Management
Michael Mehlberg
Project Management Solution? Keep It Simple ...

Project management is among a top skill to master in any business; especially one wanting to grow.

Why?

Because without project management, business owners will unnecessarily run into common issues:

Project Management Solution? Keep It Simple Stupid
Productivity
Michael Mehlberg
Getting Derailed? Leave Room to Accommodate the ...

You often get derailed by "the unexpected.”

It’s inevitable.

You get interrupted an unexpected number of times daily. Those interruptions come at unexpected times. They each take an unexpected amount of time with which to deal.

That’s why it’s "the unexpected."

These interruptions kill your flow, destroy your focus, and force you to work on the urgent instead of the important.

So how do you deter, prevent, and deal with the problems these unexpected interruptions incur? 

Getting Derailed? Leave Room to Accommodate the Unexpected
Product Development
Michael Mehlberg
The Exact Value of Your Million Dollar Idea

I was shocked, hurt, and felt like my idea had been stolen. Though I had the idea first, Nintendo would be the star. Nintendo would make $millions. It took years before I was old enough to recognize the important lesson in this experience... 

The Exact Value of Your Million Dollar Idea
Business
Michael Mehlberg
Finding Your Value Despite the Competition

Are you second-guessing your next great idea? Are you downplaying the value you could provide to others? Are you upset that you found a competitor in the market who seems to be offering everything you want to (and seems to be finding great success doing it)?

It might be time to step back and realize a few important things.

Finding Your Value Despite the Competition
Productivity
Michael Mehlberg
On the Power and Freedom of Getting Yourself ...
On the Power and Freedom of Getting Yourself (and Your Business) Organized

Teamwork

Team Building Like a Professional with James Bennett

Team Building Like a Professional with James Bennett

Quick...

Can you describe the difference between teamwork and team building? 

Do you know the three factors to creating an effective team building event?

How do you apply vulnerability-based trust into your leadership and management goals to bring out the most productive, effective, and excited staff?

These questions aren't for the feint of heart, and often take years to understand and execute. 

Unless you're a Professional team builder like James Bennett of Firefly Events. 

James runs a small business to build team productivity, camaraderie, and effectiveness through planned events and outings. His experience is incredibly deep, and the list of companies he's worked with is impressive, to say the least. 

In our interview with James, we uncover some of his secrets to building strong teams, tips for dealing with toxic employees, and influential books that have helped businesses of all sizes develop an effective and energetic staff.

How to Build Exceptional and Lasting Winning Teams

How to Build Exceptional and Lasting Winning Teams

Imagine a team that is struggling to perform.

Team members are frustrated and reluctant to help each other. They have differing opinions on what is important. When there is conflict and disagreement, team members engage in back-channel politics. Individuals on the team prioritize their personal accomplishments and recognition over anything else.

Now imagine a team that is firing on all cylinders.

In this team, members have their eye on a specific goal. They trust each other to make important decisions and to do things the right way. When conflict arises, team members voice their opinions without resorting to destructive behaviors. Individuals on the team will make personal sacrifices if it helps the team advance toward its goal.

A team like this is poised for success, and will be persistent in pursuing excellence, even as challenges arise. This team’s star players would sacrifice their own personal statistics to play within a system that the team believes will lead them to a championship.

In this post, we’ll provide a time-tested method for building successful teams from scratch.

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Five Ways to Know When Team Building is Urgent

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Five Ways to Know When Team Building is Urgent

In the words of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, “great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people.” He’s right. No matter how much talent, hard work, and determination individuals can offer, teamwork is required to achieve results.

But if teams are essential to success, why do so many leaders and organizations spend little to no time working on them?  Why do they leave team development to chance?

The goal of this post is to provide leaders and managers with a specific strategy for assessing the teams they have today.  We’ll provide a framework to evaluate teams across critical the aspects of Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability, and Results.  In each of these areas, we offer context and questions to help leaders determine if their teams are healthy or if they need some urgent help.  We also suggest specific steps you can take in each area to turn things around. 

Sign up as a free member of Modern da Vinci to receive future posts via email offering tips on how to Build Winning Teams from Scratch and how to Coach Your Teams to Success.  

25 Eye-Opening Lessons with Proven Project Management Results

25 Eye-Opening Lessons with Proven Project Management Results

If there’s one thing I learned from projects, it’s this…

They’re on track until they’re not.

And once they get off track, there’s no going back. They either spiral out of control or get stuck, the last 10% effort taking longer than the first 90% combined. 

You see, project management is theoretically easy. Start your project, define your project, launch your project, control your project, and close your project. Five easy steps with volumes of books written about each, explored and experienced by hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of project leads and project managers worldwide.

In practice, however, it’s one of the most challenging aspects of business. 

Why?