Etiqueta: projects

The personal process of transforming daydreams into real

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I have written in this blog a lot about uncertainty, how averse or inclined we are. Without regard of what type you are, we all go through different stages when starting something new.

These last weeks I have rediscovered mines. Projects and adventures, have driven me through this kind of rollercoaster. Many people has drawn similar curves. This is my personal view of fun, mistery and effort.

Uncertainity can make the peaks bigger or smaller but each of us, individuals, teams, … go through similar phases. If you like starting from scratch, moving in a chaotic environment, embracing uncertainty.. you might well feel these phases.

These days are days of rapid changes, volatility… shorter cycles of ups and downs. You will, eventually, get used to it and how to lead with them.

The roller coaster: friends, colleagues & teams

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team development
Years ago I took a ride on a roller coaster with some friends. It was a new one, something different, unknown, the ultimate amusement in town. Recently, while talking to colleagues, this moment came back to my mind. The similarity between this amusement and how does individual mood impacts on the rest of the team inspired these lines.

Before we got on, some of us tried to explore all the posible details of the steel structure draw. Others of us didn’t even want to look.

As we were quite a big group, we could not fit all in the same wagon. So, we would have the experience with different time offsets. Also, it meant that a few would have to sit with strangers.

During the ride, emotions and reactions were completely different between us. Fright, enjoyment, expectation, … Laughs, screaming, silence due to panic, dizziness, …

Not possible to have two people with the same expectations, reaction, same emotions at the same time.

When being part of a team and we are:

  • Facing new horizons:
    • We can start a project with some friends, and sit in the same front wagon. As we progress we will not feel the same way, we will not have the same reactions. But it’s good to know that we are all there to support each other. And it’s also important to teach the ones who got on the last wagons.
    • If we are joining an existing and robust team there is no front wagon for us. Then it’s really important to have the support of those who already lived what we are going through. To have some guidance and understand what will come after and be as much prepared as feasible.
  • Dealing with individuals states of mind:
    • Around us there is who is in a similar momentum as we do. We feel comforted, understood. And it feels good, we are not alone, we have some support.
    • But there is always, always, someone who is in the other side. If they are up we need to get close them and let us catch by their good vibes. If they are down, we need to help them, try to contagiate some positivity or at least, let them feel that the team is there for them.

 

The moral of our team has a high impact on our performance. And after one roller coaster another one will come. Don’t you want to have the more fun you can and the best results?

 

Summer holidays are reaaaally close. Use them to recharge your batteries.

About projects, presentations and theater plays

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When preparing for an opening you have no room for improvisation

Imagine that in four months there will be the opening of a new theater play.

The script is finished, now it’s only necessary to essay:

You, the scriptwriter, you, the actor. You perfectly know what is about, investigated and learned during the writing process. 4 months can allow you to get closer to perfection. There is still some room for improvisation.

You, the director. Every day during four months you are close to the scenario. You know what the results need to be and how do you want it to be played. Orders, instructions are given.

You, the producer. You know it has to be nicely played. You read the script and liked it, made it happen. It is not possible to be there, to see the evolution day by day.

Now, same scenario with a small change. The script is not finished, it’s written while the essays progress:

You, the scriptwriter, you, the actor. You are learning along the writing process. After the four months, there will also be some room for improvisation.

You, the director. New pages are given to you and you need to understand and adapt to the actors that are on the stage. You are almost learning at the same time your actors do.

You, the producer. The initial idea was attractive. Now, only trust and some visits to the theater can guarantee there will be good results.

Sometimes we see some improvisations on the stages, sometimes. This comes after a long learning path. It doesn’t matter what part you took on the preparation. Only if all participants learned or knew enough, only then, improvisation would improve the representation. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be natural, it could probably be a complete disaster.

Learning, knowledge, practice. Basics that in the end, allow people to sort some difficult situations, enjoy some unplanned time slots during presentations or to simply just prepared themselves at the very last minute. Hard work and preparation is what is behind what we sometimes think, was only some funny improvisation.