I am not a huge fan of poetry, never have been and I am not sure why. I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember.
There is one poem I keep coming back to, it helps me at work, and it helps me when I’m writing. I can’t recite it but the message of it sticks with me and it came to mind while working on a longer-form blog series I will soon be adding.
Here it is:
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.
I let them rest from nine till five,
For I am busy then,
As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,
For they are hungry men.
But different folk have different views;
I know a person small—
She keeps ten million serving-men,
Who get no rest at all!
She sends’em abroad on her own affairs,
From the second she opens her eyes—
One million How’s, two million Where’s,
And seven million Whys!
Rudyard Kipling
I think most of you will already know it but if not it’s great for planning a project regardless of the size or subject. I hope you find it as useful as I do.
All you need to ask yourself or the team is:
What needs to be done?
Why does it need to be done?
When will it be done or when does it need to be done by?
How will it be done?
Where will it be done?
Who is going to do it?
Not every question needs an answer but it’s a great starting point.
© 2020 David G Chambers. All rights reserved.
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