Mostly Harmless - Project World Collectable Card #1
From the The Project Shrink Blog
by Bas de Baar
Bas de Baar is a Dutch visual facilitator, creating visual tools for dialogue. He is dedicated to improve the dialogue we use to make sense of change.
As The Project Shrink, this is the riddle he tries to solve:
“If you are a Project Manager that operates for a short period of time in a foreign organization, with a global team you don’t know, in a domain you would not know, using virtual communication, high uncertainty, limited authority and part of what you do out in the open on the Internet, how do you make it all work?”
Recent Posts
The Final Project World Collectable Card. Nr 16.
Old School Teams Stick Together
Saving The Planet
What Makes A Culture A “Project Culture”?
Plan B. Another Path For Problem Solving And Innovation.
Categories
collectable cards,
old school
Date
Wouldn't it be nice to have something on your wall that provides you an overview of how to do projects? I know I would like that.
Wouldn't it be nice to collect cards that you can combine to make a big map of "project world"? I definitely know I would like that!
So here's your first card. Mostly Harmless. And it's based upon something I wrote a couple of years ago... I hope you like it. :)
"When you conduct a project within a larger organization, an intervention, you might feel like an explorer at first. You arrive with your temporary tribe in a foreign culture. On an adventure. With maps and stuff.
What do you do?
Like the famous explorers from the old days, you can follow two strategies on arrival.
Arrive with a bang. Bring your own culture and let it shine. Brightly. And loud. Plant your own freak flag for all to see and scream your own tune from the top of your longs. This might appear hostile. Or not. It will be different for sure.
Or.
Stay low profile and try to adopt the culture of the Natives, the original inhabitants of the host organization. Be harmless. Or at least, appear harmless. Mostly harmless. And take things from there.
Plant your own flag or mix with the natives?
Now, I would start mixing with the natives first. They know the territory. They know the environment. And although you might think that you are there because the natives are too stupid to do the tasks themselves, you might want to check that first. Check that before you arrive in your big parade and get rolled in tar and feathers.
There is a huge difference between arriving on the scene all-knowing and arriving slightly clumsy. Seem a little off-beat and charmingly clumsy makes you appear harmless. Again. Mostly harmless. You mix with the locals, but might have a small version of your freak flag pinned onto your suit."
Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.
Posted on: March 08, 2013 07:25 AM |
Permalink
Comments (5)
Please login or join to subscribe to this item
Aamer Inam
Project Manager| NetSol Technologies Inc
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Bas a great read indeed ! How to influence either way in a new tribe makes traveller either to adopt or influence the local norms. This depends the door you get in from to the new place. Instead imposing the environmental cultural change in a speedy way sometimes does not work as good as desired ... I guess it is always good first to know and understand the culture , find the gaps (If any) and then suggest the foreign norms with the idea of value addition as well as with the plan that help them getting acclimatize bit by bit.
If there is some tradition which foreigner is not aware of and it is a good one having great positive impact on the overall environment , one should be open enough to adopt that...
Projects are about people and better we understand people , higher are the chances that we end up with yet another success story ....
Great Article !
Thanks for your kind comment Aamer!
 | tofupony |
Bas - Thanks for the encouragement. I've just started a new position and it's hard to balance the need to prove myself as a comptent pm, and be a newbie at the same time. Your article reminds me that I'm not alone as I forge my way through a new culture. It's such a good point that the natives need us, or we wouldn't be here - but their culture is valuable too.
Thanks, I needed this boost today :)
So glad to hear that! Good luck on your new position!
Wai Mun Koo
PMO Director| Intergraph PP&M
Singapore, Singapore
Bas, nice read and great pictures. It is great to see you back.
Please Login/Register to leave a comment.
|
If you can't convince them, confuse them.
- Harry Truman
|
