RelationshipsThe Foundation of Project Success June 18, 2009

Presented by Raymond Grogan

Project

Management

Community

Of

Practice

Raymond Grogan – Wachovia Settlement Services, VP and Senior Supplier Manager

Joined Wachovia in 1997 after 20 years of honorable service in the US Air Force. He has extensive knowledge and application of Vendor Management programs, Project Management Methodology, Risk Management and Business Processes Improvement. He earned his B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Guest Speaker

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Establish a Relationship Culture Getting Personal Power of Networking Good Relationships are Key

Purpose and Objectives

“…everybody can be a project manager. The ones with good people skills will do better for sure” – Jack Turchish

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What do you think of most when you hear the term: “Relationship Culture?”

A. Holistic life style point of view—based on learned ways of acting, feeling and thinking

B. Getting to know what we have in common, how much we are unlike and appreciate diversity

C. Healthy Group Norm established up-front with feedback from team

Poll #1: Relationship Culture

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

What is a Relationship Culture? Healthy Group Norm established up-front

with feedback from team What is the value to the team?

Solidifies core values Builds respect and trust Develops sense of community Useful in winning hearts & minds Edge in performance and attracting

members

Value of Relationship Culture

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

A healthy culture includes (often unspoken) expectations about how things are done How members respond to inquiries How they greet each other How they behave when the pressure is on

It's about respect and listening May not agree, but shows respect of their right

to think differently & express personal views

Expectations

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

Cultures need leaders to set expectations and offer guidance on what's important

Be aware that people are watching you for clues as to how to behave Actions always speak louder than words

How do we (as leaders) create a culture for playing well with others?

Leader Role

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

Persons appear to us according to the light we throw upon them from our own minds.- Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957, American author of the "Little House" books

1. Bring suggested solutions to the table2. Don’t play the blame game3. Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal4. Be transparent—never blind side5. Keep commitments6. Share credit where credit is deserved7. Help others find their greatness8. Encourage meaningful conflict—fight for

what’s right

Playing Well—Eight Rules

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.- Nikka - age 6

1. Create an environment where healthy conflict is encouraged through clear expectations

2. Reward, recognize and thank people who take a stand

3. Expect people to back up their opinions with data and facts

Meaningful Conflict—6 Tips

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

In fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased...An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.- Miyamoto Musashi, 1584-1645, Japanese swordsman

4. Create a group norm—conflict is expected; personal attacks are not tolerated

5. Look for signs where things are getting out of hand

6. If you are using all of the first 5 tips, and healthy work conflict is not occurring ...

Meaningful Conflict—6 Tips

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

When two elephants fight it is the grass that gets trampled.- African proverb

When faced with conflict, how do you tend to respond?

A. Ignore it in the hopes the conflict goes away

B. Spend hours lying in bed at night having conversations with people causing the conflict

C. Immediately respond to the conflict by addressing the issue upfront with the person

Poll #2: Conflict

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

How to hold a real & necessary conflict or confrontation1. Prepare to confront -- practice

stating the issue in one (or two), non-emotional, factual based sentences using “I” language

2. Make initial statement and stop talking

3. Avoid arguing during the confrontation

4. Focus on the real issue of conflict

Overcoming Fear of Conflict

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RELATIONSHIP

CULTURE

Many people consider strong personal relationships unimportant in the workplace

The Gallup Management Journal’s (GMJ) 2006 semi-annual Employee Engagement Index (EEI) suggests: Relationships hold a key to employee

engagement Negative work relationships = less

engagement

Getting Personal

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GETTING

PERSONAL

“I’ve come to the realization there are zombies– actual, soulless zombies—lurking around my office”Kings of Infinite Space – James Hynes

Negative workplace relationships may be a big part of why so many employees are not engaged

Engagement is Key

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GETTING

PERSONAL

● GMJ EEI suggests: 29% feel truly engaged 54% falls into not

engaged 17% are actively

disengaged● How do we help our people feel more truly

engaged and ultimately successful?

Building good relationships means being truly interested in people Both from a business and personal view

Start out by finding out something personal Hobbies Special interests Special dates such as birthdays

Be respectful of diverse cultures…

Making a Deeper Connection

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GETTING

PERSONAL

Goodness is the only investment that never fails.- Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862, American essayist, naturalist, poet

The important thing is what you do with the information Try to mix personal information in the

conversation—it’s not all about business Peel away layers of formality to improve

chances of getting what you need from the interaction

Wells Fargo and Wachovia integration--what can we do right now?

Making a Deeper Connection

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GETTING

PERSONAL You get more than you give when you give more than you get.

