Project Managers' Coffee Chat with Tim & Merv

Join hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome as they focus on leveraging influence, negotiation, and understanding clients' business needs to improve project outcomes. They share practical examples from their personal experiences, illustrating how building trust, anticipating client needs, and understanding stakeholder motives can make a significant difference in project delivery. They discuss the importance of cultural awareness and communication in navigating complex stakeholder environments, while highlighting the value of perceiving hidden opportunities for innovation and efficiency.

Main Take-Aways

Stories are powerful teachers. Today's story lessons help your understanding of the need to strengthen you negotiation and influence skills:

• using influence when you don't have direct authority
• using the knowledge of your customer's requirements to influence the solution
• using prior experience to educate customers in their negotiations
• being aware and using information gleaned from any source to help influence negotiations
• using anticipation and observation to better influence your stakeholders
• using your customer's own requirements to better negotiate with your customer
• place yourself in a better negotiating and influencing position by considering your customer's perspective over your own
• negotiating among stakeholders with competing priorities

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Leadership Lessons from the Trenches – Influence and Negotiation Skills are Paramount

00:27 Merv begins this episode of actual project experiences by recounting how he uses influence in project situations where he does not have direct authority over the teams he advises.

02:16 Tim leverages Merv's story with a similar experience of his own in using his knowledge of his customer's requirements to influence a better solution.

04:52 Merv was able to help his client in a complex negotiation situation by educating them on the strategies and tactics that the other party would likely utilize.

07:34 Tim helped his customer by using information he gleaned from a conversation to help them understand how to negotiate better.

10:22 Merv tells of one of his favorite influence strategies – that of using anticipation and observation – to position himself well with senior stakeholders.

12:23 Tim changed his total approach to negotiation after a prolonged negotiation session during which he learned about unstated requirements and use them to enhance his stature with the stakeholders.

15:30 Merv recounts a project he was advising during which the vendor project manager would complain about how project situations affected him and his team. He improved his ability to influence and negotiate with the main customer when he finally realized he was working for them and needed to consider these situations from the perspective of the stakeholders.

17:06 Merv completes this podcast episode with a story of complex stakeholder management where he had to negotiate competing requirements between his primary and secondary stakeholders.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome share valuable insights as they provide practical tips and techniques for building strong relationships, negotiating effectively, and leveraging cultural understanding. Discussions include active listening, the importance of win-win scenarios, and the power of reframing conflicts. By understanding audience culture and character traits, project managers can influence more effectively. Tune in to learn how to improve negotiation outcomes and develop enduring professional relationships.

Main Take-Aways

Tips, tools, and techniques for use in negotiations and situations requiring influence:

1) negotiate big items by starting with small items

2) have good communication and active listening skills

3) look for a win-win

4) use collaborative brainstorming

5) be empathetic

6) make negotiating fun and easy

7) use "I" statements rather than "you" statements

8) don't focus just on cost items

9) learn to reframe the context

10) help them visualize a positive outcome

11) create an atmosphere of trust and credibility

12) learn to understand the other party; learn to understand their culture

13) don't be afraid to point out drawbacks of your own position

14) document small scope changes to help in negotiating the large scope change requests

15) observe the other party over time to develop negotiating strategies

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Negotiation and Influence

00:27 Summarizing the week's podcast episodes to date, which included the what, why, and how of implementing your negotiation and influence skills.

01:05 Tim begins with the first tip which is to start by negotiating some small collaborative decisions before entering the larger negotiation.

01:59 Merv refers to previous episodes in reminding you of the importance of good communication skills and active listening to give full attention to the party you are in discussion with.

02:23 Tim piggybacks on Merv's reminder by recommending that you always look for the win-win to set up a good relationship.

03:03 Merv uses brainstorming with the negotiating party to set up for a win-win as the two parties collaborate on the solution.

03:39 Merv then adds the benefits of using empathy to better understand the other party's needs.

04:24 Tim likes to make negotiations fun and easy so that everyone is less guarded and more willing to engage in the negotiation process.

05:58 Merv prefers to use "I" statements rather than "you" statements to avoid any perception of finger-pointing.

06:42 Tim learned a negotiating tactic from a former boss to consider aspects of the negotiation that are not cost-based, yet both parties recognize their value.

