APM webinar looks at how to make requests 'brain-friendly'

APM members received exclusive insights from leading change expert Dr Tammy Watchorn at a recent APM Real World Project Management Webinar.

Asking people for support or to undertake a task is one of the most fundamental parts of managing a project, but people can often be resistant to requests. This can be for a variety of reasons; anything from being too busy, to having reservations about the nature of the change, to feeling out of their comfort zone.

Dr Watchorn, author of the Change Ninja trilogy of books, shared her advice for motivating others by making suggestions and requests 'brain friendly'.

The three pillars of this approach are:

1) Make requests familiar

2) Make requests personal

3) Make requests small

Dr Watchorn explained: "Sometimes motivation is a real challenge - or what we think is motivation to get things done...The framing of the ask is often key."

During the webinar, Dr Watchorn also explored the psychology of procrastination and how to optimise task allocation within teams. APM members can watch the full webinar here.

Register for Dr Watchorn's next Real World Project Management Webinar - Simplifying Leadership for Leading in any Situation - on 15 September.