Making it Fly: An Interview With Brigitte Cobb

Brigitte Cobb is the author of Make It Fly. Ever wondered why some people do things better than others? People who succeed (and I’m sure you would too if you were a project manager) have the right attitude and a simple method for staying organized and completing tasks.
It doesn’t matter if you call it project management. Brigitte Cobb doesn’t, at least not in her book, Make it Fly. I reviewed it. I spoke with her about the method she invented in order to help others get things done.
Brigitte, tell us about Make It Fly.
This book is a practical guide to helping people realize their big dreams and make them a reality.
It took me 9 months to write the book and another 9 to edit it with the support from my publisher.
It was a great book for project managers. I could relate to many of its ideas. Are you a certified project manager?
I specialize in business transformation. Although project management techniques are useful, my qualifications include organizational change management, psychology, and program management.
The book is a mixture of positive psychology, business change techniques, and personal development. While I agree that planning, scoping, and project management are important, there are many other tools and techniques that are not. The method is holistic and not specific to any one discipline.
Yes, I can see it. The book is a large part about self-management and boosting self-confidence. It’s more about the process than the rest. Why did you include this?
Because this is the key to making changes happen. If you don’t have the right mental attitude, no plan will work. Many organisations and individuals make the mistake of ignoring the human side to change.
Change is holistic. It’s not just one thing that makes a difference, but all of the actions you take that can make a difference. All the steps in the book are equally important, I would argue. This is the beauty of the method. It’s not just about personal development or process. It’s both. It provides readers with a variety of tools that can be used to help them achieve their big dreams.
The exercises in the book are one of the tools. These exercises are from where?
The method and the exercises were developed by me, based on a variety of disciplines. I have been working with clients to transform their organisations for over 15 years. I have used many of these tools and techniques with them and their teams.
What’s your top tip for getting things done (if you had to choose one)?
First, address your mental blockages and attitude.
Thanks, Brigitte!