I broke the loo 😳. In sub-zero temp 🥶
I broke the loo 😳. In sub-zero temp 🥶. On an island made of reeds.😵
Wily’s response taught me more about architect mindset than most projects I’ve sat through.
An architect designs and builds systems that are robust and fit for purpose.
Thoughtfully.
Intentionally.
And always within known constraints.
Every design decision is a trade-off, and weighing that up takes a systems thinking mindset:
🤔 What will this decision impact?
🤔 Where and when might that impact materialise?
🤔 And what’s the mitigation should it turn out to be critical?
So if you fancy yourself an architect, ask yourself this:
Could you build a self-sufficient floating village with nothing but reeds?
That’s what the Uros people of Lake Titicaca have been doing for hundreds of years.
We’ve been staying with our host Wily and his family, and he’s shared their age-old skill of working with nature — building a home on the highest navigable body of freshwater in the world.
Every decision is intentionally thought through.
Each hook, door, beam.
Solar, heating, light.
Plumbing and sewage disposal — especially useful for guests who might have *cough* accidentally broken something in the loo in a freezing snap overnight 😳
“Is ok,” Wily said, and strode off to get his tools.
Which I’m fairly sure is Uros for
“Chill. I got this.” 😎
It’s been genuinely eye-opening to see how they live with joy, with so little.
No internet, save for guest bookings.
No screens.
No technology.
Kids working alongside adults — sewing, knitting, building, repairing, all by hand.
No stakeholder conflicts to navigate.
No management by steering committee.
Just Wily, his tools, and the centuries-old skills of knowing exactly what he’s doing.
Turns out “Is ok” might be the most #BadAssArchitect thing you can say on a project.
Especially when you’ve architected your build properly. 💪🏻
When was the last time you provided unsolicited positive feedback?
When was the last time you provided unsolicited positive feedback?
I just wrote a 5⭐ review for our amazing Inca trail guide Javier, who was the epitome of a safe pair of hands that made a somewhat stressful trip with teens such a success. 🥰
Over the years, I have written over 150 TripAdvisor and Google reviews – most of them 5 stars, calling out exemplary individuals and specific details that made the experience an outstanding one. 😍
On the other hand, I save “areas that could be improved” feedback as private DMs or emails for management so that they can improve (if they wish to) without shame or blame.
My daughter draws little anime art for the wait staff to say thank you for looking after us when we eat out.
I tell the client-side project manager that her BA has been incredibly insightful in the workshops.
I write an email to the junior consultant’s manager about how she handled the difficult high conflict role play in our masterclass really well.
I make little bracelets and keychains for people who have made an impact to my life.
I seek out the good in people and situations and I tell them, verbally straight away so that they can feel proud of the job they are doing, and in written form to those they report to.
This costs me nothing.
But you know what?
They stand straighter.
Their soul feels lighter.❤️
Their star shines brighter. 🌟
And this spreads to those they work with, and those they serve.💕
We can find bad things happening in the world when we go looking for it.
But we can also do our part in making it more beautiful for the people whose lives we touch, no matter how fleeting.
Being genuine in the compliments we give and the meaningful feedback we provide draws people to us, and creates rapport.
This is how we create human connection.
This is how we make meaningful memories.
I know many won’t remember me, but they will remember the feeling of pride and self worth for a job well done because of the words I said or wrote.
I deeply believe that this is so much better than criticising the world and looking for the bad stuff that’s happening in life.
So.
Who are you going you write a positive review for, or provide positive feedback to?
It could even be a compliment to the checkout lady who handled a tough customer particularly cheerfully.
Just spent a week hiking Salkantay Summit
Just spent a week hiking Salkantay Summit and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with three teenager sprogs 🥴
( ÜberHub yOuR SpOiLiNG mY aEsTheTIc sHoT !! aGaIN! 😡 )
ANYWAY. Here’s what the trip taught me about project delivery:
🦙 Scope creep starts before the kickoff meeting.
