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What a year. I am still in denial that Christmas is almost here, and in denial of the fact that my mother, her husband, and my grandmother will be staying with us over the holidays. So, what better way to avoid the inevitable than to write a post reflecting on what happened over the course of 2009?
January – probably my most important semester of grad school started. While it was my last, I think what I learned in the two classes I took (Advanced Remote Sensing and Advanced GIS) have had the most direct impact on my current job. I learned a ton about digital image processing which gave me a greater appreciation for our image services and aerial services section here at work. I also learned about GIS Planning and Management. I learned about the “business” behind GIS. Let’s face it; you can’t be a GIS Manager without solid knowledge of typical business processes. I started feeling nostalgic for undergrad business school. I loved it.
April – I learned how GIS was used “in case of emergency.” I was requested to provide GIS support for the State Emergency Operations Center here in Tallahassee during the Suwannee River floods. It’s been awhile since I’ve experienced a 12-hour day fly by so quickly. Not to mention, a 12-hr day on a Saturday. I loved the hustle and bustle of the SEOC during activation, and I’d help out again in a heartbeat. I also found out what a true “quick and dirty” GIS map looks like. Completely breaks every cartographic standard known to mankind, but, when you need a road closure map, and you needed it yesterday, you’ll learn to live with imperfection so long as the data is correct and your message gets across.
May – I graduated with a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science. It’s still weird to think I went above and beyond what typical higher education offers, but it was a fun journey. I had so much extra time since graduation I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I started to actually focus on my career versus having a job (and, I started this blog). I anxiously awaited the potential to take over my boss’s position, who was retiring in July.
June – I applied for my boss’s soon-to-be-vacant position. I also got myself a professional mentor, something that has been vital to where I am in my career now, versus where I was at this time last year. If you don’t have one, get one. Now. I mean it. In fact, get more than one. Seriously.
I also learned that you can be a positional leader, without being in a leadership position.
July – I started working on developing in-house GIS training for FDOT Surveying & Mapping Offices. This is something I am completely new at, but, I have been deemed the “GIS Expert” in our office. Therefore, I was a logical choice to work on this. Developing a training course is not as easy as you think. It can be very difficult to translate all this technical and industrial knowledge you have stored in your brain into plain language in order to convey it to people who have little to no idea as to what GIS is or what it can do.
I also learned that talking to people on the phone can be more worth my while than sending an email. I hate talking on the phone, but, I have since learned the value of it. Face to face communication is the best, but, many times the telephone trumps email.
August – I interview for my boss’s position. I get rejected for my boss’s position. My mentor gets my boss’s position. I am offered the opportunity to be mentored by my boss’s boss’s boss. You do the math. I am still in a good position here.
I also learned that sometimes you can fall flat on your face while running in a straight line on a flat surface. This is more literal than metaphorical, as I sprained my ankle horribly and ended up getting an MRI. However, I fully expect to experience what it’s like to fall flat on my face at work – as, it seems to be unavoidable in most cases. Hopefully, when (if?) that time comes, I can handle it with grace and humility, learn from it, and move on.
I also began to learn to have more confidence in myself – in a professional manner. I don’t suffer from low self-esteem at all, and I never have, but sometimes I can be unsure of myself. Fact of the matter is I don’t like to sound like an idiot. However, usually I am the only one who thinks I might sound like an idiot. Besides, who hasn’t sounded like an idiot at least once in their lifetime (sober)? I need to realize that, yes, I do know what I’m talking about, and yes I do have the authority to pass on the information I have. I’m not an 8th grader waiting to be called on. In fact, I’ve had 4 people in positions above me – all the way up to director level management – tell me this. Guess what will be on my New Year Resolutions list?
October – I am provided the opportunity to put some of my business management skills to work. I led the office managers and supervisors in a SWOT Analysis. I learned that there really are some great things going on in my office, and it gave me a great understanding on how all of the pieces of the puzzle that is DOT Surveying & Mapping fit together.