07:50 Merv describes a valuable technique when at an impasse in the negotiations. He reframes the initial context for a different perspective.

09:37 Merv then extends that technique into one of helping the other party visualize a positive outcome.

10:25 Merv strives to create an atmosphere of credibility and trust when to influence the other party in situations where he does not have direct authority. He likes to be completely authentic and transparent.

11:10 Tim adds to the need to be authentic, by recommending that you also learn to understand the other party.

12:59 Merv suggests that on occasion it is helpful if you point out drawbacks to your own position to show the other party that you are working with them to arrive at an agreeable solution.

13:39 Tim uses Merv's tip to suggest that conflict management can follow a similar pattern. He adds that you can help arrive at the major solution by using small agreements along the way to establish a path forward to resolving the conflict.

15:21 Merv provides a valuable technique in handling scope creep within the project by acquiescing to his client's requests for the small items but keeping track of them to use in negotiating a much larger scope item request.

18:02 Tim seeks to understand the culture of the other party and then leveraging that understanding to help influence ongoing negotiations and interactions.

19:17 Merv closes this episode by describing a technique that involves concentrated observation of the other party over time to develop strategies for future negotiations and influence.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome explore how project managers can enhance their project delivery by focusing on negotiation and influence skills. They discuss various strategies including the importance of understanding stakeholder interests, thorough planning, and the application of different negotiation models like collaborative and consultative approaches. The conversation highlights the significance of separating individuals from issues in conflict resolution and tailoring influence tactics according to stakeholder needs. The discussion underscores the impact of credibility, trust, and integrity in achieving project success and stakeholder satisfaction. Listeners are encouraged to integrate these skills into their management practices for improved outcomes.

Main Take-Aways

The project leader must learn how to apply negotiation and influence skills in their daily project management responsibilities:

• understand stakeholder interests
• thoroughly plan for any negotiation
• separate the person from the problem
• learn and use various negotiation models
• focus on credibility, trust, and integrity
• tailor your influence strategy for your audience and the circumstances

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Applying Negotiation and Influence Skills

00:42 Applying negotiation skills in your daily project management responsibilities.

01:09 Understanding stakeholder interests and planning thoroughly to be completely prepared to enter negotiations.

03:23 Using effective negotiation skills to resolve conflict: setting clear objectives and anticipating challenges.

05:51 Considering conflict as a negotiation; separating the person from the problem.

08:23 Exploring different negotiation models:

08:39 … being collaborative

09:21 … consultative negotiation

10:02 … principled negotiation

11:04 … competitive negotiation

12:39 … avoidance

13:31 The results of effective negotiation skills in project success. Focus on credibility and trust. These lead to higher stakeholder satisfaction and greater team engagement.

14:35 Having integrity in all dealings with team and stakeholder.

15:06 The results of positive negotiations satisfy your personal WIIFM (What's In It For Me).

16:53 Tailoring your influence strategies for your stakeholders and their particular situations.

18:16 Tailoring your influence strategies to develop positive engagement within your team.

19:18 Tailoring your influence strategies to keep your management informed and involved.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss how the skills of negotiation and influence impact various stages of the project lifecycle, from defining scope and timelines to managing stakeholder expectations and building consensus within the team. The conversation covers essential skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, effective communication, and the power of conviction. Through examples and personal experiences, they emphasize the importance of empathy and combining logic with emotion to achieve meaningful and positive results. This episode aims to improve project management methods by focusing on the human side of the profession.

Main Take-Aways

Negotiation and influence are critical aspects of a project leader's skillset to be able to develop strong relationships and deliver exceptional results:

• applying negotiation and influence in all aspects of the project lifecycle
• understanding essential skills required for better negotiation results
• building trust and rapport with team and stakeholders
• the power of conviction, vision, and empathy in enhancing your negotiation skills

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Essential Skills for Effective Negotiation

00:27 Reviewing our understanding of negotiation and influence from the previous podcast episode.

01:05 Applying negotiation and influence in the project lifecycle: initiating the project, dealing with the various stakeholder groups, dealing with conflict, and/or adapting to change.

03:11 Essential skills for effective negotiation include the following: critical thinking, problem solving, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and active listening.

