And just like that… the first half of 2019 is done. What a fast six months! How has it been for you?
As if the cold Melbourne weather wasn’t enough, I took a few trips to Tasmania to spend time with family and enjoy the Winter Feast of Dark Mofo – literally a celebration of the dark and cold. It was wonderful rugging up and enjoying the contrast of the cold with piping hot Tasmanian delicacies.
June was about identifying what needed to be finished or not be done for me. If I’m not careful, I can end up with a ton of things ‘in progress’ but not moving forward.
Dan Pink talks about the power of the mid-point in his book When: The Science of Timing and how we can use any time period to motivate ourselves to action. The mid-point of the calendar year (or end of financial year) creates a perfect Agile time-box.
What did you manage to finish in June?
It’s also well into the second half of the year, where many a game has been won (and lost), so it’s important to stay focused on what is most important. With that in mind, welcome to the June Stand Up! I’m pleased to share with you what I’ve been up to in the last month and am keen to hear how your year is going so that we can calibrate, collaborate and iterate together.
June was a great month here at The Agile Project Manager HQ. During some live workshops, I introduced participants to Agile ways of working. What I am enjoying most about these sessions is the overwhelming feeling of “I’m Ready” when participants leave the room. It’s great to see the concepts shared in these workshops used ‘in the wild’ rather than stay as notes in a workbook.
I ran a leadership offsite in the Yarra Valley towards the end of the month. It was a mix of introducing senior leaders to Agile and strategising on exactly how they are going to apply Agile to their leadership, to their teams and to their goals.
Strengths has featured heavily this month, with coaching leaders in how to use their strengths more effectively to achieve their own outcomes, as well as with their teams. The power of strengths across a team is immense, as the team can easily see where their ‘pockets of excellence’ are and collaborate to work out how to use their collective strengths to achieve their goals.
I swam in the ocean. Not the warm water of Thailand but the freezing cold water of Hobart to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Some might say complete lunacy, I prefer invigorating! What do you do to reignite your energy and enthusiasm towards life?
I was interviewed by Mitchell Dye on the need for banks and other large organisations to adapt to the fast-changing needs of their customers and the market. Check it out here
Live workshops, trainings and team coaching makes July already seem like it’s finished. I’m also spending time getting my new book out to the world and finishing my first valuable slice of my online course. Keep an eye on your mailbox – it’s coming soon!
With a strong finishing focus for June, July is about ensuring I don’t run off and start too many things. So, what to focus on? Prioritisation based on value and avoidance of shiny things!
What are some of the strategies you use to prioritise what you do?
July is all about Agile and Strengths – workshops, team coaching, and starting the second half of the year from a place of strength.
Here’s where we calibrate, collaborate and iterate. I’d love to hear from you:
- What did you accomplish? What are you working on? What’s getting in your way?
- How do you manage your inner voice or get in your own way?
- What are the actions you are now going to take?
Let’s Connect:
Emma Sharrock
The Agile Project Manager
https://theagileprojectmanager.com.au/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmabrycesharrock/
