Michele M. Barnes (Schnitzel)’s Post

Day 175 ocean swim - Today was a big and scary day. My last big IT project at work went live today. We turned on a whole new system for a major County agency while simultaneously lifting them into the Cloud. Everything went well (so far) and the team have entered the post go-live period of touch-up training and putting out what I hope are only a few small fires. Knock on wood… But now things feel real. As my big and scary life distraction (work) is largely done, and I must now face the dreaded “what’s next” beyond work. Sure, I still have six months (to the day) before I retire, but the nature of my work is such that it doesn’t make sense for the bosses to assign me another multi-year project knowing I’ll say goodbye soon after we get started. Fortunately, I made a list of improvements to help the agency where I am currently assigned, tasks which will keep me busy until my last day of work on December 16th. So, my career as a project manager—a “PM”—is today essentially done. But now, who am I? I’ve been an IT project manager for so long that this role has become most of who I am. I worry that I’ve lingered too long on the surface of “Planet PM” and now I can’t possibly muster the necessary thrust to escape. If so, then I’ll spin into old age on just the fumes of my former career, being who I now am until I one day die “A devoted husband and father (and a worker bee like all the rest).” It’s a good and noble end for sure, full of everything to be proud of. But maybe, just maybe, there’s still time for something else in life for me. But, it’s essential I get out now. As the gravity of this old life grows stronger each day I remain here on Planet PM. And if I don’t fire the rockets now to escape, then I will likely never, ever get away from the man who I am, and the man who I might yet not become. #GoingAlone #GoodUseOfTime Emily Bell

🌞🏖️ As I am enjoying my summer break to the fullest, it's also the perfect time to reflect on this year’s business development journey and draw some fun(?) parallels: 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Planning a perfect summer vacation is a lot like managing project scope. The more activities you try to fit in, the more chaotic things can get. Let's keep our itineraries (and projects) focused to avoid those unexpected surprises. 🏄♂️🎢 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Summer adventures are full of surprises, much like our projects. Whether it’s a sudden rainstorm at the summer cottage, shortage of needed beverages or a last-minute change request, having a solid risk management plan ensures we’re ready for anything. 🌧️🌞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Balancing the interests of friends and family during a holiday can be as challenging as managing project stakeholders. Keeping everyone happy requires clear communication and a bit of summer magic. 🏖️🤝 As we head into the last 6 months of 2024 let’s remember to celebrate our wins, learn from our challenges, and look forward to a new season full of opportunities. Happy Holiday; May your projects be on track, your risks be minimal, and your holiday spirit be high! 🍹☀️🍀 #innovation #motivation #newbusinessopportunities #businessdevelopment #networking Benjamin van de Water Pasqual Dukker Tim Willer ForgePhoenix

Are YOU ready for the official start of SUMMER? 🌞🕶️ 🌡️ Seasons are changing again! 🏝️ What will you think about during your vacation? When is the last time you made a change to further your career? 🌊 If you've been thinking about making the switch & are done riding the wave, let's talk!

It's amazing how focused the mind gets before going on vacation. - Is it the excitement of taking time off that has us incredibly focused? -Is it knowing that we only have a certain amount of time to get everything done that keeps us focused? I don't know about you, but I find I will get whatever I need to get done in the time I have to get it done. I also recognize that I "marinate" so when I'm customizing programs or doing creative work, I may marinate for a few weeks and track ideas and thoughts before I sit down to complete it. But when it's time to get it done, I seem to do what it takes to meet the deadline. But... not all deadlines are created equal. When you have your own firm and client work comes first, well, those deadlines will take precedence over my own internal deadlines. And, when team member are relying on me for something that will reach their deadlines, I will put those ahead of my own. Why is it that external events and people drive us more than internal deadlines? Perhaps it's because we don't want to let others down? I was raised with a strong value of integrity so if I commit something to someone, it's important that I follow-through. Or clean up if I can't. I realize I'm leaving you today with more questions than answers, but curious to hear your thoughts.... 🤔 What's your theory about why we focus so much more before vacation? 🤔 Why do we let external deadlines come before our own? I'm looking forward to a well-needed break to spend time with one of my brothers in his wood working shop to learn wood turning. Perhaps new ideas will pop in as the mind has a way of opening when we turn off our work ;-) In the meantime, stay tuned for more leadership tips and tools in the coming week as I've queued them up. And as always, keep being brilliant! Have a great Memorial Day as well. ** Sketchnote by Anna Vital ** A quick reminder that there is only one more week to watch my LinkedIn learning course, "Communication Skills for Modern Management" for free. Link is in the comments of my last post and expires May 31st! #focus #leadership #emotionalintelligence #renaissanceleadership #stayfocused

