Consultant v. Employee- When the Two Worlds Collide

For the past 25 months, I have felt like a traitor, hypocrite and schizophrenic. Why, you might ask?

Well, I thought I became a consultant in June 2005; but, that is also when my former employer became my most important client, and I remained an employee. If you are confused, then welcome to my world.

I would (and continue to) work tirelessly to maintain my commitments to my former (translate current ) employer, deliver the best work possible, ensure that the only work I do is defined within individual project compartments and that each project continues to swim along wavelessly. Then, I would come home and figure out ways to continue to define my [separate] consulting identity through article and bookwriting, twitter and blog updates and professional associations to grow my network and build future possibilities. Needless to say, the days have been long and tiring. But, after a while I realized that the work was not tiring me out – the identity crisis was!

What was I anyways, an employee or a consultant? Both? Neither?

Then, I happened upon an article entitled “The Project Manager Consultant.” in PM Voices, an online magazine published by the Project Management Institute.

Aside from the article’s author, Jim DePiante PMP , speaking my language and describing my life, he sent me a subliminal message that it’s ok to NOT fall inside one box or another, that what I might define as the “only” way something can be (ie employee OR consultant) – somewhere, someone else in the world is doing the exact same thing as me but defining it differently and without judgement!

What matters most is not what or even how you do what you do, but rather – WHY…because you enjoy it, learn and grow from it, help others along the way, make a good living, and open doors to what might follow…

So, herein begins my journey to UNdefine what I do and just do it…

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

The Highs and Lows of Expectations

“If you have no expectations, you can never be disappointed”…Others say: “Expect the best, and plan for the worst”….

While no one wants to live in an emotional desert in which positive expectations are treated as mere illusions, psychologists report that unrealistic or mismatched expectations are actually counterproductive and destructive.

So, how do you know when to lower your expectations to avoid the negative backlash without destroying the very sense of hope which propels us forward?

There are numerous publications which will provide you with the “4, 5 or 12 steps to managing expectations”- and while helpful, these don’t drill down to the core issue. Your expectations are about YOU : what you want to happen, how you want others to behave, etc. And therefore, the solution also lies with you. What are you willing to accept? What is “good enough” and when is “good enough” not good enough?!

Simply put, it’s important to check your expectations before you leave the door – share your own truth with yourself, so to speak. Stop and really hear and feel what you are expecting in your gut. This proactive exercise will help you calm down and process the possibilities of both potential positive and negative outcomes against the bar of your own truth.

And although this piece of “advice” may seem random, it has a lot to do with being productive, balanced and effective in both work and life. The more you’re aware of your expectations, where they fall in the spectrum of hopeful versus catastrophic – the better you will be able to manage them and effect positive experiences and outcomes no matter what.

Wishing You Success Managing Your Expectations,
Natalya

If you enjoyed this, you might also like:

• The Downside of Overconfidence
• Manage Expectations, or Expect to be Managed

Presenting, Not Pleading, Your Case

An aficionado of words, and an avid reader, I am often most inspired by how others use words to encapsulate thoughts, feelings and experiences.

In one such case of wordplay, an inspirational speaker* recommended that [ when praying ] we present a case for what we desire [ with evidence from the Bible to support our achievement of these wishes ] to God instead of pleading for solutions. Such a simple swap of words, from pleading to presenting, resulted in a novel concept and new way to approach fulfillment.

Spirituality aside, my mind is always working on new methods to analyze and approach professional success. It did not take me long to take the case of pleading v. presenting and consider its efficacy in the office or on a project.

If you have the ability to identify a need or issue, you must also find the confidence to present a solution – only then can you acquire the resources needed to execute. Any manager will tell you – come to me not with a problem, but rather with suggestions for its solution, and then – I will help you make that solution happen. In other words, help me help you.

