Frank P. Saladis PMP,PMI Fellow

Manager / Leader / Volunteer

Background

AT&T Long Lines, BCS and Corp. ITS

Cisco Systems Professional Services

Past President PMI® NYC Chapter

Past Editor allPM.com

Past Chair PMI Ed SIG

Founder International PM Day

PMI Person of the year 2006

PMI Fellow 2013

PMI Distinguished Contribution 2015

“The Value of Project Management can be seen in any skyline”

International Project Management Day – 5 November 2020

“The broadest, and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering:Doing more than you have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good. ”

Ivan Scheier

“Can be seen in the faces of those who receive the benefits of volunteerism”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” – Elizabeth Andrew

“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference. ” – Tom Brokaw

“Help one another. There’s no time like the present, and no present like the time.” – James Durst

What has been the very best thing about the past year for you?

What new skills or talents did you discover in yourself?

What projects made you feel most alive and why? What work or volunteer contributions do you feel

most proud of? What did you do in the last 6 months that most

contributed to your personal mission and vision? In 2020, what's the most meaningful thing you did

for another person?

If you could write one news headline about you and make it come true, what would it be?

What will be your number one focus during the next six months?

What would you have to believe about yourself to make the coming months your best ever?

What limiting beliefs would be useful to drop? How will you help others to be more

successful? What "Super Hero skills" would you like to

have to accelerate your success and others?

Now, with fresh insights bubbling in your brain, identify some action items. Get moving, so that the next few months of 2020 will be your most enjoyable, productive, and giving season of your life.

Seth Goodin

What are your daily leadership activities?

How do you plan and utilize your leadership time?

Behavior Percent of time spent Ideal Percent of time you should devote

Informing

Directing

Clarifying

Persuading

Collaborating

Brainstorming/ envisioning

Reflecting (Quiet time)

Observing

Disciplining

Resolving interpersonal conflict

Praising / Recognizing

Is there a gap between what you actually do and how you should spend your time and energy?

What behaviors are taking up too much of your leadership time?

Where should you be spending your leadership energy?

What strategies can be employed to move you closer to your ideal distribution of behaviors?

1. To do all aspects of my leadership duties well, I need to improve _______

2. If I were better at _______, I would excel relative to my peers

3. If I improved _______, I would resolve an ongoing problem

4. Feedback from several sources indicate I should improve _______

5. In the future, my organization will need more people who are effective at _______

6. To advance to the next level of leadership within my organization I should learn more about ______

7. The reasons why I should continue my personal development include: ____________________

“I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought:

What the hell good would that do?

Ronnie Shakes

How are project managers perceived by other managers, peers, and associates?

Mudslinging – What are the perceived negatives about project managers and project management?

Brand “you” - One word that describes you Honest

Authentic

Friendly What do you value? (in your place of business, in

your personal life) Know who you are

Define your values

Consistency is vital

Know your customers

What are the characteristics of the successful project manager?

The Key Competencies of a Project Manager1. Communications Skills-verbal, written

2. Leadership Skills

3. Organizing Skills-planning, time management

4. Interpersonal Skills

5. Negotiating Skills-Diplomacy and mediating

6. Team Building Skills

7. Technical Skills

Emphasis on professionalism inplanning and execution

Accomplishability: your ability to achieve and deliver valued results.

Value/cost: the value delivered perception relative to the cost.

Supply/Demand: the market dynamics of your position, skills, etc.

Likeability: how others perceive you.

If you don’t focus on becoming indispensable, your value will be limited and your worth in society decreases every day

You become less relevant!

A positive attitude and an awareness of how to build brand 'you' are as crucial as your team making skills.

Anna Tims

Imp

ort

ance

Urgent

Interruptions,Some meetingsFire drills

Crises, Pressing problemsDeadline driven projects,True emergencies

PreventionMaintenanceRelationship buildingRecreation

Trivia, Pleasant activitiesEasy stuff, Busy work

Low

High

High

High

Some possibilities:

Instill doubt that you can be replaced

Create a sense of the risk your departure would have on customer relations or profit

Exploit gaps in the system – be the only one who fully understands a process

(Caution - these actions may limit your ability to grow)

Our work must create value and bring a “gift” to others each day

In other words, what you do is appreciated and people look forward to working with you

We must overcome our “Voice of Judgment” (The excuses that keep us playing small)

We must “think indispensable”

Inventory your value traits How are you different? What key skills, knowledge, or other factors

do you bring to your organization? What new skills should you pursue? How do you know you are valuable?

