Archive for July, 2010

Pen to Paper

Author: admin

Jul 28

Do you ever have that moment in your life where you stop for a moment  and try to measure up what it is that you do each day?  A moment perhaps that you look back over a given period of time and try to determine what you accomplished or if in fact you accomplished anything at all?  Then again maybe it is a moment where you can evaluate the path you’ve walked or jogged or crawled and you can see how far you’ve come from where you started.

I am there today, that mandatory time of year where I am requested to provide ‘input’ into my accomplishments over the last 12 months.  The time when my abilities (and therefore myself) am defined to a few hundred words or less bullet point style.  I am encouraged to ‘brag’ about my accomplishments, to list the highs, point out my successes and while I am grateful for the opportunity to provide my own input as a baseline to begin for my manager…this process is never easy.

I know what I do each day.  I spend 8 hours (and sometimes more) giving my energy for my ‘customers.’  I am in a policy and procedure management  type role and so customers seems a bit ambiguous, but that is what they are.  They are my ‘customers’ in need of an answer or a solution to the many problems they face as created by the policies put in place.

I am a fixer.

Putting I am a fixer on a bullet point and calling it done just does not justify the time I put into what I do.  It feels like I am reaching if I list the million and one different issues I have addressed over the last 12 months and while there are big projects in the mix…I have to wonder if perhaps those were not enough.  In the end I send the information feeling inefficient in what I do and wondering how to streamline my processes to regain some of the time I must have lost along the way.

Today it was a performance review that caused me to stop and consider my journey, but this is no different that any other journey we take in life.  In relationships we stop and take stock of where we are and if we are succeeding.  In parenthood we measure ourselves against our children’s happiness/success/independence/etc.  Always moving forward, always studying the past…but where and how is true success defined in the end is always just ahead?

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Meet Me in Virgina

Author: admin

Jul 26

I’m back from the big state of Virginia and let me tell you…a week of work away was really kind of fun.  :)

Dressed in a suit, set atop the most most perfect pair of heels with just the right amount of summer color peeking out the peep toes, I set about to make ‘friends.’  Perhaps, my goal of not meeting a stranger was a little disarming for some – considering I have worked and had dealings with many of these people in one capacity or another over the course of 2 years…finally meeting face to face is definitely an experience.

It was one, two, put on a smile…three, four, deep breath….five, six, make eye contact….seven, eight, extend hand in invitation…nine, ten introduction time.  I say this because simply it felt more like a leap of faith to just walk up to some of those people (in relatively high positions of power within my industry) and introduce myself without tripping over my nerves.  By the time my 5 days were through, I had met more than enough people to keep me thoroughly confused remembering names and I had gathered such abundant information that I felt armed to tackle another day.

Did I mention that I was with some pretty awesome travel companions…so awesome in fact that repeatedly they would say…

“Kel, look over there…Do you know who *that* is?  No?  Then perhaps you should go find out.”  Off on another people finding mission…who knew it could be so much fun! ;)   Nothing like practicing for BLOGHER NYC!!

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Mastering Something…

Author: admin

Jul 14

I’ve been gone.  Surprise?  Nah, didn’t think so, but I thought I’d share a bit.  You see, I was finishing my Masters.

Yes, you read that right, little ol’ blonde me…has completed my Masters in Business Intelligence.  Oddly enough my thesis was written on Social Media and engaging the customer.  I’ve been taking masters classes now for about a year and a half and working really hard to keep a A.  I’ve taking a lot of school in my short 30 something years, but good lord, writing a thesis….oh my!

I’ve always enjoyed communicating and interacting with people, social media has always rated at the top of my list of things to do, but little did I know there was SO MUCH to it.  Sure I had ideas, thoughts, theories and a whole slew of unsubstantieated misconceptions but now…now I am truely amazed at what I see as potential.

I’m not talking about blogging/reviewing and I’m going to get rich, but rather the ability to influence and help and make a difference through communication and interaction despite the time/spaces boundaries that exist.  Yes I researched businesses until I couldn’t think straight anymore, but so much of the conclusions that could be drawn were also paralleled in non business interactions.  No, I did not write much in this space.  No I did not visit many blogs.  No I did not update Facebook often but I did find myself drawn to twitter in spurts that I haven’t been in a long time.  I found the relatively quick conversations a nice break from everything else going on in my life at that moment in time.

So now what?  I have completed my degree and will eventually be able to hold a piece of paper in my hands that acknowledge I have learned something.  To simply say I learned about Business Intelligence would be a gross understatement because I have learned so much more.  Yes, there is a whole world out there full of self centered people, narrow minded and/or hurtful people.  A whole world of people blind to their affects on the world around them….but there is also a glowing world full of amazing people who touch the lives of others in ways they will never fully understand.  There are businesses who I would whole heartedly endorse because they get it…at least today they are trying.  There are people I’d love to meet and hug their necks for the time they take out of their day and the compassion they show.

In the end I am thrilled to have completed this task I set out to finish 18 months ago, but I am walking away with a much wider view of the Social world around me.  Something more than what a piece of paper could have provided alone…….

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