In the spiritual realm, that confidence comes from faith and is implied in sourcing the Biblical foundation for your hopes and wishes; in the workplace, that confidence comes from knowing your work, your capability and commitment to improving the process.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Image Courtesy of dreamstime.com

* Joel Osteen

5 Things Workshifters Won’t Say, But Should

The post which follows is an approved re-print of my recent article on Workshifting.com, and is soon to be excerpted in a new book entitled Out of Office (by Gihan Perera, August 2011 ).*

For anyone not familiar with the term, “workshifting” refers to “anyone who works out of coffee shops, hotels, airports and whose home every bit as much as the office” (Definition courtesy of www.Workshifting.com, Powered by Citrix).

Given that I still struggle with these tenets daily – when the need to please and assist mask the [greater] need to produce and produce well – these statements are helpful reminders that quality, balance, and living your truth are crucial to productivity and success.

5 Things Workshifters Won’t Say, But Should
By Natalya Sabga on June 22, 2011 12:08 PM |

Making the proverbial shift into workshifting is tough – for employers and workshifters, alike. Though gaining greater credibility, the workshifting lifestyle is still nebulous at best and completely scary at worst to most organizations considering permitting an employee to workshift or hiring a workshifter outright.

This perceived dilemma can make some workshifters second guess their daily decisions, promises and commitments in order to say what we believe the hiring parties want to hear.

So, I have come up with the 5 things most workshifters won’t say, but should:

1. “My greatest quality work is produced when I have the most flexibility in time, location and method.”
2. “I would love to help you/your organization with this project/issue, but it’s not within my core competency and it would be better for you to ask someone else with that strength.”
3. “I would need to assess the current status of your organization and measure the gap between where it is currently at versus what you want this project/assignment to achieve, before I commit or spec out my statement of work.”
4. “As a rule, I need a full 24 (48) hours’ notice in order to attend a meeting on-site, except in the case of an emergency or project showstopper.”
5. “I lobbied for a workshifting lifestyle so I could perform at my best and serve you at the highest level of my capability; therefore, being asked to commit to more than my realistic capacity or having to forgo my flexibility defeats both of our ultimate and intended goals for success.”

Some of these statements may appear harsh or “un-A-player-like” at first, but rest assured – they are often the mantras which need to be heard first and most. Your opportunity to workshift has been hard won and much deserved; so wouldn’t you prefer to set yourself up for success with expectations based on realistic and supportive parameters or speak only empty promises and have your work and workshifting lifestyle suffer?

Wishing You Success in any workstyle you adopt,
Natalya

* Find Gihan Perera on Facebook!

Photo Credit: forangels.org

Lessons From My Father

Happy Father’s Day to a man whom the world looks up to and seeks for advice, yet we have the privilege and blessing of calling him “DAD”.

Almost two years into writing this blog, I only just realized – firsthand- that history does, indeed, repeat itself. I grew up under the “reign” of a father who guided, protected and provided for us as children, and who has had virtually every ounce of advice we have needed as adults. There was never a school report, standardized exam nor professional problem that could not be addressed in his library at home- leaving no need to seek external resources and making short work of bibliographies, when all we needed to do was quote one man. So today, when so many ask me for advice and I give it sometimes hesitantly – questioning what worth my words might have and sometimes begrudgingly- when I am strapped for time, I realize that it would be a privileged legacy to continue in my father’s footsteps and impart even half the help and wisdom he has given to many over his lifetime.

And, his words:

• On Forgiveness… “Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.”
• On Adversity… “Adversity is the best teacher.”
• On Generosity… “The best measure of generosity is your time freely given to others…”
• On Gratitude… “Never expect nor look for gratitude.”
• On Children… “The best education you can give a child is by the example you set and not the lectures you give.”

Special thanks and credit to those who compiled and published the short book, WISDOM from a Family…by the Children of Abdou and Linda Sabga, 2009 – from which the above quotes were excerpted.

