I want to kick off with a simple pop quiz, nothing too tricky – and never fear because there’s a point to it all! Once we have finished, I will pose a really interesting question. How will your team remember their time when the job is finished? Are they wholly committed to the here and now? Will they say that they gave their all? So here goes!
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Pop Quiz – “Who Stays In Your Mind?”

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Melbourne Cup-winning jockeys.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss World contest.
4. Name the last five winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
5. Name the last five Academy Award winners for Best Screenplay.

How did you do? If you are anything like me, then you will have trouble remembering many of these at all…which makes perfect sense.

Try to imagine a desperate, starving caveman struggling to survive from day to day, with disaster waiting at every turn. I imagine he would have looked at his world with a single focus – “Does this situation help me survive? Does it matter to me?” The things that connected with him, that meant something at a primitive level, were the things that captured his attention – food, shelter, safety. Everything else was transitory and soon slipped away.

His motivations aligned with Maslow’s 1st level of needs – Physiological (shelter, food, water, safety). Simply, nothing else mattered to him.

In much the same way, we seem hard-wired to focus our attention on the things that matter and let the superficial slip away.

Once the event has passed, people quickly forget the headlines. Our attention moves on, the lights dim, the conversation fades and the accolades fade away. I know it’s a shame – after all, these people are truly the best in their fields and should be celebrated – but it seems to me that we rarely connect at an enduring, emotional level with people unless they matter to us.

Now try another quiz and see how you do this time.

1. Name three mentors or teachers who have helped you become the person you are today.
2. Name three friends who have been by your side through a personal challenge.
3. Name five people who have taught you something that has had a lasting impact on you.
4. Name five people who make you feel appreciated and special.
5. Name three people who you enjoy hanging out with.

How was that? I’ll bet it was easier!

It is so much easier to remember people who make a lasting impression on us at a deep and emotional level. Try to imagine our caveman jumping forward to the 21st Century – I see him wearing a suit, enjoying my blog (of course!) and giving his scarce attention to the people with whom he forms some sort of personal (emotional, spiritual, intellectual..?) connection. This time, we could see him being motivated by Maslow’s higher level needs – Self-Actualization and Self-Esteem.

I think there is a wonderful moral to this quiz. The people who make a lasting difference in your life aren’t the ones with the biggest headlines, the most bling, the best publicist or the most Facebook friends. They are the ones that connect with you, that support and understand you, that allow you to grow and satisfy your higher level needs.

How Will The Team Remember You?

What does this mean to us as Project Leaders? Should we care about this sort of “throw-away” idea? Absolutely! This is pure gold…it gives us a real opportunity to think about how our stakeholders and team remember see us – it allows us to step back, reflect on our own standing and authority and decide to actively take steps to address any shortcomings.

Think about the personalities in your organization that dominate through sheer force – maybe they talk loudly, dress snappy, hustle around the office continuously (Man…these guys are always so BUSY!) or direct conversations by continuously talking without the need to draw breath. I’m sure you can think of someone that fits the mould! I have a Solution Architect who talks LOUDLY, bounces around, interjects constantly and belittles any differing opinions – I’m sure there is a term to describe this sort of personality!

Then think about how people respond to them. Think about how they react to their face and when they are out of earshot. Reflect for a moment on this…how does your team see this person? Does my team’s ambivalence towards this Architect affect his ability to contribute to the work effort? I suspect he is more likely to be recalled in the 1st pop quiz (“Name that guy with the shaved head who talked a lot and annoyed the bejeezus out of us”) than the 2nd!

The best Project Leaders understand that overall success is based on getting the most out of their people – they instinctively look for the right ways to engage and build the best possible environment to support and empower each of their team members. They instinctively know that by helping to meet Maslow’s higher level needs, their team members are more likely to engage better and give that wonderful, heart-and-soul commitment.

These Project Leaders are far more likely to figure in the 2nd pop quiz (“Remember Joe…he was a great help to me and really encouraged me to develop. I loved my time on his team and gave it my best shot. I am always grateful to him”).

Pulling it All Together

As Project Leaders, most of us are in the crazy position of spending more time at work with our teams than with anyone else in our lives. We give ourselves to the team, we invest our time and energy and commit ourselves to the success of everyone involved – in my mind, this is at the very heart of Authentic Leadership.

This gives us a wonderful opportunity to connect with our team members at a very emotional level, to understand what motivates each of them – to help them achieve their individual higher-level needs and aspirations. By making this commitment to our team, we are more likely to receive that wonderful heart-and-soul commitment in return

I like to think that this gives us a wonderful opportunity to connect with our team members at a very emotional level, to understand what motivates each of them – to help them achieve their individual higher-level needs and aspirations. By making this commitment to our team, we are more likely to receive that wonderful heart-and-soul commitment in return…and may even be recalled with fondness in a future “Memorable Moments” pop quiz.

How would your team remember their time with you? Would they say that they had given you their whole-hearted best? Would you say that you had given them your best, in return?

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