Review of The Zen Approach to Project Management: Working from your Centre to Balance Expectations and
Performance by George Pitagorsky, PMP
Pitagorsky is a real practitioner who has derived Zen insights from several
traditions. He has studied Tibetan Buddhism as well as Indian ideas,
and has maintained “a longtime practice of Yoga and the non-dual
teachings of Advaita.” Can business merge with spiritual ideas?
Pitagorsky remarks, “while perfecting the outer work, important
inner work is done, and awakening takes place. This is a book then,
for people interested in both managing projects and finding a way to
reach their highest potential.” Well, as we know, the Church
combined money and spirituality for thousands of years, much to the
detriment of millions. Could Zen Buddhism move corporate culture
towards environmentalism, justice and philanthropy and represent a
nudge away from exploitation? Pitagorsky explains that Zen is about
'blowing the mind' out of its normal view. “It uses techniques like
koans, Zen arts, dialectical argument, self enquiry, and meditation
to help the practitioner go beyond his intellect to experience things
in an unfiltered way." Some of us are cynical, but Pitagorsky does write
in an interesting way. And it does merge with the intent of Graphic Recording.
The book is to
describe techniques for linking the “essential principles and
techniques of managing projects to a 'wisdom' approach for working
with complex, people-based activities.”
Well, choosing a Graphic Recorder is a wise choice, so I'm still reading.
To Pitagorsky, a Zen-based
project management approach is a tool for “continuously improving yourself,
your projects, the
way you work.”
Pitagorsky wants to improve your not
only your serenity, but your project management performance.
"The Zen approach
is about being able to step back without disengaging from the current
situation- being simultaneously dispassionately objective and
passionate.” Addressing “the Zen of estimating,” he describes
how to cope with feeling “reactive in the face of negative
emotions” and avoid “burn out, interpersonal strife, client
relationship, and credibility problems.” These are examples
of Project Management "suffering." This is interesting because Graphic Recording can be a solution that allows whole groups to step back and let go of conflict. So to me the two can compliment each other and merge. Remarks the author, “clinging to
what cannot be achieved is a cause of suffering.” My favourite part, “Thinking about the negative is not negative
thinking,” as “detailed risk analysis is part of detailed
estimation.” Zen Buddhist techniques applied to project management
assist directors in acquiring “courage, realism, and balance.”
Composed while he was completing a
doctorate, the book is “based on over 20,000 project management
hours, and is “written for executives and board members in the
private and public sectors, project managers and program leaders,
consultants, educators, association leaders.” He
includes diagrams and recommends a “strategy map” to “avoid
sub-optimal results,” something I like because it is a visual key.
Pitagorsky counsels revision, evaluation and
communication with senior management. To do this, he offers The Three
C’s: Courage, (being candid, honest, saying what needs to be said)
Confidence, and Change. For executives, he promotes the three A’s;
“Ask, three levels of listening, Acknowledge, Activate.”
The book, which contains lively case
studies and interviews as well as relevant research, closes with an
annotated bibliography, almost a small book review in itself of other
resources the author finds worth your while. I found this a helpful
and interesting read, written by a project
manager with a proven success record and an intriguing twist on
the usual corporate culture doctrine. Bridging a spiritual practice
with pragmatic professionalism is, according to Pitagorsky, an
approach worth meditating about.
