Are Your Projects Failing

Because of Group Dynamics?

“If you’re working in a big group, you’re fighting human nature.” So says Nathan Zook in a recent article for 37 Signals. (http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/995-if-youre-working-in-a-big-group-

youre-fighting-human-nature). In fact, the research shows that the most effective and efficient project groups tend to be in the range of 8 to 14 people.

istock_000005799789xsmall.jpgReferring to a report on business author Antony Jay’s book, “The Corporation Man,” Zook says that the ideal group size has historically hovered around what Jay calls a “ten-group.” Apple calls these groups “2-pizza teams,” meaning that the entire team can be fed with two pizzas – most of their best products have been the result of 2-pizza teams. Within a group that size, decisions are made quickly and collectively, effort is evenly distributed and actions are highly mobile and quickly maneuverable.

Let the group get larger than that, however, and it gets unwieldy. Decisions have to be formally discussed in a series of meetings, as members of a larger group are often out of the loop. Some members may slack off or have their voices drowned out by other more charismatic members. Eventually, larger groups devolve into cliques and other subgroups as the group dynamic tries to equalize itself around the ideal, slowing the work and stymieing progress.

Whether you’re leading a project team at work, organizing a church committee or starting a political action group, you should keep this dynamic in mind when choosing your team. But what is it, exactly, that makes a ten-group such an effective size? And how can you successfully staff your team for best effect?

Here are a few factors you should be aware of: (more…)

Freelancers Are Putting the “Co”

Back Into Coworking

One of the first things you learn when you go freelance is that isolation can be a soul-killer. Dreams of sleeping late, working in your pajamas and taking your laptop to the coffee shop to impress the baristas are quickly overshadowed by just how hard it is to be creative, energetic and connected to the world around you’re perpetually on your own.

Enter the latest trend in freelancing: coworking.

istock_000004814170xsmall.jpgCoworking isn’t about going into business with others, although that’s been known to happen as a result. Instead, the term refers to finding or creating a communal space where you can work alongside other freelancers and entrepreneurs, in a stimulating and creative communal environment.

Coworking spaces often provide large communal work areas and desks as well as individual cubbies for getting away from the crowd when you need to concentrate. In addition, most of them also provide conference rooms, copy/print centers and other “officey” amenities that members can reserve or use as needed. Many such businesses require you to purchase a long-term membership (like a gym) or join a coop, although some places will rent space by the week or even the hour.

Full services coworking spaces often feature lecture series or classes, group events and other activities to help members improve and increase their skills and their businesses. They may also offer networking events, equipment rentals, member business showcases or promotions, fitness rooms, resources and other value-added options.

Coworking spaces provide a place where freelancers can get out of their own heads. They offer professional spaces where members can meet clients and deliver presentations, and where they can connect and collaborate with their peers. In short, coworking gives you all the benefits of working in an office with none of the downsides.

Coworking spaces range from simple coops to expansive, CEO-level environments and small business incubators. If this sounds like your sort of thing, you can start your search at the Coworking wiki (http://coworking.pbwiki.com/), and there’s a coworking conversation going on at the Coworking Community blog. (http://blog.coworking.info/)

Here are a few things you should keep in mind if you’re considering coworking: (more…)

What Do Michael Phelps and Entrepreneurs Have In Common?

Coaches! (of course).

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Read Tannette Johnson-Elie’s great article: Business Coaches Can Give Entrepreneurs Advice, Motivation at JSOnline. You might pay particular attention to the 10th paragraph.

Tips for Dealing with Workplace Politics

Oh, the joys of office skullduggery. Who said what, to whom. Who’s getting that special project and who’s getting shut out – and why. Who’s maneuvering for that potential promotion and who’s going to get their fingers burned if they don’t watch out.

istock_000005885734xsmall.jpgIt can be tempting and easy to get caught up in the trench warfare of workplace politics. And it’s not a difficult activity to justify – after all, you’ve got to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on, right? But swimming with the corporate barracudas has some serious downsides to consider, as well.

For starters, much of what passes for information is simply one-sided gossip and uninformed rumormongering. Plus, like any other game or soap opera, it takes a large investment of time to keep up with it – so much so that you could even find yourself neglecting the very work you’re paid to do. And with that investment of time comes equally large emotional and personal investments, and the accompanying stress they create.

Finally, while being part of the cubical confab may make you feel connected and important, what it’s actually likely to be doing is making you an inefficient and distracted worker who’s more concerned with winning the local game, regardless of the greater cost, than taking the broader view and doing what’s best for your career and for the company. And if you don’t think the higher ups will notice this or that it will affect your career, you’re dangerously mistaken.