The “CEO” Gene

I remember penning my book and implying in its title that my journey took me “From Secretary to CEO“…facetious or otherwise, my career path and attitude had taken me on a distinct trajectory in the upward direction. And, I truly believe that – had I continued along the path – the succession planning Gods would have voted in my favor and landed me as close to a CEO position as I chose to be.

At the risk of sounding self-important and utterly overconfident – which I am NOT – I should explain that what I didn’t know then is that I possessed certain key characteristics which, today, are known as “The Five Traits That Get You Promoted to CEO”*:

*Author’s Note: Although aptly named, the article could just as well be called “The Five Traits Which Get You Through Life With Strength and Success…”

From his interviews with over 70 chief executives and leaders, New York Times columnist Adam Bryant identified the “X factors” for leading an organization—qualities that can determine who gets promoted to that corner office:

• Passionate curiosity: Relentless questioning and being infectiously fascinated with everything around you, human nature in particular ~ [N says] It’s not enough to just “learn the lingo” of the industry or organization, you need to learn the players, the art of interacting with them to get things done and how to lose in order to win…
• Battle-hardened confidence: Overcoming—and even relishing—adversity. CEOs most often ask job candidates how they’ve dealt with failure in the past ~ [N says] Failure IS your friend if a) you’re the first to call out your mistake (or as soon as it is discovered), admit fault and ask how you can learn from or avoid the same mistake in the future. Adversity awaits you around every corner; sometimes it’s your fault and other times, it’s someone else’s. So, knowing how to address and mitigate damage as soon as adverse events occur are keys to undoing the ill effects while growing in confidence the next time something goes wrong.
• Team smarts: More than just being a team player, understanding how teams work and getting the most out of the team (in sports terms, being a playmaker) ~ [N says] Independence is a fallacy- we are all interdependent, and nowhere is this truer than when the collective success of your team = your success. Learn your people- their strengths, weaknesses and buttons so you can guide them to their highest success (and ultimately your own…)
• A simple mindset: Being concise, simple, and clear in your communications ~ [N says] I speak at length in my book about working for an IT company, where my advanced education was rendered moot by 19-year old hacking geniuses. Had it not been for my command of the written word and the ability to sound like I knew what I was talking about, I would have never made it past the reception desk. Communication skills, both verbal and written are the greatest muscles you can tone. If these skills do not come naturally, find yourself a Business Writing course and Dale Carnegie chapter…
• Fearlessness: Comfort with the unknown and taking calculated, informed risks; also, seeing opportunities and being proactive about positive change ~ [N says] The operative words here are calculated and informed . Do your homework and once you have earned that battle-hard confidence, taking educated risks, but not risking overconfidence, will become second nature. And yes, with change does come opportunity – so keep your eyes wide open and don’t let the slim opening of opportunity close before you exert a little upfront effort to see what positive influence you can make with or without the promise of reward and recognition.

Whether you are an aspiring executive or the CEO of your own career path…do you possess these traits?

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Image Courtesy of You Know You Made IT When…

Do Remarkable Work

I recently read a tweet from one of my gurus, Marcus Buckingham. In the past 2 years, he has taught me not only to seek out my strengths but more importantly, to embrace and utilize them in light of and in spite of my weaknesses.

A simple and profound aspiration: Strive to become a hard act to follow. ~ @MWBuckingham #strengths

We all have both strengths and weaknesses – it’s WHO WE ARE. Haven’t you ever admired someone for being such a talented marketing mind, a super-organizational machine, a social connector, or even someone who just makes you smile and feel peaceful in their presence? Well, you’re seeing all of these individuals’ strengths shine through and not noticing any of their [underlying] weaknesses.

Yet, most of us seem to focus primarily on the areas upon which we need to improve – I’m too disorganized, I’m not detail-oriented enough, I’m too laid back, I’m too intense, I work too much, I don’t have my priorities in line - well, while any or all of these may be true , and there is certainly nothing wrong with aiming to improve and grow, what if we simply focused on what we already [ translate: inherently] do well, and allow that facet of our personality to lead the way?

