How Tae Kwon Do can be applied to Project and Program Management, part 5

Hello and welcome to the last in a series of articles focusing on the five tenets of Tae Kwon Do. For those of you who have been reading the series, you’ll recall the first four tenets were 1. Etiquette, 2. Modesty, 3. Perseverance and 4. Self-control. The final one I will cover is indomitable spirit. This is a great term, isn’t it?! But what does it mean? Well, just for once, I’m going to break with the usual convention of referring to a definition, as I don’t want to give each word more emphasis than the other. What I do want to say is that, in a nutshell, something indomitable can’t be beat. So to go one step further, we could say that an indomitable spirit is one that cannot be overcome, even against overwhelming odds.

Let’s look at how this applied to Tae Kwon Do. A serious student of Tae Kwon Do will deal with the belligerent without any fear or hesitation at all, with indomitable spirit, regardless of whoever and however many the numbers may be.

Sounds brave, doesn’t it, yet if we apply this to project and program management, don’t we deal with belligerence from time to time, and sometime not just on a 1:1 basis.

I want to be clear that, as far as I am concerned, it is virtually impossible to remove the element of spirituality from the equation, as indomitable spirit is undoubtedly a strength that comes from within.

Immediately one can draw on the parallel of not only Tae Kwon Do but indeed any martial art, as these draw on chi, or life force. So, for example, when one is executing one’s patterns, to be really in the zone takes chi and this is what sets apart those who seem quite wooden and those who are truly flowing.

And it’s exactly the same in our day-to-day work life.

Now obviously there are environmental factors at play too, such as the experiences from life - including relationships and knockbacks and how dealt with them – that we bring with us.

Now, it would be very rare indeed to go through one’s career without at least the odd ripple whose impact can be far-reaching. It’s how we deal with these ripples that counts.

It’s a fact that in today’s environment, we can be hit from all angles. Unreasonable demands, challenging deadlines, not to mention workforce reduction exercises. It can often feel like we’re on a raft that’s heading towards the rapids and there’s nothing we can do about it. But actually, there is always something we can do about it – it’s just that we need that indefatigable ability to bounce back. That’s indomitable spirit. But how does one get it?

In order to work out how to get something intangible, it’s usual to observe others. I have been fortunate enough in my career so far to serve two managers who I would describe as having indomitable spirit. It’s no coincidence that both of them also appear to be human dynamos, having seemingly endless reserves of energy and ultimately an ability to bounce back even from the most adverse of circumstances. What’s also interesting from a psychological point of view is how direct these guys are in their communication, and that’s no accident. Why? Because I believe that they have learned in their respective careers that a single-minded focus is absolutely necessary in order to guarantee progress not just for them, but also for their teams.  The way I have interpreted and applied this is that, even when balancing multiple activities, if needing to prioritise on something, you really need to apply a determination to see it through to the end, even when distractions are literally in your face!

Jumping back to the Tae Kwon Do parallel, indomitable spirit is evident among those of us who fail a grade but come back stronger and more determined to pass. It’s there when we are sparring, fall down yet keep on getting up. And equally it’s there when we pick up injuries ranging from Achilles heels to fractured ribs! Thinking of project and program management, this is comparable to the war wounds we pick up from the different experiences we go through on assignments. And I’m also thinking about the various certifications we take whilst balancing a full time assignment and family life.

Now, in part 4, I promised that I would draw on the experiences of the last year. Here goes. There is no doubt that it was a truly challenging one, which started with me watching many of my colleagues whom I had worked closely with disappear to pastures new, some of their own volition, others not. This included one of the most inspirational managers I had ever worked for. So this was a bitter pill to swallow in many ways. In fact, there were times when I almost felt I was in need of bereavement counselling. Then, having been moved out of an area I had been in for 3 years+, I went from being in a situation in which I felt I was completely at the top of my game to feeling almost like I was starting again. In some ways it was humbling, but I believe humility to be an important virtue and one that is, sadly, sorely lacking in many. So rather than seeing this as a backward step, I decided to embrace it, to build up new knowledge and try to apply previous experience in order to add maximum value. Or, to put it in Tae Kwon Do terms, to pick myself up off the floor, dust myself down and get back to it.

From a human point of view, what was extremely important was the interaction with my new colleagues. Without this, it would be extremely difficult to continue cultivate and maintain indomitable spirit. Just as in Tae Kwon Do, camaraderie is absolutely imperative. One has to be able to rely on others to a certain extent – to be able to make sound assumptions about competence. For instance, during sparring in Tae Kwon Do, we have the approach of light contact, meaning that at times you could be a couple of millimetres away from feeling a fist or foot impacting you. I don’t really have to tell you that if you were to feel the full impact of a sparring partner, you would think twice before sparring with them again. Just as with Tae Kwon Do, in our careers, trust is so very important. For if this is lost, you will find it incredibly hard to earn it again.

In closing, I want to stress that indomitable spirit is not something that just comes from nowhere. It is something that you have to work on. With each challenging experience that you go through, try to look at it with fresh eyes, viewing it as an opportunity to cultivate this wonderful tenet. At first you will fall down – this is quite natural. But eventually, after picking yourself up, you will find that you become stronger. This in turn will lead to more confidence and a willingness to encounter greater challenges.

I wish you all the very best in your career going forward and it is my hope that you seek to apply the five tenets of Tae Kwon Do. As with many thousands of Tae Kwon Do practitioners Globally, you will in very good company.

Bye for now.