November – I learned that I too (yes, me), can get burnt out and stressed out, just like everyone else. I am not immune like I like to think I am. I do have limits.
December – I learned that I can learn a lot in one year. What did you learn?
Since I’ve been slacking on posting as often as I’d like, I decided to recycle a post from my old blog (which, lacked any sort of focus whatsoever). It is not entirely GIS related, but it is work/business related. And, I think those of you out there who are like me (more management minded than tech minded) will appreciate this post. And, for all (probably 3) of you who have already read it, I apologize for not being more interesting. Maybe you will get something out of it you didn’t get the first time. And, as a quick update, since writing this post, the person I refer to in this post has since become my mentor, and my boss. In that order.
Originally posted July 6, 2009
Things I think already knew but needed to hear
Last week, I had lunch with one of the managers where I work. I’ve been somewhat intrigued by this person since I started my current job. I’ll admit though, that not all of my past opinions of this individual have been positive. I was subjected to a myriad of negative gossip upon the start of my current position, and much of it invloved this person. However, over the past year or so, I’ve started watching this person (ok, sounds slightly stalker-ish, but not what I mean). I wanted to see if I could figure out how he “finagled” his way into his current position. Interestingly enough, he is not the manipulative sycophant many people describe him as (or wish he was). He really is just a charming, yet humble, individual who seems to have a great knack for comprehending and establishing working interpersonal relationships with great business-sense. I believe this skill (which I’m really hoping I can learn from him) really helped drive how he got to where he is today. So, I asked him if we could do lunch. I wanted to pick his brain and get some advice. I learned four tidbits of wisdom that will help me get ahead in my career:
1. Surround yourself with good people. And, surround yourself with the right people. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of shoulder rubbing if it will help you get to where you need to be. You must market yourself and been seen if you want to get ahead. But don’t just rub shoulders with anyone. Don’t waste time with negative people, even if they are bigwigs. Their negativity could rub off on you, making you less likeable to those who can have an impact on your career.
2. Look for opportunities (projects) that will have a big impact. This can directly relate to #1. If people don’t know you, they most likely won’t think of you when they need something done. However, if you see a need, then jump on the opportunity to be involved. Don’t wait for someone to ask you to do it.
3. Be good at what you do. This falls right in line with the first two. If you aren’t good at what you do, your projects won’t be successful. People will remember the lack of results, not that you “did your best”. Spend the time to learn how to be the best at what you do now.
4. Get supervisory experience. This will come with time. No one gets to be a manager right away. But, the sooner, the better (I’m guessing). This is one thing I currently lack in my career. I haven’t had any opportunities to supervise. I have however, had plenty of project management experieince, in which, I did have to directly work with others and manage their work. Not quite like being a supervisor, but, still holding myself accountable for others’ results.
So after all this, he suggested we meet again in a month. I had yet had any time to absorb anything he said. I wasn’t even sure I had paid enough attention to what was being said since I felt nervous and out of my comfort zone the entire time. So much so I don’t remember eating anything – but I’m pretty sure I downed three big glasses of water. But, apparently it sank in as I wrote this entire post on it. I agreed to a second lunch, but I think I sounded somewhat hesitant about it. Like I said, I hadn’t really figured out if I got anything out of it until later. So, I will reconfim this week, and go ahead and schedule it now so I can make it a priority.
I may just have a mentor here….something that has been absent from my professional career since leaving NCS. I’m looking forward to learning more, and I have a ton of stuff that I want to ask now. Next time, I won’t be so nervous – hopefully, and, I might actually eat something.
