How does thought leader Seth Godin do it? I mean really, how does he do it?
Godin is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He’s also the founder of the altMBA and The Marketing Seminar, online workshops that have transformed the work of thousands of people. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything.
Many people are familiar with his books Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip and Purple Cow. In addition to his writing and speaking, he has founded several companies, including Yoyodyne and Squidoo. His blog (which you can find by typing “seth” into Google) is one of the most popular in the world. His latest book, What To Do When It’s Your Turn, is now in its fifth printing.
Whew.
Godin slowed down long enough to give me his five best project management tips:
- Do it with intent. Projects don’t accidentally get finished.
- Find and publicize the critical path. Where is the spot where a one day delay here leads to a one day delay in the overall project?
- Eagerly accept responsibility, and build a team that does the same. Authority is hard to scale, responsibility is magical.
- Build one-way gateways. Once an element is approved, no one is allowed to ‘improve it’, not yet, not until we’re done. If you can leave something flexible, please do. But if you need a decision to move forward, make a decision.
- Ignore sunk costs. If the project is truly at a dead end, cancel it.
"Managing projects is critically important, but we don't spend much time or effort getting good at it,” says Godin. “What we need is a structured approach, a framework for getting things done. Blank books are great, but the empty page can be intimidating. I think that an organized journal can give people the foundation they need to create ever better work."
Which led to another project for Godin.
MOO, the design powerhouse, has teamed up with Godin, entrepreneur and best-selling author, to revamp his ShipIt Journal, MOO style. MOO is a design, technology and manufacturing company. Launched in 2006, MOO aims to disrupt the trillion-dollar global print industry by combining the values of professional design with accessibility and reach of the web: making great design available to everyone, everywhere.
Godin is sharing his best practices for making any business succeed with this project-focused notebook.
The notebook will set out to guide and encourage those looking to put their ideas in motion and bring them to life. Featuring motivational quotes, images and interactive pages, it will provide structure and a space for your thoughts to thrive.
