Electronic communication tools have replaced the water cooler as the place for most of us to “present” our point of view.  Of course, each time we do so, we have an opportunity to take two distinct courses of action—support or destruction.

It is easier to tear down than to build…ask any construction engineer.  Building requires planning, having support beams in place, putting the right accent pieces to highlight the features of the structure.  Destroying an idea, a person or an organization requires nothing but a few words.

Management is about making decisions and in this context, at each interface with peers and direct reports, making a choice.  Here are some points to ponder in those interactions:

• Refrain from venting downstream.  A top favorite for many managers is to take a direct report, or a group of folks one or two boxes lower on the org chart and lash out at what is wrong with the company or their boss.  Serves no purpose, since there is nothing any of these groups can do to fix the problem.  Only one way to vent—upstream, or not at all.

• Stop feeding negativity. It is so easy to join in the rock throwing.  Another favorite activity is the morning coffee in someone’s office, where those present can start at one end of what is wrong with their place of employment and finish when….the boss arrives.  Serves no purpose, but everyone feels better afterwards, and the poisoning process starts over the next morning.  In lieu of feeding the negativity search for an answer to fix the problem.

• Take sides for the right reason. We yearn to be loved by those around us.  We falsely believe that the masses will follow us, if they like us.  Leadership in management is not about popularity.  It’s about being right based on the right facts.  Sometimes the customer is right, other times the employees and maybe, just maybe, once in a while, the company is right.  Be strong and don’t fall prey to the wrong side.

Here is a challenge.  Look for opportunities to promote something positive that your boss or company is doing.  Expand to one a week.  And, when someone speaks against what you believe is right, defend your ground.

Be the best manager you can be and remember that PR, represents the first two letters of PRomoting.  Engage in it regularly.

At a young age we all learned never to judge a book by its cover.  This would hold true for a creature of the ocean often mistaken for a monster in mythology. 
Through no fault of its own, the octopus is one of the ugliest and scariest creatures in open water.  So much for the cover.

The Octopus is highly intelligent in the order of invertebrates.  For example, Octopus have been known to break out of their tanks and into others in search of food.  The have boarded boats, opened holds to eat crabs.  They even know how to open a jar to reach the food inside http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWF6d0nelY.  Research has shown them to be strategic, with an ability to learn.

Perhaps we are motivated to be creative when we have a need to satisfy basic needs like eating.  Whatever the motivation, we need to be more innovative in everything we do, in order to add value to our respective stations in life..  Here some ways to do that:

• Feed your brain. One way is to visit TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design)http://www.ted.com/.  Perhaps their tag line says it best:  Ideas worth spreading.  Read magazines like Fast Company.  They will stimulate your creative side and just maybe, give you a spark for a new concept—a better way of doing something.
• Leave your tank. Learn to get out of your comfort zone and flex your right brain to think of solutions to problems at work or in your community.  If you are highly creative, exercise your left brain by learning and doing something technical like enrolling in Advanced Excel!
• Benchmark innovation. In the same way that much can be learned from studying animal behavior, we can adapt innovative ideas from unrelated businesses to our own and continuously improve process.  When Federal Express was looking to implement “when it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”, they did not study UPS…….they did study the Mario Andretti Pit Crews.

Set realistic expectations and then find a new, better way to getting something done, or a solution to a problem, and you will increase the value of your personal brand.  Don’t wait until you have a need to eat.

One has to believe there was a reason why humans were created to all look different, with distinct finger prints and uniquely designed DNAs.  Extraordinary when you consider the human population, now exceeding 6.8 billion.

Why is it then that we fall into the temptation of wanting to be someone else?  Sometimes it might be during a moment of weakness….why couldn’t I be so and so?  I wish I had his or her genes?  That person is “naturally” intellectual…why couldn't that be me?

This same way of thinking carries into our hiring practices.  We seek out team members who think like we do, are cut of the same cloth, sing from the same hymnal….because we want them to be us.

Might it be that we were created to be different for a reason?  We each have unique gifts and talents and where we fail is to appreciate AND monetize on those differences.  By nature, we were meant to have distinct points of reference, so when we do touch customers, peers, bosses and direct reports, we leave DISTINCTimprints on their foreheads.  The trouble is we are so focused on talents OTHERS have, that we don’t recognize what WE have.

