My Positive Attitude

Okay I’ll admit I really struggled writing this month’s blog for school.  I think of myself as a positive person most of the time.  Being in the Web Development program at Francis Tuttle has really had me doubting my abilities.  It’s not the content but me looking at my abilities and moving through the course.  I go from, “Oh I got this” to “Oh how and I going to figure this out?”

Well I decided to write the words Positive Attitude out and see what they mean to me.

P         Peace            I’m pretty chill most of the time, thus inner peace.

O         Optimism  It’s contagious I hope think.

S          Smile          And mean it, and you will feel it in your belly.

I          Intuition    Can help guide you through this journey we call Life.

T         Tune             Out negative thoughts, and well people too.

I          Invest          Time wisely (still working on that one).

V         Value           What you know but keep learning and ever expanding.

E         Enjoy          Life and everything it has to offer…you only get this chance once.

 

A         Always         Look for the good EVERYWHERE.

T         “Thank         The Maker” to quote “Eyes Made Ready”.

T         Think            Before you speak or take action.

I          Imagine        The beauty in the world.

T         Trust             Yourself.

U         Understand Who you are and Why you are You.

D         Desire          To be the best you can be for yourself and others.

E         Educate       Yourself, always be learning, all your life.

I’ll end with this quote by Anonymous:

“Take charge of your attitude. Don’t let someone else choose it for you.”

Honesty & Integrity

As I explored this topic with my family my son Brent who is in the United States Air Force shared with me their Core Values:

The Air Force bases these core competencies and distinctive capabilities on a shared commitment to three values: Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. Brent explained that to them Integrity is “To do what’s right no matter who was watching.”

It seems like a no brainer to me, do the right thing all the time.

Zig Ziglar says, “Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life –ALL areas of life. The really good news is that anyone can develop honesty and integrity. “

I think it’s pretty obvious that most of us want success in life. I believe that is one of the driving forces that brought me to the Web Development field. I know I wouldn’t be happy with success unless it was brought about through honest interactions.

At our recent PIXLFEST conference one of the speakers said, “Your job is to demystify the process of building a website for your clients. They’re thinking unicorns and rainbows.”

With pleasant honesty you can focus the client in a better direction so that they can go to their happy place…and an awesome website is successfully launched.

March Creative Challenge: Limerick

There once was a girl named Julie Jo

Who stared at the screen past her nose

She joined a web class

  Which didn’t have much math

But she still has a LONG way to go.

If you smile at me, I will understand…

While listening to one of my favorite bands on the album “Crosby, Stills & Nash Greatest Hits”, the lyrics in the first verse of “Wooden Ships” have always drawn me in.

“If you smile at me, I will understand
‘Cause that is something everybody everywhere does
In the same language“

When asked to explore the topic of Diversity this song immediately fills my head, and brings a smile. Although bittersweet, the beautiful poetic music conveys a strong message of hope and understanding that all mankind are the same in more ways than we realize.

Diversity can express itself though many forms.

• Age – Each generation has its own unique attributes
• Gender – Each has their strengths and weaknesses
• Religious – Belief systems co-existing in society
• Ethnicity/Race – Differences have no bearing on an individual’s personal competencies
• Social/Disability – Unique lifestyles, interests and abilities

As I observe the Web Design & Development profession I find myself in two of the above groups.

• Professional awards in WDD are few and far between for women because more men are in the profession, but that is beginning to change.
• Age diversity in WDD focuses mostly on the young. I’m not letting that stop me from pursing a career in WDD, I’ve got plenty to offer.

I agree with the comments of reader @cbthomas2006 regarding the article “Why Diversity Matters in the Web Design Industry” by Oliver Lindberg:

“I believe the most valuable form of diversity is diversity of thought, of ideas, and it seems to me that that arises from diversity of experience, which is not necessarily reflected in racial or gender differences. And, after all, if we’re really all the same, then why should such things matter?”

As for me…

“I think I’ll just set a course and go”

Anger Management in the Web Development Profession

One of the most challenging parts of being a web developer is working with difficult clients.  You obviously can’t allow some issues make you become angry with a client or colleague.

If you can turn your client into a Dream Client then you won’t have to worry about potential issues which could escalate into anger on both sides. I like this article on “Turning All Clients into Dream Clients“ by Shay Howe on Smashing Magazine which offers some good suggestions for managing your clients.

• Communication is the most important element.  Some hand-holding is required and an extra email or two or a phone call can make a world of difference. Keep them in the loop with regular communication.
• Use the tools you have.  Manage your work through programs like Basecamp or  Trello.  Maintain a calendar with a timeline of events, due dates, tasks you or the client need to perform, project updates and billing hours.
• Help them decide what they need.  They have an idea, but you need to educate them and get a solid foundation of what they need in a web design. When a client makes a Segway with a new idea follow thru but be sure you are billing for any additional time that wasn’t not contracted.
• Don’t play the guessing game, it will surely lead to burn out. Avoid it at all costs.
• Client high expectations and a shoe string budget won’t help anyone. Understand the risk of clients that struggle to pay on time. Always have a strong contract and decent deposit before starting.  Be open and honest about payment, always be pleasant and remind them of upcoming invoices.

On a side note to add a little stress relief in your work environment and also maybe spark some creativity you might give this a try:

Lego Anger Management

Using Lego’s to de-stress and initiate creativity.