Vacant Mind

Working with others June 8th, 2008

I’m not sure about the whole team work thing, I’ve had a horrid couple of weeks trying to get a group together to get a project started and running. Everything I have tired hasn’t worked and they just aren’t motivated.

I don’t know how to motivate zombies, is it even possible. Uni has all been about ‘working with others’ and you will never work along and always in a group. This is true and while didn’t really doubt this I am now only realising how hard it is working with those that do not want to work.

I could always pick up the slack in Uni groups when those that did nothing but now I’ve got enough to do myself that I don’t have the time or energy to pick up that slack.

I did find out that I’m a bit to soft to be leading people at this stage, I tried to be a bit tougher but I think that I’m a little afraid of offending people. Something that I’m going to try to develop over the coming year, which adds to the ever growing list.

It might be little to late but I’ve had enough of trying to save face while the end goal suffers, I will have to live with the fact that I might not be the most popular person when I start make people responsible and that they are litting the whole team down.

I guess that I just care too much what others think of me, I will have to get over that.

Tags: Leadership, Lessons, Life
Posted in Corporate Life | No Comments »

Working Hard May 21st, 2008

I have become aware of the proper defination of ‘hard working’ or ‘working hard’ I suppose I always thought that the harder that you work, the more that gets done. But this is not the case as I have found out.

There is so much more to it other than just putting your head down and working. There are the relationships that are built but also your perception as a worker can also be dependent on how you fit in with the team.

I kept my head down and worked, because that’s the way I know now to get things done, how to complete projects and produce results. Consequently it was also another way to loose sleep and stress more. Maybe in another time or another company being tired would be a badge of honor but these days I doubt that.

I have quickly learned that being tired = non-productive, so instead of trying to hammer out that report at the end of the day I’m going home getting rest and coming in early the next day and doing a better job.

While I’m an advocate of the ‘head down bum up’ work ethic, I’m becoming aware that it might not be percieved as the best method. I occasionaly put in the odd 10 – 12 hour day, this might be fine in some cases but I wouldn’t want my peers to think that I’m incompetent and have to work long hours to keep up.

My two big reasons for changing my attitude towards work hours and how I work.

Tags: Work
Posted in Corporate Life | No Comments »

Corporate Life May 17th, 2008

Many things have changed over the course of this year.

• I now have more of a spine
• I have realised that I’m not as intelligent as I thought I was
• That people are the most variable factor is anything that you do
• Face to Face conversations are more important
• Integrity doesn’t win you friends
• You are judged, not matter what you do

How did I learn all of this…my new corporate life. It is amazing how the prioites in my life have changed, work now is the major factor that I consider when making decisions on what to do during the week or weekend. Since having a full-time salary now means that I have started looking for a new place to live and buying the ‘stuff’ that fills our houses to fill the new one.

Since the majority of my time is taken up by work and possibly a few other minor activities, that is mostly what I’ll be posting about.

I hope that it won’t be too boring.

Tags: Life, Work
Posted in Corporate Life | No Comments »