Can the Real Project Manager Please Stand Up?
43 Great Quotes To Inspire You To Be a Better Christian Leader
Anyone who has responsibility for the work of others understands the unique challenges that come with managing people.
Over the years, various thought leaders have come up with pearls of wisdom in the form of quotations that when given some thought, have a lot to teach us. Sometimes a simple quote is just the thing to lift our spirits, to make us smile or to give us the energy to keep going when we’re feeling low.
Here are 43 such quotes to make us better Christian leaders.
- “The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self.” – Unknown
- “In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.” – Unknown
- “The good news is, God has provided us with a LifeBook to help us – the Bible.” – Unknown
- “Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul.” – John Maxwell
- “There’s only two things you can start without a plan: a riot and a family, for everything else you need a plan.” – Unknown
- “Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” – Unknown
- “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” – John Maxwell
- “Leadership is getting people to work for you when they are not obligated.” – Fred Price
- “Running a project without a work breakdown structure is like going to a strange land without a roadmap” – J Phillips
- “You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” – Henry Ford”
- “Have a good plan, Execute it violently, Do it today” – General Douglas McArthur
- “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that is has taken place.” – Unknown
- “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill
- “A project without a critical path is like a ship without a rudder.” – D. Meyer
- “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
- “What’s measured improves.” – Unknown
- “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint Exupry 1900-1944, French writer and aviator
- “If it is not documented, it doesn’t exist. As long as information is retained in someone’s head, it is vulnerable to loss.” – Unknown
- “It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things.” – Machiavelli 1446-1507, Italian statesman and philosopher
- “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra.” – Unknown
- “Luck is for the ill-prepared.” – Unknown
- “Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.” – Chinese Proverb
- “Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal.” –Unknown
- “PMs are the most creative pros in the world; we have to figure out everything that could go wrong before it does.” – Fredrik Haren
- “Why do so many professionals say they are project managing when what they are actually doing is firefighting?” –Unknown
- “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” –Unknown
- “Ensure your documentation is short and sharp and make much more use of people-to-people communication.” –Unknown
- “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” – Henry Ford
- “Leadership offers an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, no matter what the project.” – Bill Owens
- “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” – John C. Maxwell
- “Leaders have two characteristics: first they are going somewhere, and second they are able to persuade other people to go with them.” – John Maxwell
- “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” – Kenneth Blanchard
- “The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.” – Warren Bennis
- “The best example of leadership is leadership by example.” – Jerry McClain
- If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
- “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” – John Stott
- “We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.” – Charles F. Stanley
- “Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45
- “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” –Unknown
- “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Teresa
- “The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.” – Matt Chandler
- “Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential” – Winston Churchill
- “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” – John Piper
If you know a great quote or scripture that will inspire others to lead their churches better, please feel free to share it in the comments below.
7 Signs that Suggest You Should Step Away from Managing the Church Project
The lack of project management training or experience of many Christian leaders can be an enormous stress factor for them. Whilst natural organizational ability is enormously helpful, in itself it is no guarantee of any project being both successful and low stress.
As a Project Manager, you will need to manage every aspect of the project from start to finish, working on a series of pre-determined goals and objectives. Not everyone is cut out to be a Project Manager. It’s not even necessarily a highly desirable job. You get a lot of visibility, but not necessarily a lot of recognition, unless the project is very successful and highly visible. As such project management is not for the faint-hearted.
Although specific responsibilities vary from industry to industry, the role of a Project Manager will generally include the following:
- Defining the project
- Scheduling
- Budgeting
- Risk assessing
- Project control
- Providing direction and support to the team
- Quality checking
- Reporting progress, problems, and solutions
- Assessing results of the project
- Closing down the project
- Managing and working with multiple stakeholders
When it comes to project managing, it is important to have certain skills to be the most effective Project Manager you can be. Some people have these skills and others do not. Here’s our list of indicators that you may not be well suited to be a Project Manager in no particular order:
1. You’re a poor communicator
More than 50% of a Project Managers time is spent on some aspect of communication. The majority of conflicts in a team involve problems in communication, either as a cause or an effect. A lack of understanding can result from ineffective communication and can then lead to further communication issues. Communication skills are ranked first among a job candidate’s ‘must have’ skills and qualities according to a 2010 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Poor communicators will often believe that giving people facts about a situation will be sufficient to influence them into following a particular course of action. However as Richard Nixon said,
“People Are Persuaded by Reason, but Moved by Emotion; The Leader Must Both Persuade Them and Move Them.”
