Friends just had a pipe go bad in their kitchen. I was sorry to hear their news, but the wife told me, “We love the house, but I’ve been over those countertops for a while. The pipe bursting gives us the excuse to upgrade—we deserve it!”
Like my friends, are you at a crossroads where you’re ready for change? Spring is the perfect time for fresh starts, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. So, in the April series, Spring Clean Your Soft Skills, we’ll give three everyday work skills the once-over, and you’ll leave with practical ways to expand, improve, and upgrade those skills.
First, let’s talk about your project management persona. Setting priorities seems straightforward, but I saw a meme which summed up the tension. The first three priorities on the To Do list were:
That sounds about right! So many things can come at you that everything seems essential.
However, here’s why you want to step back and take charge: Having agency over your day has a ripple effect. That idea isn’t just high-minded positivity. The people at Happify discovered that self-confidence benefits include better problem-solving, strengthened relationships, and being in control of your emotions.
And what are all those qualities? People skills sought out by Hiring Managers, Recruiters, and colleagues.
I remember working on a deal where every meeting felt like a free-for-all, no matter how many priority lists we suggested. Finally, after hearing about the “very, very important stuff” for the umpteenth time, our manager posed a tough challenge to the deal team: “The same issues seem to keep coming up—what could you do to get in front of it?”
I thought, Wait—what about the one-call-does-it-all answer, where you step in?
While I groaned about being sent back to square one, a co-worker pointed out what I had missed: We had to pivot because we were working on a must-have deal.
So, we expanded our thinking about creative solutions. We improved our contingency planning by anticipating out of left field surprises. And by the time we closed, our problem-solving abilities had been upgraded.
Being put to the test taught me a valuable lesson: Ultimately, there was no need for someone else to step in or to resort to shady tactics. Instead of being forceful, we forced ourselves to discover innovative ways to stick to our objectives and keep our integrity intact.
Spring cleaning projects is a lot tougher than saying no—it takes some finesse. The old-school way had two options, both negative. You either ignored crazy-making people and projects or jumped into doing and became overloaded. Neither approach works in the long run, so let’s agree to put those project manager personas in the Recycle pile!
In its place, you can step back, think like a CEO, and create a strategy. So, if you’ve felt in the past that there’s no use trying to map your day, Spring is the time to begin again. Turn to the ideas below or customize them for your style. They will help you become a priority-setting ninja!
Crazy days will happen, but soft skills give you tools to deal with troubled situations. So, spring clean your priorities and stay the boss of your day.