Projects, Productivity | Oleg Braginsky, Maksym Golub
While it is nice to have various project management certifications, it all depends on the qualities of the person themselves. With founder of the School of Troubleshooters Oleg Braginsky and student Maksim Golub, we look at how cultural aspects from different countries would help one to make a project happen.
Indeed, the most helpful thing is to be quite observant. It only happens when you move from country to country, doing things that are not standard for you. Meeting people, accomplish things outside of normal routes. When you saw the dawn of one empire, you probably could help other kingdoms to rise and thrive.
When you changing territory, you would also live a mini life, absorbing different aspects of it. How people speak, what do they eat, what makes them sad and what they celebrate. There are also things you can’t really see from a distance, but when you’re right in the middle of it, you can’t help, but observe and learn.
After a handful of experiences, we’ve put together a modest collection of role models, habits and lifehacks that can help solve everyday problems or even be used for more strategic approaches. The main thing that guided us was the understanding that everything in our lives is a project.
Extracting the knowledge could also be quite a process. For example, when you see how people focus or accomplish their tasks, you may not know what the secret is. Even if you ask, you may not get the answer. The best way is to make a request, think it through, make it work for you and try to apply it immediately.
With this in mind, let us embark on a little journey. Each of us will go to a different country. It could be an example from work or life, or it could be a general consideration of how the group of people, the community or the whole nation does certain things, and the reasoning behind them. The philosophical aspect won't be missing either.
China. There's no excuse from the emperor for the warlord losing the battle. If you've been called in from the outside to complete the project, it's your duty. If you work for a company and receive a regular salary, you will take your losses in stride. Remember the Emperor, be merciless to yourself.
Germany. If you were to imagine any of the radio devices, they would have tumblers to switch to different waves or modes of operation. Same with the people. When it is time to work, it just fills up with work. No interruptions, no unreasonable breaks. You totally involved, following the rules, going through the items.
Japan. The moment work hits your desk, you run to the finish line. As fast as you can. What matters is not how many meetings you have, but the percentage of work over one hundred that you deliver to the client. And why? Because it allows you to move on to your next endeavor, your next project, like a samurai.
America. Every day you fail to deliver, the profit gets smaller. Your customers will have less confidence, your team will have less motivation. And the overall value will be diminished. These principles apply to more than just projects. So go ahead, do most of your work in the first few days right from the start!
Norway. Prepare for long winters, where there will be days without light. When going hunting won't be an option and you will come back with nothing. Keep these days in mind, make conserves for the future. Get more resources, make extra, pack and open them up when the dark hours or project deadlines will come.
India. When two people are carrying a log, it is hard not to give one hundred percent for both. Add a third and you won't get the full output. Same with projects. Only keep people who are necessary to complete the mission. That's a small number. Everyone else can go find other logs to carry, or pretend to do so.
Italy. There is a quite funny saying: "All food poisoning would start with the sentence: "There's nothing to worry about because this food is from the fridge. Don't eat yesterday's food today, or you may not be able to perform tomorrow. Keep in mind that the word "food" is more of a metaphor.
Singapore. The more resources available, the slower the pace. The focus is on getting a better office, nicer clothes and toys. One becomes fat, arrogant, slow and stupid. Scarcity, pressure, and hunger can turn you into a predator who counts every piece to build something big and meaningful out of nothing.
Korea. Come to work in a clean place, use only what you need, and clean up after yourself. You may notice how tidy the desks, offices, or work machines are. Even when cooking, some make a disaster of a portion of scrambled eggs, while others leave the kitchen pristine as if they'd never been there.
England. The temptation is to roll up your sleeves and get to work. If you're a project manager, you don't do that. To make the entire machine work and start the era of manufacturing, you need to kickstart the work of other people. When they are busy, know what to do, only then you can start with your own.
We’ve covered only a few countries and related principles. There is more to see, learn and use. The great work is not done overnight, but step by step. These mechanics might be embedded and used as tools in your beginnings, helping them to see the light and hear applauses of the world.