It’s one thing to put together a project management plan and determine who should do what when. It’s entirely another to lead a project. On this show, some practical strategy tips for project management. Susanne Madsen Author, The Power of Project Leadership* and The Project Management Coaching Workbook* Susanne Madsen International Susanne Madsen is an internationally recognized project leadership coach, trainer, speaker and consultant. Susanne specializes in helping project managers transform into leaders. “Most organizations jump very quickly from the idea stage to the doing stage.” -Susanne Madsen Project definition: it's key to determine the value the project offers to the organization Be strong enough to show weakness and ask the dumb questions Two problems in managing risk Not properly dealing with expected risks Paying little or no attention to unexpected risks Connect with Susanne on Twitter or LinkedIn Feedback Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/176 Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback Next Q&A show is episode #178 and the topic is accountability Please join my weekly leadership guide. The leadership guide is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday and includes my thoughts and recommendations on the best articles, podcasts, videos, and books, to support your development between shows. It also includes a brief overview and link to the full weekly show notes. If you, like me, tend to listen to podcasts while you’re on the road or exercising, this will give you an easy way to follow-up later on the links and resources we mention in every show. Thank you to the following people who joined the weekly leadership guide this past week: Maysa Z, Mohamed Sherif, Melissa Sevcik, Ester Cate, Will Sullivan, Darren Munday, Jeff Kline, Elisabeth Hartwig, Sudhir J, Jaime Linden, Meredith Begin, Gerald Macgregor, John Kim, Larissa Thurlow, Nicole Mytych, Rodrigo Lopes, Barbara Stewart, Christopher Balcer, Ellee Lee, Pablo Tovar, Tim Binder, Vicki Childs, Laura Sloan, Pip Davie, Craig Rix, John Pineiro, Justin Casanova, Jerry Knox, Marc Mawhinney, David Copeland, Truls Luraad, Dawnel Snyder, Tony Dawson, Jacquie Drake, Doug Brickey, and Darren Peck. As a bonus, when you join the weekly leadership guide, you’ll get immediate access to my guide on the 10 Leadership Books that Will Help You Get Better Results From Others. Download the 11-page reader's guide and 9-minute video of my top leadership book recommendations…plus, insight on the 2 books that I rely on weekly! Just visit http://coachingforleaders.com/subscribe Thank you to Rijul Kochar and Dayla21 for the kind reviews on iTunes. If you would like to post review as well, it will be a huge help for all of us to grow the Coaching for Leaders community. If you use iTunes, just visit http://coachingforleaders.com/itunes and if you use Stitcher, please visit http://coachingforleaders.com/stitcher - and thank you in advance for your support!

You’ve been in the job for awhile. You’re maybe not feeling that same sense of motivation or fulfillment that you once did. How do you know when to move on? In this episode, five indicators that will help you answer that question. 1. When it’s beyond a bad day, week, or month. “Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.” -Julius Erving 2. When its not fulfilling anymore to solve problems. I mentioned Michael Hyatt's appearance on episode #40. “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.” -David Ogilvy Every organization has the well-connected people who are marketing a bad “product” or at least a mediocre one. Are you solving problems, or are you window dressing? 3. When you’re living in Groundhog Day. You can become the cynic who says, “This is the way we do things around here.” 4. When you think the same way today that you did a year ago. You should, on occasion, be able to look back on a decision you made in the past, or on your thinking on something, and be amazed at how stupid you were. 5. When your heart tells you that its time. It’s OK to not know the answer for awhile. In fact, that’s probably the side to error on. A final thought: this isn’t the answer. It’s a place to start asking yourself the questions. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni and I respond to your questions on leadership resources and other topics that are top of mind for the Coaching for Leaders community. Bonni Stachowiak, Ed.D. Teaching in Higher Ed Question from Michelle: I've recently taken on a Training post...it's a new post and so I'm making things up as I go along. In episode 30 you recommend that Managers attend the same training as their team. I'm organizing a whole range of training courses in 2015 and at first I agreed with you that the Manager should attend with their team. The feedback I've had though is that if the Manager attends then people won't ask all the questions they should ask to seek clarification. This maybe a cultural point rather than a general training point. Are there some types of training that need the Manager to be present and others where it’s better than they are not present? For example : if it's about changing behavior then it's right that they should attend and if it’s about learning something that's new (new skills to do the job they already do) then the Manager shouldn't be present. 