The Year in Small Slices

A few weeks ago, “early February” sounded a long way away. Yet here it is! Once again, the year is moving at a pace that leaves my head spinning. How about you? February is a time that the pace seems to pick up – the holidays are over, and it is time to get down to business.

Even though every moment is an opportunity for a fresh start, the beginning of each month is a helpful reflection point. It is a chance to check in on our goals and progress, discover potential issues while they are small, as well as celebrate wins – big and small. It’s like each month is a bite-sized slice of the year – an occasion to recalibrate where needed and reinforce the positives.

As the pace of change continues to increase, these small slices become more critical – those brief pauses allow us to appreciate every slice of the year bit by bit, rather than have the days meld together. I find my end of month reflections incredibly useful to effectively ‘mark the spot’ in my memories with meaningful, actionable thoughts.

I’m looking forward to sharing the first ‘X marks the spot’ of 2021, and of course hearing from you! Let’s continue to calibrate, collaborate and iterate together.

Emma
The Agile Project Manager

https://theagileprojectmanager.com.au/

p.s. Missed December? You can find it here.

Accomplishments

January was all about my clients and their success – kicking goals despite the challenging circumstances of Christmas break and pandemic recovery. Vastly different individuals, teams, and professions, yet one thing in common – consistency of practice. Every time without fail, success came from consistently applying simple practices even when it’s hard. ESPECIALLY when it’s hard.

On a personal goal note, I entered a short story competition last year – the NYC Midnight 250 word Microfiction Challenge. Although I didn’t make it into the next round, I received an honourable mention – how exciting! It was a great experience that taught me a lot about writing fiction (and how short 250 words is!). Since then, I have entered their short story competition (2,500 words). Results in April!

What am I working on?

I’m still loving working with the Pretty Agile team training SAFe, which has been great. As more organisations look for ways to scale Agile ways of working, demand for training and help with launching Agile Release Trains is increasing. January was especially busy as people sought to upskill before they headed back to work, and the virtual environment makes high quality training more accessible.

Leadership workshops are also in demand, with leadership teams looking to start the year focused and aligned. I am co-creating a few events which is my favourite way to work – using best practice techniques customised for the organisation and team.

I am also working on a consulting assignment in the government sector – upskilling Project Managers and Project Sponsors planning and project delivery skills. I feel so grateful to work with such a variety of people, teams, and industries. It definitely keeps me on my toes!

My Strengths in Uncertainty series is continuing, and I recently shared my interview with Ellen Cresswell from Digital Manifesto. If you have not listened, I encourage you to check it out. Ellen’s journey from senior leader in corporate to business owner is amazing – all in the midst of a pandemic! I’m loving these interviews as they exercise my Strengths coaching muscle, as well as share so many new insights into how people use their Strengths in so many different ways.

What’s getting in my way?

I’m still working on scheduling time on non-urgent but important things. Monday.com has been great, but actually taking the time to book blocks of time in my calendar (and sticking to it) has been the most effective.

How do you ensure you spend time in ‘Quadrant 2’?

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.