What Are Your Strengths?

What Are Your Strengths?

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20 OCTOBER 2017

written by Mike

WHAT ARE

YOUR STRENGTHS?

 

It is easy to get excited about new trends, latest tech, attractive and innovative opportunities.
Even by looking at podcasting, everyone seems to be excited about the medium.
Podcasts are getting popular and more people are taking upon them – celebrities, actors, radio personalities are using the audio as the latest opportunity to expand the brand or business.

Everyone’s on it now! I’ve gotta do something!

While it is usually a right business decision to be the first mover, in my opinion analysing strengths and weaknesses and then planning strategy based on that is a better bet.
The first step should be identifying what you are best at.
Let’s say you do want to start podcasting,
Do you want to be the host? Or maybe a writer? Sound editor?
Or run an advertisement company?

Then think if you are best suited for the role.
For example, I like to sing but I know that even with the best training I would not be the best singer, I’m not naturally skilled at it.
Same with sports like basketball or football. I can train to be very good, but it’s not something that comes easy for me.
Identifying the strengths and being self-aware will help you in the long run.

Base skill does not have to be narrow either, next thing should be thinking about what do you like to do.
Maybe it’s reading books?
Does it mean that you should be an author?
Does not hurt to try, but if your strength is not writing but communication and social skills, then maybe being a literary agent is a better choice.
Connect the dots between your strengths and your likes.

Next will be getting the third leg of the stool – what job can you do?
It’s easy to say follow your passion, advice that we hear every day from people who made it to the top.
Unfortunately is not that simple.
Once you start charging money for your hobby, it’s not a hobby anymore – it becomes a job.
It doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your work, quite the opposite – you should like it, but even with something creative like writing music or writing books it’s can become a struggle.

If you want to get paid, understand that there will be times when you don’t feel inspired, but still have to do the work.
Also, it’s crucial to understand where the future jobs and trends are going.
Over time, specific jobs fade and go away, and new ones come into place. Staying flexible and unafraid of change will help you in the coming years as automation becomes more common in our lives.

 

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So, for now, you have a base skill, your likes and job trends. Finding something in the middle is extremely hard and may take you a while to narrow.
Also, your likes and strengths can change over time.

You may have an excellent eye for aesthetics which prompt you to train as a graphic designer which you might have enjoyed for few years.
What if you eventually get bored?
Or design stops being as lucrative as it was a few years back?

You could make a change to brand strategy, social media marketing or VR design. The turn will be easy to make as you would have years of experience behind a belt and your natural knack for aesthetics will still play a significant role.

That all sounds great but what if you are not sure what you are good at?
Not all is lost!
A good exercise would be to ask people around you, your friends, your colleagues, your workmates.
Ask them what do they think you are good at?
Is it speaking? Empathy? Drawing?

The further the relation, the better. The easiest is to ask your parents, but their answer will be the most biased.
Get ten people to take your ‘survey’. Tell them you want to change careers or looking for a new direction, looking for their help.
See if any of the answers repeat and how different are they from what you thought.

Usually, we know, deep down, what we want to do and what are our strengths.
More than often we still need external validation to take the leap and to act hence personal coaching or business coaching is always so popular.

Take personal training, it’s easy to find workout routines online and design a schedule on your own but more than often people train much harder when someone is looking over their shoulder.
It doesn’t need to be a personal trainer it may be a workout buddy.

It’s not easy to find something that you are good at, that you enjoy and that it makes you enough money to keep doing it.

I think it was Seth Godin who said that it is better to have a successful business than a passion that fails as a business.

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Defining Feedback

Defining Feedback

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26 MAY 2017

written by Mike

DEFINING FEEDBACK

 

We are afraid to give constructive feedback, and we are afraid to receive it. “Afraid” may be a wrong word. We just don’t like it.

The thought of being average, making mistakes at work, gives me chills. So when someone dares to criticise and correct me, I go into a defence mode. Well, I used to. Now, as you can see, I’m chilled.