30: Six Mistakes Leaders Make Sending People to Training Question from Amy: I enjoy listening every morning on my way to work and have applied MANY of your tips to my job. I've been through so many podcasts, I'm curious if you could help me with one of your recommendations. You talked about a planner you use that can be specialized -- what recommended company/website was this? I'm looking to start the New Year off right! Thanks for your advice! Remember the Milk OmniFocus (Mac)* (iPhone)* (iPad)* LearnOmniFocus.com from our friend Tim Stringer Question from Brenda: I am a retreat coordinator at a camp where I work with many different churches and Christian organizations. Most people I work with come 1-2 times a year and come and share their camp space with 2-5 different churches and organizations. I am looking for a way to not only personally connect with the people I work with, but also give them the opportunity to get to know each other as other camp rental leaders and be able bounce ideas off each other and give this group unity by coming to camp together. I also want to build this same unity and community with other retreat coordinators across the US within a online group. But keep the two groups separate from each other. I have seen this done with Stay-at-homes moms on Facebook, but really do not want to use Facebook for this. Would LinkedIn be a good website to use to for this purpose? Is there another social media or website that I should explore that you know of that would work better? What have you found to be the best way to grow your community with Coaching for Leaders? IP.Board Audio Question from Hujefa  Question from Lisa: Quick question - have you ever done a podcast about how to handle a mistake at work? I have made a mistake that has many upset. I scheduled a meeting for next week to discuss and although I've already apologized internally, I'm looking for suggestions on how to handle the meeting. I don't think I want to focus at all on what I "shoulda" done but rather what to do to help alleviate the situation. 54: How Authentic Leaders Apologize Question from Noushin: I was wondering if you can suggest a program for executives who would like to improve their writing skills for communicating with the investors, CEOs, etc. On Writing Well* by William Zissner Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing* by Mignon Fogarty 108: How To Improve Your Writing With Grammar Girl and Grammar Pop Feedback Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/174 Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback Next Q&A show is episode #178 and the topic is accountability For more information on the 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever course from Michael Hyatt, please visit: http://coachingforleaders.com/best2015*

We've all seen bad meeting behavior, but do you know what to do? Donna Schilder shares five power steps for leaders and facilitators to get us towards a better meeting. Donna Schilder (LinkedIn) Leadership, Career, and Business Coach 1. What are some types bad meeting behavior we often see? Late arrivers Ramblers Side Conversationalists Note Passers Multi-taskers Non-participators Dominators Chronic objectors Gate-closers Off-the-wall commenters Eye rollers Sighers Personal attackers 2. How can leaders identify disruptive behaviors as they happen? Realize that your job is to create the agenda, lead the participants through the agenda, but also, to watch for and facilitate behaviors that prevent the meeting from being as successful as it can be. Now that you are more focused on what they are, you can watch for these disruptive behaviors. Scrutinize and reflect on meetings that don’t seem to be as productive as they should be. Watch for other people’s reactions. Are they rolling their eyes, sighing, showing signs of frustration, shuffling in their seats? 3. How can a leader intervene in disruptive behaviors in meetings? For Side Conversationalists, Ramblers, Multi-Taskers, Note Passers, Eye Rollers, Off-the-Wall Commenters, & Eye Rollers: Use non-verbal cues For all behaviors: Acknowledge and reinforce acceptable behavior For Late Arrivers, Dominators, Ramblers, Gate Closers, and really any behaviors: Review Ground Rules for Effective Meeting Behavior Don’t interrupt others, encourage new ideas, don’t be late Encourage shared responsibility for handling disruptive behavior For Ramblers or if new topics just come up: Use a Hold Bin when the meeting gets off topic For Non-Participators: Round Robin – always allow people to pass Invite people into the conversation For some of the more difficult behaviors, like Dominators or Personal Attackers: Utilize team feedback tools Plus Delta Team Effectiveness Surveys Use firm but friendly confrontation 4. What is firm but