- Influencing is about improving communication skills. All project should be WOW projects, get excited about the project and so will your team. Ask good questions. Deal with problems, get a hold of the problem. Ineffective project managers don't ask and don't listen.
- Acknowledge people. The world is full of people who deserve to be acknowledged. Acknowledge someone near you. Acknowledge someone you are jealous of.
- A leader in motion stays in motion, like Newton's first law says. Influence is all around us.
- Forcing someone does not work. First understand, then strive to be understood. Bullying does not work. Communication is two way.
- Listening is important, active listening is even more important.
- Communication is %80 non-verbal.
- Technical skills are not as important as leadership, organizing and planning, interpersonal, negotiation, team building, and being technically credible.
- Characteristics of influential people include vision and humility.
- In a high performance team the team selects the MVP.
- Teamwork includes seizing setbacks, keeping one set of books, and a winning attitude which excites others to get on board.
- Participative leadership shares responsibility, aligns on purpose, gets others to support the same vision, and understands what teams want.
- First impressions are very important.
- You don't have to like everyone. Get past dislikes, focus on what needs to be done.
- Show sincere interest in people.
If you are not a Professional Project Manager (PMP) already, consider becoming certified. One way to an exam pass on the first try is to practice all the questions you can in a test center setting. My PMP Exam Simulator may help you do just that.
