On March 17th, communities around the world gather together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland’s most famous holiday. As a nation, the Irish are well-known for having ‘the gift of the gab’, a natural ability to speak in an entertaining and persuasive way.
With that in mind, I have put together a list of nine Irish sayings to inspire you and your project team. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
9 Irish Sayings to Make You a Better Project Manager
1. However long the day, the evening will come
We all struggle with projects that seem to go wrong at every turn. By its very definition, a project has a start and end date so just hang in there – the project will finish at some point.
2. You’ll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind
Procrastination is the enemy of a productive project team. Spending too long planning a project, worrying about risks, or delaying a task until the time is right means you will never get any work done.
3. Three best to have in plenty – sunshine, wisdom, and generosity
Whilst we cannot control the weather, maintaining a positive attitude and practicing generosity whenever possible can elevate your overall mood and outlook. This mindset will also boost team morale, making your project more enjoyable.
4. Everyone lays a burden on the willing horse
From time to time, we all struggle to say no and quickly find ourselves overwhelmed with too many tasks and commitments. Inevitably, we become stressed and struggle to keep up with our workload, leading to reduced productivity and missed deadlines. As a project manager, you need to develop strategies for safeguarding your own time whilst also ensuring that everyone on the team is pulling their weight. Trying delegating and using the ‘3 Ds’ (Decide, Delegate, or Defer) approach to addressing distractions.
5. The longest road out is the shortest road home
If you invest time and effort into something at the start, your effort will pay off in the end. Quite often, when we decide to make a change, we only stick with our new habit for a few days before becoming distracted or frustrated by our lack of progress. Use the REP protocol – Research, Execute, and Post-Mortem – as an efficient personal change management tool.
6. An empty sack does not stand
An effective project leader is self-aware, leads by example, and has a core set of values to live by. A leader who bluffs and constantly changes direction will quickly lose the respect of their team.
7. Lose an hour in the morning and you’ll be looking for it all day
The morning routines of successful individuals such as Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and countless others have one thing in common: an acknowledgment that the right start to the day heightens our productivity and creativity. What is your morning routine?
8. Two people shorten the road
Just as good company can make a long journey seem shorter, spending time getting to know your project team will make any project more enjoyable. Make some time at weekly or one-to-one meetings for non-work related conversation, and celebrate success together.
9. May you get all your wishes but one, so that you will always have something to strive for!
Successful project management and leadership skills take time to hone. These capabilities are not acquired in a day – they take time and consistency to develop. At BrightWork, we use REP – Research, Execute, and Post-Mortem – to master new skills.
