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Notes for Project Management Improvement

1 When we make a mistake, we can ask ourselves what it is about our nature that led to the error and resolve or improve on that, rather than simply changing our behavior so that one specific thing won't happen again. What I mean is if we improve on our tendencies, we can prevent problems that haven't occurred yet.

Learning is a gradual process, but if we feed what we learn back into the function of learning we will learn exponentially. Said another way, we want learning to be an iterative process, not just a repetitive one. Much of life is repetitive, but we could learn to build on the things we received before. (Partially inspired by Jackie Nygaard)

2 Sometimes people want to believe they are incapable because it rids them of responsibility. I have heard it said this way:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Our Deepest Fear 1992, Marianne Williamson

3 Synergy can be a hundred times better than compromise. (Steven Covey, The Third Alternative)

4 TODO: Replace this one with something better.

5 It’s important to have a vision. Think about what you’d like to do and then figure out how to do it. This contrasts with merely thinking about your knowledge, tools, and resources and what you could do with them.

6 Don’t take too much freedom away from others.

7 Limitations can be a source of creativity.

8 Sometimes you must set aside a task with a near deadline to do something important that doesn’t have one.

9 If you wait to evaluate, it will be too late.

10 It can be more effective to allot smaller portions of time to complete activities because it makes you work more quickly and forces the most crucial elements to be finished. After enough tasks are completed, you might revisit the activity to improve its quality.

11 Adapt for yourself. There’s a reason there are so many [management] methods. … Get to know the people and the way that they operate. – Kory Godfrey

12 A lot of it is about seeing things and admitting them as they truly are. – Kory Godfrey