Showing up at the end. Putting your best face on at the end. Having the greatest attitude at the end. Is not what is needed to get you to the end. Because in the middle, they’ve already decided that you aren’t needed for the end or what’s next. Showing up at the beginning is easy; everyone does that, but in the middle, that’s where the real work happens.
Here is the weather in Ottawa a few days ago. Add in the wind chill, and we’re keeping cool at -35C. The conditions aren’t great, the conditions never are, they are never perfect. But we keep working, keep showing up, keep putting in the time. Don’t let the weather or the conditions get you down.
Two weeks ago, I was flooded with articles on specialization in all that you do. This week, I’m being flooded with articles on generalization in all that you do. We are still in the early period of adoption of AI, which means no one really knows. Learn, focus on your work, identify opportunities for growth, block out the noise, and move forward.
The only time to start cross-training your team is when your team knows what they are doing. There is no value in cross-training your team when they are learning or unsure of what to do. The other time when it’s not good to cross-train is when there is pressure to deliver. Pressure to learn is okay, but pressure to deliver never results in smart learning.
I recently explained this to someone… We’re all standing around looking at a hole and a pile of dirt, trying to figure out the best way to fill it up, what materials to use, what techniques to apply, what books to read, etc, etc. When all we need to do is start putting dirt in the hole. Sometimes, you just need to start.