Reflection Paper: JK Pinto and OP Kharbanda's 'How to Fail in Project Management'

Merriam-Webster defines perfection, in regards to religion, as “the theological doctrine that a state of freedom from sin is attainable on earth.” The desire for perfection, however, stems into all aspects of life in the form of perfectionism. It can be argued that there are three main manifestations of perfectionism: self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed (Flett and Hewitt 457). Self-oriented perfectionism is driven by one’s own desire to achieve high standards, and as such leads to higher rates of self-blame if not achieved (Flett and Hewitt 457). This form has been associated with anxiety, depression, low-self-regard, and anorexia (Flett and Hewitt 457). The second form is based on “interpersonal perfectionistic behavior,” which involves holding high expectations for others and leads to a lack of trust, feelings of hostility,

In the current business environment, the demand for project managers is ever growing. In short, project management is a provisional project constrained by time, cost and scope (A guide to the project management body of knowledge, 2013). Between the immense organization, optimization, and communication assets skilled project management brings to a project, it is easy to see why project management is a booming field of study. Furthermore, project management can be both financially and personally rewarding when long term milestones and goals come to fruition.

Perfectionism is the essential idea that by achieving something great or being loyal to a concept, a person, or an organization, one is able to create a code they can follow to pursue or to achieve perfection. Take in for example Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tale called The Pardoner's Tale, where a Pardoner; who is a man associated with no church and only pardons for money; tells a tale of greed, betrayal, retaliation, and death. He proclaims that the moral of this story is the Latin phrase, Radix malorum est cupiditas, which roughly translates to the love of money is the root of all evil. In addition, there is the epic poem Beowulf, where the titular character, known by all as the

Perfectionism can be defined as an individual’s determination of extremely high standards of performance and behaviour. Hagen (2016) suggests that perfectionism stems from a genetic predisposition combined with environmental factors and an individual’s life experiences.

Perfectionism is feeling anxious about a project because you want it to be perfect, so you stress over and procrastinate until the last minute. It is not being able to walk away from a task because you always feel that it could be more perfect. It is thinking that it’s unacceptable to make a mistake and that your achievements and accomplishments define who you are. “Perfectionism is a personality disposition characterized by a person’s striving for flawlessness, and the setting

Perfectionism is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct (Ayerst, Flett, & Hewitt, 2012). As cited in Ayerst, Flett and Hewitt (2012), Frost, Marten, Lahart and Rosenblate {I am working on getting access to this source} view perfectionism as a cognitive construct focused on concerns about making mistakes, posessing high standards, and doubting one’s actions. Additionally, Frost and colleagues also understood perfectionism as involving two

I have always assumed that being a perfectionist was a good thing. From an early age I became enchanted with the “Charlie Sheen mentality;” I had to be “winning,” or at least convince myself that I was. An internal voice encouraged me to be the best that I could be, and failure, quite simply, was not in my vocabulary. However, as I prepared to enter high school, my innate desire to be a perfectionist truly acted as the anchor that slowly weighed me down. I learned that perfection was undeniably unattainable in my life; my devotion to “perfectionism” led me astray on a long, twisting path of deceit. I occupied my time with unchallenging schoolwork and “cheated the system” by electing to compete in the baseball league designed for kids a full year younger than me. As it turns out, trying to be a big fish in a little pond was the way I insulated myself from failure, the way I falsely convinced myself that I was “winning.” I was afraid to try, or rather I was afraid of the possibility that I might try and fail. Attempting something difficult carried the risk of not succeeding, and with it the implication that

Perfectionism keeps individuals frozen and full of fear. Perfectionism is wanting nothing less than being perfect at everything i do. Being perfect at everything is ok, however, perfectionism certainly comes with cons. Most of the time I lose sight of the “big picture” i worry more about details. this stops me from focusing on my main goal. My final dance project was to do a dance to a scene from lion king. My group of friends and i chose the the main hyensa. i was banzai, everyone said i was mean and i needed to be the mean hyena. I was the only one who did art, i was the main one to work on the costumes. I was more focused on our costumes being perfect rtaher than the “big picture” the dance. My group members came up with the dance. I learned the dance the day of the show. I recieved an ok grade, i messed up on parts of the dance which counted for most of our grade. Not the costumes being

It’s been three hours while I sit here and stare at the blinking bar, symbolizing the fact that I have nothing. My page is blank, but I promise you, my thoughts are not. Thousands of ways to start this essay have run through my mind, but none of them are sufficient. Which, I suppose, is where I will begin. Perfectionism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is, “a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable” (“Perfectionism”). It is a trait that numerous people might regard as desirable or something to be proud of; a word used to describe oneself on a resume to impress employers. However, I see it much differently. Perfectionism is a fight for something unobtainable, a cyclical trap in which disappointment reigns, and

Do you push yourself to be the best? Do you get mad at yourself for not doing the best? Do you delay assignments till the last possible limit because of fear of rejection? Do you feel horrible when work isn’t done to your best ability of when minor failures seem like catastrophic ones? These are all signs of what is known as perfectionism (Pacht 1984). If you seem to agree with most of these things then you might be a perfectionist. According to Webster’s dictionary, it states that perfectionism is "a disposition which regards anything less than perfect, unacceptable." Many people in the world suffer from perfectionism. So is that case of Mike Bellah. His perfectionism lead him to a lifestyle where he lost

Adaptability is the characteristic that enables the species to survive—and if there's one thing perfectionism does, it rigidifies behavior. It constricts people just when the fast-moving world requires more flexibility and comfort with ambiguity than ever. It turns people into success slaves. Perfectionism, when used in moderation and channelled appropriately, can bring significant value to leadership roles including striving for high, ambitious targets, a high level of determination and conscientiousness in ensuring work is undertaken to a high standard. Perfectionists frequently set the pace for their employees and other stakeholders, setting high expectations and ensuring standards are maintained and continuously improved. Research shows that effective leadership is largely about positive stretch. This is particularly relevant in today’s uncertain and competitive environment and markets, where organisations are all being challenged to do more with less, to work smarter and optimise the discretionary effort, ideas and morale of their workforce. Achievement-oriented leaders with high expectations of their people often stretch them well beyond their zone of comfort, urging them to strive for exceptional performance and never settle for second best. However, attention to detail and perfectionism, like any strength, can be overdone and results in all sorts of unintended consequences. When the perfectionist becomes obsessive about the detail and a slave to success, they frequently end up in trouble, both at work and in their personal life. Perfectionism in overdrive doesn’t only significantly raise the probability of leadership derailment, but also has high costs for the emotional and physical well being of the leader and those they interact

There’s two types of perfectionism, adaptive and maladaptive where adaptive components are beneficial to the situational and maladaptive components will be detrimental to the individual.

2. Identify and briefly describe the six factors that are increasing the demand for project management.

The paper is divided into three sections, the first of which will establish a timeline of events. This project background will serve as a case study for the analysis in the following section that will be structured such that each of the previously mentioned facets will be independently analyzed and contrasted with project management principles. Finally the paper will conclude with a summary of the analysis and recommendations based on

Perfection is a deadly sickness. It is a wicked plague which clouds the mind, destroys focus, and eliminates any value you may hold for yourself. We are all told that perfectionism is, well, perfect. A flawless way to live where you make no mistakes, avoid any challenges, and are loved and cherished by everyone around you. But this cruel mindset is like a collar that chokes fun and kills passion, constricting joy and creativity in favor of the one and only best decision. The decision that will get you perfect grades, a perfect reputation, and nary an ounce of criticism. Now, while this might seem good, I can tell you for sure that it’s not. How? Because I’ve tried it.