The Task Master

What is the task at hand?

No, its not a trick question. Its however a question that’s been on my mind lately.

Let me explain.

If we’re lucky enough, it’s a question we will get to ask early before being shoved into an overwhelmingly arduous and complex pool of work activities.

The question in itself looks simple, and while it may seem obvious to infer it’s referring to work at hand, let’s take a close look.

What is the task at hand? Thinking strategically, we could address the question from the goals of achieving end results – a lens that looks into purpose and intentionality and asks; How does the task fit into a broader context or are we just going through the motions?

Unveiling the answer to this layer lies value and an opportunity for a Project Manager to align with the strategic needs of an organization.

Recognizing that our thoughts and emotions are all part of the delivery vehicle we all carry; our body, we cannot escape considering the focus on the Human element of our project teams.

Are we aware of the emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual stability of individuals tasked with the responsibility of preforming tasks? or are we “task oriented” and focused on sitting safely within schedule thresholds. Perhaps its time to integrate another performance metric – one that his Human Centric.

The question on “the task at hand” may ultimately be a philosophical call to action, a call to focus on not just the relationship between our “hands” and “tools” in the pursuit of deliverables, but a call to reflect and act on our relationship with each and every aspect of the solution delivery space – the physical, spiritual, mental, emotional.

We may not be able to escape the pressures from within and outside the organization, the demands to deliver NOW, the push to close task’s that were “due yesterday”… but we can and should keep asking the right questions… and inch closer to a world focused on the right things.

So tell me.. what is the task at hand?