Keeping Projects Positive; Watch Out for Those Seagulls

From the Wall Street Journal Executive Career site comes some good advice for managers leading organizations (or project managers leading projects) through dark times. And dark times are the norm these days, with offshore outsourcing, cutbacks, and short-term focus an epidemic in America.

Three bits of advice are:

1) Avoid Seagull Management: Don't focus on the negative by swooping down, crapping all over everything, making a lot of noise, and then flying off. Avoid negative judgment and try to "catch people doing something right" Positive reinforcement is key.

2) Embrace Conflict: Conflict isn't a bad thing if it's managed. On the contrary, it can lead to true progress. If everyone agrees all the time, things can get stagnant. The main thing is to encourage a collaborative atmosphere and work to solve the problem instead of assigning blame.

3) Good Comes Out of Bad: Look to make lemonade out of lemons. If there are problems or issues, look at it as an oppportunity for improvement.

I would say that these rules should apply in any circumstance, whether amid economic strife or not. They're also very much aligned with Peter Senge's "learning organization" approach. For more, read on...

CareerJournal Management -- Career Advice for Managers