Imagine you and your spouse having one car, no access to public transportation and both holding down three hour shifts with same employer…..except your shift starts three hours after your spouse’s shift ends.  You spend the first three hours in a hot, oven baked car in the deep south, with no cell phone, no iPod, no Blackberry….just you, the naturally-heated car seat and the sun.  You are delighted to do it, since it is a paying job and you look forward to starting work….where it is air conditioned.

Many call 2009 a recessionary period; I call it the age of sacrifice.  Depending on your age, you have sacrificed on more than one occasion, over an extended period of time.  Some have never done it, and others have the unique opportunity to do so between now and when this age of sacrifice ends.

Life teaches us great lessons during periods of sacrifice.  As Project Managers, we have to be strong and realize that it a period of learning and growth.  What are some sacrifices that we might have to make in an economic crisis like this one?

• Embrace Change and Accelerate it. Business leaders are scrambling to address strained financial conditions. Work life will become more difficult; longer hours, less pay increases; fewer amenities (like bottled water); cancelled annual trips…and the list goes on.  Support their efforts and  changes and find ways to implement them more rapidly.
• Enhance Your Skill Sets. As organizations slim down, and remain slim, get training ON YOUR OWN, to take-on additional responsibilities in the organization.  Those of you who read my articles know that I am a strong proponent of adding value to your organization by being multi-dimensional.
• Encourage Adoption of DIRTFT. More money is wasted in correcting mistakes and having to re-do tasks and projects.  Establish a discipline of Doing It Right The First Time and take words that start with “re” out of the work environment.  Sacrifice may mean having to check milestone targets several times (sometimes after hours…at home) to ensure that benchmarks have been completed without the risk of having to be re-done.

As Project Managers we want to see and experience selfless giving from our peers and bosses…..yet we are reluctant to invest selflessly of ourselves.  This year and next will be a great time to step out of your comfort zone, get into the hot seat and focus on how YOU can Make A Difference through personal sacrifice…. and in the end you will be a stronger Project Manager for it.

What a glorious time to be in the business world.
I know what you are saying…..has this guy been on this planet for the last 6 months?
I have and I believe this economy gives all of us a chance to be recognized—by Making a Difference.
The downturn can be viewed as an opportunity or a threat.  In my view it is a tremendous opportunity to differentiate ourselves; whether we are an employer, an employee, a contractor, or an author for that matter.
Imagine a large life boat which requires 8 people rowing, but room for only 6.  Not only do you have to row harder to make up for the 25% reduction in rowing capacity, you have to also function in more roles on that boat. You have to become multidimensional, learn new skills and new parts of the business.  In today’s world, you can no longer expect to get paid for simply doing your job, or carry one title or shoulder one responsibility.

Here are some ways to capitalize on this opportunity:

• Invest in yourself. Agree on your own, or with your spouse or significant other on a budget for CSI—Continuous Self Improvement.  A downturn re-focuses us on where we are spending that ever evaporating asset called cash.  Re-direct some funds from accessories to CSI tools and it will yield dividends by bringing new dimension to your portfolio of skills.
• Expand your brand. Does your organization see you a go to person for multiple and varied functions or as a “one trick pony”?  Said differently, there is a search for the two empty seats in the life boat; will you be recognized as one who can row harder at your station AND do the job required of a missing rower?
• Deliver outstanding results. Is your work error free, or does it require continuous correction?  Are you maintenance free (valued greatly since there are less managers and directors to go around)?  Once you deliver outstanding results in your current position, you can leverage your wins, by asking (that’s correct—it is in bold for a reason) for more complex and diverse work.

As consumers, we are all looking forward to companies to step up and do be more customer focused, offer more value, and improve product and service offerings.  Those same expectations should be applied to our own performance in our respective stations in life.

Don’t just do your job; make a difference.