Spring break means “no school” and a great time to visit the in-laws in sunny Florida!  As I was inspecting the lush, green landscape in my father-n-law’s backyard, I asked him about one particularly eye-catching bush.  It’s covered in blooms with various shades of purple popping out for the world to admire.  My father-n-law explained that this shrub is named the “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” plant.  (You may know the plant by its fancy name: Brunfelsia pauciflora.)  The plant gets its name because the flowers bloom with a deep purple, then quickly change to lavender, before finally fading to white…yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

What a perfect plant for project managers!  Frequently, we’re asked to report the status of the project…results from yesterday, tasks for today, and plans for tomorrow.  If your shop uses an Agile approach, team members update each other in the Daily Standup Meeting throughout the iteration or sprint.  This plant lines up nicely with the daily standup – what did you accomplish yesterday?  What do you plan to do today?  Any obstacles I need to remove for better progress tomorrow?

The Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow plant: ideally suited for project managers!