Avoiding communication is a common occurrence when a difficult conversation is anticipated. Project Managers with low confidence will tend to ignore opportunities to pass on difficult messages with the result that the communication vacuum only serves to increase the size of the problem in the team. The old adage that “no news is good news” doesn’t usually apply in such circumstances as the team on the receiving end of the silence will fill the void with their own perceptions, doubts, and fears.
Poor Project Managers also tend to react emotionally and erratically when communicating with the team which can make it difficult for the team on the receiving end to anticipate how the communication will progress. Lack of honesty and not sharing how you really feel can also lead to a lack of trust in the team.
2. You don’t work well with people
Good Project Managers make an effort to spend a lot of time with clients, stakeholders, and team members. If you don’t like working within a team and prefer to stay in one location and focus on your own work, you probably don’t have the collaborative ability to be a good Project Manager. While one person working alone can have an impact, your role as a leader is to guide your team to accomplish bigger goals than they could achieve on their own.
A Great Person Attracts Great People and Knows How to Hold Them Together — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
3. You don’t like to manage people
You don’t have much of a project if you’re the only resource. If you want to be a good project manager, you need to be able to manage people well. You will probably never have a 100% responsibility for people, but you will need to show leadership, hold them accountable, manage conflict, etc. Some project managers say they could do a much better job if they did not have to deal with people. If that’s how you feel, project management is probably not for you.
Earn Your Leadership Every Day – Michael Jordan
4. You don’t like to document things or follow processes
Many aspects of project management requires documenting things, including status reporting, communication plans, scope changes, and project plans. A Lack of process increases the risk that tasks related to the project will fall through the cracks, that projects will have to be re-worked, and ultimately that a project won’t be completed on time or on budget. A good project manager needs to be effective at process and information management.
The Art of Leadership Is Saying No, Not Saying Yes. It Is Very Easy to Say Yes — Tony Blair
5. You cannot tell the client “no”
Clients aren’t the same as customers. Sometimes they need to be guided in the right direction. This is your job. Clients who change project requirements all the time or who demand unreasonable working hours need to be managed.
A Leader is One who Knows the Way, Goes the way, and Shows the way — John Maxwell
6. You don’t like to plan and are not organised
The project managers job is to organise everyone in the team. If you cannot plan, you can hardly be an effective leader. When a client gives you a project, if your first inclination is start working, you probably don’t have a project management mindset. The Project Managers overall task is to keep the project on budget and on target. Sticking to deadlines is very important.
The Key to Successful Leadership Today is Influence, Not Authority — Kenneth Blanchard
7. You Micromanage the team
Babysitting the team. It’s very common for poor Project Managers to treat their job like an enforcer, policing the project team for progress and updates.
Why Do Projects Fail?
From Outreach Ideas to Action in Three Easy Steps
A good idea is great. A good idea that’s executed perfectly can change the world. But a simple idea alone is useless.
A Good Idea That’s Executed Perfectly Can Change the World
There’s an idea that flops and an idea that becomes the next biggest thing. It’s all about how it’s executed. If it doesn’t come with a plan, or if it appears too difficult to introduce, someone else will do it, leaving you with a has-been idea that can no longer be implemented. This is why every ‘brainwave’ ‘eureka’ moment idea needs to be teamed together with a worthy execution”¦if not, don’t expect much.
Pushing an innovative idea forward into something else remains one of our biggest challenges. Admittedly, it can be a super exhausting process, which is why it’s always a great idea to invite the crowd to not only come up with the wonderful ideas, but to also help develop them as well.
There are a few key stages that need to be followed when it comes to getting your crowd in on the idea decision-making and development game.
1. Create a Unique Team
Almost anyone can research and refine new innovative ideas. However, you can take it a step further and invite the crowd to join in the fun and be a part of your team. This will give your idea more validation. It will also decrease any potential risk, and at the same time it could be a huge timesaver when it comes to marketing and finances.
In short, each and every idea should be unique enough to sway people to join a team that supports the idea.
2. Fine Tune that Idea
They say that behind every great idea catapulted onto the market, there was an equally great plan. Every idea requires some sort of plan. It could be just a basic one that briefly outlines the various possibilities connected to it, or it could be a more complex plan that delves into the intricacies of it.
A good plan should include a business plan. This might seem like a given, but you’d be surprised as to how many people don’t have a good business plan to back up their ideas. Plans should also include target audiences, marketing ideas and much more.
