Created with Sketch.
The Austin Company
  • Contact Us
  • Austin Consulting
  • Spanish
  • Why Austin
    • Leadership Team
    • Austin Past and Present
    • Safety
    • Results, Not Excuses
    • Project Gallery
  • Markets
    • Aerospace and Defense
    • Food and Beverage
    • Pharmaceutical and Biotech
    • Automotive
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Process Industries
    • Utility Plant Support
    • Commercial
  • Services
    • Design and Engineering
    • Construction
    • Facility Maintenance
    • Location Consulting
    • Planning
    • Development and Financing
  • Subcontractors
  • Careers
  • News & Blog
  • Why Austin
    • Leadership
    • Austin Past and Present
    • Safety
    • Results, Not Excuses
    • Project Gallery
  • Markets
    • Aerospace and Defense
    • Food and Beverage
    • Pharmaceutical and Biotech
    • Automotive
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Process Industries
    • Utility Plant Support
    • Commercial
  • Services
    • Design and Engineering
    • Construction
    • Facility Maintenance
    • Location Consulting
    • Planning
    • Development and Financing
  • Subcontractors
  • Careers
  • News & Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Austin Consulting
Home > 5 Lessons for Managing People, Projects and Organizations
NEWS & BLOG

May 6, 2014 posted in Organizational Values

5 Lessons for Managing People, Projects and Organizations

Headshot of Michael G Pierce

Mike Pierce

President and CEO

Call 440.544.2607 Email Mike View Profile

While I’ve written about some of these issues before, below is a compilation of some Lessons Learned that are important to remember in managing people, organizations, projects and tasks. These are a few things that I have learned over time. Hopefully, they will serve as a reminder to me, and will be helpful to others as a guide to their efforts to move people and companies forward.

Change

I am continually reminded how hard change is for people; and it is especially hard to appreciate how difficult it is for some, when you are the change agent. Never assume it is as clear and evident to everyone as it is to you.

Lesson Learned

When it comes to change, over-communication is almost impossible, and face to face communication is vital. If you are the change agent, the feedback from face to face communication is absolutely critical.

Role Playing

I covered this just last week, and this week the issue became important in a meeting. One person was tasked with doing an audit of a project and to find areas where we can improve our performance. He was tasked with a “leave no stone uncovered” direction. Dutifully, he threw everything at the wall, knowing that much of it wouldn’t stick because, basically, “that is not how we do things”. Unfortunately, his role was not communicated to the team and many thought he was suggesting and pushing for actions that are not aligned with our values.

Lesson Learned

If someone is being tasked with a role that is extraordinary to the organization, make sure that role is understood by all.

Mentoring

A lot of material is available when it comes to mentoring. It should be easy, right? Wrong. I think it is one of the more difficult challenges we have as managers and leaders. We’re busy enough as it is, and it is typically a lot easier and takes less time to do things yourself. But mentoring is like long range planning. Doing it now pays off in the long run. Not doing it now means you will never get to where you want to be. My mission over the next few years is to establish a vibrant mentoring culture and create an expectation of mentoring. I’ll keep you posted of these developments.

Lesson Learned

Mentoring is a form of training, and training is much more effective when the trainer receives some instruction in training, i.e. train the trainer. It requires an investment and if there is no investment, there is no return.

Growth

Growth, of course, is a good thing. It is what most organizations are all striving for. But growth is by definition, change (see above). The thing about growth is that it is exciting and exhilarating. It is when good things are all coming together. While everyone typically focuses on the particular project that is delivering the growth, hopefully you have some skeptics in the organization that are seeing the dark cloud around the silver lining (reference role playing).

Lesson Learned

Give those skeptics a strong voice in the organization and address their concerns. They will keep you grounded to make sure that the growth you are experiencing is sustainable and not a one-off.

Resourcefulness

There are a multitude of people out there who have gone through what you are going through. Find them and talk to them. Find some peers with background and strengths similar to yours. More importantly, find some with backgrounds and strengths complementary to yours. Get together with them for lunch periodically and bounce ideas off of them. You never know what insights you might get, or give.

Lesson Learned

Be resourceful.

“The six essential leadership attributes: set high standards; live your standards and mentor those who follow; create and share a vision; make the hard choices when necessary; be visible and out front; and instill hope in those who follow.”

John Di Frances

“Every great work, every great accomplishment, has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision, and often just before the big achievement, comes apparent failure and discouragement.”

Florence Scovel Shinn, Artist and Author


Looking for an expert?

To connect with one of our knowledgeable team members for a media opportunity, please contact Leslie Panfil via phone or email. We look forward to sharing our expertise!

440.544.2255 | info@theaustin.com

MORE NEWS FROM THE AUSTIN

The Heart of the Matter

March 13, 2023 by Sean Barr, PMP

Winter Construction Safety Guide

March 9, 2023 by Charlie Engel

Two Books and a Podcast that Inspires Service, Leadership, and Purpose.

March 8, 2023 by Mike Pierce
Austin®
Transparency in Coverage Privacy Policy Employee Resources
  • Connect with The Austin Company on LinkedIn
  • Follow The Austin Company on Facebook
  • Follow The Austin Company on Twitter
  • Subscribe to The Austin Company's YouTube Channel
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Manage Cookie Consent


This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.

If you decline, your information won’t be tracked when you visit this website. A single cookie will be used in your browser to remember your preference not to be tracked.


We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT”, you consent to the use of all cookies. For more information, please visit our Privacy Policy.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}