Conversational fencing

Being thrown into a manager's position for over a year now, I realize that managing people has a lot in common with judo. A good grip is key, then comes the skill to parry your opponent's tactics and finally guide him into your finishing ippon throw - soft landing only guaranteed if you don't resist the unavoidable :-)

I definitely feel like a white belt in this game - emotional intelligence, language patterns, mirroring emotional reactions, group dynamics, leadership. Boy, this is far from the command and control style I've been exposed to at Accenture. Must be why they invented a separate name for it "People Management" (as opposed to "Project Management").

As with any other martial art, I guess the key to success is to conquer the inner opponent on a daily basis : to ignore "Mr Negative", to control the rushing nerves in difficult situations, to place technique over power.

Wax-in, wax-out.