{"id":658,"date":"2015-03-25T13:07:28","date_gmt":"2015-03-25T13:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resourceguru.wpengine.com\/?p=658"},"modified":"2025-01-14T09:41:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T09:41:13","slug":"turn-chaos-into-calm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/turn-chaos-into-calm","title":{"rendered":"The Zen PM &#8211; The power plan for turning chaos into calm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-629\" src=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/the-zen-pm.jpg\" alt=\"Business woman sitting in a lotus position\" width=\"900\" height=\"380\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Good project managers secretly thrive off annoyances. That may be a head scratcher, but handle your frustrations a certain way, and they can be turned into victories. In the midst of myriad issues, PMs are required to be diplomatic, patient, and friendly, all while organizing, motivating, scheduling, and communicating with numerous personality types on different projects every day. As good project managers, we do our best to be the point of calm within the chaos. Does that mean I\u2019m never annoyed, frustrated, or downright miserable? Absolutely not!<\/p>\n<p>After all, I am a human being, and finding that zone of zen is never easy in the face of ever-changing projects. PMs are on the front lines, so expecting us to be shiny, happy people every waking minute is unrealistic\u2014especially if you catch us on a day when ALL OF THE THINGS are just piling up. But we can use those annoyances as ways to find our own version of PM zen. Check out these tips for reclaiming your cool.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this article \ud83d\udcd6<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/turn-chaos-into-calm\/#Start-your-day-right\" >Start your day right<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/turn-chaos-into-calm\/#Plan-for-the-unplanned\" >Plan for the unplanned<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/turn-chaos-into-calm\/#Be-honest\" >Be honest<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/turn-chaos-into-calm\/#Achieving-PM-nirvana\" >Achieving PM nirvana<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Start-your-day-right\"><\/span>Start your day right<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<a class=\"inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click\" href=\"#\" onclick=\"inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/intent\\\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3rxafO3&text=The+way+you+start+your+day+can+truly+set+the+tone+for+how+you+handle+things.+%40resourceguruapp');\" title=\"Tweet This!\">The way you start your day can truly set the tone for how you handle things. <span class=\"non-dashicons\"> <\/span><\/a>\u00a0If you sit down at your desk and think, \u201cWell, this is just awful\u2014I can\u2019t deal with this,\u201d it\u2019s not going to help your outlook. You\u2019re better off accepting the challenges headed your way and dealing with them in a positive light. What do I do? I\u2019ve figured out that recalibrating, revising, and reconnecting are at the core of the PM zen master\u2019s daily routines. Here are a few tips I\u2019ve picked up.<\/p>\n<h3>Morning \u201cMe\u201d time<\/h3>\n<p>The best way to ensure that you\u2019re getting off on the right foot is to have at least 10-15 minutes of time to yourself. During this time, it\u2019s best NOT to think about work. At all. Maybe it\u2019s your family, your hobby, an upcoming holiday, or even reflecting on the past. Think about the things in your life (outside of work and your professional goals) that make you happy. Whatever it is, it\u2019ll get your mind in a positive thinking space.<\/p>\n<p>Making time for yourself can be difficult, especially if your morning commute is rough or you constantly feel under pressure to be working. It happens, but you can find some time to grab a cup of coffee, have your breakfast, or just relax for a few minutes and think on your own\u2014even if it\u2019s at your desk. It will help to reconnect you to yourself and your strengths, and you\u2019ll be energized to start your work day.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re really serious about this time, you can take it a step further and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.calm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">do a bit of meditation<\/a>\u2014a step that the Resource Guru yogi would surely approve. Recent studies have shown that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.feelguide.com\/2014\/11\/19\/harvard-unveils-mri-study-proving-meditation-literally-rebuilds-the-brains-gray-matter-in-8-weeks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">15 minutes of meditation every day can help increase brain matter<\/a>. So, not only are you centering yourself and getting your day started off right, you\u2019re getting smarter!<\/p>\n<h3>Review and revise your &#8220;To Do&#8221;\u00a0list<\/h3>\n<a class=\"inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click\" href=\"#\" onclick=\"inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/intent\\\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3rxafO3&text=If+you%3Fre+not+keeping+a+To+Do+list%2C+you%3Fre+missing+out+on+an+opportunity+%40resourceguruapp');\" title=\"Tweet This!\">If you\u2019re not keeping a To Do list, you\u2019re missing out on an opportunity <span class=\"non-dashicons\"> <\/span><\/a>\u00a0to account for\u2014and celebrate the completion of\u2014large and small tasks.\u00a0Paul Boag wrote a great post, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/boagworld.com\/working-in-web\/work-smarter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Work Smarter: How to reduce your hours and yet get more done<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Paul says:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pullquote\"><p>If you don\u2019t want to spend your life fire-fighting, you need a robust task management system.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If you sit down for 10 minutes every morning to review what was done yesterday, what needs to be done today, and what needs to be completed that week, you\u2019ll ensure that nothing is forgotten (because it\u2019s really easy to forget the small things like updating plans or submitting expenses). But if you list all of your tasks, large and small, you\u2019ll ensure that you will handle them. And, when you cross them off your list, you\u2019ll feel so, so good.