Dependencies

 

In my line of work, most everything I do revolves around a project plan.  Developing the plan requires defining the milestones and dates then detailing the tasks required complete the milestones.  Dependencies are underlying tasks, typically linked together, necessary to complete the milestones.  I look at most things in terms of a project plan.  Here is a quick example.

We depend on the chef at a restaurant to prepare our food.  The chef depends on the distributor to provide the ingredients, the distributor depends on the farmers to grow the vegetables and livestock, the farmer depends on the weather to provide the right environment to produce vegetables and livestock, and the farmer and distributor depend on truck drivers to deliver the products to the chef.  See, there are all sorts of dependencies needed to get your meal to the table.

I see dependencies as good things.  It means knowing what I can and cannot do and allowing others to help me.  It gets back to the fundamental need we all have of desiring to be wanted and needed, and asking for help accomplishes that very thing for both parties.  It allows someone else to share their talents and skills, or me sharing my talents and skills with them.  When we share knowledge and time, both sides grow from the experience.