I love business books.
My favorite books are Drive by Daniel Pink, Blink By Malcolm Gladwell and The 4-Hour Workweek of Tim Ferris. Switch by Chip Heath, Dan Heath is currently my current reading.
Why is it that I love these books so much?
These books make me think. They challenge my preconceived notions, and show me the reasons why they are wrong… and how to fix them. A combination of good leadership and an understanding of organizational psychology is the key to a successful business.
My guess is that the reasons I love business books mirror the reasons people love TED Talks. The organization’s entire purpose is to discover “ideas that are worth spreading.”
Some of these ideas can be applied directly to project management. A few of these ideas might change your way to think.
I searched through all available TED Talks to find big names in productivity, project and general management. I chose talks that lived up to the promise of an “idea worth spreading”.
The speaker’s last name is used to organize the five talks.
1. Shawn Achor: The Happier Secret to Better Work
Shawn Achor, the New York Times bestseller author of The Happiness Advantage (and Before Happiness), is well-known for his advocacy for positive psychology. He also founded GoodThink Inc. and The Institute for Applied Positive Research. Both institutions were founded to support research on how happiness can be linked to positive work performance.
“The Happy Secret to Better Work” a 12-minute presentation is one of TED Talks’ most-viewed speeches. He discusses a common belief that Western societies hold: If we work harder, then we are more successful. And if we’re more successful we will find happiness. He dismisses this way of thinking and suggests a simple, yet innovative solution: flip the equation. Happiness is a key factor in success and motivation.
What does this mean for project managers?
Achor asserts that a positive brain is 31% more productive than a negative, neutral, or stressed brain. You’re 37% better at sales. Doctors are 19% more efficient and accurate in diagnosing positives, neutrals, or stressed.
I’m sure project managers will find the mention of increasing productivity by a quarter appealing. You can use the examples in this speech to encourage employees to have a more positive and healthy worldview, and reap the rewards in their work.
2. David Allen: Getting in Control, and Creating Space
David Allen is a respected thought leader in project management and productivity. He is the author of Getting Things Done (a seminal book about stress-free productivity) from the early aughts. A study that Allen independently published in the International Journal of Strategic Management, Long Range Planning found that “psychology” and cognitive science supported and extended GTD’s recommendations. Allen has since started a number of consulting companies based on his time management methodology.
“Getting in Control and Creating Space” basically explains GTD’s methodology and its application in less than 20 minutes. If you are curious and don’t have the time to watch, we offer explanations and recommendations for free Getting Things Done software. Allen gives the audience an opportunity to learn and apply his time management principles.
What does this mean for project managers?
Along with agile and waterfall, Getting Things Done is an effective methodology that project managers should have in their arsenal. This TED Talk demonstrates that your team can learn GTD within a half-hour meeting. If you can get them comfortable with the process, you can also help them to become project managers.