Project Success

I have just finished my latest project, updating and releasing Sourdough Bread Made Easy: second edition. It is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book. So nothing to do with project management, but after walking rugby, baking sourdough bread is my second favourite hobby.  

For a project manager, success on projects is usually measured by whether the project is delivered on time, within budget and with all the required features and functionality (or on agile projects with all the required features and functionality that can be delivered in the available time). 

A poor project manager concentrates on getting the project in on time and within budget, a better project manager adds the required features and functionality (I like to think I ticked all three boxes on the book update).

The Way  

But the wise project manager includes and cares for the users, the team and all the other project stakeholders.  He lets them be the judges of whether or not the project is successful (so I await the judgement of my readers).  

The Tao

Lao Tzu tells us:

 

Misfortune comes from having a body.  
Without a body, how could there be misfortune?  
Therefore honor life as yourself.  
Have faith in the way things are.  
Love the world as your own self,  
Then you can truly care for all things.  

CoVid-19

It is really a long time since I've posted anything, but I am getting old, 77 at my next birthday if I'm lucky enough to survive. So locked in with nothing to do except look at my current books and one cried out for an update. Nothing to do with project management I'm afraid, but my now best selling book Sourdough Bread Made Easy. So I'm working on that, in fact I've nearly finished. 

My other project management books are in the process of being handed over as part of my succession planning to David Morris and Graham Moore. The deal with them is that the next release is a joint book with both our names on it, the one after that is all theirs. The only book I haven't been able to plan a hand over for is Effective Time Management in Easy Steps, so if anyone out there is interested in taking it over let me know. It really does need updating.

So back to the way for a moment and thinking about CoVid-19 there are a lot of people worrying about the risk of catching it and dying. So maybe we should meditate on that for a moment.

Some people fear life, some fear death and some waver between them.  Lao Tzu tells us that each of these three groups represents thirty percent of people.  Applying this to project management we could say that fear of failure and apprehension about success, together with wavering between them causes tension.  This in turn causes people to make mistakes in critical situations, which can have fatal consequences for the project team.

The Way
The wise project manager represents the ten percent that have the wisdom to accept that these polarities are simple facts and so enjoys the dance of existence.  The wise project manager knows that everything comes and goes so there is no point in grasping for or clinging to things.  Why worry about what might or might not happen?

A ferocious dog will go for an excited or anxious person, while a conscious and centered person can walk past unharmed.  The wise project manager does not worry about success or failure and this freedom keeps him safe from harm.

Lao Tzu tells us:
Between birth and death,
Three in ten are followers of life,
Three in ten are followers of death,
Also three in ten are of a nature,
Which actively leads to death.

Why is this so?
Because they live a substantial life.
It is said that he who has a good grip on life,
Meets no rhinoceros or tiger on his path.
Rhinoceroses can find no place for their horns,
Tigers no place for their claws,
Why is this so?
Because he has no place for death.

In terms of the Tao death does not exist, it is just a transition from one state to another.

Being Open

First my apologies; it is a long time since I've posted anything and the reason is I have been busy on things other than project management, but project management has once again appeared on the horizon, so I should address it.

On the book front I am in the process of succession planning: the new release of Agile Project Management in easy steps is co-authored with David Morris and the new release of Effective Project Management is being co-authored with Graham Moore. They will be taking over the books from the next release and I know I am leaving them both in good hands.

Back to project management and my current issue: what should a project manager do when one of their team seems to struggling to deliver what's needed. One of my old bosses once told me I should be tougher with people when they failed to deliver but that’s not my way.  Some project managers seem to think that being a leader means they have to impose their own value system on their team, but this only leads to resentment.  The wise project manager demonstrates leadership by being the servant of the team.  He follows the team’s lead and is open to whatever emerges.  Being open and attentive to the needs of others is more effective than being judgmental.  

The Way  
The wise project manager expects the best of people and they live up to it.  People naturally tend to be good and truthful when they are being received in a good and truthful manner.  The wise project manager may seem to be naive and childlike in this uncritical openness to whatever emerges.  But openness is more potent than any system of judgment ever devised.  The wise project manager judges no one and is equally attentive to all.  

