I am paralyzed because no matter what I think of to say it seems unfocused or unimportant. I don’t know who I am anymore. And this makes me quite uncomfortable. I help businesses create and use online identities but now I’m at a loss when it comes to joining the conversation myself. Hypocrisy!

There’s been a lot said about keeping personal and professional profiles separate. Limiting the people in your personal network to friends and not allowing private details to seep into your professional business.

I am not overly concerned about privacy and ownership but about openness, marketing my business, and providing relevant value to my respective networks.

Before I was a consultant and operating a business solely under my own name it was easier. I could express myself because I was representing myself. My personal brand and professional brand were one and the same. I was careful not to say things that would reflect poorly on my employer or co-workers. I didn’t mention specific work issues unless it pertained to industry news. I was less concerned about how what I said online would reflect my employment. I wasn’t being anyone but me and that was enough. By watching how others in higher education behaved online it was fairly easy to tell which examples to follow and which not to. I learned the culture of the field and was able to engage in some interesting conversations, and deepened existing relationships.

Now that I run a business with my name attached to it and I use my real name to identify myself online, there are potentially many more critical eyes and ears on me. It’s possible that a single tweet could damage my credibility and prevent people from wanting to work with me if perceived as frivolous or… worse. I suppose the same was true before but the rules seemed more definite.

My clients, potential clients, business partners, and contacts could care less what movies I’m planning to see, what I’m working on in my garden, or the funny things my six year old does. I suspect the reverse is true with my friends. They might be perfectly happy and amused to hear about and discuss the minutia of my life (as I am about theirs). And unless they work in the same field, what I have to say about technology may be irrelevant and provide no value at all. It’s as much about the audience as it is about the content.

Aside from my consulting business I maintain a few other strictly professional identities. Because of the specificity of the audiences and messages I don’t have a problem putting info out there, answering questions, or getting help. The focus of the other accounts is well defined and personal information is unlikely to enter the equation.

For me it seems disingenuous and non-transparent to have dual identities personally and professionally. I’m not a corporation. I’m just me. I conduct my business with the same values and beliefs that I do in my life. So how do I separate the two? Do I even need to?

By my estimation, forty percent lead nowhere, sixty percent lead to work, and of that, twenty percent lead to paying work.

Of twenty percent, ten percent result in completed jobs either over budget or overtime or both (not going into how or why jobs go over budget or time, at this time). Two percent make up jobs completed within budget and on time. Two percent are on time on budget and you celebrate over drinks. One percent are started and put on hold.

Work that starts and progresses to it’s conclusion without interruption where the goals of the project are achieved and a good relationship built, is the preferred scenario.

Sometimes the work is done, but the experience wasn’t great. Maybe things went off the rails, but at least there’s the consolation that the project is complete.

Occasionally things go off without a hitch. Issues are creatively and capably solved because the moon, circumstances and team are in alignment.

Once in a while, a job is progressing as planned and the next steps are laid out, and for whatever reason (illness, lack of funding, politics, etc.), there is an inability to move forward.

It can be a blessing or a disappointment, but it’s something to take in stride. It’s not usually within the control of the person you’re dealing with.

So, thank your client for their business, keep the lines of communication open and make sure they know you’re invested in them and you’ll be there when they are ready.

Eighty percent of the time when they’re ready to move you’ll be included.

As adults, when a child is disagreeable or slow to respond it can be frustrating. I can’t speak for everyone, but being ignored or asked over and over, “why?”, makes me feel like what I’m asking isn’t important and it makes me feel disrespected. But, because I’m adult, I have to take the high road and calmly ask for a response to my request, instead of yelling at him to respect my authority and obey me.

It kind of reminds me of how a customer feels when their service provider ignores, scoffs at or otherwise disregards questions, ideas and suggestions.

Not to say that every theory, scheme and inquiry a customer makes is based on good reasoning. Ideas that fly in the face of every best practice aren’t uncommon in a relatively new industry with rapidly changing technology. Even if we make our living developing software for the web, we have to stay on top of our profession by doing almost constant research and learning. So, is it really a surprise that those who come to us for our expertise may have opinions about websites that aren’t informed?

How we react to requests can either gain respect and integrity or it can compromise our professionalism. How we respond to suggestions that we recommend against can make or break a relationship. It can also greatly influence the outcome of a project. Understanding what the client is trying to accomplish and coming up with a good strategy to meet those goals can make all the difference in your success or failure.

Over the years I’ve worked with all kinds of individuals, businesses, non-profit agencies and educational bodies. I’ve worked with people at all different levels of technical understanding, with varying levels of success. I’ve found that the success or failure of a web project does not depend on the client’s understanding of the medium. It depends on your ability to communicate with each other and the level of trust your client has in you.

It is not the client’s job, for example, to know why it’s not a good idea to turn their logo into an animated .gif, or put a slogan in red blinking text. It’s our job to educate and provide alternatives.

Dig a bit deeper into where those little suggestions are coming from. If you show the client you have a genuine interest in solving their problems, they’ll know you have their back. They’ll get why their request isn’t in their best interest, and even better, they’ll trust you to come up with an idea that meets their goals while conforming to your technical sensibilities.

Back when I was punching the clock for the man, I had a serious case of insomnia. I would roll around for hours worrying about work and the snooze button constantly betrayed me. It hurt to leave the peace of a warm slumber and face the day. Now, I get up about 3 hours earlier than I used to. (Occasionally, if my schedule permits, I may squeeze in a lunch nap.)

2.) I drink more coffee

I went from free office coffee at zu to paying $10/month for coffee at the university. And the coffee room was on the other side of the building. Paying bothered me and I felt there wasn’t enough time in the day to get my work done, never mind “wasting” the 15 minutes it would take to walk there and back (plus stopping to say “hello” to co-workers). Now I’m steps away from the coffee pot, and since I can’t stand to see wasted coffee, I average a pot a day.