 

Why is feedback important?

Learning curve

“I don’t need an assessment. I know my skills.” “What does he/she knows? I’m the one doing the work!”

Does that sound familiar?

It does to me. I used to be like that before I learned the value of a helpful comment. The first benefit is obvious. A strong feedback will speed up your learning curve.

Why would you want to spend hours figuring something out if you can just ask for help?

I remember when I first started on a big job as a trainee. I was quite anxious; that was my big break! The last thing I wanted was to mess it up. So when I didn’t know how to do something, I would spend time on the internet browsing for answers.

“Couldn’t you just ask someone?”

Yes, I could. I just didn’t want anyone to know that I don’t know stuff.

“So clever!” I thought to myself when I found an answer after twenty minutes of searching. And asking my colleagues for help would take twenty seconds. Once you learn the value of asking for feedback, your learning will shoot up. You will understand that it is the best way to progress. And the quickest.

Mistakes

You will make mistakes. It is not an assumption but a fact. Now, the question is, would you want to know about them?

We tend to live and work in environments where perfection is everything. And the truth is we are not perfect, far from it. When someone tells you about your blunder, you should thank them. I’m not even joking.

 

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New people and criticism.

 

Learning curve

Let’s have a look at learning curve again. This time from a perspective of a new staff member. We all know that when we start learning something new, we gain skills exponentially, then comes dreaded plateau.

You need someone to help you. Someone who will boost your skills. No, you won’t progress like you did in this first couple of weeks but you will keep moving forward. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

In the beginning, you will make a lot of mistakes. Constructive feedback will help you to adjust, correct and learn from them.

Training

What if you are on the other side? What if you need to train new people?

Fortunately, I have some experience in that, both good and bad. When you have someone under your wings, a definition of feedback can quickly change. We tend to judge others from our perspective. We expect from others the same output as we do from ourselves.

Couple years ago I had a responsibility of training a new member of staff. The new guy was a bit older but had a lot of previous experience. In the beginning, he struggled to catch up with my workflow. He kept making the same mistakes; he was slower than the rest of us.

Until one day I understood. It is not him; it’s me. From someone that has just started, I expected the same output as from myself. And it wasn’t helping anyone. We talked a lot; I changed the way I spoke to him. He told me that he was so stressed about making a mistake; he couldn’t focus on other stuff. And my authoritarian rule did not help. See, I thought I was giving him constructive feedback; he saw it as a constant criticism.

In the end, communication is the key.

 

Difference between feedback and nasty comments.

 

Ok, so we talked about why constructive feedback is necessary. Let’s have a look at the differences between feedback and criticism.

Constructive feedback

When you receive feedback from your family, friends or colleagues, they mean to help you. That is the first thing you need to understand. And the hardest. Definition of constructive feedback is simple – it’s a good will. It is there so you can grow. So you can understand your mistakes and learn from them.

Nasty comments

So it is all good and nice. That’s how the world works, right?

Well, unfortunately not.

Sometimes it feels like we are giving constructive feedback, but in reality, we just want to criticise others. It makes us look good. What are the main characteristics of nasty comments?

They will make you feel stupid. Like you don’t know what you are doing. Like you don’t deserve the job. They will make you feel small.

They will embarrass you. You know a thing about nasty comments? People will make them in a group. When you are defenceless. When you are weak. They are not helpful. Nasty comments are not like constructive feedback. They won’t help you grow. They won’t help you learn. They are there just to make you feel sorry.

The minute you understand the difference, you can prepare.

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How to deal with feedback and nasty comments.

 

So now you know what others mean when they talk about your work. It is time to return the ball. How others perceive you depends on how you deal with feedback.

What can you do to look the best you can?

Constructive feedback

Well, the first thing you should thank the person. Someone just took time out of their day to look at your work, and they want to make it better. You may not agree with them, but it doesn’t matter. You should be gracious for the act.

Next, you should take notes.

