Courage is positioned as a pivotal issue for project management panache by Mike Levy. Courage is facing difficulties without fear. So what’s to fear in project-land? Plenty!
Let’s name a few fear factors:
• Potential loss of job
• Actual loss of team members
• Churn in project portfolio’s
• Confusion in corporate goals
• Lack of time for skill development
• Increased workload
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t intend to add to the clamor of doom and gloom. In fact, I have gone on a media diet. I stay away from my hotel newspapers, airport TV’s and deleted news headlines from appearing on my Google desktop. I’m committed to staying optimistic in spite of this economy.
So what are other ways to demonstrate your courage? Let’s take a lesson from history.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. ~Winston Churchill.
So what could we learn from this?
Project Manager Panache – Stand up and speak strategies. Be
• clear
• calm
• consistent
Project Manager Panache – Shut up and listen strategies. Be
• conciliatory
• concentrating e.g., focused
• contemplative e.g., mindful of what is said
Panache and persisting courage go hand-in-hand.
Thanks Mike for this insight.
Rosemary, I like the two parts of courage you defined: stand up and speak, and sit down and listen. Both are needed. One thing I would say differently is that instead of “Courage is facing difficulties without fear”, I would say “Courage is facing difficulties despite fear”. Fear is not to be avoided – it is a healthy emotion and keeps you out of or away from trouble – but rather fear needs to be mastered and tamed.
I’d like to stress the sit down and listen part. Too many of us are unwilling to listen to the people who really know their stuff. It’s important to be clear on your own area of expertise, and acknowledge that of others. Seek first to understand and guide. Constraints should always be clear, and solutions should almost never be imposed.