You need to approach every idea in a methodical way. You’ll need a unique set of criteria that pertains to one idea – it’s not a case of one-size fits all. You’ll need to answer any question that arises, and until this is done, you can’t move forward and successfully turn your idea into reality.
Use and involve your crowd. Ask them to research various aspects of the idea, and then have them report back and share their ideas and findings with the rest of the group.
3. Don’t Stand for Mediocre
There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of okay ideas. There are even hundreds of great ideas. But, an average or good idea is not enough, which is why it’s absolutely essential to select only the best of the best ideas. It doesn’t matter if it’s only one mind-blowing idea because as the old adage goes, quality is better than quantity.
Quality Is Better than Quantity
The good and even the great ideas might struggle. Such ideas are difficult to get funding for, and it’s more challenging to prototype and deliver them. If you want to make your idea come alive, you need to have defined criteria, which allows for choosing the best idea to follow up on. After the criteria has been established, it’s time to use the crowd again aka Christian community. Ask them to respond accordingly and honestly – does the idea meet all the listed criteria?
If yes, that’s great, you’re moving towards success. If not, it’s back to the drawing board to get it right.
You need to act now and remember this: it’s okay to simply start by putting just one outreach idea into action.
What kinds of challenges do you and your team face when trying to develop your ideas further?
75 of the Most Inspirational Leadership Quotes
4 Simple Ways to Bring out the Best in Your People
Leadership is lonely, no matter the size of your team. Every day you work hard, utilizing the hard skill set you acquired through education and the early years of your career. While you may fit the bill as an efficient project manager, you are striving to go from ordinary to extraordinary. As tirelessly as you work, you cannot seem to crack the code to unlock your team’s true potential.
What Quality Is Missing That Sets the Elite Apart from Yourself?
Exceptional leaders possess the ability to motivate not only themselves, but the people around them, creating an environment that hones a sense of aspiration and inspiration.
Here are four simple ways to get started:
1. GROWTH: Most ambitious professionals know that who they are today is not the professional they want to be tomorrow. An environment that condones staying stagnant and does not promote professional growth is a huge deter for many employees. Instead, provide opportunities for your employees to feel empowered through the growth of their skill sets and taking on more responsibility as appropriate. Empowered employees will gain a sense of pride and ownership, which often translates into harder working employees.
“Coming Together Is a Beginning, Staying Together Is Progress, and Working Together Is Success.”
2. RELATIONSHIPS: While it is wise to often separate business from pleasure, it is also important to note that you will spend the majority of your waking hours with your team and co-workers. Creating healthy relationships that concentrate on good communication will help create a productive environment.
“The Greatness of a Man Is Not in How Much Wealth He Acquires, but in His Integrity and His Ability to Affect Those Around Him Positively”
3. AUTONOMY: On occasion, stress is derived from having a lack of control. Providing employees the opportunity to manage part of their workload can help alleviate this feeling, and increase their individual productivity.
“If You Can’t Explain It Simply, You Don’t Understand It Well Enough.”
4. MEANING: Giving a project purpose, direction and meaning is an essential element in creating a productive team that will execute a project flawlessly. If employees are unclear of why they are doing something they will be unable to create the deeper connection which promotes motivation for the project.
This brings us back to the need to create a strong vision and values that in turn will create a productive team that is capable of excelling project after project.
So get going, move forward, aim high and plan a takeoff. Don’t just sit on the runway and hope someone will come along and push the airplane. It simply won’t happen. Change your attitude and gain some altitude.
Professional Consultancy Responds to Health and Social Care Challenges
As people in the UK live longer, demand for residential care and nursing homes is growing, as are our expectations of the standard of living they will provide. Dean Jones offers insights about the value a professional consultancy has for overcoming the challenge and driving value for patients.
The current state of affairs
As a result of some well-broadcasted care scandals that attracted extensive, and in some cases, damaging media attention, the government has responded with cuts that are impacting local authority (LA) fees and resulting in far tougher Care Quality Commission (CQC) policies.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) Projects That by 2035 There Will Be 3.5 Million Uk Residents Aged 85 and Older, Compared to Only 1.4 Million Currently
In spite of this, the “extra-care” – or Residential Elderly Care (REC) sector – continues to overcome these challenges, attracting new investments, particularly into new-build care homes. These are specially designed, owner-occupied, self-contained housing, often with round-the-clock support and meals and sometimes with nursing assistance.
