The Project: Thinking, Leadership, Planning, Performance, and Review

By: Ed Ruth

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The Project: Thinking, Leadership, Planning, Performance, and Review is a guide to project development. Included are a fair number of concepts both for initiating a project and seeing it through to a meaningful conclusion. Things are made of parts, if you understand the parts you understand the thing. You may very well pick up a few ideas from this book about thinking.
Have you ever taken a new job but retained the values and beliefs of the old job? After a time, you were startled to discover a significantly different perspective was required. But what if you had no chance to adapt? What if your employer believed you would land like a cat and run with it?
At one time or another we have all experienced role confusion. An unfamiliar situation or ill-defined expectations can certainly contribute to this. Increasingly, in this hectic world, we must swiftly form a group and move toward a goal within a very limited time period.
How do we overcome role-confusion, misunderstandings, and failure? Leadership. Organizational priorities must ensure that leaders can lead.
Leadership does not assume. Leadership communicates the job and job expectations in detail and listens carefully to the questions and concerns of everyone involved. Leadership speaks to every member of the team as if they were the most important link to success. Leadership leaves everyone involved certain of their duties and with confidence in the success of the mission; diagrams or maps are made when needed. Leadership is available, approachable, experienced, confident, supportive, and thoughtful.
Leadership listens carefully when a team member communicates uncertainties or offers criticism. Leadership is flexible, adaptable, encourages thinking that moves the team towards its goal, and promotes focus and tenacity. Leadership ensures that a simple communication system exists and that every team member has access to that system. Leadership conducts an after-action review to promote successful methodology and change that which is flawed.