You see, it is easy to take offence. It is harder to admit imperfection. And the last point, you should learn from the feedback. Even if you don’t agree with it, maybe there is something you overlooked. Maybe if you go with the changes, your work will end up much better.

Nasty comments

Now, there is a different way to deal with nasty comments. Sometimes you want to take the higher road. Sometimes you don’t. First and most important – ignore them.

Don’t bother. Think about it in this way. Someone just took the time out of his or her life to look at your work, to think of the way to criticise you and to make a comment. Who is the bigger loser there?

You haven’t wasted your time; it is the other person. So don’t give them a satisfaction of your attention.

The second way is more direct. If the comments don’t stop, say you don’t appreciate them. Say you don’t like the tone and if there is something wrong with your work you can schedule an official meeting to talk about it. Don’t get cornered at your desk. And have a witness if you can too. A colleague, maybe another line manager.

And the last point. If someone harassed you, speak up. Take it to a higher management, take it to Human Resources. If it’s not possible, contact a professional advisor. And leave. You probably won’t change the environment and life is too short to spend it in toxic places.

 

How to give feedback

 

People have different ideas, different approach. Acknowledge that. First of all, when you talk to someone about they work what do they say?

“I’m so sorry.”

Well, tell the person that they don’t need to apologise. Everyone makes mistakes. Failure is a part of life, a part of learning. There is no reason to worry about it.

Also, don’t pick on little mistakes. Yes, you can mention them when you talk about something bigger. But there is no need for a meeting every time you spot something. It makes you look like you are watching every step of everyone around you.

Make sure they know about it, though. If people don’t know that they are making mistakes, they will keep doing them. Sit down with them and go through their work. Take your time, explain why it matters. Don’t just call someone and expect him or her to change right away.

Invest a little time. It will be appreciated.

A proper feedback platform should exist. Where staff and managers are not afraid to speak up, to talk about each other’s work. And not behind people backs. There are interesting examples of openness in a workplace. Ray Dalio and his investment firm Bridgewater Associates are an example of that. They record every meeting, and everyone is welcomed to watch the tapes. Every time someone mentions your name, you get a notification, and you can look at the video of it.

Extreme measures?

Maybe, but his firm is one of the most successful in the world. I’m not saying that we should be filming our every step. I’m saying that we shouldn’t take so many things so personally.

So next time, don’t attack the feedbacker, welcome him/her with open arms instead.

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What is Stress Part IV – What Can You Do

What is Stress Part IV – What Can You Do

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26 APRIL 2017

written by Mike

WHAT IS STRESS IV

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

 

 

I want to share with you a few things that helped me with stress. Nothing too extraordinary, just a few new habits that I picked up along the way.

Some replaced the old ones.

I’m still testing new stuff, trying to redesign aspects of my life. So far it works well for me, and that is why I want to share it with you.

Regular exercise

– this is a big one. In the past, my gym visits were not scheduled. One week I would go three times, another just once. No routine, no plan.

To battle my stress and depression I had to make one, but crucial decision. I didn’t want a year long plan or a 6-month workout routine. I knew it had to last for longer. The sentence I wrote down was:

“I’m going to go to the gym five times a week for the rest of my life.”

A drastic change.

Long story short I am keeping my promise. And it worked wonders. I’m sleeping better; insomnia is gone. I feel happy every day. And few first weeks were hard, but now, after over two years, it became a habit. I keep it interesting too.

One day is boxing class, another weight training, yoga and so on. It had such a big impact on every area of my life I cannot recommend it enough for you. The important thing is to stick to it. Don’t get discouraged. Take it slow, but consistent for at least three months.

And if you are not keen on joining a gym, check out this comprehensive guide on No-Gym Workout Methods to Get in Peak Shape from GroomandStyle.com

Replace cheap entertainment with neglected hobbies

– I’m sure you have something that you love to do, but you don’t do it anymore. Lack of time, yes?

