 In my article What You Receive When You Give, I talked about the benefits of what you provide in volunteer service in addition to what you gain as a professional.
While it’s great to give of yourself and your resources, I’ve learned that being intentional about what you give to is vital. I’ve said yes to many giving opportunities—only to either regret it, or recognize that I’ve overcommitted myself. In talking with other professionals, I’ve learned this is a very common situation, which inspired me to write an allegory titled Why Did I Say Yes? and create a methodology that helps evaluate whether to commit to an ask of resources. Key to the methodology is evaluating seven boundaries to help you decide whether to support any ask of your resources. Read more at ProjectManagement.com.
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As an individual contributor, Joe was praised by his management for his speed in delivering results. His management was so enamored with his ability to get things done quickly that he was promoted to a leader role over a team of ten. Joe’s speed in taking action carried over into his decision making. He saw making decisions fast as a sign of getting “real work done,” versus sitting around talking about things. “Great leaders don’t have all the facts,” he would say to his team, as justification for moving forward without a good understanding of a decision’s implications. Joe’s team learned to just say, “Yes, Sir,” and do their best to execute what Joe wanted done by the time expected. His impulsive decision making came to a head with a new hire named Greg.
On the 1980s HBO show Not Necessarily the News, comedian Rich Hall created Sniglets, which dictionary.com defines as “any word coined for something that has no specific name. Words like Jokesult (When someone insults you, you call them on it, and they say, "It was just a joke.”) and Chwads (discarded gum found beneath tables and countertops) were born to humorously explain commonplace things or actions. I’ve created 20 of my own project management and leadership sniglets; some made up words, others repurposed words or phrases. I hope they resonate with you and put a bit of humor in your day.
As a parallel to the book, I developed an excel spreadsheet to help you define good-enough goals and work towards those goals. The Nine Crucial Elements to Achieve Good-Enough Contentment Assessment includes an annual goal setting tab to help you identify what you'd like to achieve by the end of the year for each good-enough contentment element and put steps in place to do it. You can download the spreadsheet which you should use after reading the book.
 My very first experience as a volunteer was when I worked in my then 2-year-old daughter’s Sunday school class. It was a simple job, well-suited to me. I kept them safe while acting like a 2-year-old myself. It was a lot of fun and filled a huge need.
Through the years, my volunteer experiences continued, including serving on director boards, running special projects, and coaching executives. Many of my experiences were fulfilling and beneficial, while others just weren’t a good fit. I learned that while the non-profits benefited from my volunteer service, I also benefited. It’s not only what I put into the volunteer jobs, it’s what I took away. To that end, I’d like to focus on what you as a PM can give in your service as a volunteer—as well as what you receive as a result. Read more at ProjectManagement.com.
Recently I wrote an article about creating a sustained lifestyle. In the article I introduced a concept which contrasts achievement (doing something meaningful that accomplishes a desired result which gives you joy) and stress (the degree of mental, physical, or emotional strain undertaken to achieve a desired result). In the model I define four different lifestyles driven by achievements and stress, as follows:
In 2004, I left Microsoft so Patty and I could homeschool our son Trevor. He was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age five, and we decided as he was entering seventh grade that he would need more help than what his public school could offer. I was his math and science teacher for two years until he re-entered public school in ninth grade. After my homeschooling stint, I decided to focus on writing and consulting, and later Patty and I starting a publishing business. From that point until now, I have regularly been asked if I’m “retired.” At first, I would respond with a strong “no” due to my opinion that retirees spend their days on the golf course or playing bridge. Over time, though, I recognized I had to come up with a better description of what I do as a profession. It’s not a choice of either the golf course or the 8-to-5 grind. For me, it’s something I call sustained lifestyle.
So, what’s sustained lifestyle? Here’s the definition, then we’ll unpack it:  In the last installment of this series, I reiterated four key pillars a best-in-class product manager drives:
The article focused on aligning job descriptions to the new business system and the role the best-in-class product manager plays in ensuring the change is effectively managed. Next up is the process pillar. Read more at ProjectManagement.com. |
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