Move Your Desk

It's always a pleasure to discuss technology with the innovators and early adopters on the change adoption curve.

Dr. William Brantley brings his expertise and insights into this discussion about leveraging AI in project management and the associated value streams and decision-making activities. He started using artificial intelligence to increase his work effectiveness and efficiencies back when it all started and continues to add to his personal knowledge base as he goes about his work as a strategic thinker, designer, project manager, and public speaker.

You'll want to connect with him on LinkedIn to keep learning from his daily posts and insights pulled from multiple disciplines.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billbrantley/

Website: https://bas2a.com/

#artificialintelligence #projectmanagement #projects #valuestreams #agile #technology #design #projectplanning #projectexecution #teams

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Do you remember the story about the emperor who had no clothes? He trusted some tailors that he'd never met more than those who had kept him in royally outfitted for years. Even when he couldn't see the amazing results the tailors touted, he was so proud that he boldly went forward assuming that those closest to him were advising him properly. But, they had their own misconceptions, fears, and a bit of mistrust. We each take our own turn as naked emperor, tailors, and advisers. So, what can we do about it?

You are busy and so is your boss. It helps to put a simple framework around your weekly activities to increase your awareness of your own progress. And, to help your boss. It's time to manage upwards, if you aren't already, and use your framework as a tool to move the work forward. Step up and get started on your framework. Set up a weekly meeting with your boss. A meeting that you lead. It's simple, but how often are you doing it?

Michelangelo was once asked how he went about the sculpting process. His answer? 

“I saw the angel in the marble, and carved until I set him free.”

This is something we can do for ourselves too - spend time carving and chiseling away to find the real person inside.

In recent years, I’ve noticed that keeping my physical belongings in check is not a problem. It’s the digital hoarding that weighs upon my mind.

The emails, the photos and videos, the files, the journal entries, the blogs and websites. It produces the same effect on my mind as a physical hoarder may experience, except I really can’t tell how big my issue is because it doesn’t overwhelm my home. It just sits neatly in a table showing up as a laptop, phone, and a couple of hard drives.

Though I know that my digital items will expand daily as I go through this process, I’m tackling it. A digital de-junk.

It’s a process like Swedish death cleaning, the practice of going through all your belongings long before you die (hopefully) so that your friends and family aren’t left with all of it to figure out.

This effort is a lot more than de-junking. It’s showing me what I’ve valued, how I’ve behaved, what I’m afraid of, and the achievements, mistakes, regrets, and hidden dreams. Everything that had been tucked away to address later in life.

It involves chipping away to find the real person hidden deep within. It is hard. It hurts. It is mentally draining.

It’s both becoming and unbecoming.

But it’s worth it. 

This podcast is a shout out to all those that were in that first group of people to share thoughts, forward the podcast link, and give me resources to use as I move forward with this podcast. The first and second followers are important. They give any person that is embarking on new work the courage to keep going. Thank you.

Think about those around you that straight up share with you their thoughts, or connect you to like minded people, or tell you about resources and opportunities you may never have known without their nudge.

These people are important to your growth and progress and they should receive your special care. Certainly thank you notes, but also sharing who they are and what they do with others. These people are pivotal nudgers and we need to make sure that they keep doing what they do to inspire us to become our best.

Are you comfortable with blank pieces of paper? It is often required to get going on a new idea, leading a project, or to create something new. It may be time to get used to these blank sheets of opportunity and helping those around you get inspired to do so as well.

The desire for perfection is real, but most of the time it is best to get our rough ideas and work out there so that those that will benefit have access to it. AND, they can provide us the feedback and support that can propel us into further improvements and growth.

In an information filled world, it's helpful to have personal management strategies to make sense of it all. Frameworks are one way to curate and use this information in meaningful ways to improve your work and life.

Sometimes our best learning experiences come from those moments that we choose to pay attention to someone or something that we aren't naturally interested in. And, once in a while we find a new skill or interest along the way.

Check out show notes and script at http://www.moveyourdesk.com