Well, what about that three hours you spent on Netflix?

Think back to the times when you were a teenager. What did you enjoy doing? Schedule some time for it if you can. It will fill your head with new ideas, and stressful thoughts will go away.

Yoga and meditation

– let’s take a look a pragmatic aspect of these tools.

Yoga helps with stretching, especially when you do weights and resistance training. For me it’s a “rest day”, I work on my balance, correct breathing and posture. It also calms your mind.

Meditation is a tricky one because there are a lot of schools, techniques and tips on the subject. I think everyone should find their way. I can clear my mind while driving my car, be mindful on a cross trainer. Or even when I write this sentence.

It will help you to control your emotions and to reduce stress in a big way.

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What you eat matters

– a clean, healthy diet is a must. Cut down on sugar, caffeine and junk food. And it doesn’t take that long to cook a meal either.

My personal advice would be to replace any sugar drinks with either water or green tea. I limit coffee to one small cup in the morning. And not so long ago four black, no sugar coffees a day was my fuel.

There are lots of guides and tips on good, balanced diet, but the important thing is to understand what you eat.

Focus on positive things

– at work and in your life. Yes, it gets stressful, but a good sense of humour can relax tense atmosphere in most environments.

Mistakes and errors happen to everyone, work on them and move on. There is no need to sweat the small stuff.

Take control

– plan your week in advance. Analyse what caused the stress in the past. I’m sure you can prepare some stuff now so you won’t have to worry about it later on. Simple stuff like organising your folder structure or file naming for the next project will make your workflow easier.

Giveaway control

– you can’t do it all. I know that often you feel like you have to do everything yourself. There is no other way!

No.

When you take on too much you are prone to make mistakes, and the pressure and stress will quickly pay you a visit. Learn how to rely on other people. Trust other people and share responsibilities.

And if they make a mistake, correct them in a helpful way. I know it’s hard because I’m a control freak myself. But it will help you in a long run.

Disconnect

– last thing on my list. Phone in one hand, tablet in the other. And you are watching TV. I love that it is so easy to share ideas and access information in modern time. But it is also easy to get overwhelmed. For me, it was a simple walk in a park that helped. Leave your phone at home and go for a walk.

It is scary how simple that is, but I find the simplest things to be best solutions.

That’s my few cents of advice. Nothing revolutionary but it works for me.

I’m sure you can think of some other stuff that helps. My friend does sky-diving, it works for him. My brother learns how to produce music. For now, it’s an after-work hobby but you never know.

Before we finish I want to give you few more tips of battling stress that I learned from Sebastian Bailey’s book Mind Gym”.

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MIND GYM

Minimise the situation

– I guess “a storm in a teacup” is a correct saying. I try to detach myself from the stressful situation.

After a while, it gets smaller, and you will think to yourself “Why was I even stressed about this in the first place?”

Minimise the outcome

– focus on the end.

What is the worse that can happen?

Answer yourself but keep going. Question your answers. Counter them with “and then?” More than likely the worst possible outcome is not as bad as you thought it would be.

Reframe the situation

– you are stuck in traffic, and you will be late to your important meeting. Are you angry? I bet you are. But think about it from another perspective. You can’t do anything about the traffic, but you can revise your presentation in your head, it will make you more confident and prepared.

Celebrate the positive

– express your gratitude. Think about your health, your family, your friends. What are you thankful for at this very moment?

A constant reminder of all the good things that happen in your life will help you with anxiety and everyday stress.

Use your mental energy wisely

– your mental powers are limited. Do you want to use your precious resource on stress and worries? Think about it in terms of scarcity and spending. You wouldn’t want to spend the last of your money on something that makes you miserable, would you?

Take a break

– a five-minute walk outside and quick change of environment will work like a charm. If I can’t leave my office, I just look out the window and observe.

I don’t analyse what’s happening out there. I just watch it for a moment.

