Lets strategize!

I am pleased to say I feel like I’ve settled in at work. I have some amazing colleagues who strive to bring a better future in the communities they work in and believe me they work tirelessly. All of this whilst amusing me, giving me recipes and patiently translating for me when required.

I have learnt a little about the difficulties they face in bringing about change and how this can be combated. I have been lucky enough to go out to the field and meet some lovely women who volunteer in their local communities who were not only welcoming but had some amusing stories to tell. One involved a condom being mistaken for a balloon; I think you can guess the rest…

I am currently working on the strategy for the Project Management and Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for the organisation. Some would argue don’t fix what isn’t broken but I’m hoping that the changes that I implement will bring benefits for the organisation. Fortunately I have finally managed to stabilise my thoughts into something I can actually implement, or at least explain to someone else without the dreaded: and then we can…, oh yeah and I forgot about this…, and then if we do this then…etc. etc.

The same couldn’t be said for last week when my brain reached saturation point and ground to an almighty halt. The irony of a Project Manager who can’t plan doesn’t escape me. I’m not sure if other people have felt the same but the thoughts were whizzing around my head at around 1000 miles an hour and a new idea would pop in, over take the first one and carry on round and round until I got to the point where I had made four lists all of which were the same, different order but the contents remained unchanged.

What assisted me with getting my thoughts on track was speaking to one of my colleagues and him patiently nodding and smiling in the right places until I finally got my act together. I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in the ‘I’m fine’ syndrome that you can’t actually admit when you’re struggling. Well I can’t anyway because I’m a stubborn as a mule. I’ve also realised that my hand gestures get so over exaggerated when I am trying to explain something that isn’t fully sorted in my head that I looked like I was trying to land aircraft in the office.

Unfortunately my brain with its odd sense of humour introduced the Dry Bones song in my head so instead of the bones being connected the Business Case is connected to Organisation Strategic Plan etc. It’s a sad day when that happens so perhaps I should be working out more rather than just sitting in the flat being odd.

Anyway we’re planning activities tomorrow so please keep your fingers crossed that my hands don’t start jazzing and in a fit of panic I start humming Dry Bones at him or even worse try and teach him the song.