Never Let a Good Crisis Go To Waste

It is safe to say we are living in strange times. In November, the thought of quarantine and face masks was half a world away. If we started to detect risk on our projects, we brought up logistical delays. But then the Coronavirus escalated, and we stopped calling it Corona in favor of the more severe COVID19.

In my world, our team was celebrating "Bonus Day," eating pizza and patting ourselves on the back for a fantastic 2019 performance. Our Enterprise PMO had only been in existence for two years. Yet, we had played a key role in improving project delivery by 216% year over year. That is not a typo - 6 projects in 2018 vs. 19 in 2019. The EPMO received the Operational Team of the Year award.

Flash forward four weeks later on April 17th, our leader has a different role, and the rest of us were filing for unemployment. Effectively the EPMO is no more for an undetermined amount of time.

Here's the thing about project management - when the going gets tough, it doesn't matter what our value is or how our skills could apply to other areas, we are the first to go. The first thing to cut is capital projects, followed by non-essential business functions until all that is left is a skeleton crew to keep the lights on.

I'm disappointed, but I also believe that the executive team is going to do what is best for the company to ensure there is a company for us to return. I want them to survive. I hope I get to be part of the next chapter. However, I am concerned that the longer this goes on, it won't be "when" I get recalled from leave - it will be "if." Just like my company has to look out for the future of the company, I have to look out for the future of my career.

Two years ago, when I was contemplating switching jobs, I got the best advice from my career coach, and I'm going to share this wisdom with you, Dear Reader.

You are Dear Reader, an employee of Your Company. Instead, you are Dear Reader, Inc.

Your abilities, talents, aspiration, and drive belong to you and not your employer. I'm saying it to you who is furloughed like me and to you contemplating a new job and to you who is sitting happily at your dream job. Make sure you are always considering Dear Reader, Inc's strategic future.

So going back to the Winston Churchill quote - how am I not letting this crisis go to waste? Well, it's not perfect or pretty, but I'm giving myself grace. Aside from the six-week leave I took when my son was born in 2009, or the four months I used to move my family to Texas in 2012, I have been working in some form or fashion since I was 12. I have always hustled and put forward my best effort.

I did try to take it easy, but something kept nagging at me. My long term goal is to consult on point solutions for project delivery and PMOs—what better time to dip my toe in the water and see if this could work. So here I am, dusting off the blog, updating the site, and writing proposals. I have even completed my first gig.

The hustle is real, and it will take work to establish myself. Don't get it twisted - I did binge Tiger King alongside the rest of you!

So Dear Reader, tell me how you are not letting this crisis go to waste? Are you taking the opportunity to explore a dream? Or are you considering a breath?

#resilience #motivation