Seek support from friends

– sharing your problems will help. For me, this is quite hard as I tend to keep everything inside. But opening up will help you to deepen the relationships. Every one of us has problems and getting advice from a different perspective can be valuable.

Ask the right questions

– why am I stressed? What can I do to reduce this stressful situation? Is there anyone that I could ask for help?

Have I been in a similar situation before?

Asking these questions will detach you for a moment, and it will help you to analyse the situation with a clear mind.

Confront the situation

– Seneca wrote “to be brave is to be happy.” Sometimes tackling your problems head on is the best solution of all.

 

If you find yourself  looking for more tips on how to reduce stress, here’s an excellent article from Health Grinder, 123 Proven Ways to Reduce Stress and Relax

Stress is easy to battle when you know how. What happens around us or to us we can’t control, but the reaction is up to us.

Remember that the worst you can do is to ignore stress. Left unattended it will affect every area of your life.

I know that the subject of stress has been covered many times, but I feel that it is better to remind other people, and myself, how fragile we can be. Especially when work gets to us.

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What is Stress Part III – What NOT To Do

What is Stress Part III – What NOT To Do

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22 APRIL 2017

written by Mike

WHAT IS STRESS?

PART III – WHAT NOT TO DO

 

 

I want to move onto practical side on things, how do you fight stress?

I’m going in two directions here. What to do and what not to do.

The latter is important because there are things that will only add fuel to your situation. I know because I’ve done a lot of them. It was because of my ignorance and lack of understanding the subject. If any of these things work for you, then great. I can only give opinion drawn from my experience and advice taken from people close to me.

NOT TO DEAL WITH STRESS

Smoking

– apart from obvious health related risks, smoking does not help with stress. Believe me. I know, because I did find myself smoking in stressful situations. And I would say to other people:

“I’m not a smoker. I just have one, max two a day.”

Yes, good one. You either smoke, or you don’t.

I realised that I didn’t crave the cigarette as much as the five-minute break. I hated the smell, the taste, the feeling after. But I would do it again and again.

Once you understand it’s just a habit, and you replace the cigarette with something else, it becomes easier to quit. It is still hard, because of the physical addiction to the nicotine, but you can do it.

Drinking

– “It’s just one glass to relax, it’s fine right?” Yes, one glass of wine or beer may be ok, but it’s the conditioning of your brain that can lead to a trap.

The moment you link drinking alcohol to stress relief you should watch out. Alcohol should never be a solution for anything.

With insomnia, I would depend on alcohol as an answer to my problems. It was a long time ago, but not only it didn’t help, but hangovers weren’t pleasant either.

Sleeping pills and other drugs

– another great experience I had.

Sleeping pills are good until you can’t go to sleep without them. They can help when your sleep pattern is all over the place but be careful with them. It can take few weeks to wean off them. And the effects are not as powerful when you take them often.

Same with soft drugs. They can help you to relax but the moment you depend on them with your stress or insomnia, it’s hard to reverse that conditioning. Especially when you say to yourself stuff like:

“I’m not addicted. I always had problems with sleep, and this is the only thing that can help me.” Dangerous route.

Sleeping too much

– I never had problems with that, but I know people who did. You spend all your time in bed. Just want to go to sleep and forget about the day. Too much sleep is bad for you and will not solve anything.

Also, it can have a negative impact on your relationships with other people. And it will make you more tired. It is crazy when you think about it.

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Junk food

– you are stressed, you don’t want to cook. I get it. But snacking, sugar or takeaway food can lead to stomach problems. And you will run to the toilet every five minutes. Yes, soda will give you a quick rush of energy. But the crash half hour later will be as fast.

Procrastination

– I love video games. I always did. But I haven’t played on my PS4 for over two years now. Why? Gaming became my escape. A bit of wine and an evening with Battlefield or Dragon Age was my way to relax.

“What’s wrong with that? It’s not harmful.”

Yes, you are correct. Until you start to neglect other stuff.

