To continue the progress update with my first real project I am happy to report that I will get to present my project in front of Council in less than two weeks. I have been working on my PowerPoint and today I will do a mock presentation. I am excited to present. This will be my first time standing before a Council.
I don’t have any particular hopes or expectations for the decision about my project. This project is a topic that has been presented before and I am merely showing the research I have done thus far to see if more is warranted. I have come to truly understand that even though I may be doing the research and have this information; I am only there to present it the best I can. I have removed myself emotionally from the project. If Council chooses to move forward authorizing continued research then great, if not that’s ok too and I will get started on the next thing. The good thing about this kind of work is that there is no shortage of these kinds of projects. This is a great thing because I will not be doing the same thing everyday. Plus, after a career of doing this I will have a small “jack of all trades” kind of knowledge.
My question to you all is have you ever needed to separate yourself from a project that you have spent hours, days, weeks or longer working on? I know that working on something that you are passionate about is a great feeling, but has that feeling ever caused you trouble?
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That is a fantastic question! For me, I find it challenging to excel to the degree I expect of myself as a professional in a project or organization that I am not passionate about. That said, I believe that one needs to be able to self-monitor their thoughts, behaviors, and reactions so that passion does not interfere with sound, unbiased judgment. I believe that if one can master walking this fine line, balancing passion with reason, then they are well suited to be a successful and influential figure in the public sector.
ReplyDeleteAs a personal matter I don't know if the question can ever be adequately resolved. There is an odd issue that arises when you are investing so much of yourself in a project. A friend of mine put it best when he said, "It is like handing someone your baby and asking, 'isn't he cute?'". This is an interesting problem that I think takes a unique turn with intellectual products. How I separate my ego from my work takes many forms.
ReplyDeleteIt can be simply knowing my role in the situation. What I mean is my role isn't always as the decision maker. There are times that I am around to merely inform the decision. Back in the days of ye olde undergrad, I was always told to put recommendations, further questions, and ambiguous areas into research that I perform for someone else to consider. I think that this helps one to think critically, regardless of whether they believe that a particular decision is the "Right One".
That sounds great that you are able to present to Council. I wish you the best of luck. It seems too you have a great attitude about the entire ordeal as well.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the last part of your blog, yes I have come into contact with this issue. On the legal assistance study I have found myself working on things at home, finding ways to improve it, and almost overmodifying it. This can sometimes be good, and sometimest this can be counterproductive. It is kind of like having a big paper due, and you edit, revise, alter, time and time again. At the end of it all your finishing product looks completely different. It is almost like a metamorphasis is some ways.
In my opinion, this is what someone may call, a good problem. Your employers will like the hard work, effort, and drive to improve things. However, it is healthy to pull yourself away momentarily in order to maintain a projects integrity.