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

The sage has no fixed agenda.  
He is aware of the needs of others.  

I am good to people who are honest.  
I am also good to people who are dishonest.  
This is true goodness.  

I keep faith with people who are sincere.  
I also keep faith with people who are insincere.  
This is true faithfulness.  

The sage dwells in harmony,  
His agenda seems confused.  
To the sage all are as children.  

The term ‘children’ refers to children of the mother (Tao), to the sage the goodness of any of the children is the same as his own goodness.  

Unclutter Your Mind

I am in the process of running a time management course for the staff of the rugby club and it is quite like old times. Getting people to find out exactly what they do and why they do it is the first step, then they can move on to identifying the things that matter and concentrate on them. Hopefully they will stop doing the things that don't matter for that is the way.

The Way  
The wise project manager understands the purpose of methodologies, tools and techniques and knows if and when to use them, but he allows them to fade into the background.  He is following a process of uncluttering his mind and simplifying his work.  As he relies less on knowing what he should do, his work becomes more powerful.  His consciousness is far more potent than any methodology.  

By giving up trying to do the right thing, the project manager and the team will become far more fruitful, for this is the way of the project manager.  

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

In the pursuit of learning,  
Every day something is added.  
In the practice of the Tao,  
Every day something is dropped.  

Less and less is done  
Until non-action is achieved.  
When nothing is done,  
Nothing remains undone.  

True mastery is gained,  
By letting things take their course,  
Not by interfering.  

Back Again

Well it seems like a long time since my last post but here I am back again.

The Project

As part of my succession planning, I've started working with an old friend and colleague Graham Moore on the next edition of Effective Project Management in easy steps. I did the same thing with my son David Morris on Agile Project Management and I plan to do the same on each of my books as they come up for a new edition, sharing royalties for that edition, then handing it over completely after that. Well I am 74 so it's about time I took a step back. I'll report on progress from time to time.

Walking Rugby

My other project at the moment is organising a walking rugby festival for 14 April. It's being sponsored by Devon RFU and I've got guest sides coming from Reading, Salisbury, Bristol, Gloucester and Kingswood rugby clubs. I hope to get a few from Devon to build the sport locally but I need a fair bit of help in getting it going. There are many ways of plotting or measuring how well a project is performing. My own preference is for a simple deliverable checklist (or function list) with the team member responsible for the delivery together with the planned and actual completion dates.  

The Way
The wise project manager is aware of what is happening on the project in the here and now. This is much more potent than complex interpretations of work completed. Stillness, clarity and consciousness are more immediate and will give a better understanding of what is happening. By staying in the present and being aware of what is happening, the wise project manager can do less yet still achieve more.  

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

Without going outside,  
You may understand the order of things.  
Without looking through the window,  
You may see the way of things.  

To go far, is to know less.  
Thus the sage knows without going,  
Sees without looking,  
Accomplishes without motive.  

No Win/No Lose

Rugby
Great excitement at the club this week as they will be filming next week's Rugby Tonight (BT Sport) at our very own Topsham Rugby Football Club. It will undoubtedly be chaos but I'll hopefully be able to get a plug in for walking rugby. Meanwhile we are working on three project proposals for improvements to the grounds and clubhouse, which nicely brings me on to:

Project Management
While it’s good to have a happy project team as it tells you that things are going well, there will always be some conflicts of opinion in the team, and that’s only right and natural. There is no point in the project manager trying to stamp these out, as they actually create energies which are creative forces. Often a spark of genius or a great idea will evolve from heated discussion about the different ways of doing something.  

However a poorly run project can look more like a battlefield. If the project manager loses sight of how things happen, differences of opinion will turn into quarrels which can begin to devastate the team. This all comes down to the project manager’s attitude. Trying to score points will not shed light on what is happening on the project. Wanting to be right will blind people to the real work of the project.  

The Way  
There should be no personal wins and no personal losses in project team work. The wise project manager knows that it is important to be content with what is actually happening and not get worked up about what might or might not happen. The only thing that matters is the team. If the project manager nurtures the team they will be successful.  