- Unknown

The type of networking I use most often is:

A. Face to face; e.g., public gatheringsB. Water cooler anticsC. EmailD. Professional networks; e.g., LinkedIn,

TwitterE. Cubical walk-by

Poll #3: Networking

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POWER

OF

NETWORKING

Make a connection with people on subjects you have a genuine interest It will grow their confidence in you

Use connection to Engage people Ask genuine questions Listen -- they'll tell you what you need to

know Strong bonds will inevitably stem from

commonalities discovered in simple conversation

Power of Networking

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POWER

OF

NETWORKING

Making the Connection Networking requires good skills in creating

rapport and starts with simply listening Wisdom in a nutshell:

Is essential for new jobs & business contacts Helps find hidden opportunities that set you

apart Indirect is better than direct--use a friend to

introduce you to your target contact Helps to overcome natural shyness, fear of

using people, and fear of rejection

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POWER

OF

NETWORKING

Build Your Network Three techniques:

1. Increase your range of contacts constantly

2. Build a network of partners for new opportunities

3. Reach targeted individuals in two ways—directly or indirectly

Build visibility by raising your profile Go to every social gathering you possibly

can Be visible without really trying

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POWER

OF

NETWORKING

Visibility Without Really Trying Ask a question or make a point in a

meeting Write letters to your industry magazine Introduce yourself to lots of people Discuss a book with an industry leader Wear brightly colored clothes Make people laugh Have an opinion, but keep an open mind Most important of all, use the Internet

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POWER

OF

NETWORKING

Mentoring CommunitiesLinkedIn-- Lets you see the whole network of people through trusted friends. If your 20 connections each connected with 20 more of their own, you would be able to make contact with more than 150,000 professionals.

Networking for Professionals -- Designed for professionals from numerous occupations. Build your business, improve your client base, and/or advance your career. First month is free; each month thereafter is fee-based.

iMantri -- Peer-to-peer community site that facilitates connections between mentors and mentees and also provides a framework and tools for fostering mentoring relationships online.

Ecademy.com -- Aims "to build the world's largest trusted business network by connecting people to each other - more than 20,000 members from 120 countries learn, network, and develop their careers together.

MyWorkster.com -- specializes in building exclusive, professional College networks. These networks allow members to brand themselves through professional and social content in an effort to advance their career.

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POWER

OF

NETWORKING

Discussion Groups & BoardsCataList -- the online catalog of groups that operate using LISTSERV software. Browse more than 52,850 public lists on the Internet. A bonus: each list is shown with current number of subscribers.

Google Groups -- enables you to search for discussion groups in your career field by entering a keyword. (Powered by the best search engine on the Web: Google.)

listTool.com -- a free tool that makes the process of subscribing, unsubscribing and sending commands to 878 mailing and discussion lists (in categories such as law, art, music, computers, news, business, humor and more) easy. Search for lists by keyword(s).

Tile.net -- a comprehensive list of Internet-based resources, including discussion and information lists, Usenet groups, and more. Browse by name, description, and domain.

Yahoo Groups -- where you can join or start a group on just about any topic.

Yuku -- (formerly ezboard) offers profiles, image sharing, blogs, and discussion boards all in one place. You can have up to five Yuku profiles.

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POWER

OF

NETWORKING

Relationships really count when a project starts to unravel

The cornerstone for success in any relationship is to: Establish processes to encourage

communication Make expectations clear, up-front

Good Relationships are Key

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GOOD

RELATIONSHIPS

Resources

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The Best of Effective Networking for Professional Success—About.com.HR Building Relationships in Project Management—Projectsmart.co.uk Work With People: Interpersonal Relationships, Conflict Resolution—

About.com.HR Fight for What's Right: Ten Tips to Encourage Meaningful Conflict—

About.com.HR Training, Development, and Education for Employees—About.com.HR Project Relationship Management and the Stakeholder Circle™—

Mosaicprojects.com Tools for Networking on the Internet—Quintcareers.com Cross-Cultural Collaborations—Wachovia Learning Connection PDEV2230 Valuing Team Diversity—Wachovia Learning Connection PDEV1604 The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work –Peter Block Kings of Infinite Space—James Hynes Semi-Annual Employee Engagement Index (EEI) –Gallop Management Journal Effective Networking for Professional Success: Making the Most Your Personal

Contacts (Better Management Skills Series)—Rupert Hart

Establish a Relationship Culture Getting Personal Supplier Relationships Power of Networking Good Relationships are Key

Summary

“…everybody can be a project manager. The ones with good people skills will do better for sure” – Jack Turchish

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