A co-worker asked me this morning, after an IT fire-drill, “why is it nothing ever rattles you?”.
Weird observation because stuff does rattle me.
I suppose if there’s anything that gives me a chill approach to IT fires it boils down to three words: Zen Meditation & Cabernet (or beer in a pinch).
Seriously though, I’m a human like anybody else and I feel the stress when the wheels fly off during an IT project. Especially during product or infrastructure deployments I am PM’ing. But I work hard to keep perspective and balance so that when the unplanned happens, as it does during any complex project, I have the energy to analyze and respond. You can’t really do that well when your emotions show up. If I keep my head, chances are the project workers will keep their composure as well and Next Actions and a resolution will develop during unplanned events. If I keep my head, my co-workers and colleagues are more apt to communicate both good news and bad news during a downtime event.
This may sound like a hippie thing to say, but I think it’s also important to remember that no career is worth sacrificing your own inner peace and sense of self. Many people confuse it, that a job can even provide those things.
Originally published at julianwest.me on October 14, 2013.