Marcus Buckingham’s quote above sent my mind in several different directions:

• The first reminded me that I hold myself to an incredibly high work ethic – everything I produce has my stamp on it and it better meet my standards and reflect who I am (for better or for worse). Even the work I am not so proud of signals a red flag to me to change direction, refocus and accept only those initiatives which will lead me to future growth, productivity and expansion [ which, to me = success ].
• The second direction reminded me that doing “remarkable” work, however you may define or categorize “remarkable”, entails simply doing your very best in any endeavor you choose to undertake, and, understanding that each endeavor IS a choice – whether personal or professional – which bears your very own stamp of quality and respect. You better be sure that when you turn your back, and someone speaks of anything you have said or done – whether positively or negatively, that you are proud to stand up for the result.
• The last direction takes us full circle back to the quote – Let your strength lead the way, and that in itself will make you a hard act to follow. I remember “falling into” the practice of project management at my first job, and immediately receiving high accolades for the quality of work I produced with little to no experience. In those [naive] days, I assumed I was a “good employee to have”. Now, I know… that because I was inadvertently using my [yet unrecognized] strengths, I was not only doing very well but making it look easy (which it was not and still is not!!!).

Be a part of something you believe in. Those around you will notice your enthusiasm. ~Marc and Angel

So, all that being said, whatever your line of work or priority in life – strive to be who you are and the best at being that person. Don’t waste time focusing on what you are not, for that creates empty space and no room to grow.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

The Downside of Overconfidence

Sometime ago, in a post far far away, the subject of expectations came up…but it did not cover expectations’ evil twin, over-confidence.

Even “I Dream of Jeannie” had an evil twin, Sabrina.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me – Confidence is GOOD. Planning, preparation, knowledge, and experience should all contribute to a sense of confidence and expectations for success. Confidence propels us to take action, to put our training to use. Those attributes are the “good angel” sitting on your left shoulder. However, let us not forget who is sitting on the right shoulder -the devil…IS in the details.

Paradoxically, while some may feel that overconfidence is a signal of success – in fact, it is most often attributed to weakness and, yes, even failure!

Let’s examine a case of overconfidence on a project:

You begin a new project which closely resembles many others you have handled in the recent past. You’re familiar with requirements, have extensive knowledge of what it will take to get it done and are well-acquainted with all of your stakeholders. What could possibly go wrong? You certainly know what to do and how to do it, and the project proceeds according to scope and schedule. Then, all of a sudden, your engine goes on autopilot and you involuntarily close your eyes (metaphorically). Like sneezing behind the wheel of your car. All of a sudden, you don’t negotiate the space between you and the car in front of you and wham! You CRASH. The project still required your full attention; yet, by not concentrating on it fully, the opportunity for oversight therefore now exists.

Enter our friend, risk. Regardless of how well-versed you are in an area, unexpected things do happen. Yes, unforeseen changes can happen. They usually do happen. So, even when situations or projects appear to be easy and predictable, do not rest on your laurels nor reservoir of experience. It’s no time to “rest”. In fact, the stakes are higher and change may be just around the corner.

Remember that when things are easy, you are expected to win. ~ An ‘INTJ’

We are human and it is easy to make mistakes, despite years of experience or vast training to guard against error. So, successful outcomes are as much about managing expectations (your own and others’) as about balancing confidence.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Image courtesy of – http://www.despair.com/overconfidence.html

It’s My Job….And I’ll Cry If I Want To….

I just happened to be working from home one day and a newscast on MSNBC caught my ear….on crying in the workplace.

How should emotions be controlled in a professional environment?

Apparently, according to Ann Kreamer (author of It’s Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace ), workplace anxiety is both commonplace and problematic for many. While this factoid certainly did not surprise me, the results of Kreamer’s study on reactions to unveiled (i.e., exposed) emotions in the workplace were shocking:

Women view other women who cry at work as unstable.

