The Project Manager's Life 28

A project manager’s success or failure as the leader of a project may depend on his character and fortitude. If he is easily intimidated by superiors, either from the client’s team or from within his own company, he will soon have others making important decisions for him. Within his project team as well, his demonstration of strength as a leader will instill confidence and contribute toward acceptance of decisions. He must be the master of his own fate.

Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who in addition to writing on politics and religion, also wrote about issues of self respect. In the following couplet, he gives a strong recommendation on how we should position ourselves in life.

Position yourself such that prior to each determination of your fate,
God himself should ask you, his servant, if you have given your approval.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal

ख़ुदी को कर बुलंद इतना कि हर तक़दीर से पहले

ख़ुदा बन्दे से ख़ुद पूछे कि बता तेरी रज़ा क्या है
अल्लामा मोहम्मद इक़बाल

خودی کو کر بلند اتنا کہ ہر تقدیر سے پہلے
خدا بندے سےخود پوچھے کہ بتا تیری رضا کیا ہے
علامہ محمد اقبال

If you do not think of yourself as a leader and act as such, it is doubtful that others will view or treat you as one.

Smelling the Flowers 2

Just as Nida Fazli points out in the following sher about visiting a garden, we should consider every project situation that we enter with tact. We must enter the business environment with good manners and approach the task without causing disruption.

One must follow some etiquette going into a garden.
We should not make any butterfly fly from the flowers.
Nida Fazli

बाग़ में जाने के आदाब हुआ करते हैं
किसी तितली को न फूलों से उड़ाया जाए
निदा फ़ाज़ली

باغ ميں جانے کے آداب ہوا کرتے ہيں
کسي تتلي کو نہ پھولوں سے اڑايا جائے
ندا فاضلی

Enter the business garden as an observer and move carefully.

The Project Manager's Life 27

In a previous sher by Moein Nazar, we have already examined the nomadic aspect of the project manager’s life. He has minimal, if any, control over where the next assignment will take him. (See The Project Manager's Life 19 - http://nuur-e-faanuus.blogspot.com/2006/03/project-managers-life-19.html .)

This sher, also by Moein Nazar and from the same ghazal as the previous one, reemphasizes this point. The company for which the project manager or project team member works dispatches him or her to whatever locale to meet the needs of its clientele. In a way, he or she is sailing through life with no knowledge of the next port of disembarkation.

Life, I am also a traveler in your boat,
And I will disembark wherever you tell me.
Moein Nazar

ज़िन्दगी मैं भी मुसाफ़िर हूँ तेरी कश्ती का
तू जहाँ मुझ से कहेतगी मैं उतर जाऊँगा
मुईन नज़र

زندگی میں بھی مسافر ہوں تیری کشتی کا
تو جہاں مجھـ سے کہیتگی میں اتر جاؤںگا
معين نظر

Bon voyage! सफ़र मुबारक हो! ! سفر مبارک ہو

Smelling the Flowers 1

I have roamed all the gardens of the world;
The flower of friendship has a unique color and scent.
— Khwaja Mir Dard —

किया सैर सब हमने गुलज़ार-ए-दुनिया
गुल-ए-दोस्ती सें अजब रंग-ओ-बू है
— ख़्वाजा मीर दर्द —

کيا سير سب ہم نے گل زار دنيا
گل دوستی ميں عجب رنگ و بو ہے
— خواجہ مير درد —

As you roam through a garden, be alert to spot that special flower. If you spot it, be certain to stop and appreciate its beauty and fragrance.

The Project Manager's Life 26

The following sher, by Parveen Shaakir, is a natural companion for the sher by Moein Nazar in the last post (see The Project Manager's Life 25) on the value that comes from having a highly respected reputation as a project professional over the mere entry of an accomplishment in a CV. His reputation will spread, but the flower of his accomplishment will remain rooted in the bed of the CV.

He is the fragrance and will spread out in the air
The flower’s problem, however, is where it will go.
— Parveen Shaakir —

वो तो ख़ुश्बू है हवाओं में बिखर जाएगा
मसला फूल का है फूल किधर जाएगा
— परवीन शाकिर —
मसला = question

وہ تو خوش بو ہے ہواؤں مین بکھرجائگا
مسئلہ پھول کا ہے پھول کدھر جائگا
— پروين شاکر —

The Project Manager's Life 25

Today’s sher is about talent, हुनर / ہنر.

A team member who has successfully completed another project can up date his curriculum vitae with the documentation of his latest accomplishment like placing another flower in a bouquet. Unfortunately, this is only valuable when it can be seen and after being viewed may fade from memory.

