I really needed some creative energy today as I’m going round in circles with chapter six (implementing program management) and can’t figure out how to phrase things. Gave up and went down to The Bridge Inn for a pint of Yellowhammer before lunch and the problem is diminished – I’m taking the afternoon off and forgetting about it!
Creativity in projects often comes from the interaction between opposites. If everyone on the project is in total harmony and agreement things will be very peaceful but there will be no spark. Getting the team round a table and discussing an issue or a challenge can often lead to sparks flying but that can prove to be a very creative process.
A poor project manager will try to force others to do what they want and will ultimately be undone by it. The wise project manager acts in a facilitation role rather than trying to drive the team.
The Way
In order to lead the wise project manager learns how to follow. In order to prosper the wise project manager learns to run the project simply. The natural balance of nature and of the team will ensure the right outcome. Follow others, live simply and encourage the creativity of the team.
Men dislike that which is helpless, insignificant or bad,
But this is how kings and lords describe themselves.
When things diminish, they will increase.
When things increase, they will diminish.
What the ancients taught, I will also teach.
That which is strong has no control over its death.
This will be the basis of my teaching.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
41: Disturbing Wisdom
The Project
Nearly finished chapter 4 (Portfolio Management) but I’m struggling to create a yin and yang graphic to illustrate the portfolio life cycle. I’ve created the basic shape with one large and two small circles and made the two small circles black and white but I can’t work out how to make the other two segments black and white. If anyone out there knows how to create a smooth curved vector or how to flood fill a segment of two overlapping objects in InDesign please help!
Things happen on a project and it is important that the project manager finds out how and why. The wise project manager finds out and acts accordingly. The poor project manager, even if they do manage to find out, dismisses it as nonsense. The poor project manager thinks kindness is weakness and selflessness is not the way to get ahead.
The Way
People who do not see how things happen are sceptical about the wise project manager’s behaviour. Because his motives are obscure he is hard to figure out. It is not easy to understand a person whose foundation is invisible. But this is the way things happen.
The best scholar hears of the Tao,
And practices it diligently.
The average scholar hears of the Tao,
And sometimes practices it and sometimes not.
The foolish scholar hears of the Tao,
And ridicules it.
Nearly finished chapter 4 (Portfolio Management) but I’m struggling to create a yin and yang graphic to illustrate the portfolio life cycle. I’ve created the basic shape with one large and two small circles and made the two small circles black and white but I can’t work out how to make the other two segments black and white. If anyone out there knows how to create a smooth curved vector or how to flood fill a segment of two overlapping objects in InDesign please help!
Things happen on a project and it is important that the project manager finds out how and why. The wise project manager finds out and acts accordingly. The poor project manager, even if they do manage to find out, dismisses it as nonsense. The poor project manager thinks kindness is weakness and selflessness is not the way to get ahead.
The Way
People who do not see how things happen are sceptical about the wise project manager’s behaviour. Because his motives are obscure he is hard to figure out. It is not easy to understand a person whose foundation is invisible. But this is the way things happen.
The best scholar hears of the Tao,
And practices it diligently.
The average scholar hears of the Tao,
And sometimes practices it and sometimes not.
The foolish scholar hears of the Tao,
And ridicules it.
Friday, November 15, 2013
40: Meditation
The Project
I've now received the new templates from the publishers and started typesetting the first couple of chapters of "Project Program and Portfolio Management in easy steps". The new layout looks good. It's due for publication next March so I've plenty of time but it's a big subject to cover in easy steps. Working largely on my own these days I sometimes forget about taking a break when I'm in the middle of a interesting topic but I usually find a little time for meditation at least once a day.
Meditation requires peace and quiet but in the hurly-burly of project life there are very few moments like that. We do need these moments of tranquility to slow down, take stock and re-charge our batteries. But how does a project manager use them?
The poor project manager worries about what is happening or not happening on their project, frets about what else might go wrong and gets angry at life and the world for their problems.
The Way
The wise project manager uses the time to meditate calmly, returning to his inner self and becoming silent. Through meditation we can start to understand the process and through understanding the process we can begin to understand the principle. This is the way things happen so we begin to understand what is happening on the project.
Returning is the movement of the Tao.
Yielding is the way of the Tao.
The ten thousand things are born of being.
Being is born of not being.
I've now received the new templates from the publishers and started typesetting the first couple of chapters of "Project Program and Portfolio Management in easy steps". The new layout looks good. It's due for publication next March so I've plenty of time but it's a big subject to cover in easy steps. Working largely on my own these days I sometimes forget about taking a break when I'm in the middle of a interesting topic but I usually find a little time for meditation at least once a day.
Meditation requires peace and quiet but in the hurly-burly of project life there are very few moments like that. We do need these moments of tranquility to slow down, take stock and re-charge our batteries. But how does a project manager use them?
The poor project manager worries about what is happening or not happening on their project, frets about what else might go wrong and gets angry at life and the world for their problems.
