Using Peoples' Skills

Last week I mentioned Johnny Beirne and his excellent Project Management Paradise web site at projectmanagementparadise.com. He talks to me about my approach to project management on episode 5 if you would like to hear my thoughts. One of which was on peoples' skills.

Using Peoples' Skills
When it comes to project team members, it is quite normal that some will be better at certain things than others. Some will be very competent at what they do and others less so. Some will be more dedicated and some less so. I always have to smile when people raise things like Belbin roles as a pre-requisite when selecting project teams. “We must have a completer/finisher” is the usual cry but in my experience you are lucky to get people with the technical skills you need, let alone team skills. 

The Way  
The wise project manager learns to work with the people he gets given and thanks them for their efforts. The light of awareness shines equally on what is good and what is bad. One person is as worthy as the next. Knowing this the wise project manager does not pretend to be special. Silence is a great source of strength. 

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us: 

The sage is not humane,  
Considering all as grass dogs.  

The space between Heaven and Earth,  
Is like a flute or sack.  
It is emptied but not lessened.  
Move it and more comes out.  

Many words add up to nothing.  
Nothing equals holding to the center.  

Note: The Tao uses the term ‘grass dogs’ to indicate that things might be good or evil.  So the sage does not take sides but considers all equal regardless of their virtue.