The Shrinking Project Manager Insights from Psychology for Project Success

The Shrinking Project ManagerInsights from Psychology for Project Success

Rashid N Kapadia PMPPMI-H April 9, 2013 Stracks Farm: April 10, 2013 HESS Club

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3 Big Idea # 1 You Don’t Have To Be HAPPY To Work Here…But It Helps!!

4 Organizations Don’t Get Things Done

5 PlansDon’t Get Things

Done

6 ProjectsDon’t Get Things Done

7 ONLY PeopleGet Things

Done

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Either HELP or HINDER

9 The Wisdom Of These Words Has Shaped My Life

10 Big Idea # 2 … Getting Things Done ?

Happiness HELPS People

Unhappiness HINDERS People

This is

Biology

11 PM Knowledge Areas

• Stakeholder Management

• Monitoring and Controlling

12 What is Happiness?

13 Sources of Happiness

3 Sources of Happiness

Pleasure Positive Emotions

Passion EngagementPurpose Meaning

14 Pleasure / Positive Emotions

Greater activity in left pre-frontal cortex

15 Pleasure / Positive Emotions

Orderly heart wave patterns

16 Pleasure / Positive Emotions

More neurotransmitters• Dopamine• Endorphin• Oxytocin• Serotonin

17 This is Biology

Happiness is both:

A state of mind

A state of body

In Our Brains:More than 100,000 chemical reactions / second

18 Sources of Happiness

3 Sources of Happiness

Pleasure Positive Emotions

Passion EngagementPurpose Meaning

19 Yerkes-Dodson Law

20 Flow•Loss of sense of time

•Loss of sense of self

•Experienced more @ work

•Associated with the acquisition of mastery & expertise

•Relatively unrecognized as source of happiness

21 Passion / Engagement / Flow

22 Passion / Engagement / Flow

Flow Channelcurrent challenges exceed current skills….

but not by too much

23 FlowExperienced more @ work

Associated with the acquisition of mastery & expertise

Relatively unrecognized as source of happiness

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28 Martin Seligman

Options Trader Story

29 Passion / Engagement / Flow

30 Sources of Happiness

3 Sources of Happiness

Pleasure Positive Emotions

Passion EngagementPurpose Meaning

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34 Purpose

It is not about me

It is about someone or something that is outside of me

35 Discover Your Purpose

36 Sources of Happiness

3 Sources of Happiness

Pleasure Positive Emotions

Passion EngagementPurpose Meaning

37 Sources of HappinessSource of Happiness Long

Lasting?Heredity?

Pleasure (Positive emotions)

Least Most

Passion (Engagement / Flow)

Middle Middle

Purpose (Meaning) Most Least

38 HAPPINESSAristotle

Eudemonia (Greek ) = Happiness better translation Human Flourishing

39 HAPPINESSMatthieu Ricard

Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing that arises from an exceptionally healthy mind.

It is more than a mere pleasant feeling, emotion or mood.

It is an optimal state of being

40 HAPPINESSShawn ACHORThe experience of positive emotions, combined with deeper feelings of meaning & purpose

Happiness is the joy we feel striving after our potential

41 Big Idea # 1 You Don’t Have To Be HAPPY To Work Here…But It Helps!!

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You Don’t Have To Bring HUMAN FLOURISHING To Work Here…But It Helps!!!

43 Robust Finding

OutliersExceptionally happy people have excellent social relationships

44 Robust FindingCountless Studies:Social Relationships = Best guarantee

1.Prescription for high performance

2.Heightened well being

3.Lowered stress

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46 Nicolaus Copernicus

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48 Copernican Inversion

Nicolaus Copernicus

49 Another Copernican Inversion

50 Another Copernican Inversion

51 Big Idea # 3

Happiness (Human Flourishing) is a precursor to Project Success,

more than a consequence of it.

52 Happiness on Projects—How?

1.Excellent Relationships

2.Set an Example – Model the Way

3.Useful Mental Habits

53 Happiness on Projects—How?

Attention Training leads to the creation of useful mental habits.

54 Useful Physical Habits

55 Useful Mental Habits

56 Attention Training 101

Pay Attention to xxxx (breath)

Distraction

Regain Attention to xxxx (breath)

Pay Attention to xxxx (breath)

57 Attention Training

Creating Useful Mental Habits

Just Like Me – Attention Training

You have a body & a mind Just Like Me

58 Attention Training

Creating Useful Mental Habits

Just Like Me – Attention Training

You have feelings, emotions & thoughtsJust Like Me

59 Attention Training

Creating Useful Mental Habits

Just Like Me – Attention Training

You have been sadYou have been angryYou have been hurtJust Like Me

60 Attention Training

Creating Useful Mental Habits

Just Like Me – Attention Training

You have known physical pain You have known emotional painJust Like Me

61 Attention Training

Creating Useful Mental Habits

Just Like Me – Attention Training

You wish to be free from pain & sufferingJust Like Me

62 Attention Training

Creating Useful Mental Habits

Just Like Me – Attention Training

You wish to be healthy & loved, and have fulfilling relationshipsJust Like Me

63 Attention Training

Creating Useful Mental Habits

Just Like Me – Attention Training

You wish to be happyJust Like Me

64 Useful Mental Habits

65 Big Idea # 1 You Don’t Have To Be HAPPY To Work Here…But It Helps!!

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You Don’t Have To Bring HUMAN FLOURISHING To Work Here…But It Helps!!!

67 Big Idea # 2 … Getting Things Done ?

Happiness HELPS People

Unhappiness HINDERS People

This is

Biology

68 Big Idea # 3

Happiness (Human Flourishing) is a precursor to Project Success,

more than a consequence of it.

69 Contempt

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71 Before Concluding

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