All right. You may be confused right now if you are not Catalan. Damn, you may be confused even if you are Catalan. Keep calm and poop on, I mean, carry on.
When you grow up in Catalonia, you assume that hitting a log (with a beautiful face and a hat) so that it poops candy is the normal thing to do in the holidays. Then you find out that this whole pooping thing is always on the list of weirdest holiday traditions ever. Exhibit one: Jim Gaffigan. Exhibit two: Kate McKinnon. Exhibit three: Viggo Mortensen.
The pooping log of Christmas, up close and personal
At the beginning of December, Catalan kids go into the woods and find their log or tió. Kids are responsible for feeding the tió every day so that it poops abundantly (basic anatomy here, folks). On Christmas Eve (or Christmas Day, depending on the family), kids hit the log with a stick singing something like poop, log, poop hazelnuts and nougat. Don’t poop herrings, as they are too salty (lyrics vary depending on the family as well). After that, kids find candy and small gifts under the blanket. HEY, I AM SURE YOU HAVE WEIRD TRADITIONS AS WELL. DON’T BE JUDGY!
Yeah, ok, but what does it have to do with Project Management?
Well, well, my beautiful readers, the pooping log teaches us quite a few things.
Planning, Consistency & Execution
The pooping log requires a fair amount of planning. For starters, we first need to acquire it. We can “find” one in the woods, “adopt” it at a Christmas market, or be creative and make one from scratch. In any case, there’s planning involved. You can’t get your pooping loog too early, and of course, you shouldn’t get it too late into the holiday season because the more it eats, the more it’ll poop (again, basic biology here). DON’T GET YOUR POOPING LOG AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE. PLAN AHEAD FOR GOD’S SAKE!
Pooping logs are hard to find in New York, so I made mine from scratch!
Once our pooping log is installed in our home, we need to feed it consistently. Pooping logs are the opposite of Gremlins, meaning that they only eat at night, and while traditional logs prefer oranges and milk, modern logs enjoy cookies and wine (WINK, WINK). The key here is consistency. Everyone knows that LOGS POOP MORE AND BETTER GIFTS IF THEY HAVE BEEN FED EVERY DAY. Just do what I say, ok?
Then, on Christmas Eve, execution is critical. While there’s no right or wrong way of hitting the log (more on this later), it is absolutely essential that we sing the song (I don’t care which variant). We must sing the song from beginning to end (pick a short variant if you prefer) with enthusiasm and anticipation. YOUR LOG WON’T POOP IF YOU DON’T SING THE SONG!
Ok, all right, sorry about the yelling. I get intense when it comes to pooing logs.
Anyway, we all agree that planning, sticking to the plan, and getting things done are super important in managing projects. Planning helps set the direction by defining goals and tasks while also preparing for potential issues. Consistency keeps everyone on track, ensuring we follow the plan and maintain quality. But the real game-changer is execution, actually doing the work. It’s about putting plans into action, using resources well, and adapting when needed. SEE HOW THE POOPING LOG IS A WELL OF WISDOM?
It is ok to adapt traditions to our needs
I have already mentioned that we can ask the loog to poop either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. There are also different variants of the song that’ll trigger some good old log bowel movements. I feel intrepid today, so I’ll go further: if we don’t feel comfortable hitting something that we have been feeding for days and has a pretty face, dude, it is perfectly okay to look for alternatives and maybe I don’t know, just pet the log. THE LOG WILL POOP ALL THE SAME, BELIEVE ME. There’s nothing wrong with adapting a tradition to what we are comfortable with.
When we manage projects, we often follow and enforce several processes. It is not only okay but also encouraged that we review those processes and adapt them to the needs of our teams. If the answer to “Why are we doing this?” is something like “Because we have always done it this way,” I encourage you to take a closer look and work with the team to apply changes (if needed) that make sense for you and, most importantly, get you to your goal more effectively.
Ok, just a note so that you don’t think Catalans are deranged humans who like to hit logs with faces: some historians suggest that the origin of the pooping log goes back to the days when the bonfire was the center of family life. People would hit the logs on the hearth to get more heat out of them. I don’t know. Stick a thermostat on the log and switch it if you prefer. As I said. THE LOG WILL POOP ANYWAY!
Clear and concise communication
Let’s take a look at the song we sing so that the log poops. You can listen to a fancy version here.
Poop log, poop
Hazelnuts and nougat
Do not poop herrings
As they are too salty
Poop Nougat that is tastier
Clear and concise AF, isn’t it? I mean, it clearly states what we want from the log, what we don’t, and why. Then, it ends with repeating what we want, just in case the log gets confused.
When managing projects, PLEASE DON’T GO AROUND ASKING PEOPLE TO POOP ETAs OR LOEs, but always clearly state what it is that you need and why you need it. I talked about it last week. Do you NEED A REMINDER?
One last thing: have fun
Why on earth do we do this pooping log thing? Well, basically because of the gifts, but also because it is fun. Actually, probably mainly because it is fun.
Why on earth do we manage projects? Hey, I won’t go all Pollyanna here. I know we do it for money. We also do it because our projects create products that make folks happy, right? Here’s a revolutionary idea: why don’t we try to have fun in the process by, I don’t know, let’s see, finding the links between project management and our favorite TV shows, movies, and books? WINK WINK.
Have a wonderful Christmas Solstice, my friends!!!
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