The Project Manager's Life 33

Once again Rahi Masoom “Reza” reminds us of the nomadic nature of the project team member’s life. It seems to be one of constant travel and long absences from home. After a while, one wonders whether or not those he has left behind think about him or her.

O gentle breeze, you must be passing by there.
Are there traces of my footprints left on that lane?
Rahi Masoom “Reza” (or Raza)

ऐ सबा तू तो उधर ही से गुज़रती होगी

उस गली में मेरे पैरों के निशां कैसे हैं

राही मासूम रेज़ा

اے صبا تو تو اُدھرہی سے گزرتی ہوگی
اس گلی میں میرے پیروں کے نشان کیسے ہیں
راہی معصوم رضا

This, however, is the life we have chosen to live. Nevertheless, return to refresh those fading footprints as frequently as you can.

For previous posts on this topic visit the following links:
http://nuur-e-faanuus.blogspot.com/2006/08/project-managers-life-32.html
http://nuur-e-faanuus.blogspot.com/2006/05/project-managers-life-27.html
http://nuur-e-faanuus.blogspot.com/2006/03/project-managers-life-19.html

Guidance for a Project Team Member

Having finished a project, as a project team member you may have no control over what your next assignment might be. Hopefully, it will be a challenging assignment, but you should be careful not to be over confident and to quietly accept whatever you are asked to do. Saliq Lakhnavi offers some practical guidance.

I accept whatever you might give me, but there is an important request.
You should not give me less than my desires nor more than my capabilities.
Saliq Lakhnavi

मुझे जो भी दे वो क़ुबूल है मेरी इल्तिजा ये ज़रूर है

मेरी आरज़ू से भी कम न दे मेरे ज़र्फ़ से भी सिवा न दे

सालिक़ लखनवी

مجھے جو بھی دے وہ قبول ہے میری التجاء یہ ضرور ہے
میری آرزو سےبھی کم نہ دے میرے ظرف سے بھی سوا نہ دے
سالق لکھنوی

[iltijaa = request; zarf = ingenuity, capability; sivaa = more, over and above]

With this in mind, be prudent and recognize your capabilities. Push for challenges so that you can improve your skills, but do not let others position you for potential failures by assigning you to tasks that you know are beyond your abilities. This will only hurt you and your team.

The Project Manager's Life 32

One of the prices that one must pay when working on projects is long work hours. Another is the separation from family and friends while working away from home at a client’s offices. Sometimes, when the project is running behind schedule or when there are challenging problems to be resolved, the team may work more or less non-stop for many days. At such times night and day cease to have a differentiation since the team is totally focused on getting the job completed. Rahi Masoom “Reza” (or "Raza) captures this feeling of isolation and separation exceedingly well in the following sher:

How is it there at the place I have been separated from?
What are the flowering boughs and the smells of the houses like?
Rahi Masoom "Reza"

जिनसे हम बिछुड़ गये अब वो जहाँ कैसे हैं

शाख़-ए-गुल कैसी हैं ख़ुशबू के मकान कैसे हैं

राही मासूम "रज़ा"

جن سے ہم بچھڑ گیے اب رہ جہاں کیسے ہیں
شاخِ گل کیسے ہیں خوش بو کے مکان کیسے ہیں
راہی معصوم رضا

Sooner or later, however, the team does return to the world from which they came. But for how long?

The Project Manager's Life 31

The very nature of project leadership entails mastery of two conflicting skills. The first is the ability of the project manager to pull the team that he is leading together in a common direction, encourage collective thinking, and derive a consensus of opinion about the direction to take, especially during challenging circumstances. In this way, he musters the full strength of the team. The second is the ability to lead by making decisions for the team when it is unable to reach a consensus. It is certainly a challenge for the project manager to know when to go with the consensus of the group or when to plot the route to take on his own. Logic may not provide an absolute answer and sometimes he needs to go with what he feels is right based upon his past experiences.

“Travel alone,” my heart told me over and over,
But I went with a caravan and got lost.
Kesar ul-Zafri

दिल ने बहुत कहा कि अकेले सफ़र करो
मैं कारवाँ के साथ चला और भटक गया
केसर उल-ज़ाफ़री

دل نے بہت کہا کہ اکیلے سفر کرو
مین کاروان کے ساتھـ چلا اور بھٹک گیا
کیسرالظافری

There is a time when we should listen to our hearts and plot our own course of action. The challenge for us is to know when it is.

Teamwork and Friendships

When we successfully finish a project, there is general a feeling of relief and happiness within the project team. Since the team has often been living and working together closely for several weeks, team members who met during the project often form close bonds. As they all depart, it is not unusual to experience some sadness in the good-byes. At such moments, we should remember Jalil’s sher.

You are going, good-bye, but there is a request.
When we remember each other, pray that we meet again.
Jalil

जाते हो ख़ुदा हाफ़िज़ हाँ इतनी गुज़ारिश है

जब याद हम आ जायें मिलने की दुआ करना

जलील

حاتے ہو خدا حافظ ہاں اتنی گزارش ہے
جب یاد ہم آ جا‏ئں ملنے کی دعا کرنا
جلیل

In the meantime, nurture the good memories of friendships.

Flowers for the Project Team

This is the moment for which the project manager and the team eagerly yearn. Despite scope creep, delayed meetings, equipment delays, and lost time due to illness, the project is complete. You have worked the miracle of miracles. All issues have been resolved, risks were appropriately mitigated, the code passed all reviews, the system is performing as specified, and you met the schedules and came in just about on budget. The client is ecstatic and so is your management. All project managers and team members long for the recognition they are due when they perform well.

Listen, whether it is from the moon, the flowers, or my mouth.
Listen, from every which direction the talk is about you.

Nida Fazli

चांद से फूल से या मेरी ज़बान से सुनिए
हर तरफ़ आप का क़िस्सा जहाँ से सुनिए
निदा फ़ाज़ली

چاند سے پھول سے يا ميری زباں سے سنيے

ہر طرف آپ کا قصہ ہے جہاں سے سنيے

ندا فاضلی

Enjoy the praise while you can for next week you will start another project!