Ever wonder how
many ground balls a short stop navigates in their career? How about the number
of time Joni Mitchell was asked to play “Both Sides Now”? And while DaVinci was
never asked to sculpt “David” again, how many sculptures, paintings, and ceilings
did he paint in his lifetime? Every artist, and dare I say every career, is
filled with repetition. We are asked to do the same thing again and again. It
is interesting to consider, repetition is what the great masters do. They work
on a brush stroke, a cord progression, a building design, always looking for a
higher possibility. It is no different in project management. Project Managers
are asked to create schedules, identify risks, manage change, and manage the
various knowledge areas over and over again. It could conceivably become mundane,
we could easily fall into mediocrity, unless we continuously consider the work
we are doing as new, fresh, unique, and from a place of curiosity.
I’ve never lived
this moment before, the possibilities are endless is the battle cry of seeing
each moment of our lives as filled with possibility. It is with this approach,
from a place of wonderment, that we can see opportunities where others may
simply see obstacles. It is when we embrace this moment as different from all
the others that we’ve faced that possibilities spring forward into view. It is
when we acknowledge that, right here, right now, is the only time and place
that matters. Like the uniqueness of a snowflake, every moment is fresh and
new. Different yet similar circumstances, different yet similar participants,
and different yet similar you.
When a new
issue comes zipping into the project like a baseball single heading for the shortstop,
there is little time to respond, natural instincts take over as the player moves
quickly toward the ball, the synapse firing and the brain determining measurements,
distance, velocity and where to throw the ball for the best play possible. Split
second decisions based on practice with the team on the field, knowing where
everyone is because everyone has played together, practiced together, and won
and lost together. The degree of trust is high, everyone knows they can count on
everyone else to absolutely do their best.
How does that
relate to Project Management? When something comes up in a project, allow the
team to handle the issue. The manager doesn’t run onto the field and suggest
what play the shortstop should make. The players each have a role to play throughout
the game, including the manager. Each player stays in their lane, doing their
job to the best of their ability. If the manager believes there is a higher
possibility, they may work with the shortstop after the play. The team practices
together, going through the various plays, getting to know the strengths and areas
of growth of each player. The same is true for a project team. Each member of
the team works with the other, again and again, passing “the ball” back and
forth. The project managers role, is to look for ways to strengthen the team,
suggesting ways to work together differently, and finding different processes
to use to ensure the communication between team members is strong.
The work we do
in project delivery, is repetitive. It is when we fail to see the unique
aspects of every project and to view every project as a learning opportunity
rather than a way to show everyone what we already know. Making every project
the same or making every problem look like the puzzle we’ve solved before generally
does not work. It creates solutions that may not fit, it alienates project team
members with new ideas, and it rarely builds trust within the team. When a
manager sits back and judges every play a player makes on the field distrust is
created. When a manager encourages each player and sees the players doing their
best it creates team and it creates trust.
