Obscure quotations and their application to project management

“My Prediction…Pain!”

– Mr. T in the movie Rocky when asked about his forthcoming bout with Rocky Balboa. To me it relates to the burdens “real life” users face when a new system goes live. It’s a burden the design and implementation teams must work to mitigate at every phase and all must understand as part of the investment in new capabilities.

“Doveryai, No Proveryai”

– A Russian saying quoted by Ronald Reagan when discussing improving U.S. relations with the Soviet Union which translates to “Trust but verify.” To me it relates to the ink in sales agreements, statements of work and email threads that secure the promises of sales pitches and Powerpoints.

“Over communicate”

– The advice of Kristine Elliot, my supervisor at Merkle. Not to be confused with oversharing. It suggests repeatedly, but subtly, securing understanding and agreement among decision makers and stakeholders in order to maintain an initiative’s forward progress.