The talents, however, of a top professional who truly excels consistently in his project work are not propagated merely via his CV. His reputation spreads like a pleasing fragrance in the air and he is sought out and remembered. Many more people than those who may have seen his CV will know of his skills and remember him. Moein Nazar captures the essence of such a professional in the following sher:

Flowers will remain as memories in their vases
I, however, am the fragrance that will spread throughout the atmosphere!
— Moein Nazar —

फूल रह जाएंगे गुलदानों में यादों की नज़र
मैं तो ख़ुशबू हूँ फ़ज़ाओं में बिखर जाऊँगा
— मोईन नज़र —

फ़ज़ा or फ़िज़ा = atmosphere

پھول رہ جائںگے گل دانوں ميں یادوں کی نظر
مین تو خوش بوہوں فضاؤں مین بکھر جاؤںگا
— معين نظر —

This reminds me of the English expression “stop to smell the flowers” which we generally use in the context of taking a break from an intensive focus on work in order to appreciate the life that is going on around us. Urdu ghazals full of shers that make allusions to flowers and gardens. Maybe we will take a break from all of these work oriented shers ourselves in order to stop and smell the flowers.

The Project Manager's Life 24

We have explored issues regarding project challenges and trust. When the status of a project, however, becomes chaotic or reaches a crisis, the behavior of all involved can become quite unpredictable and unpleasant. The first resort that is taken by many is the attempt to exonerate themselves and to put the blame on others. We may not be able to depend on other people to stand by us. Sudarshan Fakir paints a grim picture of such situations.

Oh, friend, why is there such a scene at this time?
Why is every head wounded and why is there a stone in every hand?
— Sudarshan Fakir —

आज के दौर में ऐ दोस्त ये मंज़र क्यों है
ज़ख़्म हर सर पे हर हाथ में पत्थर क्यों है
— सुदर्शन फ़ाकिर —

آج کے دور میں اے دوست یہ منظر کیوں ہے
زخم ہر سر پہ ہر ہاتھـ میں پتھر کیوں ہے
— سدرشن فاکر—

The project manager, of course, must attempt to control such situations. They may indeed be his greatest challenge. They may even be beyond his control, especially if he becomes the principal target for the blame. Kashif Indori has described how the project manager might feel.

The sorrows of the all the world are before us and here we are alone.
Hundreds of stones and one mirror, for how long, for how long?
— Kashif Indori —

सामने दुनिया भर के ग़म हैं और इधर इक तन्हा हम हैं
सैकड़ों पत्थर और इक आईना कब तक आखिर आखिर कब तक
— काशिफ़ इन्दोरी —

سامنے دنیا بھر کے غم ہیں اور ادھراک تنہا ہم ہیں
سیکڑوں پتھر اور اک ائنہ کب تک آخر کب تک آخر
— کاشف اندوری —

All of this reminds me of the English expression that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

The Project Manager's Life 23

When we refer to the people working on a project, we generally refer to the “project team.” We should never underestimate the importance of the “team.” If team members, or worst of all, the project manager, start acting on their own and do not communicate openly and frequently with the other team members, they run the risk of getting cut off from them. This can be disastrous for the project and for the independent individual. Sooner or later the loner soaring above the others will need support from them only to find out that he is truly on his own. Wasim Barelvi makes an observation that is quite apropos.

The penalty for flying in the air, friend,
Is that I was cut off from earthly relationships.
– Wasim Barelvi –

मिली हवाओं में उड़ने की वो सज़ा यारो
कि मैं ज़मीन के रिश्तों से कट गया यारो
– वसीम बरेलवी –

ملی ہواؤں ميں اڑنےکی وہ سزا يارو

کہ ميں زمين کے رشتوں سے کٹ گيا یارو

– وسيم بريلوی –

Projects are not meant for solo pilots. Keep both feet planted firmly on the ground and stay connected to your fellow team members.

The Project Manager's Life 22

Everyday the project manager faces challenges. Sometimes the greatest challenge is that of managing the relationship with a client project coordinator who lacks understanding, is over demanding, or is even blatantly abusive.

In such cases, the project manager who is a true professional will control his response to not damage the working relationship. A client may lack professionalism in his interpersonal skills, but we must always maintain a professional posture. Just follow the advice that Insha gives us in the following sher.

Just think of what work I accomplished today.
But when he was abusive to me, I saluted him.
— Insha —

ख़याल कीजिए क्या काम आज मैंने किया
जब उने दी मुझे गाली सलाम मैंने किया
— इन्शा —