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

When the Tao is in the universe,  
The horses haul manure.  
When the Tao is absent from the universe,  
War horses are kept near the city.  

There is no greater calamity than greed,  
No greater misfortune than avarice.  
So he who knows that enough is enough,  
Will always have enough.  

Appearing Foolish

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.  

Owning or Owned

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.  

Gentle Intervention

The Project
Finally completed Earned Value Management in easy steps, thanks to lots of good feedback from David M, Graham M and David C-C. The publishers are now reviewing it, so far no queries or questions, so fingers crossed. Meanwhile onto the next project, updating Sourdough Bread Made Easy, I've lots of new material to add in and quite a few bits to update.

Many things can cause conflicts on a project: tight schedules, tight budgets, other peoples’ priorities, human resources (or the lack of them), technical opinions, interpersonal conflicts and administrative procedures to name but a few. The project manager has to deal with these conflicts to keep the project on track. I have known some project managers that take the approach of confronting things head on and insisting on things being done their way but that is not the way.

The Way  
The wise project manager takes a gentle approach to things. If there is a problem, he tries to identify the cause of the difficulty, first making sure it is not something he has or has not done. If someone is being difficult, the wise project manager is assertive about the issue but does not over-react. He is gentle with them and explains what he wants to achieve. He explains why it matters and trusts in his consciousness shedding light on the issue. But if that doesn’t work, he still does not over-react, for that is not the way. 

Instead the wise project manager steps back and yields knowing that their resistance will relax. The wise project manager understands how much, how little can achieve. 

The Tao
Lao Tzu tells us:

The softest thing in the universe,  
Overcomes the hardest.  
That which has no substance,  
Can penetrate where there is no space.  

I thus understand the value of being motiveless.  
Teaching without words.  
Actions without motive,  
Are rarely attained in the world.  

Creative Energy

We had our AGM at the rugby club this week. Good turnout (probably because we opened the bar and had free food) and there was a good bit of lively discussion.

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.  

The Way 
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. In some ways a wise project manager is more of a follower than a leader. His role is to foster and encourage the creativity of the team members. 

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, this is the Way.  

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us: 

Tao begot the one.  
The one begot the two.  
The two begot the three.  
And the three begot the ten thousand things.  

The ten thousand things depend on the female,  
And embrace the male.  
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.  
That which is strong has no control over its death.  
This will be the basis of my teaching.  

Disturbing Wisdom

Someone wise once said "expect the unexpected" and it has often been repeated. It is true of life in general but it does seem to be particularly relevant in project management. But no matter how much we try and expect the unexpected, unexpected things will 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 skeptical about the wise project manager’s behavior. 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 Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:

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.  

Meditation

I once asked my old Tai Chi teacher, Yano, what the ten thousand things were. He just smiled and poked me in the stomach (he was like that). It was obvious, I should have thought about it or meditated.

Meditation requires peace and quiet but in the hurly-burly of project life it sometimes seems that there are very few moments like that. But we do need these moments of tranquility to slow down, take stock and re-charge our batteries.  

The Way  
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. That way lies despair!  

The wise project manager uses the time to meditate calmly, returning to his inner self and becoming silent. What is happening when nothing is happening? What is the difference between what is happening and how it happens? 

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 .

The Tao
Lao Tzu tells us:  

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. 

The Root of Things

Rugby
Not a very good start to the Lions tour so far, narrow victory over a scratch side and losing to the bottom club (albeit one with eight All Blacks in it) the Auckland Blues (my son David's team). Next up the Crusaders (the top NZ side) tomorrow so it doesn't get any easier. Meanwhile walking rugby is going well but we are struggling to get volunteers for our Groundforce Day (sprucing up the clubhouse and grounds) tomorrow.

The Project
I currently have three people reviewing the content of the new book and the silence is deafening! Should I start to worry as it's due to the publishers by the end of the month!

When things start to get difficult on a project it is sometimes tempting to abandon the way. A poor project manager will try to use pressure to influence events, but the harder he tries, the worse things will get. 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. We need to recognise that power comes from the natural order of things. Natural events are potent because they act in accordance with how things work. They simply are.  

