Tidying up has been part of one of my current contracts lately. Sometimes it is about processes, other times it is about language: as a team, do we actually speak and understand the same one? From any standpoint, it is a pretty essential question to have answered before committing to anything. However, in some cases, suggestions for answers only surface under dire circumstances, a very long time after the project’s kickoff. Why is this? Listening to some full-time employees proves to be somewhat alarming. It is about time, money, business: “let’s get at it; training on the job is the best way to learn! We will get to the details later!” Does that ring a bell to some ears?

My Mother always taught me (and sometimes sounded like a broken record) to “never put off until tomorrow what I could do today”. I can always postpone, for sure. I can also excel at procrastinating, at other times. Is her style super old-fashion or totally avant-gardist? That reminds me of a vox pop France’s Philippe Vandel had conducted in the 90’s: “what do you do when you do not do anything?” Do we ever do “nothing” at all? This very topic came up in a recent conversation, and bang: “is it right to do so?”

The reality is that I cannot answer a question that is related to each individual’s own aspiration and desires: one often has the answer in her/himself. There is no right or wrong path, there are experiences. One will not be losing anything, regardless of her/his decision. The environment, the political status and perception of the project’s milestones that contribute to the growth of the project itself probably matter to the one asking: s/he is the only one who can make a decision that suits her/him, nobody else. Today, tomorrow or next year.

Wishy washy? Maybe. It is everybody’s responsibility to make decisions that suits their needs: I can only suggest some self talk in front of a mirror. Zuckerberg knows how to pace the evolution, and expansion, of his Internet now-giant company: 8 years old and still exponentially growing. So, it is likely about rhythm, and past experiences: understanding how one functions, and responds, under pressure or plenty of time. Pondering between the hyper enthusiasm from the Youth and the wise and sometimes slow(er) strategy from the more Seniors: there is neither a lick, nor a promise, just a quest for balance.

Stress comes with it, no question. Like what I keep learning from Martial Arts, bursting all my energy out from the get-go takes me nowhere close to any victory: maybe a survival, still. Strategy requires some downtime before stepping into the ring, with a quick browse over basic techniques and a clear mind to respond to the unplanned. Then it is time for some personal investment to the project, gloves on or not. Going at it while it is warm? Sure! Tackling while it is hot: ok, my Mother was probably right… again.