Random Walks

Multiple definitions of project success

March 30th, 2022

Each project is started to solve some problem, or to exploit an opportunity. As such, a project success is defined by how well the end-results addressed the problem or opportunity. The benefits of many projects, however, may only be derived long after the project has been commissioned.

A well-managed project, delivering the result on time, to budget and within the agreed scope, can still be deemed a failure. The challenge, then, is to make sure that the management of the project is aligned to the goals of the project at all times. And it starts with the realization that projects are initiated by people, for the benefit of people.
Progress is the best motivator of future progress

March 29th, 2022

I remember, starting out on my career journey, how every hurdle cleared was a win. The first proposal completed, the first proposal approved, the first project completed. All were signs of progress, and indeed, acted as fuel for the remainder of the work. When we watch our little selves in babies, we also celebrate small wins in that manner.

It is a lesson worth remembering when leading a team. Sometimes, it is difficult to see the signs of progress, to see how the work we are doing today aligns with the overall vision. Crafting small milestones for the team, and celebrating the wins, provides motivation for future wins. For any journey of significance is fraught with challenges, and remembering and celebrating your wins, even as you are descending in a valley on your mountain, could be just the fuel you and your team need.
Caring for the golden goose

March 28th, 2022

We eat, drink and breathe to survive as humans. We are dependent on the environment for all that we are and need to live.

Our challenge is to continue giving back, replenishing our environment as much as we are extracting from it. That way, we take care of our golden goose.
All else being equal

March 27th, 2022

The great scientific experiments are done by keeping every other variable constant, and only varying the concern variable. The human race has made progress since the advent of scientific method, and we certainly owe a lot to the scientific method of discovery.

However, in much of our daily lives, we cannot apply the scientific method. Things are in constant flux, and one does not know with conviction which causes lead to which outcomes. We make reasonable assumptions based on our previous experience and intuition, and act on it.

When pressed in a corner and asked to place a bet on one of multiple futures, it bodes well to remember that whichever choice we make is ultimately only a hunch. And that, sometimes, what appears to be the right choice can yield the wrong results, or vice versa.

Improving our process can help us to reduce the chance of an adverse outcome, and that is why practice is worth it. It allows us to learn and function in a world were all else is not equal.
Why the wind blows

March 26th, 2022

It was an unusually still afternoon, with no wind. Perfect for a run, but also ripe for a question. Why does the wind blow when it does?

When it blows, it makes me stronger when running against it. It’s also an immense source of power. Overall, though, the wind blows because it does. It does not care about my intentions, it just is. I’m the one who ascribes meaning to it.

Multiple definitions of project success

Progress is the best motivator of future progress

Caring for the golden goose

All else being equal

Why the wind blows