For now, I cut it out, I needed that. Binge-watching Netflix, gaming or just surfing the web without any goal is the easiest and cheapest solution to stress. But in the long run, balance is needed.

Is there something better that you can spend your time doing?

Maybe instead of watching four hours of TV you can watch one hour and pick up some other activity too. I still love games, though. I just don’t play them anymore.

Cutting off your friends and family

– when you are stressed you don’t want to talk to anyone. Why would you? They don’t understand your problems.

I have a big family, so it is harder for me to do that. But I still had a few months when I withdrew from social interactions.

I mean, you still talk to people at work right?

You need outside contact too. It can give you an awesome perspective, and you can start seeing the “big picture” again.

There were a few weeks when we worked on a big project. Everyone at work was so stressed, nothing else existed for me. After the project has ended I went to see my family and friends; we had a nice afternoon barbeque.

All I wanted was to talk about this project.

“Hey, so have you guys seen XYZ yet?”

“Yeah, it’s alright.”

“I didn’t like it.”

“No, haven’t seen it yet.”

And subject changed to something else in five seconds.

What?!

Why don’t they care?

For the last few weeks, it was my whole world. In a second, I was grounded again. The stress bubble has swallowed me whole, and I lost the connection with the real world. Don’t neglect your friends or family, they will often help you in indirect ways.

Taking out stress on others, mood swings, grumpiness – it will affect everyone around you. Then a few hours later you will be thinking to yourself

“Why did I say that? Why did I do that?”

Stress can ruin the best relationships. You may think to yourself “They don’t understand the pressure! They would do the same in my situation!”.

Well, for starters everyone else has their problems too, and you don’t know how other people would act in your shoes. Also, it doesn’t matter, taking out your problems on others is never the solution.

These are just a few thing that in my opinion do not work.

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What is Stress Part II – Symptoms

What is Stress Part II – Symptoms

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19 APRIL 2017

written by Mike

WHAT IS STRESS?

PART II – SYMPTOMS

 

So what are the signs of stress?

In the previous part, I talked about causes of stress. Let’s now discuss some of the symptoms.

You need to understand that everyone is different, some people will react to stress by sleeping all day long, others (like me) have insomnia. I guess, by the time you reach adulthood you should know (more or less) yourself and when you should be worried.

Let’s jump straight to it.

Anxiety

– you don’t want to talk to anyone, I would describe it as a consistent feel of unease. Constant worrying and feeling of helplessness.

Back pain

– this one can also be the result of bad posture and wrong sitting position.

Chest pains

– to that, I can relate. I would get them at work and in my bed at night.

It felt like a sharp stab, mini heart attack of sorts. It can be quite scary when you don’t know what the heck is happening.

Constipation or diarrhoea

– linked to junk food that you eat when you are stressed.

Stomach pains and lack of appetite can also occur.

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Depression 

– awful, horrible feeling. Some people deal with it better than others.

Depression is also quite hard to understand because people can’t see it. It’s not like a broken leg. For me, it lasted only a couple of weeks, but I felt like I didn’t want to do anything, I wanted to stay on the couch forever.

It was quite eye opening too because I always felt that I have a strong character, and I’m quite grounded. The worst were conversations with my parents:

“How can you feel sad? You have a good job, a great girlfriend, everything you wanted. Just stop making stuff up!”

It does make you feel bad because you start to think that something must be wrong with you, with your head.

With the understanding of my partner and research, I broke through it but it changed my perspective on many things. It helped me to understand how fragile our minds are.

A good friend of mine who was going through similar stuff had to seek professional help and was off work for few weeks. So do not ignore the symptoms and get help if you need to.

Fatigue 

– you are tired all the time. It clouds your thinking and abilities. I would doubt my listening skills or during some task, my mind would wander off.

Headaches and migraine

– absolute nightmare. A painful headache in the middle of your work will ruin your day. Not to mention that productivity is gone, and you will make silly mistakes. Tablets and painkillers can help but, in the long run, a lifestyle change will need to happen.

