The Vegas Mentality
Posted by Brad EgelandThis article is definitely a change in direction for me, but I wanted to discuss the type of environment my current surroundings offer in the way of work, consulting, ethics, integrity, and just plain old American Capitalism.
Consulting as a Frame of Mind
As a Project Manager, I’ve enjoyed the consulting angle. The freedom it brings working in an entrepreneurial role for a small or startup organization brings is a definite change from the 9 to 5 mentality and probably not for everyone. The rewarding experiences for me have been far beyond any I have received working in larger Fortune 500-type organizations. As the consultant, I get to wear many hats…Strategic Planner, Mentor, Trainer, Educator, Process Engineer, you name it…if you’re up for the task, the hat is there to wear.
One thing that living in a transient, who-knows-what-is-happening-next community like Las Vegas has offered is consulting opportunities for smaller organizations far beyond what one would be able to experience in my previous location in the Midwest. It’s not to say I don’t enjoy being part of a large organization – working in a Project Management Office (PMO) or similar setup and working with other PMs and mentoring junior PMs.
PMOs and the Big Organization
The problem with the PMO organizations in some of these larger companies is that they are largely ineffective. We all know that…or have experienced that at one point or another in our career. Frustrations abound, customers are left standing in the cold because of some odd process or rules, and as the PMs on the frontline often our hands are tied and we can’t do some of the things we need to do quickly to turn a project around or ensure a customer gets something done for them in a timely fashion.
As a consultant, the smaller or startup organization is looking to you as the go-to person, the change agent, the process engineer, the savior. If it works – and it often does to at least some degree because you’re bring something to them where before there was nothing – then it is incredibly rewarding. The opportunities to save a business, build major processes, or at least make huge differences that may be quickly seen in the organization’s bottom-line are huge.
It’s Own Thing
And, so far, that’s how Las Vegas has been. It’s slowed considerably due to the economy. It’s slowed everywhere. I’ve not lived in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, or San Francisco…but I’m sure the larger cities in America offer many of the same opportunities for challenging professional growth on the small business scale.
But I have to admit – and most of you can imagine – Las Vegas is it’s own place. It draws a very odd group of people – unlike anywhere else in the country. I’m not saying I love it – though I do like the weather. And it’s been a strange place to raise a large family. But professionally – from a Project Management perspective, I’ve definitely enjoyed it and received experience in varying industries in the 5 years I’ve been here so far way beyond I could have gained anywhere else, in my opinion.
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