3.) I dress more comfortably

Where I used to wear dresses and skirts with heels, I now wear sweats, sports bras and bunnyhugs (hoodies, for those of you not in Sask.). The only drawback to this, as far as I can tell, is that you’re less likely to notice that your clothes are getting tighter until one day you have to put on a pair of jeans and can’t get them up past your butt.

4.) I think

I very much wanted to be proactive, but I found that the pace kept me in the cycle of reacting to urgency. ALL THE TIME. Now I have room to make conscious decisions, to read and research, listen and be attentive and careful in the work that I do.

5.) I breathe

Holding your breath under stress is common. I practiced breathing, yoga and meditation, but I would always find myself holding my breath. Even when I recognized I was doing it, I would find myself repeatedly in the same pattern of inhaling and holding. I would hunch and peer so close to my monitor (probably trying to will solutions to problems) that people made fun of me. Now, even when I’m busy working with a deadline I sit up straight and haven’t noticed any lack of oxygen to my brain.

6.) I see daylight

Working in a cinder block basement with no windows is dim, especially in winter. Unless you take a lunch break somewhere outside the building, you don’t see the sun at all. Most days I ate my lunch at my desk while working. I’m not going to say that I’m blameless in that. When I commit I’m in; my needs go to the bottom of the list. I’m working on becoming more balanced and I think it helps that in my new office, I get light all day long.

7.) I’m good at what I do

I knew, for a few years, that I wasn’t serving my reports, clients, bosses, work, family or myself as best as any of us deserved. It took me a long time to get over the guilt, but I know that a person can only stretch so thin (my body still managed to expand). Instead of diluting my attention with hundreds of projects, tasks, people and responsibilities, I’m able to focus all of my attention and time on true priorities. I’m sure I’m better at my job now than I ever was. There’s no doubt in my mind that just having the opportunity to think and breathe is directly related.

8.) I get by with less

For most of my adult life I’ve done my best to prove my worth in the workplace. I wanted to be liked, to do the right thing and struggled for what I thought was respect. I love the field I chose, but I felt I should be paid more. And when I asked I received. By the time I quit to start my own business, we were finally getting somewhere. Saving money and planning for such luxuries as a vacation, laser eye surgery, and maybe even a deck. Things are different now, but not yet dire. The financial sacrifice is a bit scary, but it’s made us more creative. It’s also not remotely problematic enough to make me consider going back to the way things were.

9.) I’m a better wife and mom.

My old “job” no longer consumes my life, so I can put energy into being the mom I’ve always wanted to be. I have a place for hugs and kisses. I have more patience, and I am less selfish. I removed the self-imposed burden of bringing home most of the bacon, because trying to do that wasn’t working. I always suspected that going out on my own would be the best thing for me, but I never had the guts. I still don’t know how things are going to work out (but, who does), and looking back I can’t imagine switching places now with the me that used to be.

If you are looking for a recently enlightened and experienced pro, who can fully commit to your project, contact me.

I know many freelance designers, developers and writers, but few (aside from myself) who specialize as Contract Project Managers or Web Consultants. So few, that when I tell people what I do (even in the web development industry) they seem confused and even downright doubtful that this could be a viable freelance career.

Some have a hard time separating the role from the idea that a Project Manager can just be “a manager of projects”. A Project Manager doesn’t have to be a manager of people or responsible for the stewardship or direction of the enterprise. The role does require a high level of experience, skill and leadership ability, so I understand why it might be difficult to imagine that project management can be outsourced.

I see contract project management, strategy and other consulting for the web as reasonable business offerings (or I wouldn’t be doing it!). Donna’s article supports the choice I’ve made in deciding to go out on my own. Possibly, it also clarifies why hiring someone like me vs. hiring staff to manage web projects is a smart business decision.

The trend of “PM’s becoming Independent Consultants” explains that due to the economy, fewer projects were initiated in 2009. No projects equals no PM jobs. With the recovery of the economy in 2010, companies will be interested in hiring Independent Consultants for specific projects and time periods.

Donna discusses how it is a benefit to the company to establish a trust relationship with contractors who can be repeatedly called on “get the job done”. Once the relationship is solid, it benefits the company to bring in contractors who understand the company’s environment, culture and processes.

Another trend, “Virtual & Independent Teams will be more Prevalent” discusses the efficiency for companies to leverage skills needed for projects where skills reside. Independent Teams can be assembled from employees, contractors, and consultants for a specific project and only that project. Donna notes that virtual teams have their challenges, but PM’s with “soft skills” such as exceptional interpersonal skills, strong leadership abilities and the ability to communicate well are suited to these types of projects.

“PM & BA Roles Converging” is an expected trend that I’ve been thinking about for a while. In my work experience, PM and BA roles have always converged under the PM title. This may have been because no one knew any different or because hiring one person to do the job of two keeps employee costs down. The article discusses how as the PM becomes more of a Product Owner owning the definition and delivery of the solution, there is a blurring of the PM and BA roles.

In my view, if you have both a PM and a BA working on the project there may be cross-over between the roles. If that is the case, areas of responsibility should be clearly defined for maximum efficiency and minimal confusion. The article also mentions that PMs will be in greater demand when they understand the business, are the liaison between the customer/business and the development team, and lead the project team from concept/initiation to launch/close. As a PM, without the benefit of a BA on any of the teams I worked with, it was natural for me to take on these responsibilities. It was also expected of me by my employers.

(The exception was working as a Project Manager with online course development at a university. In that case, Instructional Designers could be considered Business Analysts. There were frequently questions about the definition of Project Manager vs. Project Leader (Instructional Designer). It was an interesting problem, but that is another story for another time.)