06:19 Using the essential skills for effective negotiation to build trust and rapport with your teams and stakeholders. Negotiation and influence are a result of establishing rapport/ relationships.

08:57 The power of conviction in influencing those you are negotiating with.

11:00 The power of vision in compelling others to take action. Using vision to implement the spirit of the agreement, not just the letter of the agreement. Envisioning the end result that will positively affect the lives of your end users.

14:11 The power of personal fulfillment, emotional commitment, and empathy to influence and negotiate with your team to deliver remarkable results.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome delve into the critical skills of influence and negotiation for project managers. They discuss the symbiotic relationship between the two techniques, highlighting how influence sets the stage for successful negotiation and vice versa. The conversation covers practical strategies for leveraging these skills to gain stakeholder buy-in, resolve conflicts, and enhance project outcomes. They also stress the importance of ethical standards in maintaining trust and integrity throughout the negotiation and influence processes. This episode provides valuable insights for project managers aiming to improve their human-centric project management approaches.

Main Take-Aways

The project leader must learn the skills of influence and negotiation. You will be confronted with multiple challenges, whether from your stakeholders, management, or team. Therefore, being able to deftly handle these situations with influence and negotiation skills is paramount. This introductory episode on this topic stresses the importance of developing these skills:

• defining the terms to set the context
• using negotiation and influence strategically with stakeholders
• influencing self to reduce bias and opinion prior to entering negotiations
• using negotiation and influence strategically with team (e.g., conflicts and solution development)
• using influence when you have no direct authority
• understanding human nature and human behavior to enhance your ability to influence
• handling situations where you receive pushback
• maintaining ethical standards

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Negotiation and Influence in Leading Projects

00:27 Introducing the topic of influence and negotiation, key skills for the project manager to attain.

01:16 Defining the terms negotiation and influence, and their relationship to one another.

03:05 Using negotiation strategically to get results, especially when working with stakeholders.

04:53 Using influence strategically to get results, especially when working with stakeholders, but also to benefit yourself as the results are realized.

06:23 Using negotiation and influence strategically to get results, when working with internal stakeholders/management.

06:50 Influencing yourself to overcome biases and opinions before entering into negotiations.

08:36 Using negotiation and influence judiciously when working with your team, particularly in conflict resolution and problem solving.

09:53 Handling situations using your influence where you have no organizational authority.

12:35 Understanding human nature and human nature is a benefit to your ability to influence in any situation. Use your expert authority, charisma, and supportive nature. Learn your stakeholders' business.

13:56 Handling situations where you receive pushback, resistance, and/or skepticism by preparing multiple options, by determining the root cause of the pushback, and by collaboratively working through the reason behind the resistance.

17:06 The importance of maintaining ethical standards in all aspects of negotiation and influence.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss how serendipitous innovation, hands-on creativity, and practical application of design thinking can transform projects and organizations. From solving technology and business problems to fostering flexibility and efficiency in teams, the hosts showcase how embracing unconventional approaches can lead to extraordinary results in project management.

Main Take-Aways

Stories are powerful teachers. Today's story lessons help your understanding of the importance of becoming creative and innovative in the solutions you are providing to your clients:

• being open to leveraging serendipitous results of your creativity to new opportunities
• innovatively enhancing requirements gathering through observing end users at work
• rotating staff through various project roles to help round out their experience
• solving complex problems by collaboratively using creative thinking
• using change management in design thinking to deliver more innovative solutions
• creatively leveraging one solution to solve another problem, even if completely unrelated

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Leadership Lessons from the Trenches – On Being Creative and Innovative

00:50 Tim kicks off this episode with a story of leveraging a technology line of business into a previously untried business solutioning line of business, an innovative and serendipitous opportunity.

03:18 Merv tells of a real-life situation of witnessing an altercation during a field visit to understand how his client's end-users functioned that completely changed the design of the system his team was implementing to help avoid such situations in the future. He then creatively took the concept of field office visits to future projects.

06:32 Tim describes an aha moment that resulted from his manager's innovative method of training his staff by having them rotate through various project responsibilities.

08:58 Merv provides an example of creative collaboration to develop an innovative approach to secure funding for the project he was advising, one that dealt with cross-agency complexities, but was necessary for the project to be funded.