The management of value

Critical Vital Central Essential Necessary Required Crucial Obligatory Fundamental Key Must Have A Keeper YOU

What is one thing that people associate with you in service to your organization’s mission?

Be excellent at it

Make it a habit, not just a goal, to collaborate with others and exchange knowledge

Carry a spirit of generosity into your work without undue worry that you will be taken advantage of

Never underestimate the importance of the way you look (image, dress)

Smile, be up beat, supportive, and positive Create a CV and update it with the things that

make you valuable Ask questions and learn from people in other

departments Create and sustain an active social media

presence (Linked in, Twitter)

Create Value and bring a “gift” to others Become an artist – a positive deviant, a

linchpin Refuse to be limited by business as usual Create a professional impression online Never allow anyone to tag inappropriate

pictures of you online

That “extra” something you contribute each day

Smile

Thoughtful gesture

Kind action

Teaching or mentoring

Forget WIIFM

Find something that differentiates you from others, something people will remember

The Professional – Truthful, Ethical, Fair, Principles The Financial – Managing Cost, Financial Value The Aesthetic – Quality and Customer Satisfaction The Social – Team building, relationships The Political – Influencing, managing conflict The Leader – Sets an example, create confidence,

motivates, builds loyalty

Indispensable

Delivering massive impact

A mindset wrapped with skills and attributes

Indispensable people are the types that you can hand any project, put in nearly any role, issue a challenge to, and they simply make things happen by understanding what must get done and adapting their skills accordingly.

Irreplaceable Locked in a role

Harboring a finite set of skills and knowledge mindset wrapped with skills and attributes

Keeping information from others

A false sense that if you protect your area you will have job security for life

If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted. You can’t grow your company or your profile, because it can’t move forward without you. You can’t grow, move on, do different things, expand your horizons

Do more than your job description Don’t wait for the “pat on the back” Anticipate needs Make yourself essential Display optimism, no whining or complaining Stay connected

“befriend” your boss and associates

Serve others, not yourself Strengthen your weak links

Build your team to sail the ship without you. Teach them everything you know, and hire people smarter than you.

Equip yourself to always bring something powerful, unique, and pivotal to your work, but make it a methodology, not a checklist that’s unique to any one discipline.

They are the ultimate in adaptability Thrive on whatever gets thrown at them Their skills and techniques are unique, and

ever-evolving.

Which means that few businesses can thrive for the long term without them.

They are Authentic Leaders

To lead is to measurably help others succeed –Tom Peters

No matter what the situation, the “great” manager’s first response is to always think about the individual concerned and how things can be arranged to help that individual experience success – Marcus Buckingham

Over deliver!1. Be there first2. Attitude – I’m here to win3. Go to the next level – go for the championship4. Play against someone better than you5. Do a personal SWOT6. Network7. Understand your customer8. Put your ego aside9. Uplift your Brand – Don’t be “satisfied”10. Give back11. Be demanding but fair – no clock watchers12. Know your team

Network as much as possible Be excellent at something Create something useful Innovate – look for different ways to solve a

problem Make others feel good Share and teach, mentor and coach Commit to make a difference

Final thoughts:

No one is actually totally indispensable

The real goal is to become a “go to” person

Project managers should be sought after for their wide range of skills and experience

Invaluable

P - Professionalism at all times R - Respect for all stakeholders O - Ownership of each assignment J - Judicial decision maker E - Excellence in execution C – Communicator T – Team player and team builder

M - Motivator A - Action oriented N - Negotiator A - Always available G - Genuine commitment E - Energetic and empowering R - Responsible for success

Frank P. Saladis PMP, PMI Fellow saladispmp@msn.com

Check out my book “ Positive Leadership in Project Management”

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? Seth Goodin Brass Tack Thinking – Indispensable Vs.

Irreplaceable Becoming Indispensable, Adele Scheele Becoming Indispensable – Lessons From

NASA and Oprah, Robin Sparks Dustin M. Wax, lifehack.org