The Deadline...#newyear
I remember 1999 - like it was yesterday...the long-anticipated Y2K was closing in and with-it great fear that every computerized system would crash! As I count down to 2020, I think of the dreaded deadline I set for myself during the 2016 Rio Olympics. I watched in awe as the 16-year-old Canadian swimmer, Penny Oleksiak tied with Simone Manuel in the 100m Freestyle taking home Canada’s first swimming gold medal since Mark Tewksbury in 1992.
Inspired and cheering like mad, I declared a crazy goal - by my standards...I told my shocked family that I would swim 20 lengths 3 times a week by 2020...at the time, I could not swim 10 lengths... the DEADLINE 2020- now looms...What about you? What goals did you set with a deadline of 2020? How close are you to achieving your goal?
Deadlines...deadlines...deadlines...this reminds me of a book I read....
About 2 years ago, I read - The Deadline - a novel about Project management by Tom DeMarco. Tom is a principal of the Atlantic Systems Guild and has written over 15 books.
In "The Deadline" Tom introduces us to the main character, Mr. Tomkins at a meeting for staff of the Big Telephone and Telecommunications Company who had just been laid off - or as he puts it Released to Seek Opportunity Elsewhere - ReSOE'd.
Tom meets Lahksa HOOLIHAN, a KVJ agent who sorts of recruits /kidnaps him to work at Silikon Valejit for the nation of Morovia. Morovia's leader, NNL- Nation’s Noble Leader, is about 35, very rich with no management experience. He bought the country of Morovia and is hoping to make even more money by building a killer software product.
I was hooked from the first chapter – the conversational style, the wit, inverted names (like Silikon Valejit) and the wisdom weaved in captivated me. The chapters are short with conversations and events I could relate with both professionally and personally.
Mr. Tompkins journals his lessons learned throughout the book – and this is where I found gems of wisdom, I could apply not only to project management but any deadline.
My top 3 favorite tips were:
- 4 essentials of management.
- Get the right people
- Match them to the right jobs
- Keep them motivated
- Help their teams to jell and stay jelled.
(everything else – GANTT/PERT charts, etc. is Administrivia)
2. Safety and change – people need to feel safe in order to embrace change.
3. The world’s greatest project manager. Belinda Binda is one of my favorite characters. She’s straightforward – almost blunt. According to her, great project managers:
- lead with the heart
- trust their gut
- build soul into the organization
- have a nose for BS
As I think of 2020 and the new deadlines I plan to set, I could apply some of the wisdom professionally and personally.
So – back to my deadline…I can now swim 20 lengths…for about a month I did that twice a week…and I’m hoping that before the Tokyo Olympics a new community center in my neighborhood will be completed so I can swim 20 lengths 3 times a week consistently.
A friend recommended “waltzing with the Bears” by Tom DeMarco. After reading “The Deadline” and thoroughly enjoying it, I’m on the lookout for the next adventure – watch out bears!
The Deadline is available on Amazon, https://www.amazon.ca/Deadline-Novel-about-Project-Management/dp/0932633390
Thanks for sharing those great learnings from your project management reading. Those are very practical advise. Congrats also in your personal achievement for reaching your goal, Paskwa!