The Short Version
Our book, Memoir of a Man, will be delayed from the planned February 2014 release. It reminds me of my life; delay, delay, delay…
Delay can be viewed in a negative sense. But are there any positives to delay in our lives?
The Poem
Delay, Delay, what can I say
I’m late again and can’t explain
Or yes I can and won’t today
perhaps it’s part of work & play
The Long Version
In the field of Project Management, delay may be viewed negatively. Try telling your stakeholders that their project will be delayed and you may be in for a rough ride. But is delay always a bad thing?
Based on my experience, probably not in all cases. Most of us have probably heard the story about a person who was delayed, rushed to the airport and missed their flight only to later learn the plane crashed. That is an extreme example but consider this. If we change our attitude towards delay, perhaps we can recognize that there are some benefits.
One of the most obviously aggravating forms of delay is traffic, especially when I need to get where I’m going right now. Yet, if I check my frustration and take time to enjoy the ride, I may be able to alleviate some of the damaging effects of delay. Extended anger, frustration, elevated blood pressure, and other detrimental effects may not be good for longevity of the body. Plus, long after the delay, I may carry impatience to my next encounter and damage relationships.
Can delay have a positive outcome? Yes. It can cause something moving too fast to slow down. It’s not good to bake a cake too fast. In some projects, delay can provide time for further thought and development thus resulting in a better end result or product.
As painful as it is to experience and explain delay, at times it can be a great treasure. In the case of the book, Memoir of a Man, it is quite frustrating to continually run into issues causing delay. But it does provide another ‘one last time’ to review, rethink, and find errors and opportunities that were formerly hidden. For that, I am grateful for those small delays. It will result in a better product for your enjoyment.
“One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.” – Chinese Proverb
Legacy 