We all face the boogie man at some time in our lives. It’s interesting to note that penning this note, the boogie man is the first thing that comes to mind. That’s because he has become a metaphor for FEAR.
So what the heck does dealing with fear have to do with Project Management and BPM projects? Quite a lot. Our ability to solve problems effectively relies on an understanding of consequences and the absence of fear in our decision making process. That sounds rather profound doesn’t it?
Consequences can often be serious if a project fails or a problem is not resolved in an appropriate manner. One factor that impacts how we deal with these problems is fear itself. I am not going to tell you that the following checklist will ameliorate fear from your shores, but it may help you understand what you need to bone up on next time you have that sinking feeling in your stomach. Here we go:
- Take a breath and think through the circumstances before doing anything else.
- Consider the skills you might need to conquer this fear. e.g. public speaking, running a meeting, problem solving experience, learning best practices giving you much needed knowledge in a new area.
- Have confidence in yourself. Having confidence in your decision making process is more important that having all the answers. Use your team and others to help come up with solutions, the results will be better than just your mind alone.
- Face your fear. If you are scared about something that is going to crop up again and again in your job, face it. Then practice with scenarios that replicate facing the fear. Perhaps more practice face to face with team members, managing time, decision making. Whatever ever it is, you won’t get better at it by avoiding the problem.
