Friday, October 28, 2016

Keeping Calm

Bonfire Night
The biggest fund raising event of the year for Topsham Rugby Club is November 5th. I was very heavily involved last year but this year I am leaving it to the team to organise. There will be a lot of pressure but I have trust in them to get it done.

There is often a lot of pressure at key times in a project. A poor project manager gets caught up in this pressure and consequently loses sight of what is happening. The wise project manager recognises that he needs to make space and step back in order to observe what is going on before doing anything. 

The Way  
The way represents the single principle of how everything works. When we keep it simple and follow the path there will be harmony in the team and people get on with the project. When we leave the way, the team will start to argue about what they should or should not have done and what might or might not have then happened. The project team begins to lose their motivation and they start to take sides.

The wise project manager recognises what is happening and returns to first principles. He needs to calm the team, reassure them and bring them back to the way. 

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

When the great Tao is neglected,  
Humanity and righteousness arise.  
When wisdom and knowledge appear,  
They beget great falseness.  

When there is no peace within the family,  
Filial piety and maternal love arise.  
When the country is confused and in chaos,  
Patriotism is born. 

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