New Horizons New Horizons Project Management Academy Project Management Academy Six Sigma Online Six Sigma Online Velopi Velopi Watermark Learning Watermark Learning
Educate 360 Educate 360
Educate 360  Educate 360

Stakeholders

a primer on working with executives
Agile, Business Analysis, Communicating, Project Management, Watermark Learning

A Primer On Working With Executives: Swim With The Sharks Without Getting Eaten Alive

Even though my wife Elizabeth Larson and I owned and ran a business, I wouldn’t exactly have used the term “executive” to describe us. But, we have both worked with several. And, in building and running Watermark Learning, we shared an important characteristic with executives which this series of articles will explore. Early in my career, I was

Business Analysis Advisor
Agile, Business Analysis, Influencing and Consulting, Leadership, Project Management, Watermark Learning

Tyrion the Trusted Advisor: What Game of Thrones Teaches Us about Influencing Without Authority

I have always loved the Game of Thrones TV series. What has fascinated me the most is the treatment of the Trusted Advisor, beautifully portrayed by Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion embodies important ingredients of a trusted advisor who influences decision-makers, as we’ll see below (WARNING: some plot spoilers ahead). To influence without authority,

Influencing with Authority Management
Agile, Business Analysis, Influencing and Consulting, Project Management, Watermark Learning

Influencing with Authority: Management, You Need Influencing Skills, Too!

Influencing skills in today’s work environment are central to getting anything done. Consider what you do day in and day out. How much of your time is spent trying to get someone to think, feel, or do something they aren’t already thinking, feeling, or doing? We often think of the demand for influencing skills as

Transition to Project Management
Project Management, Stakeholders, Watermark Learning

Transition to Project Management

When you think of it, why wouldn’t everyone want to be a project manager? The Great Pyramids. Apollo missions. The Stanley Cup playoffs. They’re all projects of one sort or another. To be sure, your projects probably aren’t going to be that exciting, but I seldom hear project managers complain about boredom. In our Project

Show Up Every Day
Influencing and Consulting, Leadership, Watermark Learning

SHOW UP Every Day

Deadlines, changing priorities, and relentless distractions make it challenging to bring our professional best to every task at work. Some days are frustrating, some infuriating. No one feels like they are hitting on all cylinders in terms of creativity and energy 100 percent of the time. But what about those core values that characterize our personal best?