Evening in Suburbia

When I came home from Yoga, I did one of my normal Monday evening activities -- took the trash to the street. As I wheeled the large forrest green container downhill to the street, steering with one hand and finishing a cell phone call in the other, I noticed one of my neighbors coming up the street. Susan is one of my buddies and a Seinfeld fan. Seeing as how I was perfectly attired, still in Yoga garb, the next move was the "Elaine Company Party Dance." I recognize that I lack talent in dancing, and realize that dancing badly on purpose is actually good dancing.

Susan came over to congratulate me on Jenn's acceptance at NW, she being an alumni and all. I was happy to know that Jenn was instructed how to peform the secret handshake.

I then learned that I was not the only person outside on this fairly cool, early spring evening. And, I was not the only person talking on my phone. Susan shared the interesting conversation fragments collected along her walk -- much like one might pick flowers from the garden if the separated themselves from the plant and jumped uninvited into your basket. Somebody was writing a novel. Another, trouble at work. Yet another, trouble at home. My call was about none of these things.

She is one of the few people who truly gets "the way it works" at work from an HR perspective. Dilbertesque is well-known; the art of recognizing it is mastered, in fact. When I shared my turnaround situation at work, I was informed that dysfunctional teams of people are quite common across Business in America. In general, it was nice to collaborate with someone outside my business and industry with this level of understanding.

I didn't get to share on pearl of wisdom which emerged today, which was the "need to take the complex problem and the complicated people, and simplify the work by applying the well-established practices and disciplines that accompany outstanding project management." I could go back out to the front yard, and call Susan to share this. Maybe tomorrow night, in suburbia.