Last week was the first week I actively took over several projects transitioned to me by a highly competent Indian project manager who was let go. Several contractors, knowledgeable and technically competent, were let go, and sad to see them leave as news came trickling of their departure. I worked with a few of them though I felt no emotion as I was a direct recipient of their departure; to get their load of work that will keep me busy for the next few months. The pendulum has swung and the leviathan is achieving a new equilibrium.
The work is of a technical nature that I don't usually engage in but that is the card dealt me that I have to play them. Such are the events when one must adjust to circumstances as the economy turns to a direction in which the ship must change course. A lot has happened since the election that one must prepare for the new. A fresh wind has blown in and the portent of great change was seen in several photos of comets posted on the photography channel; an extraordinary number that one can feel a great change coming.
I worry about the workload but it is a welcome change where one is again on the grindstone fighting in the arena using one wits to succeed. But I have prepared for this event for a while now; attending seminars, trying new things with my devices, and reflecting on new knowledge such as Artificial Intelligence, Co-Pilot, and new ways of working. It is as if I am atop another wave, one among many that I have ridden and survived all these years in my long career.
The amount of workload is such that it is necessary to use the latest tools to keep the mind focused; to use visual management techniques like Kanban, Microsoft tools like Teams, Planner, and To DO list as well as meditation and mindfulness, vitamin supplements, and exercise. Not only is experience the key advantage, it is also one's physical and mental health, stamina, and interpersonal skills like communication, leadership, and empathy are all important as well.
New information keeps coming up, software glitches occur, miscommunication happens, people don't understand what's being asked, cognition problems, decision paralysis, sleepless nights, insomnia, fatigue, and exhaustion both mentally and physically; all swirl around the project work with drop-dead deadlines. Indeed, one is back in the arena with new conditions and challenges one must stay calm with a quiet mind to succeed.