11:10 Tim takes you into the field of telecommunications to describe a situation where his team creatively worked with their client to not just solve the problem at hand, but to set his client's organization up for future technological advances.

13:29 Merv describes how a project he was advising tried a different approach (a creative approach) to requirements gathering on a project by sending the Organizational Change Management team into the field to bring back to the design team the nuances of how the client worked its business. These nuances when applied to the functional rules and processes of the automated solution greatly enhanced the final product that was implemented.

15:51 Tim provides another innovative solution where the technical solution for one process was re-imagined to provide an analogous solution to a completely different and unrelated process, saving 50% in energy costs.

18:46 Merv concludes the episode by challenging you our listeners to think through your own experiences to leverage them creatively and innovatively for solving your own project challenges.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome delve into brainstorming, mind mapping, documenting lessons learned, and fostering innovation through meaningful questioning and team empowerment. Additionally, they discuss the importance of celebrating wins, recognizing contributions, and the thoughtful application of various project methodologies. Their insights aim to rekindle creativity and improve team collaboration and overall project success.

Main Take-Aways

Tips, tools, and techniques for enhancing your creativity and innovation, both important skills for delivering effective solutions for your customers:

1) asking meaningful questions, requesting ideas, brainstorming

2) documenting lessons learned

3) celebrating innovation

4) prioritizing creative ideas

5) empowering team members and providing autonomy

6) choosing the optimum methodology

7) having a process of continuous change management

8) the power of "thank you"

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Creativity and Innovation

00:54 Tim begins with the first tip, that of asking questions, requesting ideas, and writing them on a whiteboard. Merv adds a variation to this brainstorming technique which he calls round robin.

02:38 Tim goes on with the description of a tool for innovation that he calls mind mapping. Merv agrees and suggests that this tool is also useful in virtual meetings.

05:10 Merv speaks to the importance of documentation, particularly in collecting lessons learned, as an invaluable tool for determining what went well and what could be improved upon on your project. This type of documentation then serves as a jumping off point for further creativity and innovation.

05:51 Tim elaborates on his first tip regarding questions by adding the qualifier "meaningful". This adds clarity to creativity.

06:52 Merv encourages you to celebrate innovative ideas and the results of innovation on your projects. Recognize the innovators.

07:40 Tim like to build a prioritization step into idea creation to ensure that the ideas most benefiting your project are implemented first.

08:31 Merv recommends that you empower team members to try creative ideas and provide them with the autonomy to do so.

11:45 Tim and Merv then go into a detailed discussion on the benefits of collecting lessons learned throughout the project to keep on contributing to the creative solutioning on your project.

15:23 Merv describes the need for project managers to extend your creativity and innovation in choosing the optimum methodology for delivering your projects.

17:43 Merv then suggests that you provide a continuous process of change management, not only to deal with inevitable change that naturally occurs on projects, but to offer avenues for creative solutions.

18:51 Merv concludes the podcast by discussing the power of saying thank you.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss the importance of embedding creativity in project objectives, maintaining a creative mindset throughout long projects, and using team charters and visual reminders. They introduce methods like design thinking, user-centered design, and conducting brainstorming sessions. The episode also highlights the balance between taking calculated risks and managing them effectively through feedback loops, addressing pushback constructively, and promoting continuous improvement. The conversation concludes with approaches to make creativity a regular habit and the potential of agile methodologies in managing project risks and fostering innovative thinking.

Main Take-Aways

The project leader can employ creativity and innovation to instill better performance within each project:

• setting creativity as a project objective
• focusing on human-centered design
• brainstorming
• employing calculated risk taking and balancing creativity and risk
• handling pushback to creativity
• using incremental, small wins
• methods to encourage creativity and innovation

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Infusing Creativity and Innovation into Your Projects

00:28 Introducing the concept of fostering creativity and innovation within your projects.

01:13 Setting creativity as an objective of your projects beginning with the team charter. Keeping the creativity mindset alive throughout the project.

02:59 Focusing on the human-centered design to help foster greater innovation of your technological solutions.

03:54 Using brainstorming as an initiator of creative ideas.

05:19 Introducing calculated risk-taking into your projects to help build innovation into your solutions.