A typical pattern is for owner-founded care home operators to reach a growth limit, based on the founder’s management capacity, access to capital and appetite for risk. They cease to invest in new capacity and don’t benefit from economies of scale which can be passed on to commissioners. Public markets typically do not fulfil their function as a supplier of capital in the case of healthcare services, because they generally demand relatively modest gearing.
There’s a widely recognised need across all health and social care market segments for innovation and system change, as well as capital investment in new services. A private equity investor is well placed to leverage technical services to strategically programme and project-manage Residential Elderly Care (REC) public real estate schemes across their entire lifecycle.
Supply and demand challenges
Today, professional healthcare businesses and registered social landlords (RSLs) are the main providers of new capacity, period. Since 2008, private and voluntary status providers, who service 92 percent of all Residential Elderly Care, have reported an upswing in demand and occupancy. Paradoxically, as adult social care budgets are decreasing and the provision of residential care by the NHS and local authorities has shrunk, the number of UK people who require help and support is rapidly increasing.
The Increasingly Ageing Population of the Uk Appears to Be Underpinning the Overall Rise in Rec Capacity and Occupancy
While Local Authorities (Las) are seeking to divert placements to inexpensive non-residential/domiciliary-based alternatives, the increasingly ageing population of the UK appears to be underpinning the overall rise in REC capacity and occupancy. Britons are living longer than ever. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) projects that by 2035 there will be 3.5 million UK residents aged 85 and older, compared to only 1.4 million currently. The cost of caring for these residents is also forecasted to increase. For example, caring for a person with dementia will increase to $1,142,677 by 2025 and $2,092,945 by 2051. In total the government estimates that 1.7 million more adults will require some type of care and support over the coming decades.
As a result, the current number of nursing and residential care homes in the UK (over 381,000) will need to almost double over the next 20 years to cope with rising numbers of people aged 85 or more.
A bright future?
The demand for care will continue to rise as a result of life expectancy increasing and ageing. A robust REC independent sector arises primarily from the net increase in residential demand, and more recently, improved occupancy. These are the result of a number of competing forces:
- Demographics, with the ageing population expected to drive the demand for health and social care.
- Outsourcing, the long-term transfer of residents from LA homes to independent care homes.
- Severe financial constraints, at least over the next five years, as the government – which pays for the bulk of health, social care and special education – seeks to eradicate the public expenditure deficit and restrict new builds.
- Outdated assets, or older care homes that no longer meet needs.
- Consolidation, a trend within segments of the independent sector.
- Maturity, against a currently immature healthcare market.
- Efficiency, highlighted by the “Nicholson challenge” for the NHS to make £15 to £20 billion in efficiency savings between 2011 and 2014. (It costs the NHS approximately £3,000 a week to care for elderly patients with no clinical need to be in a hospital ward. By contrast, it comes to about £1,000 per week for a residential care home provider.)
- Demand and Occupancy. Unless the supply of new builds increases (currently by approx. 7,500 beds p.a.), it’s possible that some regions may see bed shortages, driving up LA fees.
- New Technology. Progressive management capabilities in leveraging technology and strategic collaboration will constitute the formula for success and sustainability in the new healthcare business environment.
While a longer life is welcome news for millions of Britons, it could ironically trigger a public service meltdown as our national health system is stretched to its breaking point. Local authorities and NHS trusts retain a significant role in delivering services, with 75 percent of nursing home places funded by the public sector. There exist ever-increasing opportunities for private care providers to take some of the strain from NHS and ease bed-blocking by caring for patients, mostly elderly, in a residential setting when there is no clinical need to be in a hospital ward.
The REC Sector Could Potentially save the Nhs Billions of Pounds.
A combined approach to health and social care and some innovation is required for this savings to become a reality. In addition, Care Home Operators have a unique opportunity to grow their businesses and benefit from economies of scale, leveraging the expertise and resources of a professional consultancy. In doing so, they’ll have necessary resources and systems to bid for significant re-provision of services tendered by local authorities.
About Dean Jones
Dean is an Associate in AECOM’s Programme Leadership Practice. Dean joined AECOM from Care UK, the UK’s largest independent provider of health and social care, where he was a Programme Manager and delivered a £250m investment growth programme over 2012/15 which increased Care Uk’s number of homes circa 33%. Dean was also Programme Manager for a £60m Suffolk programme to build ten new care homes and ten day clubs, bringing much needed additional nursing and specialist dementia care to the Suffolk community.
