Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Law of Attraction and Project Management

The Law of Attraction states that we are attracted to that which is of the same nature as our thoughts. As an example, I recently bought a new car, a Mitsubishi Outlander. Before I got the car, I never noticed Mitsubishi's on the road. They aren't the most popular car in the US. Now that I have one, I notice them much more. My thoughts are about them, so I see them more, I attract them.

So how does this apply to project management? Our thoughts can influence how we see our project. If we only think about the negative things, that's what will dominate our project, or at least that's what dominates our observations.

Here's an example of how you can use this to on your project. Most projects involve change. A good technique in change management is identifying and using your early adopters. If you think about being an early adopter, you will attract the early adopters among your stakeholders. You can then tap into them to help move your project forward.

So think positive, it will make a difference.

3 comments:

Shawn Kinkade said...

Bob,

That focusing you're talking about is driven by the Reticular Activating System, part of your brain that helps you screen for danger and notice things that are important to you.

You can train the RAS (to the point on your post) by focusing on what you want (specifically by writing things down like goals). However if you only think about negative things, that's all you'll notice (hence the need to look for the positive...so you can find it!).

Pretty cool stuff overall - good post!

Shawn

Unknown said...

Shawn - Thanks for the comment. I think people can go through life unconsciously. If we spend more time being aware and focusing on what we want, we can be more successful.

ghenessa said...

The law of attraction plays an incredible part in deciding on your success or failure in life.

Vision board