Happy Weekend

When you hit rock bottom- 5 ways to keep going

Work is not done in seclusion, our job part of our life and what’s going on in your life will affect your work. Everyday.

This often means if you are going through difficult times in your personal life, it will reflect in your work as well. Hitting rock bottom doesn’t always mean you have to stay put there; it does help to have supportive work space and friends.

Not everyone is lucky. If you have to drag yourself to work every day and start feeling tired and not focused enough, here are 5 things to try out:

1. Accept the down time- fighting it is of no use, accept it and try thinking what can be done to ensure your work life takes the minimum hit. Get some help from your colleagues in sorting out your work, if possible take some time off or focus on a top priority everyday and get it done.
2. Try creating a routine- this will help in navigating through the hard times, try putting on some soothing music, may be upbeat pictures or postcards around your work desk, plan a solo vacation, keep some time aside to grab a coffee and reconnect to yourself.
3. Take the time and keep it for yourself- know that it’s difficult and don’t try to please others during this time. Use the time for yourself and to see how you can accept it and move on to the next step of your journey. Don't give up at work completely, try to keep personal matter private. 
4. Use color therapy-  relax and use lighter colors around you, do anything and everything that will ensure you are calmer and your negative emotions are not triggered. 
5. It can be only good now on- now that you have hit the rock bottom, nothing can go worse. Be there for a while and when you are ready, know that it will be from where you will rebuild again and things will only be better. 

Failure has its own advantage, hear J. K. Rowling talk about it:

 

         

If its any comfort in knowing, do know everyone in their lifetime go through some down time or the other, some cope better than the other but there's no escape. So, do anything it takes to heal yourself and find your peace again and once its done, march yourself back to your work and get things done like always. 

Additional resources: 

Here are 10 simple science backed ways to be happier.

If you unfortunately are going through depressed state of mind, click here

Foods that help fight the bad mood

Good luck and best wishes.

(Pic courtesy: Pinterest)

How to read a book?

I love reading books, I have recently also moved to reading –eBooks and reading books online via i-pad.

This post isn’t about that.

It’s about finding the most effective way to read a book, remember the idea behind it and trigger the thought process. Not exactly the way you would read a novel.

I’ll explain what I mean- I like reading books in combos. This means if they are on similar topics/themes I will club them together and read. I don’t club more than 3 books. For example- I read Rework  and Delivering Happiness  together; both are about creating corporate cultures and see how differently it’s done for the same goal.

I read Beyond Boys Club  and Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office  together. You get the idea.

My recent ongoing read is The Fifth Discipline  and Critical Chain  .

Why this is great:

• You can easily compare between the books and theories and real life examples before yo forget.
• It makes me think because I am reading 2 different opinions about the same topic, sometimes complimentary, sometimes contradictory
• By reading 2-3 authors at the same time, I spread my horizon more on the topic.

How do you prefer reading yours?

(Pic Courtesy: Pinterest)

Happy Weekend

(Pic courtesy: Pinterest)

How to keep your life in control?

Overwhelmed with the to do list, promises, unending schedule and no time for you?  It’s true for many...Sometimes you have to be make smart choices and know what makes a difference for you. 

Here are few that can help you re-think:

• Procrastinate to make decisions- Sometimes you can make the best of decisions when you have all the information you need. A hurried decision in most cases is always the wrong one. A study from Columbia University says, delaying can filter distractions. Now this is something that we aren't thought to think about, in fact procrastination has always been considered a negative aspect in our lives. Want to know how  a mind of a procrastinator works, try watching this TED talk.


• Try to be happy
• Create lists- Having a list takes your mind off the stress of constantly having to remember things and working on it. For example- there have been numerous occasions when I have come up with an idea for the blog and by next day I have completely forgotten it, which means I had to take another hour reading through things trying to come up with a topic or stress about how I ended up forgetting it. Only if I had written it down, I would save myself not only the hours but the worry. 
• Meditate- 15 minutes of meditation can actually help people make better, more profitable decisions, “Most people have trouble admitting they were wrong when their initial decisions lead to undesirable outcomes,” says researcher Andrew Hafenbrack.  MRI scans show that after an eight-week course of mindfulness practice, the brain’s “fight or flight” center, the amygdala, appears to shrink. This primal region of the brain, associated with fear and emotion, is involved in the initiation of the body’s response to stress. As the amygdala shrinks, the pre-frontal cortex – associated with higher order brain functions such as awareness, concentration and decision-making – becomes thicker.
• Accept you can’t avoid stress in entirety- A little bit of stress is not only okay but is beneficial (watch the TED talk below).


