Seeking Answers in Work and in Play

questionsI admit it: I’m a long time Sims fan. For those who don’t know, The Sims is a life simulation video game series, developed by EA Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Some time ago I started playing the Sims 4. It had been years since I last played and, of course, the that vresion was different from previous ones. I often found myself with questions: How do I rotate objects in the room? How do I go to work? Is there some place I can eat while on a date?

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Respecting the Details

brainI had already decided I needed to write about something less technical this time around, and then a 24-year-old writing about the Millennial Retirement Plan in Time magazine caught my eye. If that isn’t funny enough, Jack Dickey (the esteemed author) seeks guidance from a 31-year-old salesperson (oops) retirement planning expert.  Turns out I have some free advice for Jack, too!

Unlike Jack, I find myself just about in the middle of my productive work life: I’ve worked the 24 years of Jack’s entire life and realistically expect to work about that many more. Perhaps that is why Jack made me laugh out loud when he pontificates that “what little employability I have comes from my brain. I’m not going to break down in my mid-60s”.

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A System That Works For You (Not Against You)

conductorEvery business has its own unique set of needs, as does every job within that business.

The construction industry is unique and every project manager’s job is very demanding. It’s like conducting an orchestra. The PM has to know about every note–what it is and how it contributes to the whole piece–while at the same time, actually playing the entire selection with the orchestra.

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