One night while watching the news i came across the term “Groupthink” so thanks to some online research here’s what i found / copy pasted / modified :

Groupthink, a term coined by social psychologist Irving Janis (1972), occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because group pressures lead to a deterioration of “mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment”.

Groupthink affects groups who tend to take irrational actions and ignore alternative solutions. It occurs in groups where members come from similar background,when they are insulated fro outside opinions and when there are no clear rules for decision making.

Symptoms of Groupthink:

In 1977 Irvin Janis has documented eight symptoms of groupthink:

1. Illusion of invulnerability –Creates excessive optimism that encourages taking extreme risks.
2. Collective rationalization – Members discount warnings and do not reconsider their assumptions.
3. Belief in inherent morality – Members believe in the rightness of their cause and therefore ignore the ethical or moral consequences of their decisions.
4. Stereotyped views of out-groups – Negative views of “enemy” make effective responses to conflict seem unnecessary.
5. Direct pressure on dissenters – Members are under pressure not to express arguments against any of the group’s views.
6. Self-censorship – Doubts and deviations from the perceived group consensus are not expressed.
7. Illusion of unanimity – The majority view and judgments are assumed to be unanimous.
8. Self-appointed ‘mindguards’ – Members protect the group and the leader from information that is problematic or contradictory to the group’s cohesiveness, view, and/or decisions.

Remedies for Groupthink:

Decision experts have determined that groupthink may be prevented by adopting some of the following measures:

1. The leader should assign the role of critical evaluator to each member
2. The leader should avoid stating preferences and expectations at the outset
3. Each member of the group should routinely discuss the groups’ deliberations with a trusted associate and report back to the group on the associate’s reactions
4. One or more experts should be invited to each meeting on a staggered basis. The outside experts should be encouraged to challenge views of the members.
5. At least one articulate and knowledgeable member should be given the role of devil’s advocate (to question assumptions and plans)
6. The leader should make sure that a sizable block of time is set aside to survey warning signals from rivals; leader and group construct alternative scenarios of rivals’ intentions.

A classic examples of Groupthink are the space Shuttle Challenger Disaster (1986) and Bay of Pigs invasion (1959-1962).

Can anyone think of other Groupthink examples?

While surfing the net i discovered some cool mind mapping tools like Personal Brain, Xmind and Freemind.

basically, these software are tools to help us visualise the links between ideas or other pieces of information. They can be used for brainstorming, project management, creating Organisation chart and of course mind mapping. Different tools will give you different ways of processing the data,some of them are more visual like Xmind while others focus on the links and the data entered like Personal Brain.

So if you are in project management, workshops and other related fields, it might be worth your time to check them out.

As a starting point, download the free trials and start mapping.
Xmind
Personal Brain

i’m currently working on mapping my mind, will try to post it soon!

(by soon i mean as soon as i can sort my ideas and deal with my demons).

It looks that i haven’t blogged for a while now due to many reasons (working on other projects, being on vacation).

Anyway, let’s talk about how to maintain your work and life balance. How to improve your quality of life without affecting your quality of work. I find the following very helpful:

• Don’t bring your work back home with you: easier said than done, but try to avoid it. Finish what you have to do in the office, go home and relax.You earned it. An exception would be a deadline or an emergency but that’s why it’s called an exception.

• Seek and do whatever makes you happy: we all have to do different sort of tasks,some of them would bring us more satisfaction than others. Do those more often and minimize the rest. This doesn’t happen overnight, take some time to think about “happy tasks” and try to incorporate them in your routine.

• Don’t stay inside: make it a point to go outside the office, it always feels good under the sun.

• Go on holidays: do i need to say more? well maybe this small tip: “Stay away from the computer”. There’s a time and a place for everything. A friend once said to me: ” Work never ends while life does”.

• Be good in what you do: if you are a guru in your work, the stress becomes something from the past. If you are not an expert, look for training or ask for help and soon enough you’ll become one. I find unqualified people working in vain for extra hours, stressing over tasks and messing up their personal life only to achieve so little. You lose on both ends.

hope my tips helped you , feel free to drop me your thoughts on the subject and hopefully I’ll be posting more often now that I’m back.