<\/p>\n<h3>Greet your team<\/h3>\n<p>No matter where you are\u2014in an office or working remotely with teams online\u2014<a class=\"inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click\" href=\"#\" onclick=\"inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/intent\\\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3rxafO3&text=It%3Fs+important+to+say+%3FGood+Morning%3F+to+the+people+you%3Fll+be+working+with+that+day.+%40resourceguruapp');\" title=\"Tweet This!\">it\u2019s important to say \u201cGood Morning\u201d to the people you\u2019ll be working with that day. <span class=\"non-dashicons\"> <\/span><\/a> Saying these two simple words not only engages you with your team in a positive way, it opens up the opportunity for them to openly share information with you, and in a friendly way. Opening yourself up to friendly, personal conversation will only help you as a PM, because the better you know your team, and the more they know (and like) you, the easier it is to <a href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/how-to-find-the-best-resource-planning-tool\">plan work<\/a> and communicate details\u2014positive and negative.<\/p>\n<div class=\"adblock adblock--bright09\">\n<div class=\"adblock__image\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2210\" src=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/bbh.png\" alt=\"BBH\" width=\"562\" height=\"576\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2203\" src=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/alex-matthews.png\" alt=\"Alex Matthews\" width=\"528\" height=\"576\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Resource Guru has the perfect balance of simplicity and detail. It\u2019s easy to see where issues might arise.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer><strong>Alex Matthews<br \/>\n<\/strong>Head of Creative Technology<\/footer>\n<p><svg class=\"curve__right\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 42 236\">\n<path d=\"M42,0H0C20.4,38,31.14,77.5,31.14,118S20.4,198,0,236H42Z\" style=\"fill:#40264d;fill-rule:evenodd\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<svg class=\"curve__bottom\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 236 42\">\n<path d=\"M236,42V0c-38,20.4-77.5,31.14-118,31.14S38,20.4,0,0V42Z\" style=\"fill:#40264d;fill-rule:evenodd\"\/><\/svg>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"adblock__link\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/resourceguru_2019\/images\/resource-guru-vertical.svg\" \/><br \/>\n<a id=\"customtestimonial\" class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\">Try It Free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>While you\u2019re reconnecting with folks and having those conversations, think about how they\u2019re feeling. Are they particularly happy that morning? Are they upset? Tired? Use this time to get a good read and you should be able to anticipate how your interactions with them might go that day. As a PM, it\u2019s very important to adapt to your team and communicate on a level that will work for them, because it ultimately helps the outcomes you need on the project. The worst thing you can ever do is annoy someone first thing in the morning by approaching them without a greeting, and with negative news. If you get a good read on the tone of the conversation first, you can tailor your message to the situation and avoid pitfalls for you and the other person.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Plan-for-the-unplanned\"><\/span>Plan for the unplanned<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Creating a good To Do List not only helps you identify and organize tasks, it also helps you to understand your bandwidth. In other words, it\u2019s important to think about the inherent risks that come with those tasks. For instance, if one of your tasks is to deliver a document that requires someone else\u2019s input, you know that the other person\u2019s schedule and availability are a risk you need to account for. If you think this way about all of your tasks, you\u2019ll set yourself up for smoother projects and fewer \u201cannoyances,\u201d because when that risk becomes a reality, you will have already been expecting it on some level. <a class=\"inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click\" href=\"#\" onclick=\"inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/intent\\\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3rxafO3&text=You+lessen+the+impact+of+an+issue+by+planning+for+it+%40resourceguruapp');\" title=\"Tweet This!\">You lessen the impact of an issue by planning for it <span class=\"non-dashicons\"> <\/span><\/a>, so you\u2019re less susceptible to things that can pull you out of your zen zone.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Be-honest\"><\/span>Be honest<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<a class=\"inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click\" href=\"#\" onclick=\"inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/intent\\\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3rxafO3&text=No+matter+what+you+do+as+a+project+manager%2C+you+have+to+be+completely+honest+%40resourceguruapp');\" title=\"Tweet This!\">No matter what you do as a project manager, you have to be completely honest <span class=\"non-dashicons\"> <\/span><\/a>\u00a0about your work. If you\u2019re not honest with yourself and your team, you\u2019ll always find yourself upset. But if you let those around you know the following things, you\u2019ll stay calm:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Communicate your expectations of the team and the project.<\/b> Be sure to keep those expectations in check so everyone is on board with your plans for the day, week, month, etc. It\u2019s up to you to schedule and keep the team and project moving, but if you never communicate those schedules and the details involved, you will be let down when someone on the team drops the ball. It\u2019s your job to keep the lines of communication clear, and in turn, keep everyone happy.<\/li>\n<li><b>Openly address project issues and risks.