Archive for April, 2004

Well, I’ve decided I’m sick of complacency. Public sector work generally, healtchare more specifically and HSC in particular is a very complacent place to work.

Projects can (and do) easily sit on hold for years at a time, often over mindless and small details. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, you can easily think of projects that should have been done in the last 1-3 years, but that just dropped off the face of the earth.

Not only that, many projects stall for the silliest reasons.

The problem is that nobody really likes to champion a cause or a project. And, because there’s no champion, they die easily. It’s part of the curse of having a lot of staff who like to “just do their jobs”. They aren’t focussed on Getting Things Done.

Somehow, since arriving here, I slipped into this “just doing my job” mentality. I don’t know how it really happened and I don’t know why, and this isn’t a shot against any of my coworkers, because they all do great work.

But, there’s a difference between “just doing your job” and Getting Things Done.

I’m a Getting Things Done kind of person (and no, I don’t mean the training, though I really do mean to take that as well). When there’s an issue that I can tell there’s a solution for, I ask people about it, we brainstorm solutions, we get buy in and it happens. I’ve worked that way for the last decade. I am naturally a champion for Getting Things Done, because it’s what drives me.

So, when I realised earlier this week that that instinct had faded here at work I got right ticked off at myself. So, I’ve refueled my batteries and I’ve started being myself. See, somewhere along the way, key facets of my personality have been buried. My sense of humour, my ability to multitask, my desire to socialize… Somewhere, sometime since starting here they’ve all faded and I had become a drone.

Well, that’s changed. Remarkably. In the last week I’ve already completed 3 projects that had been stalled for a year (and more specifically since I got here). I pulled my teammate (and senior sysadmin) into a meeting and we set goals for 3 other projects. Deadlines. Assigned tasks. Got buyin from management to do them (again… They’re old projects, and buyin is essential).

I also scheduled times to do the same thing for 2 other big projects.

I’m sick of seeing this stuff just sit there. By this time next month all 5 of these projects should be just about complete. The reason they weren’t being done is because nobody took ownership of getting them done.

While I’ve been here, I’ve realised I’m really not a server guy. Maybe that’s what got me down, I wasn’t doing a job that I loved. Well, I forgot that I loved Getting Things Done. So, I’m doing that. I’ve gotten myself out of the “heads down, keep plowing on” mentality that’s so prevalent here and started taking ownership. Sometimes, of things I have no right to own.

I’m just sick of feeling like I’m walking on eggshells. I can work with people to smooth over their feelings. But, I’m no good to HSC just sitting around “just doing my job”. If I don’t start Getting Things Done then there’s really no reason for me to stay. They could hire some college kid to come in and “just do his job”.

I was half tempted to announce this to my boss, revealing to him my desire for change. But, I’d rather prove my change in attitude through my actions. So, I’m going to do my best to keep being myself. Strong, opinionated, thoughtful, smart… Along with humorous, organized, motivated, etc.

If I’m not me, I’m not valuable. When I’m me I Get Things Done and bring real value to the company I’m working for. It’s only fair to HSC that I bring as much value here as I possibly can.

Yeah.

That’s my deep thought for the day.