• Practice positive vibes- Create a routine and wake up doing something that makes you happy. You can listen to the same music every morning or go for a walk, water your plants, look at happy pictures- anything that resets your mood or gives a good head-start . A lot of successful people have created routines that allow them to practice positive vibes that translate into a better day for them and hence trick their minds in being happy or successful. When you start your day on a positive note, small glitches which you would otherwise allow your spirit to be dampened with, won’t set you back anymore. They will be smaller incidents that you can walk past by and still look forward in having a good day.

• Know when to move on- Ask for a raise, ask for more responsibilities, ask for more learning and if at some point you see nothing’s working- you know it’s time to leave. Be clear about your objectives when you start looking for the next job, don’t be afraid to ask more questions, request to meet your manager you will be reporting to or find out the career and growth path in the organization you are interviewing at. It will only help you make better comparative decisions.


• Look at the larger picture- Finding something new isn’t easy. It’s also difficult to start something new and perhaps looking for a new job is not something you feel like. Sometimes you have to look at what you want to do in the next 2 years and is being with your current organization, team or manager helping you attain those?  

Weekend and Travelling

I am unwinding today and its perfect because for the next 1 week I will be travelling.

So, today's post is from my kitchen, while i wrap things up and start getting ready. Packing's still in progress and fun facts in my Instagram

To know more what I will be doing for the next one week, follow me on twitter and Instagram.

By the way, just a reminder that Elizabeth's giveaway is still there for you to consider.

I hope you have a relaxed weekend. Cheers to you!

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

What is SIPM- Connect?

SIPM (Stepping into Project Management) is a community for Project Managers. While this is a blog, the SIPM community is called- CONNECT.

You can be a newbie in the field OR someone who has been in the domain for years and is an expert. This is an open platform where you can interact within your own group, find a mentor to consult and learn from or simply network.

Best of all- its FREE!

The image above is a sneak peek, post login. You get:

• to maintain your own profile
• get updated within your network (if you have joined as an expert, you get to see all the experts registered with the site and start a conversation)
• you get to see the other group as well (example- I can see the newbie list too)
• My notes allows you to scribble your to dos and things to remember.
• And of course based on your registration type (Expert or Newbie) you get to see the relevant advertisements, which hopefully add value to you. Ads re not globally placed n the site, its based on your group. 

Its an active site with a lot going on, so if you are already part of it- a big THANK YOU. If you have been thinking about joining it, please try it out. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to reach out to me.

(Pic courtesy: SIPM)

Project Management 2.0- Book Review

Sent by Wiley (publisher) for a book review, this book wasn't purchased by me.

What it covers:

• How has project management changed over the years and why?
• It touches on all the topics you would need in project management from tools to governance and shows you the changes
• Talks about how social impacts have made changes to this line of work like recessions.
• Text heavy with intermittent charts and graphs

As the name suggest the book is all about the “new” in project management, but clearly through the pages, the author talks more through comparative tables and the value of the new. In trying to keep the book in a discussion mode, there are questions listed at the end of every chapter. From the Agile PM methodology to the politics and stakeholder mapping everything gets covered indepth.

Towards the end of the book he talks about the various ways of problem solving and decision making and concludes interestingly.

Total No of Pages

316

Who should read this Book?

• Project management professionals- Anyone in the project management profession can pick it up, especially those who have been doing it for a while. It’s definitely not a quick read, however allows seeing the latest trends and changes that you can catch up with.
• Project management Historians-Anyone interested in the project management history and how things have undergone changes will find the book interesting.
• I don’t think it would particularly interest the millenials, because they have been doing project management 2.0 anyways.

Why should you read this book?

