Curiosity
Compassion
Control
Privacy
Secrecy

And more.  It is shocking in its scope, because it was kept under the lid for so long.

These aspects combine together:

Curiosity – we want to know about how this happenened, and the story is unfolding hour-by-hour

Compassion – the original root of the story’s viral attraction: we feel for the families involved in the missing girl’s situation.

Control – there are several areas here, including control over secrets, control of the authorities (and apparent mis-use), and in general lack of control over our own privacy.

Privacy – if the privacy of everyday people cannot be supoorted by those we trust it to, we feel exposed and want to learn more (and how it could happen to us).

Secrecy – we all have curiousity about once-secret activities that are being revealed, especially as this can reveal how people really think and act.

What can we learn from this in terms of managing our lives, and our projects?

First, know what you stand for… principles matter.  Of course you cannot change the culture of an organization overnight, but you can know yourself. 

Second, ask questions.  Learn what is really going on.  You may have to trust your intuition (which is really your ability to spot mis-alignments that cannot be aligned).

Third, communicate to your team(s) about your commitment to integrity, accountability, and transparency. You do have influence over the culture of your team. 

And lastly, beware of social engineering.  Set up a password on your phone/handset, your voicemail, and if possible on your phone account (to access customer care or to make subscription changes).  Be aware of account information of yours that you can get without verification.  Think like a hacker before they do.

Okay, so you have the job, and you’re taking courses to improve your management skills. Then reality hits. You’re a little shocked.

“There is something else I need to learn.”

But it’s not in the courses, not really. It’s described in cartoons such as Dilbert, but you think it’s not real.

1. No one really minds your meetings, if you make their attending worthwhile: attention to them, compliments, entertainment, or brain growth. Meetings are social events, which is something that our biology is designed to enjoy. Keep the meeting pace and content relevant, and greet people who attend, and show real interest in them.

2. No project plan lasts through the first hour of real work. Same for your WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), etc. You cannot foresee all events that affect your plans. Get used to it, but…

3. You have to act like your plans are set in stone. This is especially helpful when you have to ask some other group or person to change their plans.

4. Your team loves you. You help give them additional purpose in their day/life/career, and this is what most people crave. The sense of purpose, even if you’re just passing the purpose on down from above.

5. Your team hates you. You give them priorities that don’t make sense. Especially if you’re passing the priority on down from above! They want you to stick up for them and their individual constraints, in spite of what may need to be down in the larger scheme of things.

6. Every project is unique. This is great, since your brain will enjoy growing new knowledge, which keeps you sharp all your days. If something seems similar from a past project to the one you have now, don’t get too comfortable with that…

7. You have to always be looking for what can go wrong. Great management relies on not stopping your worry circuits from working constantly. It’s a habit once you do it often enough, and it’s a helpful habit to improve. Look for the negative possibilities, but…

8. You will do better if you are an optimist. What has gone wrong is past, what will go wrong is perhaps fixable, but you will have better ideas if you maintain a positive outlook.

9. Be comfortable with estimates that are not accurate at first. People will throw out a number, like “10″, when they know they only have 9 to give you. Or they just like round numbers. Assume everything is an estimate, and keep refining.

10. (see #9).

Strictly speaking, giving praise to team members won’t cost you anything. It’s free. So, if you see any of your project team players doing a spectacular job, don’t hesitate to acknowledge their efforts.

If someone deserves praise, why not provide some? Some managers are old-school, maintaining “work is it’s own reward” thinking. But in a competitive modern hiring & retention environment, even people who don’t report to you are usually people you want to have ‘retained’ for your project continuity. Even people who always give praise, to almost everyone for even small deeds, are generally seen as conducting beneficial acts for the group.

Meanwhile, your words of praise would do wonders for your project team’s self-esteem, and will also encourage continued dedication.

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