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Recent News... Just for Pope Gregory... |
2003-01-24 - 9:31 a.m. Cause I�m in the mood to kick a little ass� Three day work week. I clocked 35+ hours. [Math left as an exercise for the reader.]
Crumbs of praise. That, and a few donuts, are all it takes to make engineers work very hard. I�m here to tell you the success of a technical endeavor, like the success of any endeavor, is all about the people involved. My current project encourages input, useful arguments, and fosters a productive and open working environment. It�s such a contrast to my other assignment, where we were to make progress despite no clear guidance. [That�s when I truly learned the Zen philosophy of accepting two mutually contradictory things as completely true.] Or the horror before that where we were severely derided for providing correct technical objections [I was the Cassandra of that endeavor � most of what I objected to eventually blew up in our faces, but my warnings of doom were rarely heeded.] It�s one of those excellent, but exhausting weeks, where it all comes together. The kind of week where you have to hustle to represent your team well. It cost me a little lost sleep and $9 for two dozen donuts (reward for my hardware team who worked their fanny off this week) to win a private aside from senior staff: We were very impressed with the support and detail in this work. Please, pass along our compliments. Nice to take that back, knowing they earned the praise and all I did was broker the deal and buy donuts. Maybe that�s what a peer really does. Foster joy, encourage others, speak the uncomfortable truth when required, and, occasionally, bring the snacks. Robert Fulghum lists Rewarding Work, as one of his requirements for a fulfilling life. How lucky am I that the exact career I decided on in 11th grade turns out to be exactly what I wanted? Such an anomaly when the average person changes careers at least three times in their professional life. But, today, is my day off. To sew, to sleep, to savor hot green team and warm oatmeal with too much cinnamon. To tromp around in my Tigger slippers, make dinner, and pack for Ice Castles. To carry the bouncy joy of a week of hard work into a well deserved weekend of play. Because, as much as a I love my job, life is all about balance. P.S. Kev - I have a present for you... � � � |