As a consultant, one of my challenges was always rolling onto a project and quickly learning enough to make a huge impact.  I expected to have a more normal pace of learning as a full time employee, but it’s been difficult to get away from the “consultant” mentality especially when surrounded by a group of elite consultants.  Unfortunately, I’m struggling with adjusting to the new job and understanding a complex system that is in the final stages of design.

So far, like the consultants, I’ve been focusing on the current project.  With my new role, that is a huge mistake.  At a consulting company, the overall informational sessions and training are usually optional.  I’m realizing that company meetings at the Foundation (which may have nothing to do with the current project) are a critical building block for my career and for the value I can bring to this team.  They are not optional.  I need to switch from concentrating on short-term deliverables to understanding the big picture by attending these larger Foundation meetings.  The people I meet there are the ones who will ultimately use our work.  Until I can truly understand what they want, I won’t be able to represent their unique perspectives with the consultants on our team.  My unique value-add needs to be my understanding of the Foundation, and my ability to rock the boat when I feel that a design decision conflicts with what our people need.

Our people… it’s interesting that I chose that wording.  Maybe it’s a step in the right direction to realize that I represent a different group now.  However, I cannot forget that everyone is driving towards the same goal and balkanizing the team would be detrimental.

In other news, Workoutrageous has about 8 people signed up right now.  I’m not sure if I was expecting more or less, but I’m disappointed at how “numbers-driven” I am.  Whether there are 8 people or 800 people, my goal for this first competition should be the user experience.  My mentor mentioned I should focus on quality and not quantity.  I may not have a great attitude about this competition yet, but I’m lucky to have a good mentor.