“Why aren’t we doing a beach holiday” was raised just before we left for the airport. This did not trigger a change request, because the plane was already booked and non-refundable. 💸
🦙 Executive sponsorship is not the same as executive buy-in.
I sponsored this.
I funded this.
I did not, at any point, have buy-in.
And believe me, I paid for this, in more ways than one 😅
🦙 Communication cadence/channel matters more than content.
Nobody read the itinerary I painfully printed out, folded and put in their packs😒
BUT, everybody read the WhatsApp messages that had hourly schedule Claude produced from guide briefing transcripts that had emojis. ⏰ 🥤 🦙 🍔
🦙 The most senior person in the room is not always the decision maker.
That was the fourteen-year-old, holding the portable charger.
🦙 Risk mitigation looks like bribery, and that’s fine.
Altitude sickness, fatigue and one memorable strop at 3,800 metres were all successfully de-risked with the promise of alpaca-themed merchandise at the summit.
We made it though! 💪🏻
There was a lot of drama-llama (and soooo many bad puns 🙄 )
BUT. Everyone’s still speaking to each other.
The Wonder of the World held up its end of the bargain rather better than the stakeholders did.
Would recommend.
Would not necessarily repeat without a signed statement of work.
🚍 Now on a 10hr bus journey to Lake Titicaca.
USB power.
Dad’s hot-spot.
Snacks.🍫🧁🍌
Ahhh. Peace and quiet… At least for the next 10 hours 😁
#ProjectManagerInfluencerOnHoliday
The good thing about jetlag is…
The good thing about jetlag is… It gives me time to doodle my brain download into a strip. 😁
24 hours travel.
3 flights from London to Cusco, Peru.
3 teenage sprogs.
Suffering altitude sickness (ahead of our Macchu Picchu hike next week).
Also … Jetlagged so was up at 3am.
(I need a medal for surviving thus far! 😅 )
ANYWAY – This topic was percolating in my addledfrazzled brain:
How are people using their minion (AI)?
Angela Duckworth summarises the question neatly:
❓ Are you using it as a Crutch
❓ Or as a Coach
Are you Kin?
Or are you Ken?
The thing is… Human nature will always seek the path of lowest resistance.
Not a bad thing when we needed to conserve energy as we didn’t know where our next meal would come from (at least this was true for our cavemen ancestors).
This evolutionary behaviour no longer serves us though, as you can see from my cautionary tale below. 😁
Put it this way: if we allow this behaviour to atrophy our thinking skills, it’s only going to accelerate our path to achieving Darwin’s Award*
Don’t do it.
#BeMoreKen 💪🏻 😃
* Honour given to those selectively removing themselves from the gene pool by their own actions.
Are you a Salesforce #BadAssBA?
Are you a Salesforce #BadAssBA?
Do you have questions about your Future in Salesforce?!
Are you aWaKE?!
If not why are you not at our virtual meet p with Josh Matthews – the Salesforce Recruiter alongside my lovely co-leader Vanessa Grant to answer any questions you have!
Join now 👇🏻
(Set your filter to Most Recent as LinkedIn hides all comments that has links)
A last minute, final and irreverent entry to the Trailblazer Community
A last minute, final and irreverent entry to the Trailblazer Community and Shirtforce 20th anniversary tee shirt design competition. 😁
Sometimes our family let’s us down.
Those who are meant to be our safe harbour do not protect us.
Some leaves us hurt and abandoned. ❤️🩹
But we can choose our friends.
And our community.
We can choose to be surrounded by people who lift us and are excited to help us move forward. ❤️
We can choose to be surrounded those who help us be versions of ourselves that we are proud to be. 💕
Impossible things become less impossible when you have a strong community behind you.
They might even do some butt whooping for you if necessary. 😆
J/K!!
But seriously, the world is always better when you’re with your people.
Find your people.
And may they be as bad, as weird and geeky as mine! 🥰
