07 Nov Well, that was intense!
If you have been wondering why there hasn’t been a newsletter post from me for a while ….read on!
The Collins Dictionary states:
If you describe an activity as intense, you mean that it is very serious and concentrated, and often involves doing a great deal in a short time.
Xero had a sunset date for their WorkflowMax software product set for June 2024. One of the options was to migrate to the new ‘WorkflowMax by Bluerock ‘product; thereby retaining all historical data – in some cases over 10 years’ worth!
The new product experienced delays and effectively it was not fully ready come ‘D Day’. The originally carefully planned staggered approach working with multiple clients over a six-week period, incorporating other regular work, had to go out the window.
This was, well…. intense! And in line with the dictionary definition, a lot had to get done in a short time.
Here’s what happened:
- ALL our client’s data was successfully migrated before the deadline, including one last minute one who hadn’t got round confirming their decision to do so.
- This indicated a great job had been done by Bluerock to build the migration tool, and showed that the new product had the resources to further develop the rest of it; at this stage all migrated clients have stayed on board.
- Partners collaborated and shared ideas and support readily. Amazing! Being able to phone or screenshare with a colleague in the same boat (read that as competitor!) helped steady the ship and keep the nerves from fraying.
- Clients were 100% accommodating and understanding. The challenges were shared, and I was part of their support network to navigate multiple issues. Having several clients with similar experiences enabled troubleshooting across them, finding parallels and solutions.
- My husband provided support. Asking for help is OK! In the middle of home renovations is an interesting time to add more pressure to the mix that’s for sure. Getting help with meals and other household chores – along with lots of cups of tea was invaluable.
- Some other work got delayed – but no Inland Revenue deadlines were missed – whew!
Here’s what I learnt:
- Communicate with clients honestly. Trust and transparency lead to constructive working relationships. I learnt a lot more about my clients while working with them on their migration project. This will stand in good stead for the future.
- Be flexible and able to reset the plan. Adjusting priorities and timelines (and being realistic with how much I could actually achieve) helped keep things moving forward – even if slower than we originally hoped for.
- Focus, focus, focus! A strong reminder that I can achieve a lot of work in a tight timeframe if I put my mind to it. A dedicated mindset allows for better productivity. (A bit like the week before going on holiday, amazing things happen to clear the decks!)
- My ability to deliver my best work was compromised – and that’s OK.
Excellence is NOT perfection. Excellence is about striving to do your best, adapting to challenges, and continually improving. Excellence is about reality and making progress. Having plenty of grit proved the difference for me – resilience only gets you so far. I like to think I am politely persistent – as opposed to being bloody-minded!
What’s a project or time that you experienced that was intense. How did you dig deep to get you progressing forward?
“Always work hard. Intensity clarifies. It creates not only momentum, but also the pressure you need to feel either friction, or fulfillment.”
Marcus Buckingham
English author, motivational speaker and business consultant