High blood pressure

– it didn’t happen to me, but my dad is a walking example. Sugar and junk food do not help either. Watch out for these symptoms because it can lead to diabetes, a so-called “lifestyle disease”.

Trouble sleeping or insomnia

– that plays right in my ballpark. I battled insomnia for a long time. It can ruin your mood and cloud your thinking. On a third day, you will be a “walking zombie”.

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Problems with relationships

– my partner has a patience of an angel. But I understand how stress can strain your relationship. Grumpiness, stupid and rude remarks, being short with another person. Or just keeping it all inside.

It will not make it pleasant for the other person to be around you.

Weight gain or loss

– overeating or lack of appetite. Both bad for your health. I cannot stress enough how junk food can affect your mood and your body. Not eating enough is also bad. It will result in fatigue, insomnia and stuff like migraines.

So these are a few indications of stress. You must understand that it is not black and white. It won’t be like,

“Oh, I got a headache, I must be stressed!”

No, it is always a mixture of things. But understanding the signs will help you to come up with a defence plan. Let’s have a look at what we can do to fight stress. I have two more parts about it, what to do and what not to do.

See you soon.

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Big Project Survival – Phase III “The Last Rally”

Big Project Survival – Phase III “The Last Rally”

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25 MARCH 2017

written by Mike

BIG PROJECT SURVIVAL

PHASE III “THE LAST RALLY”

 

Finally!

The light at the end of the tunnel! The end is near, only a few more days to go.

But wait.

It’s not over yet, far from it. In the last part of the guide, you will learn how to push through the final barrier. You are almost there; it’s too late to give up now.

Be ready for the last minute change.

It feels like the end is near. Only a few more days and it will be over. The project life cycle is completing. A word of advice. Do not lower your guard.

Last minute changes will come.

The last project was a perfect example of that. The director and clients were tinkering with the product till the very last minute.

“Small changes” weren’t that small and it affected all of us. The funny thing is, deadlines stayed the same. In a situation like this, you can cry and complain all you want. Or you can get on with it. And that is what we did.

You will need the last drop of your strength. These last moments will be the hardest. “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”

After the primary grind, people will relax. Watch for silly mistakes.

There is another problem with last minute changes. Because you and your teammates thought it was over, you started to relax. Even couple of days can cause you to lose focus. And it is going to be hard to regain it.

And with a lack of focus, mistakes happen. And not the big ones. Not the ones that we made before. When we justified them with chaos and disorganisation. Silly blunders, we make them because we started to sit back. To unwind.

Be cautious in these last moments. It’s not over yet.

If you know that something will be late, say in advance!

We set deadlines, and we all work towards them. At the end of the project life cycle, you will deal with deliverables.

When I make my schedules I take the final date minus one day. I set my target date early, so I have one day spare in case something happens. I have to say it does work great. But mix a massive project, tight schedule, last minute changes together and you are heading towards a steep hill.

Every morning I would update my fellow workers on the state of deliverables.

Since other vendors were waiting for us, it was crucial to let them know if something was going to be late. That is why if you feel that you may miss your deadline, even by a few hours, let other people know.

They can prepare and adjust, and if you deliver on time, you will look good!

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After the deadline, have a debrief.

When the dust settles, it is important to sit down and review.

What went wrong?

How can we improve for the next project?

Was this project life cycle too short?

Having this conversation is healthy. But don’t spend too much time on complaining and critique. It is over now. Address the issues, but don’t forget to praise. You and the team worked very hard in the last few weeks.

It should be acknowledged.

CELEBRATE!

And the last (and most important) point, celebrate!

Go for lunch, organise a night out. You all need a couple of days to relax and have fun. The next project is coming, but, for a brief moment, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have done an excellent job, and it was because of your team.

In few years you won’t remember the long hours, never ending changes and deadline dates.

But you will remember the people that surrounded you.

And there is no better way to make memories than a celebration over good food!

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