Yes, you do need to remain both informed and connected. But you need to be smart and professional about it, as well. So how can you effectively deal with office politics and use the grapevine for your own benefit, without getting caught in the web of deceit, petty feuds and professional distractions? Here are three things you should consider when dealing with these issues: (more…)

The ABC’s of Business Networking

istock_000003289230xsmall.jpgBusiness is all about getting to know other people. Whether it’s meeting clients, finding a business partner or making connections in your own field, sooner of later you’re going to need to do some networking. But if you’ve ever been to a networking event, you know that not everyone who shows up is really prepared for action.

Here is a quick ABC primer on the basics of effective business networking to keep your networking strategy ready for action at any time:

A is for Act, as in Getting It Together. (more…)

Exorcising Yourself of Emotional Vampires

You may not have heard the term before, but it is almost certain you have dealt with at least one emotional vampire in your life. These people are deceptively charming, beautiful and seductive, yet emotionally exhausting.

istock_000005135561xsmall.jpgEmotional vampires are egotistical, manipulative, jealous, demanding, and self-serving. They are able to gain your friendship very quickly, then exploit it in every way they can to rob you of your own emotional energy. This person will take advantage of anyone in order to feed his or her own emotional needs. They will focus on the negative aspects of any situation, rather than enjoy the positive ones.

Any self-improvement program discusses the importance of de-cluttering your life to reduce your stress level. This includes ridding yourself of unhealthy relationships as well. Learn to protect your own happiness and emotional well being by being able to recognize these emotional predators so you can remove their negative influences from your life. Even though emotional vampires pretend to be your best friend in the world, they are parasites that feed on your well-being and happiness, robbing you of your vitality and enthusiasm for life.

1. Types of Vampires (more…)

Brazen Careerist Article – Career Coach’s Advice: 5 Tips for Setting Boundaries at Work

Thanks to Penelope Trunk, Ryan Healy, Dan Healy, Jay Wigley, and the Team at the Brazen Careerist for featuring my article 5 Tips for Setting Boundaries at Work.

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Creating a Portfolio Career

What would you say if I told you that the idea of a linear, ladder-like career may have been a mere blip on the cultural radar instead of the taken-for-granted path that many of us have come to accept?

The fact is, the days of spending your life working for the same company and leaving with “30 years and a gold watch” are long gone. In today’s work world, more companies are viewing employees as contract labor, to be hired and fired as needed, and fewer workers are looking to stay in one place their entire lives. In fact, the newer generations are far more interested in work that seems like fun or that offers a unique experience than adhering to any outdated model of a linear, predictable professional career.

istock_000005793898xsmall.jpgAdd to that the reality that secure, long-term jobs that pay enough to support the average middle-class worker are becoming fewer and further apart thanks to cheap overseas outsourcing and technological automation, and you have the makings of a work-culture sea change of tsunami proportions. Enter the portfolio career.

A portfolio career is one, “in which instead of working a traditional full-time job, you work multiple part-time jobs (including part-time employment, temporary jobs, freelancing, and self-employment) with different employers that when combined are the equivalent of a full-time position.”

(http://www.quintcareers.com/portfolio_careers.html). A person with a portfolio career may work a few days a week at a local cabinetry shop, spend a few days a week teaching woodworking at a local continuing ed center and offer their services as an independent cabinet installation contractor to home builders when there’s work available. Or, it could be an IT geek with a part-time tech job, an on-call tech repair service and a website where they sell their own custom software.

Portfolio careers are shaping up to be the professional wave of the future. (more…)

Secrets of Successful Managers

on How to Budget Your Time

istock_000005764543xsmall.jpgWhat do Jim Donald, Susan Lyne, and Bill Gates have in common? Each of these busy, highly successful professionals has tackled the problem of too much to do in too little time, and come out on top. Let’s take a look at how these high profile managers budget their time.

Prioritize.
Jim Donald, CEO and president of Starbucks, considers himself to be fanatical about communicating. He receives over 200 e-mails per day, responding at least briefly to 75% of them. His secret is to start the day early (6 AM) because it’s the perfect time to reach out to people. In the quiet of the morning, he leaves voicemails for his managers, writes personal thank you cards and signs birthday cards. Clearly, he places a high priority on building and maintaining relationships, and he aligns his day accordingly. (more…)

Against the Flow

From my guest article Going Against the Flow at The Change Blog:

istock_000005459073xsmall.jpg“Lately, I’ve been thinking about this going with the flow business, and what it all means.

It’s my feeling that people who are passive accepters will always go with the flow, no matter what. And that’s the majority of people. But then you have the other brand of personality – the movers and shakers. They’re fewer and farther between, sure. These people seem to have that killer gut instinct telling them when it’s right to go against the flow.

Why would you ever want to go against the flow?”

Read the rest of Going Against the Flow.