Sometimes i find myself lacking motivation where i hit a slump and i need to work myself out of it. You can tell from the long wait between my last post and this one. In this post i thought i’ll share you some of the things i do to help me overcome the boredom and get myself back into the action.

• Know yourself: As long as i know what I’m facing i feel it’s all under control. The chances are it’s not the first time and wont be the last but identifying it is the first step.
• Start simple: Easy steps and doing something small could be my start. I find going for a walk around the park give me enough energy to start something else (yeah like cleaning the house or finish a report).
• Learn something new: The more i learn the more confident i feel and it doesn’t only apply to Project management.
• Talk to people: I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by some interesting friends. We share some insights and ideas. One thing leads to another and before you know it am motivated to learn how to implement a new idea to a project or to try their suggestion in a solution am working on.
• Look ahead: Don’t just see the boring task in front of you, think of the long term benefit. The task in hand is one step closer to your goal. it will show that you can do well on things you don’t like that much and that is a success.
• Stay positive: It’s all in the attitude.

The most important thing to do is just get started. Once you start keep on going, don’t stop. Build the momentum.

Once you are done, have a break then jump back on.

A nice story sent by MG:
The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.
The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again.
The local paper read: PASTOR’S ASS OUT FRONT
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.
The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR’S ASS.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.
The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent. The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline The next day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.
The bishop fainted.
He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10. The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild. The next day the headlines read:NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is . . . Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery . . Even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life.
Stop worrying about everyone else’s ass and you’ll be a lot happier and live longer!

Since I’ve been really busy the last couple of weeks with a lot of meetings, i thought it would be a good idea to briefly talk about what makes meetings work. Most of it is common knowledge and common sense but you’ll be surprised what really goes on in corporate life.

Whether you’re creating an agenda, organising an off-site meeting or aiming to inject some fun into your next meeting, it’s all in the planning.

Step One:
Clarify the purpose of the meeting. If you can’t figure out what you need to accomplish, you shouldn’t be calling a meeting. The purpose of the meeting will help everyone stay focus and will determine the agenda.

Step Two:
Prepare an agenda with the focus stated in a single sentence at the top. If someone else is preparing the agenda, contact him or her to add your topics. A first-rate agenda includes not only discussion topics and their time allotments, but also the names of attendees; the location, date and time; and a list of any background material attendees need to bring with them. Circulate the agenda in advance. Make sure you allocate time at the end of the formal meeting to ask if anyone has any other business, known as AOB.

Step Three:
Make it clear that the meeting will start precisely on time. Establish a reputation as someone whose meetings begin (and end) as scheduled. People will respect you for it.

Step Four:
Appoint someone to document a record of decisions made, action items assigned and follow-up strategies agreed upon. Promptly distribute a copy to all attendees.

Step Five:
Leave time at the end of the agenda to evaluate the meeting: Did you achieve the objective stated at the start? How can you improve future meetings on this topic?

Another shared story by MG:

Fred and Mabel were both patients in a mental hospital. One day as they both walked beside the swimming pool, Mabel jumped into the deep end and sank to the bottom. Without a thought for his own safety, Fred jumped in after her, brought her to the surface, hauled her out, gave her the kiss of life and saved her.
 
The next day happened to be Fred’s annual review. He was brought before the hospital board, where the director told him, “Fred, I have some good news and some bad news: the good news is that in light of your heroic act yesterday we consider that you are sane and can be released from this home back into society.
The bad news is, I’m afraid, that Mabel, the patient you saved, shortly afterwards hung herself in the bathroom with the belt from her bathrobe. I’m sorry but she’s dead.”
 
“She didn’t hang herself,” Fred replied , “I put her there to dry.”

Things are not always what they seem!

Following up on the interview tips, here are some of the questions a job seeker should be ready to answer. 

1.       Tell me about yourself?
Cover four segments about your life – your early years, education, work experience, and what you have done in recent times. Keep you answer to not more than 2 or 3 minutes.  Be sure you don’t ramble or elaborate.

2.       What can you offer us?
Be sure you know something about the job situation they have in mind before you try to answer this. Then you can relate some of your past experiences where you have succeeded in solving problems that appear similar to those of your prospective employer. 

