix a safety railing, pick up trash, and help someone struggling with a difficult task? Do you spend vastly more time asking questions or do you give direction?

Make no mistake, your staff and your team notice how you spend your time. They watch so they can survive. It's that simple.

Want to produce change? You need to give as much attention to what you choose not to do as you give to what you say is important. Focus. That's right, focus. Do one, maybe two things intensely for an extended period of time. I'm not saying the organization should stop doing everything else. No. I'm saying for you to stop doing everything else. Put all those other things on your "To-Don't List." That "To-Don't List" is a source to give your staff development opportunities. You can't bring about change if you haven't changed what you put on your calendar. Full stop.



This Project e-Tip was inspired by Tom Peters' manifesto This I Believe appearing on ChangeThis! and in his booklet Project04: Snapshots of Excellence in Turbulent Times TIB# 48. For more on project leadership visit The Project Leaders' Studio™


©2004 Hal Macomber | RPM | e-Tip Archive | PDF | Submit Tip

Now, how about some e-Tip proposals from readers. I have pleny of great books that I'm ready to give out.

Leave a Comment

You can use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Note: This post is over 5 years old. You may want to check later in this blog to see if there is new information relevant to your comment.

Spam Protection by WP-SpamFree

Previous post: Project Meeting Protocols

Next post: Who Do You Want at OSHA?