Are you still struggling along managing projects on your own?

“It’s stressful, but I get there eventually. By the skin of my teeth. Slightly late. And no, not always delivering on the original, exciting vision.

“But I get by.”

There is a better way,

You need more friends to help you.

“No man is an island.” – John Donne, poet.

To make the most of the people around you, it’s down to you to get them excited about you and your work.
First, consider their current attitude towards what you’re doing. Generally, they can be sorted into one of three camps.
1. Positive “Love it, let’s go!”
2. Uninterested “Who are you?”
3. Negative “Nope. Can’t help, won’t help.”

Next, it’s time to start making friends – and if you’re really interested in delivering your projects with more pleasure and less pain, you’re going to need to engage all three groups.

“Shy bairns get nowt.”- traditional Northern saying

1. Positive influencers
Start with these and build your confidence. Build relationships with them, infect them with yourenthusiasm and get them on board. Get to know them – what drives them? How does what they loveand want connect with what you and your project can do for them? And don’t forget, people who are good at what they do tend to enjoy using their skills to help out with something they believe in, so be bold andask.

2. Neutral influencers
These are the people who may well be great at supporting your work but right now they’re just not interested. What could you do to pique their interest?
Again, the trick is finding out about them – and showing interest in them is a great way to generate reciprocal interest. So what interests them, and what can you offer them to gain their support?
Don’t panic! It doesn’t need to get expensive – there may a fresh angle on your work that gives it appeal to these groups. Sometimes just bringing it to their attention and highlighting the connection to their work can be enough to draw them in.

“The best form of defence is attack.”- General Carl Von Clausewitz, Prussian general

3. Negative influencers
Now for the tough one – the people who could throw a spanner in the works. It is tempting to keep your head down and hope they do not spot you. That’s not just a cop-out – it’s a wasted opportunity. Instead, take the initiative and really consider what it is about your work that they might take exception to, what they might oppose, when and why?

“Keep your friends close – and your enemies closer.”- Sun Tzu, military strategist and philosopher

Could any of your newly acquired friends help to smooth the water with your “enemies”?
Is there anything you could add or alter about the work which could make it more palatable?

Then take the bull by the horns and go talk to them. You may discover that just being open and honest about their concerns wins them over – and they could become your new best friend!

There are loads of ideas around using personality to help deliver more successful work and have more fun in the process – why not give me a call on 07976 395754 and see how I can help your projects by helping your team