3.       What are your strengths?
By now you should be able to relay 3 or 4 key strengths that are relevant to their needs.

4.       What have you accomplished?
Try to pick out accomplishments that bear on the challenges you have been discussing.  Stay away from ancient times. 

5.       What are your limitations?
Respond with a strength which if over-done can get in your way and become a weakness.  For example you might say “My ambitions to get the job done sometimes causes me to press a little too hard on my organisation.  But I am aware of this problem and believe that I have it under control”. Or deal with your need for further training in some aspect of your profession.  Do not claim to be faultless. 

6.       How much are you worth?
Try to delay answering this until you have learned quite a bit about the job and, if possible, explore beforehand the typical ranges they are accustomed to paying for similar positions.If you feel obliged to answer something you might reply along these lines.  “You are aware of what I have been earning at my present employer and I would hope that coming here would be a progressive step.  Perhaps we can discuss this question a little better when we both have a more complete idea of what job responsibilities and scope would be”. 

7.       What are your ambitions for the future?
Indicate your desire to concentrate on doing the immediate job well – and your confidence that the future will then take care of itself.  You do not want to convey the idea that you have no desire to progress but you need to avoid statements that are unrealistic – or that threaten some of the present incumbents. 

8.       What do you know about our company?
If you have done your homework, you can honestly state that you have studied the information that is publicly available about them and are thus aware of quite a bit of the published facts.  However you might also state that you would like to know more – and then be prepared later to ask some intelligent questions. Don’t try to be a show-off and recite all the things you have learned, but merely let your knowledge show gracefully through the informed way in which you handle the interview.

 9.       Why do you want to work for us?
Indicate that from your study of the company, many of the activities and problems are the sort that would give you a clear chance to contribute to the company – through your past experience and skills.  If you can honestly say so, explain your admiration for he company and what it is that appeals to you. 

10.   What do you find most attractive about the position we are discussing?What is least attractive?
Mention three or more attractive factors, but hold the unattractive factors down to one or two minor ones. 

11.   What are you looking for in this position?
Keep your answer opportunity orientated. Talk about the chance you would have to perform and get recognition. 

12.   How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
Be realistic and speak in terms of six months to a year. 

13.   Don’t you feel you might be over-qualified or too experienced for this position?
A strong company needs strong people, with the right experience to deal with current problems. Explain that your interest in the company would be a long-term one, and that you are willing to bet that your accomplishments in the first year or two will lead eventually to growth opportunities for you. 

14.   What is your management style?
This is something you that you should have seriously thought about. If the job you are going for has a management responsibility. You might want to talk about how to set goals and then get your people involved in them. Also describe the techniques that you would like to bring out the best in people. Try to sense whether the company believes in a highly participative style, or is more military in its approach. 

15.   Why do you feel you have good potential to be a manager?
Keep your answer question orientated toward your past achievements and the task to be done.  Explain how you go about getting work done – either by yourself or through your organisation. 

16.   What do you see as the most difficult task in being a manager?
Getting things planned and done on time and within budget. 

17.   Why are you leaving your present job?
This is one of those sensitive questions that must be handled crisply and briefly.  If it was a forced reduction due to economic circumstances, make that clear.  If possible, explain how your termination was part of a larger movement.  When you have finished answering, let it go.  Stay away from analysing your friction points with your boss. 

18.   How do you feel about leaving all your benefits at your current position?
Concerned, but confident that you will make it up when you are established in your new company. 

19.   Describe what you feel would be an ideal working environment.
This is the place where you can bring in some of the “satisfiers” and “ideal job preferences” – but don’t make it sound too sublime and impractical.   

20.   What have you done that helped increase sales or profit?  How did you go about it?
Be specific and give examples if possible. 

21.   How many people have you supervised on your recent jobs?
Be specific – and feel free to refer to those over which you had influence, such as task force or a matrix organisation. 

22.   Which do you like better – working with figures or words?
Answer honestly. 

23.   How do you think your subordinates perceive you?
Be as positive as you can, but remember to be honest, too.  They can check your references easily. 

24.   In your last position, what were the things that you liked most?  And liked least?
Be careful on this one.  Emphasise the positive and don’t carry on at length about the negative.

