Does birding teach you management? Are birders excellent at making and executing plans? How do they mitigate risks? How good are their communication skills?

Note: All scenes are based on true stories though dramatized in the interest of the readers, and no harm has been done to anyone on the road, the car, self, or any projects. The birds referred to in this blog have no relation to the scene, they are added for reference purposes only.

It's a weekday, and I have to start work at 10 a.m. The plan is perfect: get up at 4 a.m., do your housework, and meticulously prepare for work. I've even set up my workstation so that when I return, all I have to do is click "Join" to attend the meeting. Now, before leaving the house, set two alarms, one at 8.30 a.m. and another at 9 a.m., to motivate me to return to work. You know the plan is perfect.

The start is on time. I arrive at the hotspot on time, the light is good, and there are birds all around. I know the plan is perfect. And some wizardry takes place, causing the phone to vibrate and the 8.30 alarm to sound. I mean, it's only been ten minutes since I arrived at the hotspot and began meeting all of the birds. At least that's how it feels. I listen to my heart and cancel the alarm, as you know, I have set an additional one. I told you the plan is perfect. 

I enjoy the company of birds for a few more minutes till some forces reactivate and the phone vibrates again. The 9 a.m. alarm sounds again.

Now I'm starting to mistrust my plan. How can the plan be perfect when I have to begin work at 10 a.m.? Why didn't I plan to begin work at 11 a.m. rather than 10 a.m.? Now I doubt my managerial abilities, and after all, the plan was not perfect. I listen to my head now and turn off the alarm since, as you know, I don't have another set. I drive back, arrive on time, get myself a cup of coffee, and sit down in front of the laptop.  The work is good, projects all around. I told you the plan is perfect. 

It's a weekday, and I have to start work at 10 a.m. The plan is perfect; wake up at 4, blah blah.

The start is on time. I reach at the hotspot on time, but for some reason, no one shows up, particularly the birds. I instantly begin the analysis, wondering whether it is cloudy, if I am in the wrong spot, if I should travel a little farther, if down the slope offered a better sighting the last time, and so on. Ah ha! The mental dashboard is ready in no time! Just then, I receive a notification, the phone vibrates, and the 8.30 alarm sounds; as is my habit, I switch it off since the plan is perfect. 

The dashboard's results are obvious, and it advises me to wait patiently. It also indicates that the birds I'm seeking will appear when the next alarm sounds. Data never lies; I observe bird soaring high. Right then the 9 a.m alarm sounds, I quickly turned it off, and as it begin to return, the birds decided to settle on a wonderful perch. This is the most stressful situation, and my forefathers have wired me for three responses. Fight, flight, or freeze. I avoid the fight between the heart and the brain because I know it will increase stress. Reason tells me that if I choose Flight, I will lose this lifer, so I freeze.  

You know that plan is perfect; just a slight diversion. Freeze for a few minutes, then flight. As easy as that. 

And in those brief moments of freeze, I observe and click. Believe me, the bird today is not in the mood to travel anyplace. Just then, the birder standing next to me alters his response from freeze to flight as his clocks show 9.30.

I switch gears to flight because I know there will be a fight. Fight for time, traffic, and speed to get home. Again, based on previous experience, I get a mental notifications to send a message to my boss indicating that I am running 15 minutes late and take that shorter route.  I go back in time, practically leap into my chair, and attend the meeting.  I'm thrilled to get the lifer, and my boss is happy that I'm on time, and my work continues. I told you the plan is perfect. 

It's a weekday, and I have to start work at 10 a.m.... blah blah blah..... Remember, there are two alarms at 8.30 and 9.30, and the plan is perfect.

I arrive at the birding location on time, and I see a few other birders. While going about, someone mentions the chance of sighting a unique bird in a similar habitat and season. After all, as professionals, we are wired to take every opportunity to add value to a project seriously, and to go that extra mile. Yes, there is risk, but if feasible, that "extra mile" must be accomplished. 

So we decide to explore, and we hear a call, making the "extra mile" look feasible. So we continue to explore, unaware that we wandered a few miles from the path. The 9 a.m. alarm has gone off, well past the buffer time scheduled, and I've informed my boss that I'm running late and will begin work later. My boss is the one who taught me how to be a team player. Here I was, off track, had got a glimpse of the bird; this was not the time to abandon the team. 

After team efforts, the risk paid off, and the possibility becomes a reality. The assumption of the bird to be found in similar habitat and season is now a fact. 

I now have different data on my mental dashboard, it shows the delays, the RCA for the delays, notification bells ringing for tasks due dates, meetings scheduled, and communications from team members. Before beginning my return travel, I pause and send instructions to team members regarding important and urgent tasks, so that work may continue.   

I return late, get myself a cup of coffee, settle into my chair, and begin work. I'm satisfied to have discovered something new; my boss is upset but not angry since critical tasks have been moved to greener quadrants. Remember how I paused before returning back? That helped. Focusing on work, I dedicate additional time to finish my commitment and always go the "extra mile" to get everything in order. I told you the (mitigation) plan is  perfect. 

It's a weekday, blah blah blah..... there are no alarms 8.30 and 9 that go off charts and the plan is perfect.

I start on time, the work is good, the projects are on track, comfortable working from home today, I prepare and reread the presentation to add the last-minute graphs. I'm prepared and confident for the scheduled meeting and presentation. Someone told me that all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl, so I take a break, make a cup of coffee, grab the camera, and head to the terrace. 

The sun is still waiting to set, but the birds have been active. I know them all by now, so I just keep an eye on them and wait for the flowerpecker to fly in, but instead I observe a barbet pair jumping around the same branches over and over again. Intrigued, I took a closer look with binoculars, and they were finished constructing the nest.

Remember, there are no alarms set. I'm at risk. But the urge to run down and see the barbets makes me take the risk. I do. 

The mango tree is across the lane, and I go there to confirm; the barbets were taking turns bringing in food. I observed, clicked, and then returned to the terrace, grabbed my coffee, and went back to work.

Things already exist; we simply have to discover them. The nest had been there for years, as I could see three cavities. It was matter of time that I discovered it. It's exciting. 

I'm excited, and my nervousness over the presentation is gone. Everything is fine, and the presentation goes quite well. It's pretty late, I log off, have dinner and sleep well. Nothing is planned, yet it seems perfect. 

It's a weekday, blah blah blah..... blah blah blah........and the plan is perfect.

But remember terms and conditions apply

• A Plan B, C,D..Z for your Plan A is must.

• A strong team bonding with maid is mandatory.

• Communication is the key, with the maids, to the boss, for the team members.

• A understanding boss is a dream. Not all weekends/days are for birding. Go that "extra mile"

• Be a team player, make your team members aware about birds. 

• Delegating at home and at work will be a key responsibility.

• Should be able to "focus time" for birding for un-interrupted work at office.

Disclaimer: Perfect plans are hypothetical in birding situations.