Rugby
At last the end is in sight! The end of the cricket season that is and the start of rugby. We can't put the posts up yet but we are running our men's trials this evening with a BBQ to follow. Plus we've a pre-season friendly down at Sidmouth on Tuesday evening. Just enough to whet the appetite. Roll on September. Meanwhile the walking rugby goes from strength to strength and I've started registering the players ready for the new season.
Project Management
Some project managers like to be seen as experts on everything and they are always ready to give their views on the right way to do something, regardless of how little they actually know about it. Some also like to appear busy and never have any time to deal with the little niceties of life. But they do always seem to have enough time to check up on the team members and interfere with what they are doing.
The wise project manager tries to keep things simple and may often appear to do be doing little. This lack of needless intervention allows the team to develop and be productive and effective. But it can sometimes appear that the project manager is sitting there with no idea of what to do, which can be disconcerting for a team member who is used to project managers behaving more dynamically.
The Way
When the wise project manager speaks, it is often to say something obvious and it can sound simple. Because what he says is also honest it may seem perplexing. The project manager’s stillness may even appear to be foolishness. But the project manager’s stillness overcomes the team’s agitation. The project manager’s consciousness is his primary tool and this is what gets things done.
The Tao
Lao Tzu tells us:
Great perfection seems defective,
Great straightness seems crooked.
Great dexterity seems clumsy.
Great eloquence seems awkward.
Movement conquers cold.
Stillness conquers heat.
Purity and stillness set things in order in the universe.
Rugby
Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of weeks but my Fridays (posting day) have been very tied up. On the walking rugby front there was a meeting of the clubs who have got walking rugby going up at Bristol Rugby, which was very encouraging. Our numbers are steadily growing at Topsham and one of the Devon RFC committee is coming to join us next week. Meanwhile pre-season training has started for the men's and women's squads and we have a couple of pre-season friendlies to look forward to. While on the admin side we are just about finishing off the budgeting process for 2017-18.
Project Management
I was talking to a couple of people the other evening about how people get into project management. Some chose to work as project managers as they are interested in it, some choose it as a career choice, while others have it thrust upon them. I think I fell into the latter category, although I grew to love it.
Good project managers do it because they enjoy managing projects and bringing change to their organizations. Wise project managers also want to develop the people on their project teams and their organizations to make them more effective. They also want to develop themselves so that they become better people.
However some project managers just do it in order to get ahead and earn more money. They don’t care about the people who are working on the project or those who will be impacted by it, just as how they are perceived by the senior people in the organization.
The Way
The problem with owning a lot is that the more you have the more you have to look after. The poor man doesn’t need to lock his door; the rich man has to live in a gated enclosure surrounded by security. The more you have, the more you have to lose. Is that owning things or being owned by them?
The wise project manager knows that giving up things will make him truly richer, so be still and discover your inner security.
The Tao
Lao Tzu tells us:
Reputation or oneself, which matters more?
Wealth or happiness, which is more valuable?
Success or failure, which is worse?
Great attachment will lead to great waste.
Excessive hoarding will lead to heavy loss.
A contented man avoids disgrace.
Knowing when to stop avoids danger.
So acting one can last a long time.
