Sentimental Gifts

I forgot to take a horse out of the car when I swapped it over today. It was the same mistake I made last time I switched to another car. Two times is a bad thing.

I have never thought that gifts should be rated on the cost of the gift. However, I have considered that practical gifts are better than sentimental ones, due to my nature. I have realised that when the gift is more ornamental, I tend to forget about it, or not remember having it. I need things to be visible to me to keep it in mind.

What I do need to start to appreciate is that all gifts come from the heart, and anytime the giver sees that I'm not putting a value to it, or discarding it, it hurts. If I was in the same position, I would agree that would stop me from giving gifts!

So going forward, all gifts will be remembered and cherished (especially the mushroom :))

Living It Up In Vietnam

It's been 5 days into a 8 day holiday in Vietnam, and we've covered the country from bustling Ho chi Minh city to quaint Hanoi to relaxing Hoi An.

I'm glad I have come on this trip for several reasons. One is to relax and get away from work for a week (although sadly I still have been checking my email). Two is to spend some quality time with the boys (Boges, Anton and even the BJee in HCMC) before I head off to New York. But the third is that it forces me to read up and learn about a country. I have learnt more about Vietnam in the last 5 days than I have in my whole life. It reminded me once again what joy it is to travel to new destinations, meet new people and see that humanity is really not that different elsewhere.

Highlights have been many:

• The wonderful food that we have eaten all around the country, both pricey three course meals to hole-in-the-wall diners that charge $1.00 for a bowl of noodles. I don't remember having eaten this well for a while.
• The Remnants War Museum, it's a very confronting view of how the war has affected the Vietnamese, and the damage that continues on here. War is ugly, cruel and sad, period.
• Getting picked up by...yes, a gay French director...maybe that might be a lowlight
• Bespoke suits in Hoi An. I ordered mine yesterday for a grand total of US$350. I even upgraded the lining :)
• The flourishing art galleries around the country. There are a few dominant styles, with a thick dabbing paint style similar to a Monet (at least to my untrained eye)
• The ability of scooter drivers to SMS whilst on the road
• The general hospitality of the people
• Too many laughs to count!

It's been a great trip, now comes the difficult part of going back to work. I have a project review meeting on 12pm the day I come back (plane lands at 9:30am). Could be terrible. I'll remind myself not to have too many drinks on the flight back!

Giving Back

I just read Bill Gates' speech at Harvard, when he has been given an honorary degree. I have a lot of respect for the man, no matter what others say. The amount of charitable work he does, the dedication and resources he brings to it definitely is making a difference.
I remember reading once about the fact that previously Gates donates 1/3 of his total income to charitable causes. Granted, he earns bijillions a year, but 30% is a lot in anybody's earnings.

The speech was very inspiring, with two points that stood out. The "from those that much is given, much is expected", and the challenge to focus on one complex problem in the world.

We live in a privileged world, and it's very easy to get caught up in the material lifestyle and saving up for the next big thing to add to the house (42 inch LCD, here I come!). I do tell myself this from time to time, that we have to make the effort to give back, to contribute, to make the world a better place.

In most cases, the usual way to give back is through material means. But the challenge that Gates gives is this: you are not just privileged economically, but mentally, creatively and socially. So put those other facets into use by concentrating on one problem in the world and becoming a specialist in it, and try to solve that problem. Use all the abilities you have, and see how far it takes you.

I'm going to use my Vietnam trip to do some thinking. I hope you do too.

Project Management Learning

I had previously been trying to write once a day about project management for a while now, and what I have learnt from it. As I come to the conclusion of this project, I need to take some time to reflect on those things.

• Getting requirements from business reps is hard, hard work. No one ever knows what they really want until it's shown to them, so the key is to get as much prototyping done as early as possible
• Saying "no" to people just makes them angry. Deflect in other ways e.g. tell them to put it in the request list and we'll review.
• Writing snarky emails does not help, even if the business rep is saying something stupid! Never be negatively emotional on a business email, as it just looks unprofessional and you sound like a whinger.
• Tailor the information for the audience, focussing on the "what's in it for me" slant.
• Schedules are wrong the moment they are saved. However, milestones are a good way of focussing people on what needs to be done.
• If there are no business rules for a functionality, chances are that the functionality won't be used properly. Make sure someone can explain why people should do certain things.
• To become a good PM, you have to get out of the "one-project" mentality. Otherwise it's too easy to lose oneself in the detail
• People are never consistently poor, so it's wrong to expect the worse of someone all the time, even if they have stuffed up before.
• I still suck at estimating costs and schedules.
• Learn from those around you as much as you can! There is always an alternative to consider

That's probably the tip of the iceberg. As long as I keep writing and recording these things, surely something will stick! For any budding project managers out there, there is a book I thoroughly recommend called "The Art of Project Management" by Scott Berkun. It's gold!