We Are Going Live!

After doing project-related work for nearly 25 years, having a project “Go Live” is still a great feeling!  Yes, there are associated risks.  Yes, there are certain stresses related to change and moving outside our comfort zones.  Yes, sometimes the projects were pushed on people as opposed to being asked for.  And, yes, even if there is complaining during the project, the fears and concerns preceding the all-important “Go Live” date are forgotten as the new “thing” becomes part of the fabric of life.  In many cases, those who complained of the old way, tend to migrate the complaints over to the new way.

When I started working at the company I am currently at, it was to implement a global ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) so that the “world of Finance” could be on the same platform, speak the same language and have the ability to support one another no matter where they were located.  Migrating different regions, with different software, with completely different processes is never an easy task.  Projects of such a large size must be done in phases, with one overriding plan on how to proceed.  Translation: The project would be a multi-year project from beginning to end. 

Years ago, I worked for a company that was bought by Merck & Co.  Merck was an interesting place, in that, they actually had a project based organization structure.  This meant that for a large project, you were plucked from your current project and dedicated 100% to this new project, with its own project organization.  The benefit is that your focus is on the project with a team of the same goals.  This was definitely a unique learning experience. Project life afterwards meant that daily activities sometimes had the priority, other responsibilities come your way and other projects with a higher priority push off current projects.

Managing projects of this nature requires patience.  In a go-go society, instant gratification and quick turn arounds have been an expected norm, regardless of the reality of what is before us.  It is important in managing any project that communications in regards to the timelines, the impact / changes to a project and identification of external factors that effect a project occur.  When the moment of the “Go Live” is right in front of us, it is normal to ask, “what did we miss.”  No project ends at “Go Live,” but the project continues until a short time later, miraculously, “things” return to normal, as if there was never that tense period where we push back from change.  Remember, always congratulate and thank your teams for the work they did, for it is their effort, their stress and their expectations that make or break the acceptance of the “Go Live.” 

Kindness Counts

I recently came across an article posted on Inc. Magazines website.  The title was related to one of the sign of being a leader, but also included the phrase “…but may cause a Gag Reflex for most…”  I admit, it was this part of the title that caught my attention.  I read the well thought out article, and the attribute that writer Marcel Schwantes was referring to is Kindness.  The article provides the points to support the attribute and the related benefits. 

Years ago, I was listening to a speaker at an event I was attending and the speaker started to talk about handling people that are negative or become belligerent towards you.  The approached boiled down to “kill them with kindness.”  Recently, in a Darren Hardy daily video, he spent that day’s message on the importance of kindness and how it factors in on building his own teams.  For years, my wife has been saying, “…if only we could be kind to each other…” 

Keep in mind, I am not talking about kindness where it is a weakness.  That would be a situation where in Yiddish it is referred to being a schmatta (rag), and in English where the term is calling someone a doormat.  These are people that so nice, they let other people walk all over them.  Being kind does not preclude the fact that one needs to be tough at times, or stand their ground, or prove a point.  Kindness is a trait that in conjunction with other positive traits can have a big impact, leverage the Law of Attraction and provide beneficial interactions.  Think of it this way, if you went up to a customer service counter and the curmudgeon behind the counter barked, “Whad dah yah want?” and then proceeds to make everything difficult, there is a good chance that you will no longer do business with this company due to the curt reception at the counter.  However, if when it was your turn, you stepped up to the counter and someone with a big smile greets you with, “Good afternoon, how may I be of service to you?” and then proceeds to make helping you a positive experience, their kindness would ensure you would return in the future.

We all get our feathers ruffled at times, but a measure of kindness can go a long way.  Kindness to fellow employees, kindness to volunteer workers, kindness to family, kindness to strangers.  Sometimes, that little bit of kindness has its way of making it back to you in future.

 

The article that started me thinking: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/this-rarely-seen-leadership-practice-is-now-linked-to-happier-workplaces-motivated-employees-says-research.html

Changing Sleeping Habits

Monday, I called in sick.  This is a rarity for me.  Ends up my body said, “Wayne, you need sleep.”  You see, I have this habit of going and going, waking up early, staying up late and not taking much down time.  Every so often, my body will hit the proverbial wall and cause me to become “sick” so that I take the time to let my body catch up.  Sometimes, I can see the signs of this coming, other times, like this past week, I did not.