• To keep yourself updated- from the latest changes in Agile Project management to the how stakeholder management has changed. 12 chapters are:
• Project management 2.0
• Peek into the Future of project management
• Understanding Success and Failure
• Value driven project management
• Growing importance of metrics with pm 2.0
• Project management Methodologies 1.0vs2.0
• Project governance
• Role of project manager in strategic planning and Portfolio management
• R&D Project management
• Problem solving and decion making
• Need for project management
• Using the PMO to spearhead PM2.0

 What’s the price and where can I find it?

• Publishers’ website
• India- 799 INR 
• USA- 72.07 $

Who is the author?

Harold Kerzner 

Have a Happy Weekend

(Pic courtesy: Pinterest)

Keeping up with the Pace

If you have a list to get things done, but they never get done- this post is for you. May be a certification that you have wanted to go for, a personal goal you wanted to reach.

I set up too many things for me and sometimes just cant keep up with the pace. It's not the time, its the motivation that slows down the run.

My outlook towards this year has mostly been to be happy and be healthy. And with my birthday coming up in April- that's my gift to myself. As simple as it sounds, its very challenging for me.

I ended up thinking and reviewing everything about my life. I have cleaned up my personal database of negativity to an extent and will override the rest with a shot of positivity.  Or at least that's what I think.

I have always been a visual person. Like I like reading books than hearing it.

So, for the last one month I have been tinkering with this idea of creating my own set of motivation cards. Here's what I did:

• Browsed through Pinterest and downloaded the one's I liked the most
• I got them printed in simple basic format as you would any snaps
• I have a set of 12, I have plans to keep adding to them
• I keep them at my desk at home.
• It works.

When my days haven't been very smooth and fun, just flipping through the cards brings back my perspective. It's worth a try.

So, try what makes you calmer. It's worth a shot.

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

Catching up

Good Morning folks, heading off to a very interesting day.


Stopping by to say hello and you can almost follow my day by following me in instagram or twitter. 

I hope you have a good one that refreshes your mind and more :)

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

5 Years- that’s how long it took

I like having the constraint in my flow, to ensure I also deliver.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to creative as my next door neighbor, however working within certain limits also ensure I actually do something about it. 

I don’t know about you, I always function better when I am very busy. I know what I have to do next and I just get it done.

Except that I have always struggled with certain parts of my life- like exercising. It’s been a constant goal in my life for the longest time and I have often fallen off the wagon and had difficulties getting on to it. I read articles where sharing with friends and creating accountability helps and where not sharing helps- tried both and failed. I always don’t do things to please others, so when I stopped- I stopped.

I wasn’t also creating excuses, I was busy and I just didn’t know how to fit it all. So, I failed. It didn't top my priority.

This year, I didn’t include getting back in shape or exercising in my new year resolution. I wasn’t doing it anyways. Instead, I decided to make smaller changes to my lifestyle. Nope, they are not the same- because I never committed to get on the treadmill. I just ate more at home, tried to get in a fruit everyday and created a routine around it. And gave up sugar. Well not completely, I still have a cake once in a while; however I just don’t buy it for the sake of having it. I drink my tea without sugar and I have learned to enjoy the taste.

And yeah, I did get up on the treadmill and found a way to incorporate it within the routine. I tried the elimination trick. I eliminated ways that would ensure I fail.

This is my second month and I do get through the office gym door 5 times a week every day for 45- 60 minutes.  Not sure if this is too early to elaborate and celebrate, I will feel great. I like that I haven’t fallen off the wagon and I did make the small changes. Oh yes and I do have a burger to celebrate :)

• Every week I add something new to my routine
• I have friends now in the gym
• I do eat home cooked meal the entire weekday
• I eat more fruits and veggies
• I juice veggies once a in a while
• I create motivation cards
• I don’t focus on loosing weight, so I don’t use a weighing machine.
• I just work out everyday

And this took me 5 years to get to.

Okay, so why dish out my personal story? So if you have been struggling to keep up with your goals, don’t GIVE UP yet. Just find out why you have been giving up- what’s the emotion you go through just before you give up? And then find a way to ensure you don’t go through the same emotions and that might just keep you in the wagon forever. 

