Being Kind and Continuous Change
August is a wonderful month. Firstly, it’s my birthday month, so it has to be wonderful. It is also a month that signals the end of winter and the start of Spring. It is a month of incredible change. The bitter cold of winter is still present, with hints of warmth and spring. Flowers start to bloom, birds sing, but just when we think we can go outside without a hoodie, freezing cold rain appears. These changes remind me that nothing is forever, and we are experiencing continuous change, whether we notice it or not. Trust Mother Nature to remind us in not-so-subtle ways!
Speaking of change, I’m moving back to my Stand-up format for the monthly newsletter. Your feedback has been amazing on this, and I appreciate that many of you liked the structure of sharing progress but also iterating through action. That doesn’t mean we’re forgetting bright spots, but rather continuing to focus on them but creating a space for action. The only small change I’ve made is instead of the question: What have I accomplished? I have changed it to Accomplishments – meaning mine and also yours! I want to use this as a place to magnify what you have achieved and what you are proud of this last month. The more we magnify what each other does, the more we grow the goodness. And that’s just what we need right now! So when you hit ‘reply’ with your accomplishments and actions, let me know if you’re happy for me to share in the next newsletter.
I’m looking forward to sharing my August with you, and of course, hearing about yours. Let’s use this time of incredible change to calibrate, collaborate and iterate together.
Warm wishes,
Emma
The Agile Project Manager
https://theagileprojectmanager.com.au/
P.S. Missed July? You can find it here.
Accomplishments
I recently worked with a government client to help them embed remote working into their day-to-day. It was amazing to see the teams adopt the recommendations we co-created, and also interesting to notice resistance to changing the way they worked. I was especially curious about my own resistance, and where I may have been set in my ways on some topics. Sometimes we don’t even notice the invisible ‘rules’ inside our heads until we come up against resistance. So interesting!
I also ran my Agile Project Management workshop virtually for a new client. It’s a two-day workshop that I have been running face to face for a few years and continuously improving (of course!). This was my first experience running it online. We decided to run it over four half days to manage everyone’s energy and split the content into more manageable slices. Everyone loved the experience and learned a lot. I’m already looking forward to the next workshops!
What am I working on?
After a bit of a break, I’m back publishing my Strengths in Uncertainty Series. I feel so lucky to be connecting with people to learn how they’re using their Strengths during this uncertain time. You can find the series on my blog.
I’m also running Scaled Agile Training and coaching teams remotely. I’m getting used to coaching remotely, and really enjoying it. No travel, no shoes, and my clients are happy. In fact, I’m sharing how I use Strengths in my Agile Coaching at the end of September in an online Meetup. Come along if you can! No travel or shoes required.
What’s getting in my way?
Like many people, world events can get in the way of great work. There are days I’m super productive, and others where it feels like I’m walking through treacle. Either I’m overly worrying about the latest news or the people in my workshops and coaching sessions are. A lot of people are feeling anxious at the moment, and it’s completely understandable. I’m not trying to ‘overcome’ this or ‘smash through’ it but rather be kind to myself and accept that some days will not be as productive, and that’s okay. How are you dealing with the weight of world events? I would love to know, as I’m sure you have a strategy or two that’s working for you.
Next Month
What are YOUR actions?
Here’s where we calibrate, collaborate and iterate. I would love to hear from you:
· What did YOU accomplish? What are YOU working on? What’s getting in YOUR way?
· How are you managing the things that GET IN YOUR WAY?
· What are the actions you are now going to take?
Join in the conversation on the Facebook page.
