Friday, May 09, 2014

Execution's Signals


You can think and plan and forecast but nothing will teach you more about a project than doing it. If you are alert, even the early stages of execution will be enormously informative because often they carry signals of what you can expect further down the line.

The important thing is to avoid telling yourself stories. Watch out for convenient dismissals of the little gnawing concerns; instead, view them as allies and give them more attention.

After all of the preparation, if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. Listen to your instincts because they have been honed by experience. Give greater credence to the negative signals than to the positive. For some odd reason, perhaps dating back to the cave, they tend to be more accurate. 

The best performers and teams develop a feel for the moment and the terrain.

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