The Way
The wise project manager uses the time to meditate calmly, returning to his inner self and becoming silent. Through meditation we can start to understand the process and through understanding the process we can begin to understand the principle. This is the way things happen so we begin to understand what is happening on the project.
Returning is the movement of the Tao.
Yielding is the way of the Tao.
The ten thousand things are born of being.
Being is born of not being.
Friday, November 08, 2013
39: The Root of Things
Project Program and Portfolio Management
I am well into writing chapter six now (Implementing Program Management) and it is all starting to fall into place quite nicely. It’s interesting how much the Capability Maturity Model features (something I spent a lot of time promoting back in my working days) and how critical having at the very least a well-established Project Office in place before moving into Program Management. It really is the root of project, program and portfolio management maturity.
Sometimes when things start to get difficult on a project it is tempting to abandon the way. But when we try to interfere with nature, nothing works right. Things start to go wrong, the project team becomes disillusioned and the project ends up failing.
The Way
Success comes through cooperation and providing a service to others. The wise project manager nurtures the team, cooperates with them and is their servant, this is true leadership. Potency comes from knowing what is happening and acting accordingly. Freedom comes from obedience to the natural order. This way the project progresses, the team is happy and the project is in harmony with nature.
If the sky was not pure it would split open,
If the earth was not tranquil it would erupt,
If the spirits were not spiritual they would vanish,
If the valley was not abundance it would wither,
If the ten thousand things were not alive they would be extinct,
If the rulers did not lead they would be toppled.
Therefore cheap is the root of expensive,
Low is the root of high.
Do not wish to be shiny like jade,
Be dull like a rock.
I am well into writing chapter six now (Implementing Program Management) and it is all starting to fall into place quite nicely. It’s interesting how much the Capability Maturity Model features (something I spent a lot of time promoting back in my working days) and how critical having at the very least a well-established Project Office in place before moving into Program Management. It really is the root of project, program and portfolio management maturity.
Sometimes when things start to get difficult on a project it is tempting to abandon the way. But when we try to interfere with nature, nothing works right. Things start to go wrong, the project team becomes disillusioned and the project ends up failing.
The Way
Success comes through cooperation and providing a service to others. The wise project manager nurtures the team, cooperates with them and is their servant, this is true leadership. Potency comes from knowing what is happening and acting accordingly. Freedom comes from obedience to the natural order. This way the project progresses, the team is happy and the project is in harmony with nature.
If the sky was not pure it would split open,
If the earth was not tranquil it would erupt,
If the spirits were not spiritual they would vanish,
If the valley was not abundance it would wither,
If the ten thousand things were not alive they would be extinct,
If the rulers did not lead they would be toppled.
Therefore cheap is the root of expensive,
Low is the root of high.
Do not wish to be shiny like jade,
Be dull like a rock.
Friday, November 01, 2013
38: Virtuous Leadership
The Project
I’ve got the material for the first four chapters of “Project Program and Portfolio Management in easy steps” ready now: Introduction plus one chapter on each of Projects, Programs and Portfolios. I’ve roughly worked out what the remaining chapters will be about but they will probably change a bit as I work through them. I’ve sent the publishers a synopsis so hopefully they will get some positive feedback from their main customers.
Back in the days when I used to run project management courses, I used an exercise to get the delegates to describe the characteristics of the most effective and ineffective managers they had ever known. I would write their positive and negative characteristics on two flip charts and some of the negative flip charts we produced were hilarious if not scurrilous.
The Way
Poor project managers may try to behave in what they think is the ‘right way’ for a project manager to behave. They act busy but never seem to achieve anything. The wise project manager is aware of what is happening in the team and acts accordingly. He doesn’t try to do anything, he just does the right thing.
True goodness is not virtuous,
Because it has virtue.
A foolish person tries to be good,
Therefore has no virtue.
The sage does nothing,
Yet leaves nothing undone.
A foolish man is always doing,
Yet much remains to be done.
I’ve got the material for the first four chapters of “Project Program and Portfolio Management in easy steps” ready now: Introduction plus one chapter on each of Projects, Programs and Portfolios. I’ve roughly worked out what the remaining chapters will be about but they will probably change a bit as I work through them. I’ve sent the publishers a synopsis so hopefully they will get some positive feedback from their main customers.
Back in the days when I used to run project management courses, I used an exercise to get the delegates to describe the characteristics of the most effective and ineffective managers they had ever known. I would write their positive and negative characteristics on two flip charts and some of the negative flip charts we produced were hilarious if not scurrilous.
The Way
Poor project managers may try to behave in what they think is the ‘right way’ for a project manager to behave. They act busy but never seem to achieve anything. The wise project manager is aware of what is happening in the team and acts accordingly. He doesn’t try to do anything, he just does the right thing.
True goodness is not virtuous,
Because it has virtue.
A foolish person tries to be good,
Therefore has no virtue.
The sage does nothing,
Yet leaves nothing undone.
A foolish man is always doing,
Yet much remains to be done.
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