The great majority of the time, we are completely buried in our projects. We hardly have time to reflect between two meetings, a project review, a scheduling session, a re-prioritisation of the resources, and some reporting to be finalized… It is then easy to forget that our value also lies in our capacity to innovate, to take some distance with regards to emergencies, to develop the members of our project teams.

It seems to me that when I return from vacations is usually a good opportunity to raise my head above day to day files.

The distance as materialized by itself, I hope it was the case for you, during these last holidays where you have put down (if not switched off) your smart phones, e-mails and other electronic « gadgets ».

Before diving into the rush of this new year, settle a few moments and ask yourself the following questions:

• How would I do my work if I were to arrive from the outside and started it for the first time?
• What changes would I bring?
• What would I keep at all costs?
• What “discovery report” would I write if this was my first week on this job?
• What do my customers really expect from me?
• What does my management hope I’ll do?
• What seems logical to me or not?

I wish you a good start of this New Year!