Men view other women who cry at work as unprofessional.

Those are strong judgments!!!! I get the need to be professional, to a fault, particularly in today’s competitive environment which demands that we all raise our standards on a daily basis. And, I am the poster child for professionalism, often overlooking even the most basic social niceties and getting directly to the point or project at hand. Yet, for me, something is definitely missing.

We are Human BEINGs not Human DOINGs.

How many of us have not had “those moments” at work – where life, work stress and someone or something – took us over the edge? Perhaps our voice raised a few decibels, our throat got choked up, or we shed a few (or many) tears in public or private? I certainly had MANY of these moments managing projects that would not end and clients that would not cooperate. And, although over time, I have learned to manage my reactions more effectively – in those very human moments, sheer frustration and exhaustion were my truths.

So, raise your hand…I would venture to say that there are actually going to be many who can attest to that prize-winning status of never showing your weak side at work. But, I would go one step further and say that society is holding us to an unhealthy and unrealistic standard – not to mention false and inauthentic.

In [my] weakest moments, and those of my own staff over the years, I much prefer to have the issue and accompanying emotions acknowledged with compassion, and then guidance provided on how to address it…this does not mean pamper nor babysit, but it does mean understand.

I see compassion, understanding and guidance as closely tied to longevity, results and productivity. So, sue me, or…try a little kindness

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Image Courtesy of: blogs.forbes.com

If You Get…Give. If You Learn…Teach

If You Get…Give. If You Learn…Teach ~ Maya Angelou

Both the title of this particular blog, and the quote above, are the words of the brilliant Maya Angelou. While I have not studied her works in great detail, the wisdom and peace which can be derived from mere snippets are surely mere portents of her full works.

And the aforementioned quotation, in particular, resonated with me greatly. With the super surge in blogging, tweeting, “facebooking”, LinkedIN, podcasts and the like – you are either overwhelmed with an onslaught of information and want nothing to do with it OR you cannot get enough. Really no in-between. Despite authoring a blog of my own, I was -admittedly- a member of the nothing-to-do-with-it club for many months.

Even as I wrote my first blog entries, I wondered ” who really cares except me…? ” A lifelong student of human behavior, coupled with an ease with words, I could not help myself but blog – all of those experiences and behavioral observations co-mingled with a platform on which to finally express them was too much to resist! Yet, the nagging voice which decried the relevancy of my thoughts and work lingered and often does to this day…until I realized how much I derive from the information imparted by other fellow bloggers and tweeters. I am addicted and grateful to them for funneling timely, relevant and otherwise easily-overlooked information to continuously fill my brain and exercise my mental muscle.

So, thank you Ms. Angelou for not only encouraging but justifying the shared expression of knowledge and thoughts -for each blog entry is a compilation of what someone has learned, including me, and it is a privilege to be taught by these writers.

On that note, I must take this moment to recognize some of my favorite, most-admired and thought-provoking bloggers – which, btw, I discovered from reading other blogs that had linked to these – I do hope you will check out my Top 5!

• Alisa Arenas (Sanera)
• Marc and Angel (Marc & Angel Hack Life)
• HR Bartender

And, for the PMs…

• The PM Coach
• Head First PM
• The PM Student

Wishing you Success,
Natalya

I’m Not W-BS’ing You…

We all have tasks, goals and wishes…and we cannot live without accomplishing these. In some case, completing certain tasks means earning a living or fulfilling our responsibilities to others; similarly, achieving certain goals or having our wishes come through may mean fulfilling our responsibility to ourselves.

So, what is the method for the madness of tasks, goals and wishes all swimming around in our heads?

Well, ask a project manager and he/she will tell you – it all begins and ends with a WBS.