06:13 Handling pushback to your creative approaches by accepting the challenges and learning from them to improve your creativity and innovation.

09:52 Demonstrating success of your creative approaches using an incremental approach.

10:37 Methods for encouraging creativity and innovation on your projects to include celebrating wins, rewards and recognition, implementing a feedback loop, showing appreciation.

13:26 Balancing creativity with risk-taking to enhance your project teams' confidence and willingness to innovate.

Hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss the importance of innovation and creativity in project management, emphasizing the need to focus on the human aspect of project delivery. They explore concepts like prototyping, Kaizen, and fostering a culture that encourages open communication and creativity. The episode covers strategies for building strong teams, using innovative approaches, and recognizing contributions to cultivate a motivating environment. They also address barriers to creativity, such as time pressures and fear of failure, with practical solutions to overcome these challenges.

Main Take-Aways

The project leader can employ creativity and innovation to develop stronger teams and motivate individuals:

• using prototyping and Kaizen methods
• fostering a culture of creativity and innovation
• using knowledge management and information management through lessons learned
• servant leadership
• giving individuals permission to try creative ideas and permission to fail
• helping to motivate team members
• employing intellectual challenge
• studying the practices of highly creative and innovative individuals
• recognizing barriers to creativity and innovation

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Creativity and Innovation in Building Stronger Teams

00:28 Exploring the concepts of innovation and creativity.

01:02 Using prototyping and Kaizen methods to initiate creativity and innovation on a smaller scale for both proof of concept and continuous improvement.

03:04 Building stronger teams by fostering a culture of creativity and innovation.

04:22 Using knowledge management and information management, collecting innovations through lessons learned.

05:38 Fostering creativity and innovation through servant leadership by supporting and empowering team members.

06:12 Giving team members permission to be creative and permission to fail in attempting innovative ideas.

07:15 Using creativity and innovation to help motivate individuals through personal satisfaction, curiosity, and sense of purpose.

11:11 Leveraging the creativity and innovation that are naturally found in your career as an IT professional. Intellectual challenge that is an aspect of your profession fosters great creativity.

12:06 Habits and practices of highly innovative individuals.

14:58 Recognizing barriers to creativity and innovation (e.g. time pressures, fear of failure or ridicule, over conformance to rules and regulations).

Join hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome in their 81st episode of Project Managers Coffee Chat as they explore the dynamics of creativity and innovation in project management. This session defines creativity as the generation of original ideas, and innovation as the application of these ideas, turning them into reality. Emphasizing the importance of these concepts in leadership and business success, they discuss how fostering an environment of imagination and curiosity can enhance team performance and lead to exceptional project outcomes. Through various historical and modern problem-solving methods, including design thinking, they illustrate how focusing on people and addressing obstacles can lead to creative solutions. The episode wraps up with a look at the benefits of diverse perspectives in teams for fostering innovation.

Main Take-Aways

The project leader must be both creative and innovate to add to his or her ability to deliver the best possible solutions for their client. This introductory episode on the topic of creativity and innovation stresses the importance of developing these skills:

• defining the terms to set the context
• criticality of creativity and innovation to business success and problem solving
• applicability of creativity and innovation to leadership and problem solving
• applying creativity and innovation to system design
• applying creativity and innovation to your project management career
• historical perspectives and newer design thinking perspectives on creativity and innovation
• fostering a culture conducive to creativity and innovation
• tackling groupthink

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Creativity and Innovation in Leading Projects

00:58 Setting the context for these five episodes on creativity and innovation with definitions of both terms.

02:47 The criticality of creativity and innovation to business success.

03:10 Key differences between creativity and innovation.

04:08 The criticality of creativity and innovation in leadership and problem solving.

05:34 Applying creativity and innovation to project management in system design and implementation.

09:05 Applying creativity and innovation to your career in project management.

11:48 Creativity and innovation from historical perspectives on problem solving.

12:53 Creativity and innovation from the perspective of utilizing design thinking. What is design thinking and how does it apply here?

16:17 Fostering a culture of creativity where teams are inspired to develop these skills and to tackle obstacles that impede productivity.

18:26 Tackling groupthink by encouraging diverse perspectives.