Here are some actions to consider:

• Stop enumerating the talents of others.  Take an inventory of your unique points of differentiation and determine how to put those skills to work.  You have been gifted with special genes—it’s up to you to figure out what those are and how to covert them into successes.
• Monetize your DNA. Consider the case of Tyler Perry.  A homeless African American with no finances, and a big dream to be successful.  Fast forward to today and his net worth is estimated at $500 million.  Too much of a stretch?  How about aiming for .1% of that net worth?
• If you don’t feel good about yourself…….. You won’t be successful.  End of story. Appreciate what others have that you don’t have and then be thankful for who you are.  Surround yourself with people with DIFFERENT skill sets from yours—and hopefully those who are MORE TALENTED that you are, and you will ensure your success.  Guaranteed.

It is good that we don’t look a like and even better that we are not cut of the same cloth.  Monetize your unique DNA and be thankful that there is no one else on earth who is YOU.

While waiting at a restaurant to pick up an order for an early dinner, I observed unusual, yet distinctive behavior on the part of a young waiter.  None of his tables were occupied due to the early hour of the evening.  Instead of sitting or wondering around aimlessly like his counterparts, he was busy polishing each and every piece of silverware on his assigned tables, ensuring that the entire table setting was flawless and the cloth napkins were perfectly folded at their respective creases.  

The owner of this moderately priced restaurant was working the floor that night and I commented favorably about this waiter and that the next time we ate there, I would make sure to ask for him by name.  He smiled and replied that the young man was the most “sought after” waiter at this establishment.

In life we have choices that we make.  What separates us over time is where we choose to invest our time. So what can we learn from this leader who is accidentally a waiter at this point in his life?

• Be proactive. Don’t assume anything.  Use time to ensure the best delivery of your product or service.  Conduct quality control over your work before submitting it to the customer.
• Take responsibility. Once the “table” has been set for you, the baton has passed.  The customer will grab your neck for any of the flaws they observe or experience.  Check and double the check the hand off from others to ensure your work is not compromised.
• Exceed expectations. Appreciate the complexity of the customer experience and then deliver successfully on each component.  The content of your product or service may be excellent but your form of delivery may be flawed.
• Stand apart. It takes courage to be different.  Learn from what others don’t do.Success comes to those who observe others and then separate themselves by developing a unique personal brand.

There is one more observation in this story.  The owner.   He was the expediter (the person who makes sure orders are properly handed off between servers, the cooks and then back to the servers) that night.  Working a stressful, visible and important position, observing the kitchen and the servers, and being observed.

When you are in a leadership role, make sure you are visible, setting an example and making a difference, in order to develop “sought after” staff.

At a recent networking event at a posh hotel, a man introduced himself rather hurriedly, transitioned the conversation multiple times and handed me a business card with a name, an e-mail address and a phone number.

The next day I attempted to follow up with the individual, because I could not remember a thing this person had said (and no, it was not due to my alcohol consumption at the event, because they served no alcohol).  When I pulled out the business card out, the paper stock was and the printing were of such poor quality that the numbers had been smudged together.  Needless to say, I never made the call.

How often does your Brand get lost in the smudge?

Three non-negotiable rules to live by when working an event, whether you are employed, unemployed or underemployed:

• Rehearse your message. Networking events are distracting.  You are competing for “ear” time.  Be clear and don’t expect full comprehension by your listener; just enough to get the person to call you post-event.
• Take a look in the mirror. Appearance matters.  People will forget your words, but will remember your cloths….and your breath.  Dress consistent with your Brand, even if it is in contrast to the event.  Pack a tin of mints in your car and pop a few before you walk in.
• Invest in business cards. The card is your Brand leave behind.  Skip a couple of weeks of Grande Lattes, and buy a quality business card that matches your Brand.

People will remember personalities, shoes and body “fragrance”.  Few, if any will remember words.

I know you are thinking; this is pretty basic stuff.  I thought the same, until I was reminded, once again, at how people forget the basic principles.

