It occurred to me while mowing grass one time, that while I find the experience mostly therapeutic, the drone of the John Deere, the sunshine and the break from technology (actually my phone is always within reach in case I need to ping someone to bring me water or gas), I secretly long for a few challenges to break up the ride. Sure – most of the job I can do with my eyes shut … just endless acres of flat stretches. But, here and there I hit a roadblock or obstacle: fallen branches to clear, standing water to navigate, mechanical issues to deal with or a family of turkeys to slow me down. There’s nothing like a tricky situation to get the problem solving brain cells firing as well as fueling a story to tell back at the garage.
How about you? Do you crave a predictable job that plods along and keeps your stress level low? Or are you a thrill-seeking adrenaline junkie that loves a problem to fix or a fire to fight?
Couple words of advice:
- If you are at the mellow end of the spectrum, don’t become too complacent even when things are going well. Be sure to regularly monitor all the pulse points of your project for signs things might be going off the rails so you’re prepared for the speed bumps.
- For the risk takers out there – don’t take them. Do a thorough job of risk planning and assessment. You will still have the satisfaction of managing through a crisis when it occurs without having thrown caution to the wind along the way.
Keep in mind that managing projects and teams requires various management styles and approaches to get results. Learn what it takes to get it done.