The Way  
On a project we are all team players. Success comes through co-operation and providing a service to others. Therefore the wise project manager is not self-centred; he nurtures the team, co-operates with them and is their servant. 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.

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

Of old these arise from the one:  
The sky was able to be pure,  
The earth was able to be tranquil,  
The spirits were able to be spiritual,  
The valley was able to be abundant,  
The ten thousand things were able to be alive,  
And the rulers were able to lead.  
All these came about.  

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.  
The rulers consider themselves alone, bereft and unworthy,  
Fail to use worthless as their root.  Is it not so?  
The substance of the vehicle is not the vehicle.  
Do not wish to be shiny like jade,  
Be dull like rock. 

Virtuous Leadership

Over the years I've had the pleasure of meeting a few really good project managers and the misfortune of meeting a lot of poor project managers.

The Way  
A poor project manager tries to behave in what he think is the ‘right way’ for a project manager to behave. He acts as if busy but never seem to achieve anything. This sheds no light on anything and usually backfires as the team think he doesn’t actually know what’s going on. 

The wise project manager is aware of what is happening in the team and acts accordingly. There are no ways to behave that will ensure successful leadership. It cannot be calculated or manipulated and it is never achieved by trying to look good. The wise project manager just does the right thing.  

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

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.  

When a truly kind man does something,  
He leaves nothing undone.  
When a just man does something,  
He leaves a great deal to be done.  

Therefore ignore Tao and virtue ensues.  
Ignore virtue and kindness ensues.  
Ignore kindness and justice ensues.  
Ignore justice and etiquette ensues.  

A man of etiquette despises goodness
And sets in motion confusion.  
His concern is himself and what serves him,  
It is the beginning of folly.  

Therefore the truly great man looks to the substantial,  
And not what is on the surface.  
The true fruit not the flowery.  
Dismissing the one, grasping the other. 

Doing Little

Walking Rugby

Walking rugby really seems to be taking off, we had ten people again last night, so 5-a-side on a 20 x 40 pitch worked well. And everyone is enjoying it! But I digress as I was really going to talk about doing little.

The Way  
Some people get confused when a project manager appears to be doing very little and yet things still seem to get done. But the wise project manager knows that is how things work. The Tao does nothing, yet everything gets done.  

The poor project manager appears to be too busy, always rushing about so nothing actually gets done. When the wise project manager finds himself getting too busy, he takes a step back, returns to selfless silence and centers himself. Being centred creates order and when there is order, there is little to do.

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

Tao abides in non-action,  
Yet nothing is left undone.  
When kings are able to conform to this,  
The ten thousand things will develop naturally.  
Transformed, yet wishing to achieve,  
I shall repress them with the simplicity of the nameless.  
The simplicity of the nameless,  
Acts without desire.  
Without desire,  
The world will be at peace.  

Subtle Insight

Walking Rugby
The games is starting to gather momentum! We had 10 of our walkers turned up last night for a coaching session and game run by Jason Luff (former Exeter Chiefs player and now Regional Development Officer for Devon RFU). Lots of pics taken for publicity and we should get a write up in the local paper and Estuary magazine. And we are going to keep on training and playing through the summer. Much better than cricket!

As we get further into a project it is not unusual to find out that we don’t have enough human resources or budget to achieve everything that we would like to accomplish. A poor project manager might try and push the team to achieve more that they are capable of and they will probably fail. A wise project manager will work out the available options and take them to the business for a decision on which to take.  

The Way  
All behaviors contain their opposites: a show of strength suggests insecurity and what goes up must come down. The wise project manager knows that if he wishes to prosper he needs to be generous. Pushy, bullying project managers often have disastrous projects. As they say: be nice to people on the way up as you are likely to meet them again on the way back down. 

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

Strength ensured,   
Weakening may be considered.  
Prosperity ensured,  
Ruin may be considered.  

This might be called a subtle insight.  
Weakness conquers strength.  
And a country’s weapons,  
Should be hidden from the people.  

Keep It Simple

As a project manager I always tried to keep things simple. Yes I had a detailed project schedule for myself but I created a simplified high-level version for the project stakeholders and extract detailed deliverables lists for the project team to work from. That way it keeps things simple and easy to follow. 