A work breakdown structure (WBS) breaks a project into smaller, more manageable components. It is the basis for project planning…

The operative words here are smaller and more manageable…

Large, complex projects are organized and completed successfully only by breaking them into progressively smaller pieces which result in a collection of defined “work packages” or individual tasks. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the tool used to provide the framework for organizing and managing the work in front of you. Then why not, too, use a WBS for your life milestones?

I recently mapped a WBS for my personal and professional goals. The exercise resulted in:

1. Realizing where my priorities landed. Unfortunately work was a Level 2, Priority 3 item – I won’t even tell you where vacation and R&R landed. Good news is, writing was priority #1.
2. Mapping out what it would take to actually accomplish each milestone and progressively elaborating through a list of the work packages which comprised the larger goal. For example, if I am trying to write another book – sublevel 2, item 1 would be defining concept; sublevel 2, item 2 would be mapping out chapter concepts and titles…etc – and I could progressively elaborate as many subtasks as needed until the book is finished, published and marketed.
3. Reducing anxiety. In planning any project or approaching any new task, it is normal to find oneself possibly overwhelmed and confused. But, breaking a project into logically arranged, step-by-step pieces is a proven way to get to where you need to go!

The journey of a million miles…begins with one step. ~ Attributed to Tao Te Ching

So, take that step today, and WBS your own life’s projects and milestones! Preparing and understanding the steps for your life’s projects are an effective way of managing and achieving your goals.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

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The Journey of a Million Miles

Image Courtesy of: The Project Diva

Manage Expectations or Expect to be Managed

In a recent post, I spent some time on change management..which led me to thinking…what happens to our expectations when change happens?

Ex*pec*ta*tion (noun), as defined by Merriam Webster, is the act, state or basis for expecting.

So, what exactly does that mean? Well, it means that if you have expectations, you expect something! Whether the expectation is well-defined, rational, or realistic is entirely another layer which we will get to…

Expectations can be both unconscious and inadvertent as well as overt and cognitive. What we do with these expectations often spells out their positive or negative impact.

If you are a project manager, you are trained to handle the effects of change on project scope, schedule, time or resources and manage project outcomes to meet or exceed stakeholder expectations; since all projects are different to some degree, a project manager must exert conscious effort to learn and earn a flexible toolbelt which can be used to deliver positive project results – regardless of how far reality veers from initial expectation. “Change Control,” a documented tool in the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 4th ed., is defined as “how a PM deals with changes to the project plan.” In other words, an actual tool has been created so that PMs can stay in control of the change.

Managing to change takes experience and skills. Now, imagine if you are not aware that expectations need to be managed! Consider the employer which straddles the fence of changing business needs and employee skills’ adjustment, or the employee who feels as though they can customize their position instead of staying within the one for which they were hired. I don’t even think that works for employees at Build-A-Bear-Workshop! Take also into account the millions of teenagers who get in serious trouble for a messy room, yet were never taught that they were expected to keep it clean or how….

These circumstances, faced by employee and employer or parent alike, can be both predictable and thoroughly manageable…given the right expectations…

Manage Expectations or Expect to be Managed…~David Alev

It really is that simple; thank you, Mr. Alev! In his consulting practice, Alev goes further to state that “expectations are your vision of a future state or action, usually unstated but which is critical to your success.” The operative words being “critical to your success.” I have seen one too many an employer who expects employees’ skillsets to be as flexible as gumby and malleable as taffy when new management comes in or roles need to redefined. Subsequently, you have a team stretched to its limit with low morale and a lot of confusion. I have also known an employee or two whose actual job duties become buried far beneath their expectations of what their job “could” be. Subsequently, they swim in a pool of frustration – losing sight of a job they could actually do well if they simply level set their own expectations and understand the reality of the position. In either case, employer or employee, inaccurate expectations result in losses of productivity and increased levels of micromanagement. Then, everyone wonders why the opportunity to grow is further and further away.Parents can also relate when their attempts at disciplining their teenagers render them frustrated because they expect immediate results without gradual training and expectation-setting.

