This was a job I sort of fell into, and something I never expected I would do. I ended up doing it for three years and learning a lot along the way.
1. I learned to set aside my ego - trying to prove myself right, or to prove how much I knew - in favor of accomplishing the mission at hand.
2. I learned the fastest and most effective way to persuade someone to do something was to sincerely befriend them.
3. I learned that no matter the temptation, maintaining the highest level of integrity is the only way to communicate information.
4. I learned to be the type of listener who can hear not only an issue a team member or end user was experiencing but also the underlying fears or emotions they were feeling.
5. I learned that the testing/validation part of the process was often the most important.
6. I learned to expect the best-laid plans to change, because in some way they always do.
7. I learned that no matter what happens, no matter the pressure, STAY CALM.
8. I learned that it never hurts to be the person in the room with the most enthusiasm.
9. I learned to be superbly detail-oriented, and to check, re-check, and check my work again.
10. I learned how critical it was to scope out an accurate yet realistic project timeline.
11. I learned that end-user adoption was often the hardest part of the plan.
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