Stopping to Enjoy IT
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Rebecca and I were walking in Brighton England last year and she said… “I want to stop and smell those flowers.” So we did…and they were wonderful and it made us happy.
“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.” ~ William Feather
I think most of us, myself included, are guilty of this. I constantly see teams that have worked hard on some major project or implementation - putting in tremendous amounts of extra time, blood, sweat etc. The project takes months or even a year or two to complete. They complete the project…. and then celebrate for about 3 minutes. (If they celebrate at all).Â
Taking time to acknowledge everyone’s contribution, reflect on the highs and lows, the learning’s, the laughs and the memorable moments isn’t just important to happiness….it’s vital. It’s also key to re-charging of the human battery. There were moments of creativity, connection, commitment and contribution during the project that need to be recorded, remembered, and reflected on… they were the sacred moments when the team had become one in shared purpose and passion. If we don’t take time to celebrate that, to stop and enjoy it as it’s happening. We may miss the most important aspect of the project.  That being… what we’ve become and how we’ve grown during it’s accomplishment.
Successful completion of any project might include these elements…
Important. - Was the project completed to standard - on time and on budget?
MORE Important - How did you grow personally as a result of your work on this project?Â
How did you grow professionally as a result of your work on this project? Â
How did we grow ….closer to each other?  …more competent as a team? … more in our ability to serve our institution? etc
Like a hard charging military unit, or a hard working sports team. After we take the hill or win the game… our confidence in our ability to do it again increases. Our trust in each other and ability to abandon ourselves to the strengths of our team members increases.  We have achieved an “esprit-de-corps” and we are ready to “do it again” if we can do it with these same team members because we know with them…. we can “get it done.”
My younger brother is a big time project manager and often creates a special logo and shirt for team members that he hands out at the end of a project. As they debrief, reflect, remember and celebrate all they’ve experienced and become during the project,  Dan will link it to the shirt. The shirt and logo becomes a symbol… a medal if you will, that represents all that was accomplished and shared. The shirts are worn with pride and “esprit de corps” is evident. ,like a retired jersey of a famous sports figure - this shirt will never be worn to change the oil in the car or while doing yard work. When it is worn… all who see it and recognize it will feel again, what they felt when they first received it.  A sense of connectedness, accomplishment, teamwork….and of course happiness!!
 MMMM that smells good. And it makes me happy! Kirk Out