The late Dr. Seuss was a favorite of mine (and continues to be even my adulthood). He taught many lessons that were designed for both children and adults. His shorter pieces were always fun and among them I hold the highest regard for one titled Too Many Daves.
It’s a simple premise about a woman with twenty-three sons all, as you might guess, named “Dave”. The story briefly explains her exploits in calling the boys into the house, getting all twenty-three when she only wanted one. She muses about a different life where she had named them all something different, but in the end, Seuss finishes with, “But she didn’t do it and now it’s too late.” You can just smell the dank, musty aroma of regret hanging on that poor woman’s head.
We laugh at this absurd little ditty – but are we really that different? How many times have we repeated the failed lessons of history in our projects and organizations? Admit it, you have a tendency to keep going with what you think is your “strong suit” mainly because it’s familiar to you. And sure, we experience some level of success but we never really break out of the confines of our past. We don’t name all our “children” the same name, but we tend to treat them as if we did.
HISTORY – GOOD, BAD AND UGLY
Don’t get me wrong. History is, by and large, the best predictor of the future. But even a great history is not a guarantee of future success by any stretch. You’ve seen those disclaimers about past performance on nearly every pitch for a financial instrument. And we know that is true, but somehow we don’t translate that knowledge to our projects. We bank on history as not only a predictor, but a rock-solid guarantee. In doing this, we miss both risks that will take us down and the opportunity that could help us soar to new heights.
My advice is to study your history. Take stock in the lessons learned process done well … one that actually lives beyond just some meeting we feel is obligatory but of little value. Build on what you see that is good and change the bad and ugly. Make history another tool in your toolbox that propels you forward. Study history not just as an artifact, but as a springboard.
MAKE THE NAMES COUNT
In the tyranny of the mundane, we lose our creative perspective. We see every risk and issue as more of the same. We may not openly call them all “Dave” but we certainly act like it. This generic approach, treating them all along the same narrow band we’ve always used, doesn’t take away the risk. Instead, it actually adds to it. We fail to do enough analysis to see why this particular “Dave” is truly different from the one six months ago, even if it has similar characteristics. Our lessons learned are tucked safely away in a binder gathering dust, never to see the light of analysis or review again. We’re caught in a trap just like the mother in Seuss’ story.
But the good news is that we aren’t stuck with our past choices – at least not where our future is concerned. We have agency over how we approach things and now is the time to exercise it. Now is the time to call out the uniqueness of the risk, the opportunity or any other challenge that is presenting itself. If we will take the personal risk to make the change happen, I think we’d be surprised at what history will teach us and where our future will take us. And think how that sweet taste of fresh success can wash away the smell of regret.
Bio:
Mark Moore has held multiple professional positions in IT and business for nearly three decades serving organizations both small and large, public and private. With over half that time as a project manager, he has successfully managed major initiatives spanning multiple years with a cost of over $3 Million and teams of over 250 people. He has been a Project Management Professional since 2002, served as President of the PMI Western Michigan Chapter, and presented at multiple NCPMI Annual Events. Mark holds a Masters of Education degree from Colorado State University with a concentration in Adult Education and Training. He is an experienced writer, speaker and presenter on project management and team building topics. Mark is the Principal Consultant for Broken Arrow Associates, LTD. He and his family live in a rural area outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.
https://insights.cermacademy.com/2013/10/29-the-great-pretenders-mark-moore/