It's amazing how focused the mind gets before going on vacation. - Is it the excitement of taking time off that has us incredibly focused? -Is it knowing that we only have a certain amount of time to get everything done that keeps us focused? I don't know about you, but I find I will get whatever I need to get done in the time I have to get it done. I also recognize that I "marinate" so when I'm customizing programs or doing creative work, I may marinate for a few weeks and track ideas and thoughts before I sit down to complete it. But when it's time to get it done, I seem to do what it takes to meet the deadline. But... not all deadlines are created equal. When you have your own firm and client work comes first, well, those deadlines will take precedence over our own internal deadlines. And, when team member are relying on me for something that will reach their deadlines, I will put those ahead of my own. Why is it that external events and people drive us more than internal deadlines? Perhaps it's because we don't want to let others down? I was raised with a strong value of integrity so if I commit something to someone, it's important that I follow-through. Or clean up if I can't. I realize I'm leaving you today with more questions than answers, but curious to hear your thoughts.... 🤔 What's your theory about why we focus so much more before vacation? 🤔 Why do we let external deadlines come before our own? I'm looking forward to a well-needed break to spend time with one of my brothers in his wood working shop to learn wood turning. Perhaps new ideas will pop in as the mind has a way of opening when we turn off our work ;-) In the meantime, stay tuned for more leadership tips and tools in the coming week and as always, keep being brilliant! Enjoy the week and have a great Memorial Day as well. ** Sketchnote by Anna Vital ** A quick reminder that there is only one more week to watch my LinkedIn learning course, "Communication Skills for Modern Management" for free. Link is in the comments of my last post and expires May 31st! #focus #leadership #emotionalintelligence #renaissanceleadership #stayfocused

Don’t plan for a vacation this summer! (Outwork everyone and become the best) While everyone's enjoying their summer vacations. You should work on your: → Building your online presence.  → Building your new sales strategies.  → Building your new business and life. Trust me → You will thank me for this. If you don't have this attitude,  it's going to be tough for you to last. The thing is: you don't have to be the... → Smartest person → Most educated person → Person with the most resources → One blessed with great genes What you do have to be is the person who: → Shows up every day → Takes quiet moments to reflect and plan → Learns from every failure and setback → Keeps grinding it out no matter what Do you have to work 15 hours a day to outwork someone? No. Be strategic. Use this time to outthink and outstrategize the rest. Combine all that with talent, resources, and creativity. → You're unstoppable. Not sure how to start your journey?  DM me “Start” and I’ll be your guide. It will be fun. This is me in Paris because now I can :) Please ♻️ reshare if you believe in hard work.

To all the professionals wrapping up their vacations before the school year begins: As we shift from summer relaxation to fall's hustle, let's bring the energy and inspiration from our time off into our work. Whether you're planning your next big project or getting ready to tackle new challenges, remember that a balanced mind and refreshed spirit can lead to incredible success. Here's to finishing strong and starting the new season with purpose and passion! #BackToWork #NewSeasonNewGoals #ProfessionalGrowth

December was a month filled with hard work and accomplishments! From finishing that project at work to finally taking that much-needed vacation, we did it all! 😎 Now it's time to gear up for New year and set some new goals. What do you want to achieve this month? Let's make it a great one together! #monthlyrecap #newyeargoals #newbeginnings #growthmindedtalentsolutions

What are you stealing from yourself? 🤔 You REALLY want to get those emails taken care of before logging back on to work after your summer vacation. I get it. On vacation, I often convince myself how much easier work will be if keep up with my email. Or if I chimed in on the "big decision" we could keep it moving along. Sometimes I simply had the mentality that I would do it better than someone else. And more often than not, I let myself get sucked in. It's not like I was working all vacation, but my head was in the issues. I was constantly thinking about work and asking "what if" about many scenarios. I never allowed myself and my mind to disconnect and be in the moment of my vacations. I had no boundaries and in turn, I gave myself to everything and gave nothing to myself. It's still hard for me to break those habits, though I've allowed myself to relish in the moments of bliss and joy and find rejuvenation with my family and friends. That's what's important to me. It's who I am and it brings me joy and a true connection with people. So, as a reminder as we approach summer vacation season: ✔ The emails will be there when you get back ✔ Someone else can take care of that email, it doesn't have to be you ✔ Whatever happens is going to happen, you can't stop it ✔ You come first, not everyone else And sometimes, when you do that, you find yourself in love and experiencing some magical moments (like below)! <3 #vacation #magic #leadership #teambuilding #coaching

Oh July where did you go? I'm practicing dialing back my expectations for what I'm going to accomplish in the summer months. I have a couple of long weekends coming up in August and I had to remind myself that it's time off which means fewer to-dos. If I'm taking a full vacation that's always one of my top three priorities but we'll see if I've balanced expectations. How about you? Do you plan differently in the summer? #ExecutiveCoach #MonthPlan