My head swiveled at the sound of my name. “That woman Ann was just FABULOUS!” I was walking down the hallway after presenting “Sometimes a Great Project – 8 Uncommon Secrets for Repeatable Excellence.”

I am accustomed to enthusiastic audiences but that outburst was pretty special. So what caused it?

One of the things I know this group really appreciated was that I did not tell them to do more of the same – a little better, a little longer, a little faster, and a little harder. Instead, I gave them eight ways of looking at things differently so they could join the mere 5% who actually finish projects on time and on budget.

Since that day, I’ve talked to several attendees and the response is universal. They loved the ideas but have been too buried to figure out how to apply them. This is extremely common. Few companies excel at transforming ideas into improved practice and actual results.

When Hitachi hired me to improve their design processes, I didn’t amaze them with new ideas and leave. Instead, I:

• Changed their perspectives
• Made them see what they weren’t seeing
• Presented new approaches
• Helped them identify the ideas that would add the most value within their environment, and then,
• Integrated those ideas into their daily practices so that they actually realized the benefits they were seeking.

After some initial instruction and group facilitation, I also coached them for a period of time until they had established new, workable habits.

If done well, this takes surprisingly little time. And it isn’t about adding work; it’s about changing the way you work. Arguments that everyone is too busy to improve are ridiculous. The sooner you begin, the more time you will have.

But if you aren’t ready to take this approach, you might as well save your money and skip the training!