Since the very first years in the companies I have always worked on “special projects”: following new paths, without established procedures, but to be invented. Thanks to the Enneagram character map, I discovered that planning is my most marked neurotic trait.
In a broad sense, planning means taking a break, understanding where we are in the present moment, who we are, what we are doing. Based on our goals, we understand how to move forward, which actions shall we take to take to make it happen? Which options make sense to us? In which direction shall we proceed, considering who we are, what we have been and what we could be in the future?
This process occurs on an individual, collective, corporate, school level …
Designing means setting goals and the path to get there, is a way to be in charge of our existence, giving direction to our actions.
If I want to climb a mountain, first of all I have to check my physical condition – my resources . Then I need preparation and training: muscles, breath, endurance, management of emotions. If I know that my big limit is fear, maybe I enroll in a course, I get information about the environment, I look for a guide I can trust. The map is not the territory, but by studying a bit before leaving, I can better prepare my backpack, right? When I decide to leave, I get the perspective that perhaps not everything will go as I planned and imagined, so I take the risk. The climatic conditions can change, the paths could be slippery. Each obstacle can make us glimpse different horizons or lead us to stops from which it is difficult to start again. At each stage I stop, I evaluate how it is going: maybe I need more water? There is wind, so better to shelter with a jacket? Being able to evaluate every step and adapt to the environment allows us to have more opportunities to reach the top.
To design means driving on a non-linear road, walking on an an untracked path. We do choose a goal which is possible and that make sense for us, of course, but knowing that something unexpected can stop us. The only thing we can surely do, is to be aware of the road we have done, to remember each step, to remember its meaning.
Designing therefore starts from the reading of the experience.
We give meaning to our future actions starting from a clear reading of the present moment, taking into consideration the experience of the past.
I often work with people who ask me for help in realizing their project, their idea.
We always start from the representation of reality using various puppets that help us to see things as they are, we observe the situation at the present moment.
How did I get here? What binds me to the past?
What are my relationships at the present moment?
Only after a bath into reality we move on to imagine what we would like for the future.
What makes sense to me?
We represent the desired reality and observe it.
Once cleared the current status and the desired status – the goal, we move on to planning.
Which resources do I need?
How much time?
What actions should I put into practice to achieve my goal?
Is my project sustainable for me, for others and for the environment?
Do I have the necessary tools or do I need to go deeper and study to fill my gaps?
When we decide to start with a project it is important to stay open, not everything we imagine will happen. Having the ability to stop at each step, observe and modify our actions based on the context is fundamental. Agility and resilience are really important in a company , at school and in life!
Designing means conceiving something by studying the ways of implementing it; to plan.
In the company, for example, the project leader plans the steps of the project to achieve the corporate mission:
- defines the objectives;
- chooses a strategy;
- defines the intermediate steps;
- monitors, controls and edits during the process where necessary.
Any task can be turned into a project.
In the years when I was not aware of my neurotic trait, planning was an excellent way to escape from the present moment, I produced a thousand ideas and I did not always complete them. Today I am very interested in the culture of the project, and I hope soon to share some ideas with you, are you interested?
