How do you answer when
people ask, “What do you do?” I have been explaining “agile” to people outside
of IT more than normal recently. I give them a 2-minute spiel about the value
of collaboration and fast feedback and et cetera, et cetera. They usually nod
politely and change the subject.
The most recent
conversation was last week. I was in Vegas for the Agile Development Conference and Better Software Conference West. I was out with some friends and one member of the group did not
know what agile was. So I gave him my spiel and answered a few questions.
He then commented on my
passion for what I do. He wished more people had my kind of enthusiasm for
their work. I found this amusing, as I hadn’t tried to sound passionate.
As I considered it
further, I thought about various friends and how they sound describing their
jobs. One friend in particular came to mind. She got her dream job several
months ago and can barely contain herself when you ask how it’s going. She
oozes joy and satisfaction.
Contrast that with
others who sound frustrated, tired, bored or all of the above. I am not talking
about dealing with challenging moments in their careers. These are the people
who wonder how they “ended up” in their jobs. Or they stopped learning new
things because they are “experts” in their field - their boredom is apparent.
Whether you intend it or
not, your attitude permeates your words. I have dealt with a lot of frustration
and roadblocks, as we all have. And I am guilty of being cynical and sarcastic
at times, just like some of you. But through it all, I have maintained a
passion for making things great, and it came through without me needing to say
it.
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