Project managing your life, career or a project is as much a philosophy you choose as it is a methodology you learn; and learning to expect change and manage expectations are keys to success.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Managing Change – Flexibility or Fallibility?

A few of my long-term projects lately have been encountering changes on the fly. OK, if I am being honest here – the actual truth is that every project I’ve ever worked on in the past ??? years has faced change requests somewhere along the path to completion. YET, every time an email floats in that threatens to alter scope, resources or content, I stare at the laptop like an alien in a UFO just landed on the keyboard. My heart flutters and a certain minuscule level of anger rises up in me. What is wrong with me… shouldn’t someone tell me to stop being surprised by now??!!

The only constant is change…

Did I even need to block quote that? I think not. We all know that change is inevitable, unavoidable, unexpected yet expected, annoying and welcome at the same time. And, clearly, I am not alone. A recent study published by Wharton’s Aresty Institute for Executive Education cites that “most CEOs consider themselves and their organizations largely ineffective at implementing change.” The study cites the failure rate for initiatives at almost 60 percent, with just 61 percent of CEOs reporting that they managed change well in past projects. The study also reveals that the percentage of CEOs who expect substantial change climbed to 83 percent.

So, if 83% percent expect the change, 61% feel that they manage well to change, why then is the failure rate(60%) still so high?

And, for a project manager like myself – who manages to a carefully laid out plan, where change requests are actually integrated into the plan, and whose success hinges on bringing projects to positive completion, where is the delineation between flexibility and fallibility – both in projects and in life….?

Interestingly enough, the answer to that and the CEOs’ high failure rate problem are much alike…

Expecting change is not just an emotional connection, it must be tactical, too - whether you see the change coming or not, experience tells you it will come, so know how you will deal with it. Develop change management procedures and coping mechanisms which can be widely adopted regardless of circumstance. Wharton Professor of Management Sigal Barsade notes, “Even as executives realize they’re not effective at implementing change, they continue to approach new initiatives with the same methods they used in the past. ” Hello, definition of insanity calling….

Understand change – I don’t care how many people actually admit to it or not, but NOBODY LIKES CHANGE. And we are pre-programmed to berate ourselves when we find that our involuntary reactions to change invoke feelings of instability (reference first paragraph, last sentence of this very blog!) Be it positive or negative, change can evoke excitement, happiness, anxiety, anger, denial, sadness, frustration – whether we want/allow it. And, more often than not, we cannot do a darn thing about the change other than to….

Accept and Adapt - And herein lies the simple answer to my original question, which was fraught with complexity and frustration: “Where is the delineation between flexibility and fallibility ..?” Change WILL happen, so accept that, and flexibility will follow. Be prepared for change, whether it is by building float into your schedule, reviewing lessons learned from the past before embarking on new/repeated initiatives, or invoking coping mechanisms. Change is not synonymous with a disastrous ending, it’s simply a re-start – so learn techniques to adapt, be flexible within those adaptation techniques, and failure will no longer be in your forecast.

Perhaps you cannot predict change, but we can all predict how we behave in its wake.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

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Journey v. Destination

When haven’t we all asked ourselves this age-old question…Which is more important, the journey or the destination?

I’m not sure anymore that there is a right answer to that question. So, if you haven’t found the answer yourself, don’t fret.

It is human nature to focus on the destination – i.e., the goal, the reward, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And, it’s important to have destinations that create the possibility for the journey.

Personally, I’d like to believe that the destination guides the journey; but in the end, does it even matter if you ever get there or not…?

Image Courtesy of Dopiaza

So, let’s talk for a moment about what actually happens along the journey.

~ Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. ~ Arthur Ashe

In 2009, I had a destination in mind ~ a virtual one, that is. Create a website to showcase my project management skills: a virtual mirror for me to glimpse at my capabilities from the outside in, if you will. Within the website a blog would exist. The blog would be an outlet for my love affair with words and a harmonious marriage between what I do as a PM on a daily basis and what I write. Well, almost 20 months into writing the blog, I can count on one hand the number of posts which had anything to do with project management! Needless to say, I needed some help with scope management on my own project!

According to the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), there are 5 phases to a project:

Initiation – Planning – Executing – Controlling – Closing

I need not highlight the fact that I veered off course at Initiation. My blog became a stream-of-consciousness exercise as opposed to a stream of knowledge!

So what does that have to do with the case of Journey v. Destination, you ask?

The way I see it, “destinations” complicate the journey too much. They’re no more than placeholders, mile markers if you will, and how you get there is in no way comprised by whether or not you get there…. It’s not written anywhere that we must reach certain destinations in life, no more so than it’s etched in stone what each of my blog posts must be about. That is not to say you should not have goals, or resolutions, or set mile markers of achievements to which you may aspire – and if you need help setting those, check out fellow blogger extraordinaire, HR Bartender’s, post here – but, it may mean that destinations will be arrived at on their own merit, as long as you seek fulfillment and growth along the journey’s way.

Wishing You Success on Your JOURNEY,
Natalya

Author’s Note: Ironically, my 20 month journey gone askew led me directly back to its initial destination…writing about Project Management. Just when I thought my scope had creeped too far and the risk of retrieval too high to mitigate, the compass turned 180 degrees back to writing blogs about PM. (Funny how that works, eh? ) I hope not to “projectize” my blog too far such that I lose readers along the way, but rather illustrate how you, too, can project manage your life.

Morning Routines and Evening Rituals

A reprint of my latest contribution to Workshifting…now if only to consistently practice what I preach..

I said goodbye to traditional office life some 17 months ago, yet still struggle with defining my workday. Whether open-door, closed-door or cubicle-bound, office life offers a stability and consistency that come with scheduled work hours and responsibilities.

Upon entry into the Workshifting realm, the before, during and after work all become one. And, as is the case for many workshifters, your load will effectively increase if you become responsible for your own IT, marketing and the like.

How You Start and End Your Day Influences What Happens In-between

So, now, productivity not only becomes more challenging, it becomes more integral to successfully reaching any destination along the workshifting highway. Here are some ideas I am tinkering with, in order to move into the HOV lane of productivity.

Create a morning routine which invokes a positive flow of energy and ideas through the remainder of your day.In physical terms, this ritual could involve a swim, a walk with the sunrise or a cup of freshly-brewed coffee. Sometimes, just having your coffee in a different place and checking your personal email or reading a few edifying articles will prepare your mind for the work that is ahead!

Mentally, the activity should calm you while at the same time awaken your brain to remain open to a flow of ideas throughout the day. Life coach and author, Wendi Blum, suggests that you start your day with a gratitude list – i.e., on a positive note. Or, perhaps, set the intention for what you would like to/need to accomplish on that day. Different from mere calendaring or goal-setting, setting the intention implies a connection and commitmment to the task at hand and the possession of the talent/skills/discipline needed to achieve!

Remember that the key to the morning “routine” may be keeping it exactly the same each day, or switching it up sometimes depending on what type of flow of thoughts/creativity/ energy you seek!

Create an evening ritual which encapsulates the positive aspects of your day and sets you up for success tomorrow. As workshifters, it can feel as though our ‘work’day never ends! Therefore, it’s that much more imperative that we create a physical and/or mental separation to transition from work to relaxation. Whether it is an evening social activity or walk outside – find a way clear the clutter of the day.

Stop, ask your mind/heart/soul to receive the wisdom and knowledge you need to fuel the next day’s tasks. These requests of yourself act like the automatic “Windows updates” your computer performs at night, readying it with the latest tools it needs to work at optimum levels.

What are your morning routines and evening rituals that make you most productive?

Wishing You Success,
Natalya