25.   In your recent position, what were your most significant accomplishments?
Be ready to describe three or four of them in detail. Where possible, try to relate to the nature of the new challenges you might be facing. 

26.   Why haven’t you found a new position after these may months?
Finding just any job is not too difficult, but finding the right job takes care and time. 

27.   What do you think of your previous boss?
Be as positive as you can. And avoid getting too deep.   

28.   If I spoke with your previous boss, what would he/she say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Be honest about this one, but do not emphasise the negative. Your boss will probably want to give you a good send-off.  Recount some of the good things you did for him/her. 

 29.   If we were to offer you this position, exactly how much would you expect?
Again, be careful about pinning yourself down – either too high or low.  If possible, deal in terms of what the market value is for the job. However, this is best left to your recruiter to negotiate for you! 

30.   Do you have any objections to taking psychological tests?
No, none at all (this would mean you are a serious candidate) 

31.   What other types of jobs or companies are you considering at this time?
Don’t feel obliged to reveal details of your other negotiations. But certainly let them know that you are in conversations with other organisations 

32.   How would you describe your own personality?
Balanced and human. Mention 2 or 3 of your useful traits. 

33.   Are you a leader?
Yes (give examples) 

34.   What are your long-term goals?
Relate your answer to the company you are interviewing with, rather that give a very broad, general answer.  Keep your ambitions on a realistic track. 

35.   What are your strongest points?
Be ready to present at least three – preferably in a way that relates them to the potential job opening. 

36.   How long would you expect to stay with our company?
As long as we both feel there is challenging work that I can do.

Good luck! 

Few days ago, MG sent me couple of short stories demonstrating great business practices.

Here’s one of them: 

A little girl was watching her mother prepare a fish for dinner. Her mother cut the head and tail off the fish and then placed it into a baking pan.

The little girl asked her mother why she cut the head and tail off the fish. Her mother thought for a while and then said, “I’ve always done it that way -  that’s how grandma did it.”

Not satisfied with the answer, the little girl went to visit her grandma to find out why she cut the head and tail off the fish before baking it. Grandma thought for a while and replied,
“I don’t know. My mother always did  it that way.”

So the little girl and the grandma went to visit great grandma to find ask if she knew the answer.
Great grandma thought for a while and said:
“Because my baking pan was too small to fit in the whole fish”.

This short story challenges belief systems and assumptions.
It illustrates pointless routine and the need for questioning.

One of the most used examples in project management is “the coffee” one.

3 people working in project management were asked to write down (on a high level) how they would proceed to make a cup of coffee.

Person ‘A’ proposed the following:

• Buy the kettle, the cups, the milk, the sugar, and the coffee.
• Ask what kind of coffee is needed (with or without milk, sugar, etc.) 
• Make the coffee.

Person ‘B’ proposed the following:

• Check the kitchen and see what we already have (Kettle, milk, coffee, etc.).
• Ask what kind of coffee is needed and advise if it is possible based on what we find in the kitchen.
• Make the coffee.

Person ‘C’ proposed the following:

• Ask what kind of coffee I want.
• Check the local coffee shop for availability and price.
• Buy the coffee.

 The end result of all 3 proposals is me having the coffee, but it all comes with complications.

The first one is going for the whole start-up in order to make a cup of coffee. This can be very costly if we do it only for the purpose of one cup. Only chose this solution if you have the money and you are sure more cups will be served later, otherwise you end up losing money.

The second one is going to use what he already has (already paid for) and try to satisfy my needs. If I wanted Skim milk and all he had was normal milk, Person ‘B’ might try to convince me to change my mind and try the other milk. This is a very cost effective way, low risk and usually gets the job done. Worst case might be nuying the skim milk only.

The third person doesn’t have the equipment or the ingredients, so he opted to buy me the coffee form outside. He ‘outsourced’ it so he doesn’t worry much about the equipment and the ingredients. He’s pretty sure as well that the coffee will be good since he’s buying it from a specialised supplier. It’s a great solution for people who need to achieve something outside their field of expertise and a low risk (unless the coffee is really bad).as a stand-alone cup of coffee, this might cost more on the long run.

Bottom line: making a cup of coffee is like working on a project. How would you do it?