Welcome to the Present Moment, the precious time when miracles occur!
How are you, my friends?
Today I learnt a beautiful lesson that I want to share with you as following:
Recently, I have been studying OKRs, a method of goal-setting management which through it higher executives can manage tasks and staffs effectively. I have a lot of joy studying it and enjoying reading others experience of applying it to their lives and their work.
Unfortunately, I was furious when people mentioned that OKRs was similar to Lean application "Made in Vietnam". I do not deny that OKRs is not similar to Lean as OKRs also shares the same base of cutting cost (either tangible or intangible) to work more efficiently. Yet, OKRs is not one of the Lean "Made in Vietnam" tools and furthermore Lean "Made in Vietnam" already covers everything of OKRs.
I found myself trying to argue back and forth to protect my thoughts of OKRs, mainly trying to separate OKRs and Lean "Made in Vietnam", and to strongly emphasize that OKRs is a mix of many components in which Lean is one of them. I realized that I wanted to prove that I was not wrong, and what I study was not one of something small that was being covered by something else.
That thought made me tired, restless and short-tempered.
On the way back home from work today, while riding among long queues of people on the road, one quick word flew through my mind: mindfulness. Then, the stream of thought continue with Thay's teaching of mindfulness, and the teaching of other great teachers in the world such as Dalai Lama, Ajahn Brahm, etc. I even attended to one of Ajahn Brahm's talks and enjoyed it so much. So what is wrong with having many people talking and teaching about one simple thing? The answer is nothing wrong with doing so.
Then, what is wrong with me when hearing another person talking or teaching something that is similar to what I am studying (or even not similar as I am trying to argue)? Is that the reason I am angry because I think these are 2 different theories while other think they are the same? Am I furious because I think people misunderstand 2 concepts?
If even OKRs and Lean "Made in Vietnam" are same concept, what is the objective of my studying and teaching OKRs? I want to share a way of management for many people to apply in their lives and in their work as it would cut the cost and help to work more efficiently. If Lean "Made in Vietnam" shares the same goal like OKRs, then what is wrong of having 2 persons talking about one simple thing? The answer is nothing wrong with it.
Quoted from my precious friend and mentor: "The problem is a big elephant and each of us touch one part of the elephant." Cutting cost and Managing to work efficiently are enormous topics that neither me nor another person can cover everything of them. Each of us works on something that we think it would help to obtain the objective, bringing us closer to the goal and what we are working on is just one part of a giant elephant.
Phew, I took a big deep breath out to release my tension, my worry, my anger and finally found my own peace.
Thank you so much Thay for teaching me of mindfulness, for seeding it in my consciousness to sprout anytime I need!
Hope you have a wonderful day, my friends!
Bowing with Lotus,
