In 7 Tips for Better 360-Feedback Evaluations, I discussed a situation where a non-profit leader whom I coached was reluctant to use 360-feedback evaluations due to an experience with a prior leader of the organization.

It was a textbook example of not only an unwillingness to improve based on feedback, but an unwillingness to even get feedback in the first place. The leader only underwent the 360 because the board he reported to required it. Those in the organization providing feedback insisted on it being anonymous, as they were concerned about retaliation from the leader.

An executive coach (not me) was assigned to administer the 360 process, gather the feedback through interviews, help distill the feedback, then present the feedback to the leader. The leader refused to accept the feedback and would not participate in any corrective action discussions.

The experience was so bad that even long after the leader had left the organization, those who remembered the process didn’t want to do it again with any other execs. Everyone lost, and the organization suffered as a result.
As someone who develops content intended for mass consumption, I am no stranger to feedback. Some feedback is positive, some more constructive. Some is helpful for taking action, while some falls into a vague “this stinks” bucket.

I get feedback from anonymous sources, as well as those as close to me (like my editor/wife, Patty). While I’ve learned to be better at accepting constructive feedback, sometimes it still hurts—particularly if it’s something that I’ve tried to address previously.

In my article What You Receive When You Give, I talked about the benefits of what you provide in volunteer service in addition to what you gain as a professional.
While it’s great to give of yourself and your resources, I’ve learned that being intentional about what you give to is vital. I’ve said yes to many giving opportunities—only to either regret it, or recognize that I’ve overcommitted myself.
In talking with other professionals, I’ve learned this is a very common situation, which inspired me to write an allegory titled Why Did I Say Yes? and create a methodology that helps evaluate whether to commit to an ask of resources.
Key to the methodology is evaluating seven boundaries to help you decide whether to support any ask of your resources.

Read more at ProjectManagement.com.

Emotional intelligence (or emotional quotient, EI or EQ) is widely viewed as a skill that leaders need to master to deliver results through others. According to Harvard Business School (HBS) Online, EI is the ability to understand and manage your emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you. The phrase was first used in 1990 by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey, and later popularized by psychologist Daniel Coleman.

In addition, according to the United States National Institute of Health (NIH), as of 2019 there were more than 30 different measures of EI. The NIH distinguishes between ability EI, which measures constructs related to an individual’s theoretical understanding of emotions and emotional function; and trait EI, which measures typical behaviors in emotion-relevant situations.

Quite honestly, much of the theory about EI and how it’s measured is pretty heady stuff and, unless you’re an EI wonk, you probably won’t take the time to make sense of it. My purpose in writing about the topic is to break it down to its core elements, apply it to the project management discipline, and help PMs be more effective at getting stuff done through others.

EI is what we as PMs do as a core job discipline; PMs need to focus on and master it early in their careers. I boil EI down to four crucial building blocks, as follows:

Read more at ProjectManagement.com.

Meet Ken the people pleaser.
Ken felt guilty every time he couldn’t say yes to an ask. It was the ask from his friend Jan that weighed particularly heavy on him. Then came the magical elevator ride with the quirky elevator operator. He taught Ken the No-Guilt Plan which helped Ken respond to Jan intentionally, constructively, and without guilt. The No-Guilt Plan became a part of Ken’s everyday life and fundamentally changed how he responded to asks.

Can the No-Guilt Plan do the same for you?

Read a Sample | Get it on Amazon

Download the Guilt Free Plan Excel Template to help you make better decisions.

One day, my wife Patty and I were eating lunch when she said, “I’ve been seeing some social media posts about mental load; have you ever heard of it?”

“No,” I answered, wondering if I’ve been missing out.

She then told me more about what she’s seen and its impact on people. Intrigued by the term and her explanation, I decided to do a bit more research on mental load. Here’s a little of what I learned from healthline.com:

Read more at ProjectManagement.com.