Project management: a philosophical approach

“Beginner’s mind” is a term in Zen philosophy. Compared to the mind of an expert, the mind of a beginner displays openness, eagerness and a lack of preconceptions; from a Zen perspective, all very good things. On our first day of swimming lessons, for instance, we are open to practicing and learning new skills. We know that we have much to learn, and it is important to pay attention to the teachers.

Not so with experts. As Shunryu Suzuki puts it in Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are…