The Lazy Project Manager's Blog

It was (and I still can’t quite believe this) one year ago that I last stepped off a plane after a visit to Geneva and Zurich to deliver a series of presentations and workshops for CERN and PMI Switzerland.

At approximately (this is flying after all, and Heathrow) 5:25pm GMT I walked off a plane without a clue as to what was about to happen (and I expect not alone in that either).

Beyond some rise in the Covid-19 news and more than the usual number of passengers and airport staff wearing masks, all was normal.

But it wasn’t normal at all.

We know that now!

This is the longest period in my life that I have not flown, since, well, since I started flying I think. You don’t do my type of work (project management, PMO leadership at a global level, keynote speaking, consultancy and training) without clocking up some pretty impressive airmiles and flight status.

It has, in more than one way, been an astonishing year.

My work dropped off a cliff by April 2020, with my pipeline dropping 75% in the space of two weeks. The demand for keynote speakers, trainers and consultancy seemed to almost magically disappear (and I am talking diabolical magic and not fluffy bunnies out of a top hat type of magic).

But I readjusted my service offerings, became a ‘black-belt’ in Zoom (and other) tools, and slowly rebuilt my business to a point where it looked like the children wouldn’t starve and we would have a roof over our heads.

And then came lockdown 2.0 (and then a little later in the year) lockdown 3.0.

For the second time in 12 months I readjusted my business to meet what market there was and became a PM ‘influencer’ working with companies like Wrike, Clarizen, Microsoft, Sharktower, and more.

And guess what? I am still standing and looking forward to an end to lockdown number three and a gradual return to whatever the new normal will be.

Hell, I am a project manager and I thrive on change right?

It hasn’t all been bad.

So much time spent at home with my partner (although a twice delayed wedding so far…).

So much walking and seeing my local sights (with a hint of getting slightly fitter perhaps).

A new vegetable garden planned and prepared.

Two new books written, including my 21 day challenge book with contributors round the world (The Projectless Manager), and two more on the way (AI and PM, and Project Teams).

An amazing role with Perflo (www.perflo.co) as expert advisor for this unique project people orientated technology.

New keynote topics developed and ready (just call please).

Virtual training courses built from the ground up to be truly effective remotely delivered.

A great partnership with the team at Office Timeline (www.officetimeline.com) a brilliant PowerPoint add in for project reporting.

Won the PMO Influencer of the Year award.

Plus a few more ‘irons in the fire’.

But I do honestly miss the travel, 2019 offered me Rio, Orlando, Rovinj amongst others, so if you are planning a ‘real’ conference in the future please get in touch. After all, how many other keynote speakers have had hundreds of project managers singing ‘Let it go’ from Frozen, or hundreds of PMO people all doing a ‘Mexican’ wave, or hundreds more wearing a red nose because it was cool and funny?

Exactly, The Lazy Project Manager is unique.

Call me.

Stay safe and here’s to a better 2021 for the whole world.

This entry was posted on March 2, 2021 at 9:58 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.