Leadership can make or break an organization. If an office has great leadership, they have happy employees that produce great work. If an office lacks leadership, then all you are left with are disgruntled employees that spend more time on the job hunt in the office than they do actually doing their job. Here are 4 ways that having great leaders can impact the work environment:
1. They are excited about their job, and therefore make you excited about doing your job: Everyone always says “Find a job you love and it won’t feel like work.” Well, how often do you actually come across someone who really loves their job? There are more of them out there than you think. And, they’re not all like my uncle, who is a professional ski instructor and gets to live and work in Jackson Hole, WY (one of the most beautiful places on the Earth). My uncle even owns a beer koozie that says “My job is better than your vacation.” But there are people out there that truly enjoy their jobs, many of which require sitting behind a desk and in front of a computer. Generally, it’s not the work itself that excites them, but the outcome of what they do. For instance, when I worked for New Century Software, the president seemed constantly excited about what we were doing. NCS was a company that provided GIS software and services for clients in the oil and gas pipeline industry. And while the oil industry comes across as the bad guys in many instances, the mission of NCS was always safety. In fact, I remember our old mission statement: “Safer Pipelines through GIS.” I mainly remember it because it was plastered in our production area where I sat for 8+ hours a day. It has since been updated, but, the premise is the same nonetheless. The president, Ron Brush, was always really really excited to be doing what he was doing and about what our company was doing. Having a leader like that really made me want to give 100%. I wish I could remember some witty/inspirational remark that he said, but, it wasn’t so much what he said, but his attitude towards everything. I remember seeing him at the ESRI-UC a year after I had moved to Florida and he hugged me. That was something I never expected. He also seemed genuinely happy that I had continued in the career of GIS. And that is the attitude that brings me to my next point.
2. They thrive on helping their employees excel: A great leader will always push for someone to supersede them. And, not just to mold their replacement, but someone that will go even further in their careers. A good leader won’t be afraid to have someone smarter than they are under them. That person won’t be viewed as a threat, but as an opportunity to drive the business to a level beyond their current position. Investing your time in someone who can be great for the company will prove to be a greater pay off than you anticipate. If mentoring wasn’t important, then top companies like GE, Nokia, IBM, and Proctor and Gamble wouldn’t waste time with developing their employee mentoring programs. If it works for them, it will work for you too. For those of you who aren’t in the position to create a formal mentoring program, you’re not out of luck. Just do what I did. Take it upon yourself to find a mentor. Look for someone who inspires you and shares your career goals; don’t pick someone just because they have the corner office and make a lot of money.
3. They get things done: A great leader will never leave you hanging. They will do what they say they will do. If they set a goal, they will attain it. The age old saying “actions speak louder than words” holds true in regards to leadership. People are more likely to follow a leader’s actions than their words. By following through on their word, they build trust and integrity. And by showing this in their actions, they are more likely to have employees who also have integrity and are trustworthy. People want to work for people they like and people they respect. If their leader is constantly falling short on promises and babbling out good ideas but never doing anything about them, then they aren’t leading, they’re breeding cynicism.
4. They work smart: Leaders are not one-man bands. They know how to utilize people around them to get things done; whether it’s delegating tasks to their employees so they can complete a project or consulting experts for technical advice and direction. They aren’t afraid to surround themselves with smart people. For example: We’re building our GIS database utilizing ArcServer from the ground up. When I came to work for the DOT Surveying & Mapping office, there was no formal GIS in place. Part of the reason I was hired was to initiate and convert all of our General Highway County Maps into a GIS format. Currently we’re trying to implement ArcServer and come up with a multi-user/multi-editor geodatabase workflow. Well, we’ve never done anything like this before. So, I go to the FDOT GIS Coordinator (who also happens to be my mentor) and tell him we need help. The first thing he does is call up a consultant the DOT is partnering with and ask them if we can set up a teleconference with their geodatabase workflow expert. He didn’t try to solve my problem himself, he didn’t throw textbooks at me and told me to “read up and see what you can figure out,” he went straight to the people he knew would give us information fast. And not just any information, expert information. My dad always says “Work smarter, not harder” and I believe good leaders have mastered that ability.
Having a great leader can really improve attitudes within a business. If employees are inspired and have respect for their leaders, they will have more motivation to do a job well done and be willing to work towards achieving a common vision.
just the GISt of it 