(Pic courtesy: Soma Bhattacharya)

Job Openings

Hello there! How have you been?
I thought I should let you know on some of the openings in the job world happening right now.

I have never done it before, posting it on the blog...however, I thought since I get them a  lot, why not put it up for you. If this help you find a job you love, that makes it all worthwhile.

So, here are a few:
Project Manager (United Health Group)- Hyderabad (India)
Project Manager – Job No. 639359
 
Responsibilities include:
• Perform all phases of software engineering including requirements analysis, application design, code development and testing
• Design and implement product features in collaboration with business and IT stakeholders
• Design reusable components, frameworks and libraries  Requirements include:
• B.Tech/MCA/Graduation (Minimum 16 years of formal education, Correspondence courses are not relevant).
• 10 + years in the software engineering profession
• Demonstrated success designing and building high-quality commercial software applications  Consider your future and apply here  

This came in through Mae Anne Jose

Agile Coach - Hyderabad (India)

Job Functions: Manages and guides the Scrum Masters in the Hyderabad office to ensure the highest Agile standards are uniformly met Acts as an Agile Coach in coaching teams and respective Scrum Masters daily on Scrum principles - and advises project teams outside their jurisdiction on best practices

• Works with product management to ensure Product Backlogs are stocked, scoped appropriately, and prioritized 
• Works with development teams to groom Product Backlogs in preparation for Sprint Planning Meetings Prepares and leads Sprint Planning Meetings 
• Leads Daily Scrums and removes impediments Monitors Sprint Burndown Charts and maintains other productivity metrics 
• Protects the Sprint Backlog from scope creep Acts as liaison between stakeholders and teams to negotiate Sprint scope
• Coordinates Backlog Refinement Meetings with Product owner and team Facilitates Sprint Review Meetings, using outcome to work with product management in updating the Product Backlog Facilitates Sprint Retrospective Meetings and expedite plans for improvement 
• Tracks release planning Uses Kanban and XP practices where applicable Adapts project management framework to stakeholder, project, and team needs Applies traditional waterfall, SDLC approaches where necessary, managing milestones and deliverable of each phase of the project life cycle Monitors and documents project variance 
• Communicates clearly and consistently with stakeholders about project status and be preemptive when problematic issues arise Manages risks and have risk mitigation plans in place Identifies dependencies within program and strategies how to schedule dependencies with the greatest resource usage efficiency Dissects our corporate workflow, assesses how the program fits best within it, and advises on improvements Assists Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) in implementing Agile best practices, processes and tools 
• Assists Project Management Office (PMO) in compiling regular updates for senior management, coordinating company-wide demos and assisting in development projects as necessary 

Qualifications: Required

• 7+ years of project management experience in software development using Agile and traditional SDLC methodologies 
• 5+ years of Scrum Master experience 5+ years of managing technical teams and complex technical projects Bachelor’s or Master’s degree CSM (Certified Scrum Master) certification 
• Demonstrated excellence in leadership and ability to create collaborative, productive teams 
• Preferred PMP certification Experience working successfully with external clients Experience with JIRA and Confluence.

Contact:

Achut Menon 

Email: menon@optionsindia.com   

Since  most of  the openings came directed at me, the location is obviously not very global.for these. Sometimes I do have global openings as well sent and I will be happy to post them here. 

Meanwhile if you are a recruiter, feel free to connect so, I can post the openings both here and in the SIPM Community. 

(Pic courtesy: Google images)

Weekend Activities

My weekend was different. I missed the lazying around perhaps, however it all ended up pretty well.
That's the table I was part of and what do you see?
Where do you think I was?

IAMLISTENING- Giveaway

If you have read the last post, you know I am trying to start the year right.

While I am excited for February and talking to 2 wonderful people and be part of their journey, I am waiting for conversations for March and April.

However, this post is about the Giveaway that Elizabeth Harrin, Director Otobos Group has been very kind enough to do.

It's getting privileged access to Better Project Status Reports online course. For more details about the giveaway click here -  its the e-book and online course of value £49.

