Quotes

If a man does not feel heard, he will insist on having his way. (M. Falger)

The simpler a valid explanation is, the closer it comes to the truth.

Each project contains one or more ´hard nuts to crack´. The quality of the project team determines – and is indicated by – the percentage of those ‘hard nuts’  that are dealt with before as opposed to after the ultimate Go/No-Go decision.

When assigning a task, one has the choice to either just select on skills and hand over responsibility, in other words appoint an administrative assistant, or really delegate, which comes with authority (inclusive of both legal and resources mandates) and credibility (inclusive of both personal reputation and position in the organization).

Hate is frozen – or helpless – anger. Freedom of speech allows for anger to be vented, to let it flow. This phenomenon applies to all relationships, whether citizens (/protestors), clients, employees or partners (amorous and business alike). A complaining customer is investing in the relationship and is less likely to leave than a quiet one.

Complaints are like blisters: ignore them at your peril, it is better to make an incision, remove the liquid and put on a bandage. And walk on.

So far,  I have noticed that ALL quotes of me have been incorrect unless provided by me in writing.

A plan shows who does what when. A project plan shows who has committed to do what when, including the ‘if’s, ‘but’s and ‘when’s. For ‘non-projectese’ speakers: the ‘if’s are the risks, both threats and opportunities, the ‘but’s are the countermeasures and the ‘when’s are the assumptions and preconditions.

‘As Soon As Possible’ is a national holiday in The Netherlands and celebrated with a day off every year on the first Sunday in September.

In my career I missed about 900 shots, I lost almost 300 games, and 26 times I was chosen for the game-winning shot and missed. And that is why I succeed, Michael Jordan

With the customer in the center, you always stand shoulder to shoulder with the client

On decisions without communication: If an orchestra plays in the woods without any audience, it is a rehearsal not a concert.

The best way to check if someone is listening is to say: “I do not think you are listening”. The response usually distinguishes between a heated re-statement of the last input registered and a simple counter-question: ” So what do you think I did not hear?”

Transparency of a leader, project, organization or society is the basis for predictability, which in turn is the foundation for confidence and trust.

Among friends their is only one taboo: not asking for help if it is needed

Some leaders who talk much and say little seem to reflect the business case of their companies

More than a reasonable number of tweets or posts per day is spam.

An evaluation of a ‘situation’ is best done after it has fully been worked out, during a crisis a premature evaluation even is counterproductive since it saps energy from problem resolution to response justification.