Poor project managers get caught up in the drama and excitement of new ideas. They always want to try something new and different. They fail to observe what is going on around them, so they don’t see how things happen. They confuse the people around them and there is a loss of harmony in the project team. 

The Way  
The good project manager stays with the single principle and understands the team process. He keeps away from chaos and conflicts. He keeps things simple and clear for the team and so the work of the team progresses smoothly. When the project ends, the team are in good spirits and say “we did it!”, for indeed they did.

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

Hold the great image,  
All under heaven will come.  
They come without harm,  
In happiness and peace.  
Passing strangers might stop for music and food.  

Trying to describe the Tao, insipid!  
As if without taste.  
Look, it cannot be seen.  
Listen, it cannot be heard.  
Use cannot exhaust it.  

The Single Principle

The Project
I'm now on the first draft of the last chapter of EVM in easy steps. If anyone out there fancies reviewing it for me (particularly if you've used it) please let me know.

The Way  
Good project managers spend a lot of time communicating with their project stakeholders. Keeping them in the picture by explaining what the project team are doing and listening to them to make sure the project delivers what the business needs. This is in line with the single principle. 

The single principle is found everywhere and everything works according to it. You cannot own the single principle and it does not own you. It is great because it is universal and all-inclusive. The way benefits all without return and without prejudice.  

The wise project manager follows this principle and does not act selfishly. He works with everyone, not just the people he likes. He does not seek to control people and knows that true leadership is not about winning. He works to create an awareness of what is happening on the project and in the business. He gives a selfless service to all .

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

The great Tao flows everywhere,  
The ten thousand things rely upon it,  
But it allows them to act freely.  

It achieves its work, but takes no credit.  
It clothes and nourishes the ten thousand things,  
But demands no sovereignty.  

Can it be called insignificant?  
The ten thousand things return to it,  
But it does not rule them.  

Can it be named for this greatness?  
It does not regard itself as great,  
Therefore it can achieve greatness.  

Enlightenment

Traditional thinking about project resources has centered on human resources, the members of the project team, including the project manager himself. But this post is focused on the project manager’s inner resources, which is about enlightenment.  

Understanding how other people behave takes intelligence, but to know ourselves takes enlightenment. The poor project manager tries to use force to get the other team members to do what he wants. But to manage ourselves takes true power.  

The Way  
The wise project manager is content with what he has. He can live simply and enjoy prosperity and free time. If our goals are clear, we can achieve them without fuss.

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

He who understands others is wise,  
He who understands himself is enlightened.  
He who masters others has strength,  
He who masters himself is strong.  

To recognize enough is to be rich.  
He who acts forcefully has ambition.  
He who stays where he is endures.  
He who dies but is not forgotten, is long lived. 

Rules and Regulations

Poor project managers go in for fancy theories, which end up distracting the team from what is happening and saps their energy. Where rules and regulations are applied to the work of the team it breeds dissatisfaction. The project team will start to split into fractions and infighting will start to develop between them. The wise project manager must know when to stop.  

On the other hand, where there are no fancy theories or prejudices to split the team into fractions, there will be harmony. Where the work of the team is grounded in an obvious and natural righteousness, there will be no need for rules and regulations.  

The Way  
The way cannot be defined, it just is. It is the single principle responsible for every event or thing. The wise project manager has regard for this principle and as a consequence the team will trust him.  

The wise project manager returns to an awareness of what is happening and the single principle that lies behind it. Focusing on this single principle is the most potent aspect of leadership. From this the wise project manager will learn how things happen 

The Tao  
Lao Tzu tells us:  

The Tao is eternally nameless.  
Its simplicity, although imperceptible, cannot be grasped.  
If kings could grasp it,  
The ten thousand things would follow them.  

Heaven and earth cause sweet dew to fall,  
Not just on the worthy but on all alike.  
Men will not need to force it,  
All things would take their course.  

Once the whole is divided, the parts need names.  
There are already enough names,  
One must know when to stop.  
Knowing when to stop, thus avoiding danger.  

The existence of Tao in the world,  
Is like a river flowing home to the sea.