friendly confrontation? This is in order from the lightest intervention to the strongest intervention. Tread cautiously with the strong interventions. General Question: Does anyone else feel we are digressing? Specific Question: For a side conversation: Andrea, do you have anything to add? General statement (no names): We had agreed as a team that we would be on time to this meeting General statement (looking at the person): Not everyone here seems to be open to new ideas Specific statement: Joe, you seem to be objecting to this idea. 5. When should a leader Take it Offline? Visit Donna's detailed notes and downloadable PDF Feedback Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/173 Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback Next Q&A show is episode #174 on resources for leaders For more information on the 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever course from Michael Hyatt, please visit: http://coachingforleaders.com/best2015* I’ve joined Michael as a formal affiliate for this program, so if you use that link, he will pay us a commission to thank us for introducing the course to you. As a special bonus for you, if you decide to register for Michael’s course and use that link, Bonni and I are putting together a special podcast that we’ll air in mid-January on our 2014 achievements and 2015 planning - and just some overall coaching we have on goal-setting. Once your register, forward your receipt to us at feedback@coachingforleaders.com - that’s how we’ll know to send you the special bonus audio from Bonni and me - and we’ll deliver that to you in mid-January to help keep you on track for your best 2015. Here's how to learn more: http://coachingforleaders.com/best2015* Thank you to Whitney Stafford, InderMani Bhardwaj, Kunjal Gandhi, Jeff Caldwell, Patti Brosious,

Jill Morgenthaler: The Courage to Take Command How a female US Army colonel tamed the males-only Egyptian Army “I’m not going to change the culture, but I can adjust the behavior.” -Jill Morgenthaler Sometimes bullies don’t know they’re bullies. Ensure that we don’t become the bullies ourselves. Aggressiveness vs. assertiveness. When people starting to show disrespect, he would stop it immediately. Hang back and watch when moving into a new situation. Ask people how they want to be rewarded. Never ask anyone something that you’re not willing to do. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Allison Clarke: What Will They Say? Allison Clarke attended 30 funerals in 60 days with the intention to discover how to live without regret. She captured her discovered in the book What Will They Say? and shared her key findings during this conversation. Key Points 1. Listen and lead others to their own answers. 2. Remember the value of face-to-face communication. 3. Do something unique and special for someone. 4. Make time for important people in your life. 5. Bring your courage to the forefront. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni and Dave address questions related to strategic skills and other topics of interest to the Coaching for Leaders community. Bonni Stachowiak, Ed.D. Teaching in Higher Ed Audio question from Susan on how to develop strategic skills. Bonni recommended On Competition* by Michael Porter Question from Mark I just wanted to let you know I have been listening to the coaching for leaders podcast since somewhere around episode 100. Recently an opportunity came by to become team leader of the engineering department I worked in. Listening to the podcast for a while gave me enough mental support to take the step! Thank very much. I find that there are certain pro's and con's of assuming a leadership position coming from within the team instead of coming from outside the department of even outside the company. Maybe you can address this in an upcoming Q&A show. Dave also suggested a listen to the beginning of episode 120, with a more detailed response to a similar question Audio question from Diana Dave suggested episode 148 with David Hutchens for a fantastic foundation on storytelling Question from Guto I listen to your programs daily - Coaching for Leaders and Carnegie Coach - and this has helped me a lot to improve as Manager and Coach. I have a training project and wanted a your tips. The idea is to make a leadership development program, and the topic is: Lead yourself. As the program will mix coaching with training, I thought to use some coaching tools such as wheel of life, personal SWOT analysis, and mission & purpose. However the module requires 4 hours of training. My program so far has given two hours of training. What do you recommend to do more as a way of self-knowledge to train leaders to make a difference in business and in their teams? Feedback Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/170 Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback Next Q&A show is episode #174 on resources for leaders Thank you to Abdenour Hamiti, Kate Beatty, Kathleen Jameson, Jesse Robinson, Steve Stachowiak, Suzen Frost, Mike Dolan, Al Kou, Ashlyn Ours, Christiana Moore, Julie Smith, Robert Lowell, Anthony Daly, and Latasha Christian. Receive the 10 Leadership Books That Will Help You Get Better Results From Others, including 2 books that I rely on weekly. You can subscribe at http://coachingforleaders.com/subscribe