<\/b> If you\u2019re a PM, you are a problem solver. An issue comes up and you fix it. But don\u2019t keep it to yourself! Let your team know what\u2019s happening. They can help you or at least support your crusade in resolving the issue at hand. Plus, the more the team knows about your work, they more they will appreciate it.<\/li>\n<li><b>Share positive and negative feedback.<\/b> If your client, co-worker, boss, or teammate offers feedback about your project or the team\u2019s work, share that info. Positive feedback boosts morale and negative feedback provides an opportunity to talk about how you can be better. No matter what, it\u2019s all good. Holding that feedback in will only make you dwell on the point, clouding your judgment on the person, issue, or deliverable involved, and create headaches for you.<\/li>\n<li><b>Be transparent about your workload.<\/b> Because a project is in motion, it\u2019s easy for a team to think that their PM isn\u2019t busy. Often, they simply do not realize just how much you\u2019re handling, so don\u2019t be afraid to communicate what you\u2019re doing in a status meeting and refute that perception. When others realize that you\u2019re busy, too, they will show empathy and possibly offer help if\/when you need it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When it comes to being honest, you should always remember that <a class=\"inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click\" href=\"#\" onclick=\"inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/intent\\\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3rxafO3&text=The+way+you+communicate+the+message+is+just+as+important+as+the+message+itself+%40resourceguruapp');\" title=\"Tweet This!\">the way you communicate the message is just as important as the message itself <span class=\"non-dashicons\"> <\/span><\/a>. If you\u2019re the Zen PM, you\u2019ll be honest with a soothing edge. The difficult news won\u2019t seem all that bad, and the good news will seem like a gigantic win for the team. If you\u2019re \u201cbrutally honest\u201d you\u2019ll just come off as rude and critical, which in turn will lead to resentment and a new set of annoyances.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Achieving-PM-nirvana\"><\/span>Achieving PM nirvana<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s probably nothing in your job description that says you must be zen, but it goes hand-in-hand with project harmony. If you take your work seriously and would like to approach your job in a way that proactively avoids unnecessary stress, there are a lot of factors you can influence. Your approach will never be bulletproof because you can\u2019t control the factors that cause heartburn or a bad day, but just remember: <a class=\"inline-twitter-link inline-tweet-click\" href=\"#\" onclick=\"inline_tweet_sharer_open_win('https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/intent\\\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3rxafO3&text=No+issue+is+so+large+that+you+can%3Ft+deal+with+it+calmly.+%40resourceguruapp');\" title=\"Tweet This!\">No issue is so large that you can\u2019t deal with it calmly. <span class=\"non-dashicons\"> <\/span><\/a>\u00a0That\u2019s the path to achieving PM nirvana.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019d love to hear from you! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/resourceguruapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tweet us<\/a>, drop in a comment, or <a title=\"contact resource guru\" href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">get in touch<\/a>\u00a0and we&#8217;re always happy to help :)<\/p>\n<p>Image source: Shutterstock<\/p>\n<h3>Related articles:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/how-to-find-the-best-resource-planning-tool\">How to find the best resource planning tool<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/popular-project-methodologies\">Using off-the-shelf project management methodologies as a framework<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/how-to-make-onboarding-your-new-projects-even-easier\">How to make project onboarding even easier<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Good project managers secretly thrive off annoyances. That may be a head scratcher, but handle your frustrations a certain way, and they can be turned into victories. In the midst of myriad issues, PMs are required&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2026,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Zen PM - The power plan for turning chaos into calm<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the power plan helping project managers transform chaotic projects into calm, successful endeavors.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/turn-chaos-into-calm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Zen PM - The power plan for turning chaos into calm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover the power plan helping project managers transform chaotic projects into calm, successful endeavors.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/project-management\/turn-chaos-into-calm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Work Life Balance Blog | Resource Guru\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ResourceGuru\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-03-25T13:07:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-14T09:41:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/59-meditation.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2084\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1422\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brett Harned\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@resourceguruapp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@resourceguruapp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brett Harned\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resourceguruapp.com\\\/blog\\\/project-management\\\/turn-chaos-into-calm#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resourceguruapp.com\\\/blog\\\/project-management\\\/turn-chaos-into-calm\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brett Harned\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resourceguruapp.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/57c4417d8d1dd5c9df3febd4010bc472\"},\"headline\":\"The Zen PM &#8211; 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