Happy, happy fun time… No Really…

I sat down with a friend for coffee this morning and spent a collective 20 minutes complaining about the frustrations, pressure, workload and all the little issues that make life difficult being a small part of something as huge as a new aircraft program.

Despite all the issues, delays, problems and so on, we both admitted to enjoying the experience, getting a lot out of it professionally and one day will be able to call this a career highlight. I’m part of a team that understands it’s role in the big picture, knows the deliverable, who we support and our plan.

It’s not fun in a race car/Disneyworld/beach in Cancun way. I’m enjoying the ride, get to spend time on the production floor and work with some great people.

I know am at my most productive when I’m having fun and feel fulfilled; I like being a project manager and I know the things that keep me engaged and interested.

Being creative – I’ve been in my current role for a few months and still see a lot of problems as a sustaining/production issues, the rest of the group has been here longer and are still in the “design/develop” mode even though we are in low level production.

Autonomy – I get to have considerable autonomy and freedom to do the job the way I see best. I have managers that trust me to get on with it and know that I will call out when I need help or guidance. They are fully aware that I’m not afraid to ask the stupid questions.

Getting my hands dirty – I come from a mechanical background and can go to the shop floor, speak “mechanic” and understand their unique problems as I’ve been there.

Innovation – projects that do not have a clear path to the product are far more fun. The more out-of-the-box thinking required the more engaged the project team is.

Learning – My group gets to touch almost every system on the aircraft and every time I get a project I get to see something cool, geeky and new to me.

There are plenty of projects, big and small, that are fun and challenging. However there are plenty others that are as dull as a monotone. I get a good mix of projects, both in size and complexity, but the really challenging projects involving with some new technology that make a difference keep it interesting and fresh. I like what I do and where I am in my career, and I feel fortunate to be able to say that.