How commitment really helps…

As we rapidly consume days of this new year, and the time available reduces for many of the plans made for 2007, here’s a quote from from W.H. Murray:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in ones favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Von Goethe’s couplets: ‘Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.'”

–W.H. Murray, the Scottish Himalayan Expedition

Somebody comment for this blog anonymously asking whether I had done any real project or did I pick up this piece from NYTimes. His comment tells us that there are people out there who are unable to think beyond the trivia and see the big picture needed for a project success. In my experience of 100+ projects related to trading business, engineering, information systems, this negative attitude can be a major bottleneck for overall team motivation. Such people may get a place in the team due to their previous qualifications(often academic), and then soon as a project leader, you realize their negative attitude harms the whole team.

Lesson? Beware of negative thinkers in the team (a healthy pessimism is fine) but negative attitudes can crash a winning project team, and must be banished.

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