Category: Project Management

More than doing just one thing …

Paul Wagenaar

I began as a good manager but a poor leader. I benefited from good mentors and people who believed in my potential and through hard work, and many missteps, I have become a better manager and a good leader. In a small way, I hope this post repays their faith and helps you.

Success does not result from a single action, success is the cumulative result of hundreds of small intricate actions and decisions; but most importantly success comes from treating your people well.

Navigating Leadership Traps

Paul Wagenaar

Leadership has many rewards and many costs, in striving to achieve success we can develop habits that seem worthwhile and often cross boundaries that we aren’t aware of.

Consider this post, a brief guide to remembering “How you achieve success” is as important as the “Success you achieve.” Please feel free to comment and add your own suggestions.

Employment Common Ground

Paul Wagenaar

What does it take to get a job? The answers are as varied as are the number of careers and opportunities. There are however, some universal ground rules that transcend virtually very sector.

We all struggle with decisions sometimes

Paul Wagenaar

Recognizing key opportunities, considering different doors to open or ignore, and making difficult choices are learned skills.

We have all struggled to learn the skills necessary to make better choices. This approach was shared with me, and it helps, see if these tools will help you or someone your know.

Things to consider …

Paul Wagenaar

Good organizations want to find good people and good people are seeking jobs with good organizations. In today’s “Tools Everyone Can Use,” there are tips for both sides to use that work that you can start using right now that will make a difference.

PEOPLE

Paul Wagenaar

One of the questions I am asked the most is about handling staff issues or “problem people” in an organization. Being a leader is full of challenges, but perhaps the hardest one is “How to effectively deal with someone who is causing problems.”

Few issues are “black and white” and often taking actions can create follow on problems. Today’s post is a short guide to helping you overcome these issues and is one more set of “Tools Everyone Can Use.”

ADJUSTING, FITTING IN, and CONTRIBUTING

Paul Wagenaar

oining a new organization can be both exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. Everyone wants to adjust, fit in, and begin making a contribution as soon as possible. Many people, myself included, can struggle with finding that sense of belonging. Everyone knows what they want to do, just finding the “how” to make that happen is what is difficult.

Subtleties of working with people … Take a short quiz.

Paul Wagenaar

I hope as an entrepreneur, manager, supervisor, or someone who aspires to take on any of those roles, you will ask yourself “Would you work for you?”

To be truly effective as a leader, you must consider the effects of your decisions, systems and processes, and their impacts on your people. My challenge today is to take a few minutes and consider the questions in this post. It is possible to be a manager but not a leader, considering this quiz may help you to become better at both.

Not as impossible as it might seem …

Paul Wagenaar

Have you ever wanted to complain about your boss but felt you had no mechanism that you could access, or do you feel that if you did, you would be the one punished not your boss? Some complaints are minor, others can be quite severe. Many of us feel frustrated and powerless to influence this situation.

Maybe there is a path you could try. Have you considered ways that you might be able to “manage your boss?”

GOING TO MARKET – Tips for Small and Medium-sized Organizations

Paul Wagenaar

The original purpose of my website was to offer free tips and advice to the people who run and work for small and medium-sized organizations. Admittedly I have diverged somewhat to include many of the community social issues that impact and also can be impacted by these same organizations. Working in the charitable sector also made me realize many other organizations could benefit from the “lessons learned” included in these tips.

Today’s post is about procurement and/or buying of products and services particularly for people who run and work in organizations where everyone wears multiple hats.