The Bard is in the public domain, so we can freely use his powerful words and imagery for our own personal and professional needs without a farthing in royalties.
In the video, you'll see a strong performance of the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V as performed by Kenneth Branagh, playing the young King Henry.
If you aren't familiar with the story, the English are in France fighting to unite the kingdoms (because the current line of English kings are Norman in descent, not Anglo-Saxon.) The English are heavily outnumbered and are about to meet the French in open battle. The Duke of Westmoreland laments at the beginning that they could use some more men from England with them. Henry picks up on that and gives this rousing speech.
Inspiring.
At work, we are under a few very...aggressive...deadlines that push the boundaries of reality. Often I hear words to the same effect as Westmoreland's: oh, if we just had some more people.
What follows is my ever so slight changes to Shakespeare in an attempt to rally the despairing. I left St. Crispin's Day in there, but any significant date will work instead. I could have even used "this November 9th" and "when November 9th comes near..." You understand what I mean.
A Team Lead: O if we now had here
just a few more programmers and analysts from the Widget division
that do no work to-day!
The Boss: Who would wish for that? My finest Team Lead?
No, my good employee;
if we are mark'd for failure, we are enough
to do our company loss; and if to succeed,
the fewer people, the greater share of glory.
For God’s sake! Do shut it, and wish not for more people.
By Jove, I am not covetous for bonus money,
nor care I who benefits from our work;
I don’t care if my team has “project” golf shirts;
such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honor,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my lead, wish not a person from Widgets.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honor
as one person more methinks would share from me
for the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, my Team Lead, through my whole team,
that any which hath no stomach to this effort,
let them depart; their termination shall be made,
and a decent severance put into their final check;
we would not toil in that person's company
that fears their fellowship to fail with us.
Our delivery date is call'd the feast of Crispian.
Any that remain to this day, when we deliver,
will stand a little straighter when this day is nam'd,
and rouse themselves at the name of Crispian.
All that shall make it to this day, and see old age,
will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
and say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will they pull their files and show their records,
and say 'These tasks I completed before Crispian's day.'
Old employees forget; yet all shall be forgot,
but they'll remember, with advantages,
what feats they did before that day.
Then shall our names,
familiar in his mouth as household words-
the Project Manager, QA and Production Control,
Training and Documentation, Design and Development-
be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the future PMs teach their teams;
and Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the ending of the world,
but we in it shall be remembered-
we few, we happy few, we band of siblings;
for any to-day that continues with me
shall be my sibling; be they socially awkward,
delivery day shall normalize their condition;
and people throughout the company now-a-desk
shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
and hold their employment cheap whiles any speaks
that strove to deliver upon Saint Crispin's day.
(No one cheered. But they did look at me funny.)
No comments:
Post a Comment