If you make a bad first impression, all is not lost. On this show, John Corcoran and I detail six things you can do when the first impression doesn't land. John Corcoran Smart Business Revolution Author of How to Increase Your Income Today by Building Relationships with Influencers, Even if you Hate Networking How to Recover From a Bad First Impression by John Corcoran first appeared on The Art of Manliness 1. Decide Whether or Not to Take Action 2. Take Swift Action and Apologize Immediately “If you’re wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.” -Dale Carnegie 3. Admit Your Mistake, but Don’t Dwell on It 4. Apologize Later, Even If Time Has Passed 5. Pivot 6. Be Consistent Over Time John appeared previously on two other episodes: How to Create Your Personal Networking Plan (episode 106) The Practical Pursuit of Work-Life Balance (episode 123) Feedback Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/169 Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback Next Q&A show is episode #170 on Strategy Thank you to weekly update subscribers Sanjay Prithiani, David Gunawan, Simone Damascene, Chris Snykus, Khadija Douj, Charlene Haynes, Michelle Sugerman, Armando Rivera, Sree Nair, Marco Pierobon, Melendy Krantz, and Declan Coyle. Receive the 10 Leadership Books That Will Help You Get Better Results From Others, including 2 books that I rely on weekly. You can subscribe at http://coachingforleaders.com/subscribe

Laura Schiesl Vega Partner, Molever Conelly PLLC 1. Social media One general best practice is to have a social media policy if you don’t already have one. Social media guidelines from the National Labor Relations board (see pages 22-24) 2. Employment classification Independent contractor vs. employees United States Department of Labor 6-factor economic realities test United States Department of Labor on independent contractors Internal Revenue Service Section 530 relief requirements California Department of Industrial Relations on worker misclassification 3. Wages and hours United States Department of Labor Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA Connect with Laura Schiesl on LinkedIn Dave recommended the book Law 101* by Jay Feinman and The Legal Seagull podcast by Neer Lerner Feedback Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/168 Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback Next Q&A show is episode #169 on Strategy Thank you to weekly update subscribers Barbara Douglas, Craig Datz, Adam Bidegary, Christopher Surato, Elizabeth Robinson, Lisbeth Bender, Travis Wells, Ailsa Kirkland, Peter Tran, Rich Gale, Brandon Hays, Donna Freyman, Brandon Tamondong, Bhaskar Nellipudi, Ghislain Levesque, Jen Desko, Lee Hopkinson, Robin Wade, Cassie Bradley, Israel Revert, Brandon Bennett, Jean Holtman, Damian Pocknell, Luis Plancarte, Spencer Aberle, Chad Prachar, and David Dayton. Receive the 10 Leadership Books That Will Help You Get Better Results From Others, including 2 books that I rely on weekly. You can subscribe at http://coachingforleaders.com/subscribe

Are you always hiring the perfect candidate, or will you hire the best fit? Yes, there’s a difference and today you’ll discoverer a new perspective on finding the right person for your team. Kelly Studer Career Stylist at KellyStuder.com The 70% Principle for the Perfect Hiring Fit by Kelly Studer Kelly and I discussed the HBR Ideacast on How Google Manages Talent Dave mentioned episode #153 with Bill Bliss on How to Start with Succession Planning “I got a bit of a reputation for being a tough, scary interviewer, and I learned over time that that wasn’t necessarily the best approach.” -Kelly Studer Share some of your own vulnerability and have a real conversation about some of the work they may be involved in. A great starting point is StrengthsFinder 2.0 Check out episode #89 with Steven Dosier on the Value of the StrengthsFinder Assessment. “The only thing worse than training someone and losing them is not training them and keeping them.” -Zig Ziglar Feedback Join the conversation: http://coachingforleaders.com/167 Comments, questions, or feedback for future Q&A shows: http://coachingforleaders.com/feedback Next Q&A show is episode #169 on Strategy Thank you to weekly update subscribers Henry Thornhill, Steve Warner, Ray Torres, Heidi Schwartz, Shailesh Mali, Jane Kerrigan, Paula Coviello, Jeannette Cummings, Jochen Spalink, Luiz Fernando Vianna, Brian Hillsinger, Jose Salazar, Duane Garrett, Allison Tse, Ethan Gilliam, Jose Manuel Alvarez, Chris Lottridge, Joe Thornton, Belinda Edge, Roxanne Flick, Donna Schilder, Alex Ivanov, and Jeff Roberts. Receive the 10 Leadership Books That Will Help You Get Better Results From Others, including 2 books that I rely on weekly. You can subscribe at http://coachingforleaders.com/subscribe