When I was a teen – I remember sleeping a lot.  My dad used to come into my room and wake me up saying it was 2:00 in the afternoon on the weekends and that I was wasting my day.  I had nothing happening, so I was not sure what time I was wasting.  As an adult, I was not excited to see my kids sleep that late, but understood and never woke them up, unless they actually needed to be up.  This continued through college.  And, even with the sleeping, I was a big fan of the nap.  On a hot summers day, I would curl up into a ball under the A/C wall unit in my parents dining room and sleep.  Napping was good and no one knew where I was, also good!

When I was a young adult – I started to believe that time gets wasted by sleeping too much.  I also began to realize that I really did not need 8 – 12 hours of sleep.  If done correctly, I found that 5 – 6 hours of good, high quality sleep occurred, I was all set.  However, the all-important nap was still great!  At this point in my life, nap time, when it is possible, is out in the open and with no hiding necessary.

When I am an adult – I have little time to accomplish so many things.  When we first got married, I remember us having plenty of free time.  Then the girls popped into our lives.  I worked long hours and began to travel for work.  We became involved in different activities, some for the kids, some for us.   We do have some social life.  Sleep can sometimes be less than 5 – 6 hours.  The nature of napping has completely changed.  I can sleep anywhere in any position (except standing, though I have tried).  Catching 10 minutes sitting in a chair is sometimes all I can sneak in.  A full nap that is a planned event.  For example, as I am writing this, if our afternoon outside activities get rained out, I might be able to get in a nap. 

I know, the body needs to sleep, regenerate and recover from the daily activity of life.  It has become a balancing act.  My maternal grandfather used to say 1 hour of sleep before midnight was worth 2 after.  I am not sure what that means, but have gotten to the point where getting to bed an hour before midnight is a good thing, because no matter what time I go to sleep, I know that come 5:00 (during the week), my clock radio (yes, I still have one) will be waking me up.

Change Comes to Everyone

Yes, I am the guy who writes about change, speaks publicly about change and whose livelihood relies on change.  But what happens when change comes to Wayne?  And I am not talking about the fuzzy stuff that is adorning my chin.  I am talking about looking out into the future, setting some goals and making the choices in order (some more difficult than others) to attain what I need in my life. 

Next month I turn 56.  “The Balance” recently printed an article that, based on US Census information, the average retirement age is around 63, with life in retirement lasting 18 years.  According to that statistic, I have only 7 years left in the workforce and 25 years before I start pushing up daisies.  While I have no thoughts of retiring, as I still enjoy what I do, maybe I should take the stats into account.  I am planning to make it to 100 years old, which is 44 years away.  While I do not like to always follow the pack,  at some point, this ride called life will come to the end of the line, whether I am ready or not.

There is some measure of truth in the saying (attributed to Tony Robbins), "Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”  As we move through life, we reach different points where we have become comfortable where we are, we take pleasure in “know all” about our supposed areas of expertise, and as a result, start the slide towards Mediocrity.  Roy Vaden made the observation that “Success is never owned; it is only rented, and the rent is due every day!”  As we become comfortable, we tend to slack off, find the easier ways to achieve the same goals (sometimes, however, this can lead to new discoveries), and tend to ride on our laurels.  I am no different.  By becoming the president of a volunteer organization, that I faced many new challenges.  Yes, I was prepared.  Yes, I knew what I was getting into and the potential risks.

Still…we draw the circles around us, put up the fences and rely on that comfy chair.  Stepping out, putting ourselves in a less than familiar environment makes us uncomfortable and vulnerable and triggers those ancient instincts to protect what we have.  Without breaking out the mold of our own creation, without experimenting and without searching out new experiences, we fulfill the image of sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch, sipping lemonade and enjoy watching the grass grow. 

Not for me…new changes, here I come!  More to follow on this in the near future…