Protect your Brand, so your message is not lost.  At this event, I counted at least half a dozen people who’s Brands were damaged because they failed to read a piece like this before attending.

Be memorable, with grace and class.  Sometimes, it is wiser to skip an event, stay at home and polish the Brand identity than to lose it in an instance.

Imagine you and your spouse having one car, no access to public transportation and both holding down three hour shifts with same employer…..except your shift starts three hours after your spouse’s shift ends.  You spend the first three hours in a hot, oven baked car in the deep south, with no cell phone, no iPod, no Blackberry….just you, the naturally-heated car seat and the sun.  You are delighted to do it, since it is a paying job and you look forward to starting work….where it is air conditioned.

Many call 2009 a recessionary period; I call it the age of sacrifice.  Depending on your age, you have sacrificed on more than one occasion, over an extended period of time.  Some have never done it, and others have the unique opportunity to do so between now and when this age of sacrifice ends.

Life teaches us great lessons during periods of sacrifice.  As Project Managers, we have to be strong and realize that it a period of learning and growth.  What are some sacrifices that we might have to make in an economic crisis like this one?

• Embrace Change and Accelerate it. Business leaders are scrambling to address strained financial conditions. Work life will become more difficult; longer hours, less pay increases; fewer amenities (like bottled water); cancelled annual trips…and the list goes on.  Support their efforts and  changes and find ways to implement them more rapidly.
• Enhance Your Skill Sets. As organizations slim down, and remain slim, get training ON YOUR OWN, to take-on additional responsibilities in the organization.  Those of you who read my articles know that I am a strong proponent of adding value to your organization by being multi-dimensional.
• Encourage Adoption of DIRTFT. More money is wasted in correcting mistakes and having to re-do tasks and projects.  Establish a discipline of Doing It Right The First Time and take words that start with “re” out of the work environment.  Sacrifice may mean having to check milestone targets several times (sometimes after hours…at home) to ensure that benchmarks have been completed without the risk of having to be re-done.

As Project Managers we want to see and experience selfless giving from our peers and bosses…..yet we are reluctant to invest selflessly of ourselves.  This year and next will be a great time to step out of your comfort zone, get into the hot seat and focus on how YOU can Make A Difference through personal sacrifice…. and in the end you will be a stronger Project Manager for it.

What a glorious time to be in the business world.
I know what you are saying…..has this guy been on this planet for the last 6 months?
I have and I believe this economy gives all of us a chance to be recognized—by Making a Difference.
The downturn can be viewed as an opportunity or a threat.  In my view it is a tremendous opportunity to differentiate ourselves; whether we are an employer, an employee, a contractor, or an author for that matter.
Imagine a large life boat which requires 8 people rowing, but room for only 6.  Not only do you have to row harder to make up for the 25% reduction in rowing capacity, you have to also function in more roles on that boat. You have to become multidimensional, learn new skills and new parts of the business.  In today’s world, you can no longer expect to get paid for simply doing your job, or carry one title or shoulder one responsibility.

Here are some ways to capitalize on this opportunity:

• Invest in yourself. Agree on your own, or with your spouse or significant other on a budget for CSI—Continuous Self Improvement.  A downturn re-focuses us on where we are spending that ever evaporating asset called cash.  Re-direct some funds from accessories to CSI tools and it will yield dividends by bringing new dimension to your portfolio of skills.
• Expand your brand. Does your organization see you a go to person for multiple and varied functions or as a “one trick pony”?  Said differently, there is a search for the two empty seats in the life boat; will you be recognized as one who can row harder at your station AND do the job required of a missing rower?
• Deliver outstanding results. Is your work error free, or those it require continuous correction?  Are you maintenance free (valued greatly since there are less managers and directors to go around)?  Once you deliver outstanding results in your current position, you can leverage your wins, by asking (that’s correct—it is in bold for a reason) for more complex and diverse work.

As consumers, we are all looking forward to companies to step up and do be more customer focused, offer more value, and improve product and service offerings.  Those same expectations should be applied to our own performance in our respective stations in life.

Don’t just do your job; make a difference.