2010 Professional Change: Get motivation back
The main change during 2009 in my professional situation has been the decrease of motivation. More that a decrease, it was a collapse. Of course I have been given objectives, but for the first time, I was not motivated to exceed them. Last year at the same period, I would describe myself as workaholic. I loved that so much! Too much! I spent twice as much time as now working and was doing three time as much beside, for myself. Not only I was super-active at work but also outside. Going to ski several time a year, hiking, traveling…
Today, I almost don’t do anything beside work. I almost stopped cooking even if I love this, I don’t practice a bit for my guitar lessons, I don’t go out, watch movies, invite friends at home, go on holiday (except a trip to Cambodia organized by 2 friends. I just joined) and I postponed my proposal to Asako (better late than never).
In 2009, I realized that all my efforts to exceed my objectives and reach higher level goals were not taken into account at all. On the contrary, the more I did the less it has been recognized. Worst! I suddenly lost my security of employment. That’s another think about Japan. No one is sure to keep his job contrary to what is often said. Since late 2008 I can count 8 people I know directly who have simply been fired by their respective company in Japan. In my case, I’ve been told that my performance has no impact on the final decision. I have not been given any reason any measurable criteria that justifies to keep me or not. There is nothing to improve, given the fact that all expectations are reached and even exceeded. Nothing to justify a fault.
According to my boss, due to the crisis, we have no serious project or objective for 2010. Months in that situation now I have seen the decline in my own motivation to bring outstanding contribution to my company. No mobility has been accorded to me so that I can go somewhere else and do something serious and value-added to the company. The current situation is the “sideline”. No reason to have me out, so I’m in, but with no objectives. That is the nightmare!
When there is no objective to reach, their is no way any progress can be done. When there are objectives but not measurable ones, you never know if you reach them. You cannot switch to new objectives since you never know if the previous ones are achieved. For example, I’ve decided to improve my Japanese proficiency during the free time I’m having, but because no one is checking the improvement, because no daily deliverables testify that something has been done in that way, because nothing shows that the objective is reached, the motivation for improvement is also declining automatically.
Since my last one year project, I only had one project that deserved to be called so. Clear objectives, deadlines, team members, deliverables! On those projects, the motivation was very high.
The only solution is to fix some objectives for myself and in order to get motivation I can only apply the same methodology to those. Anything that I plan to achieve this year can follow this pattern. Moreover, having a third party checking the results, is a guarantee of real progress assessment and achievement.
To summarize, here are the necessary criteria to gain motivation:
- Measurable Objective
- Measurable Deadline
- Measurable Action plan (Planning and Deliverables)
- Measurable Progress Indicators
Now, lets formalize my professional 2010 Objectives:
Improve my Business Intelligence proficiency
I’m in charge of BI projects for Japan and already have implemented different tools or upgrades for my users. But I don’t know what they do with BI. They have a bunch of reports coming from all systems and we are trying to balance them but I don’t know why they are using those reports, what is important for them… how they read those and define their strategy. In other word, I provide them tools that are mysteries for myself, mainly because I don’t know what is their job. Everyone knows what the Supply Chain, Accounting or Merchandising people are doing, or thinks so. I don’t know what are there objectives and challenge and in order to reach those, what are the figures they analyse in the pile of reports the tools I provide to them extracts every morning.
The Objective should be rephrased as follow: Understand what are the respective jobs of the colleagues I provide BI tools to, and what are the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) they need me to provide them.
Deadline: I give myself until end of February to reach this objective.
Action plan:
- Read all documents shared on the knowledge database or in related mails: before Feb. 9th: BI Zone meeting
- Contact each department colleagues one by one to have an explanation of what they do, their short-term, mid-term objectives, the tools and KPI they are using or would need, the difficulties and where I can help them. List of currently used reports and what they read on the report: On week per department (SC, MD, RS, BPC): End of February
- Learn to use myself the different tools I provide them: before Feb. 9th: BI Zone meeting
- List all reports that my tools can provide and ask users the reason being of each report.
- Check in the business literature all BI terms: END
Progress indicator: document all information/definition/workflow I get from each department or found out in the literature
They is no third party here who can attest that I have learned well about BI. I don’t plan to get an MBA or Master degree of BI just to attest about my knowledge. I would consider I reached this objective when I would be able to explain to someone knowing nothing about BI, what is each department doing and what are the KPI each of them needs to analyse in order to reach as efficiently as possible their objectives.
Improve my Japanese proficiency
The few times I saw I improved, were when I was practicing for Exams. I took the JLPT 2-Kyu exam 1 month ago and when I would have passed it (results mid-February) I would need to practice for the 1-Kyu (for fluent people, reading and writing) but this one requires another 4 to 5 years study. Meanwhile, there is the Business Japanese tests, resembling to he English TOEIC test.
Objective: Reach a defined level (J1: Above 530 points /800) at the next BJT. This level represents an ability to communicate appropriately in Japanese in a wide range of business situation.
Deadline: The next test will be held late June 2010.
Action plan: Although, contrary to the JLPT, there isn’t a defined list of Kanji, vocabulary & grammatical points to master specifically for this level, There is a limited number of each anyway. For the JLPT I needed the common 1000 Kanji. I will start with “finishing to learn” those and master them, I have the books and exercises. same for grammar. Then, taking a blank test we’ll see if I need to add the 500 next set of Kanji and Grammar points.
- Practice Kanji in the train (on-going): 30 minutes every week day
- Review 1 pages of Grammar exercises: 20 minutes maximum every week night
- Check the vocabulary of 1 complete discussion by mail (about 5 mails): 2 hours per week
- Japanese lessons to review the difficult grammar points (on-going): 2 hours per week
Progress indicator: I can see whether I’m comfortable or not to read the Japanese mails at a glance or explain business matters with the appropriate vocabulary. The progress can be evaluated measuring the part of items learned on the defined list. At mid-period I take a mock test…
Improve my management skills
Getting certifications is one way to improve my skills usable in my daily work and add on my resume items that can justify a clear career plan. For each certifications, the training and expected skills are usually clearly defined. The PMP PMI can justify my skills regarding project management and seems to be well known by recruiters. Still need to check out about this test. Schedule, cost, training materials…
to be continued…
Change the situation
As explained, I’m currently in a dead-end. Nothing changes despite what I’m trying, precisely because what I do is not taken into account. I struggled to convince my hierarchy that we have a problem to solve to save our organization. It resulted in me being sidelined. Almost everything have been tried to inverse the situation, apologies, double the efforts to bring even more results, mediation with HR and Executives… but my hierarchy stays deaf. There is a real will to keep the current situation. That’s sad to see them choose that suicidal strategy trying to maintain an unstable and unfair organization.
This objective is the hardest and need much more that a small analysis here. I’m currently pushing to change department in my company. I have no desire to leave or work for a specific competitor yet. That’s a very short-term attempt. I will develop this objective in a further analysis.to be continued…
Mid-life crisis strikes when we settle for a comfortable challenge-less life.
Tags: Buiness, CoupDeGueule!, Japan, Management, Motivation, Personal Development, Stress