To win it, you can be on the of 6 people I will be talking to OR you can email your story at (steppingintopm at gmail.com). it should be about what inspires you to work harder to become a project manager. Send in your stories by March 30.

I AM LISTENING

If you are part of SIPM or heard of it, told a friend about it- you know that there has always been an interest to give back to the community that has given so much to me.

I am indebted to so many for giving me the opportunity, a second chance, reading my blog, supporting me when I have doubted myself and keeping me inspired- so introducing I AM LISTENING ( to you).

This is a combination of an idea and effort where I open up a slot of 20 minutes (over Skype or Google Hangout) to listen to you from February-April- twice a month.

I would like to just listen in to your stories of –

• Personal inspiration and struggles to make it in the professional world, even if it’s not project management.
• I would like to listen if you have had a mentor who has changed your life
• I would like to know if you have connected with someone using the SIPM platform
• How has your determination paved your own destiny

I will also take up:

• Questions on career, growth, job changes, hurdles, mentorship.
• Connect you/suggest someone can help you along the way

So, for individuals who would like me to LISTEN, please send me an email with the subject line as “I AM LISTENING”, in the body please mention:

• Your full name
• Profession
• Location
• What you would like me to LISTEN about/Your story
• Email
• Your LinkedIn/blog/twitter link (optional)
• Month you would prefer to connect(Feb-April)

Right now its open from Feb to April, so only 6 people can get the slot. Once I connect with you, I will send a calendar link with open timings and work around a common time between Friday-Sunday.

And I know I will need a lot of help in this as well, so if you are an organization or individual that would like to partner up or help someone as well, feel free to send an email or tweet and we will connect with you. Your subject line in email should be “IAMLISTENING-Partnership”.

This could be as simple as opening up a summer internship opportunity, could be opening for a job, something as simple as giving them a 10 minute slot to connect with you or providing your services of online mentoring, a free giveaway of an online course, a peek into your tool, a 50 percent off on your e-book.

Of course, there’s no charge from my end and I would hope the same for partnering up individuals or organizations. However, if you do decide to charge; please mention the fee for your services in the email.

For IAMLISTENING- Partners, please include:

• Point of contact’s name
• Name of Organization you represent
• Location
• Website
• Your email
• Phone
• Category of Service
• Details of service
• Charges (if any)

If you have questions around this please email(steppingintopmatgmail.com) or tweet (@Soma_b) or facebook me with the hashtag #SIPM

(Pic courtesy: Google images)

Happy Weekends

Pic courtesy: Pinterest

My Morning Routine (weekdays)

My weekday’s mornings like everyone are always structured. Mondays are different from the rest of the week because I prep a bit for the weekend for Monday mornings. I want a stress free start to the week.

• 7.30 am- wake up. By now I have probably been up twice or thrice at night, sometimes at a stretch depending on Rio. I am not a morning person; however I almost never sleep past this. Starts with getting Rio his bottle, changing diapers, hugging him and then heading to the kitchen.
• 8.00am- Coffee in hand, I put the brown rice to boil and head to clean up my bed. Rio follows me around the house and sometimes he will be busy with his toys (read cars). I come back to chop veggies and get the brown rice stir fry done- that’s my usual lunch. I have checked my phone by now- emails and whatsapp.
  
• 8.30am- Lunch is packed- brown rice stir fry with veggies, a small bowl of salad/yogurt. Breakfast is oats (masala oats) that I will start around now, sometimes with a side of eggs. Meanwhile I will also, go layout my clothes, pack my stuff, go through my office calendar. Some days if I have the time, I will go through my Happiness Diary, may be read through the old pages or sometimes scribble in a line or two.
• 9.00am- Nanny arrives. Breakfast is ready and I head to the shower. Get dressed and have breakfast. I detail out Rio’s food plans for the day and head out by 9.30
• 10.30am- I have gone through my emails and replied, had my first cup of tea and have taken the day head on.
• 11.30am- I try to walk around a little, even if that means walking over to the water cooler or around the floor or sometimes take a flight of steps to be a little more active. I check my phone app-Pacer to see my count of steps and get back to work again.

This is what most of my weekdays look like, weekends are obviously very different. What’s yours?

(Pic courtesy: Google Images)