I’ve already shared some stories about my experiences—whether life, work, or travel. But today was a pretty exciting (although tiring) day, so I thought I’d share it here so you, my few fellow readers, can imagine what it’s like to be me. So, what does a day in my life look like?
I usually set my alarm for 7 a.m., but this Monday was different—I needed to be at work earlier than usual, so I woke up at 6:40. After waking up, I write a few thoughts in my journal—a little exercise I learned in therapy that helps clear my mind and start the day fresh. I also jot down any dreams I remember (and I usually do). Today, I dreamt I was on a huge boat with lots of people—family, friends, and strangers. I think there was a war going on because we were all running from something big. I woke up pretty stressed—not the best start to the day. But that’s the good thing about writing it down: my brain feels like it’s recorded it, so I can let it go and move on.
The reason for my early start was actually a good one—we had a team breakfast planned! That’s always fun. Usually, about six of us gather (not everyone can make it every time), and each person brings something to eat. There’s often so much food that we snack on it throughout the day. One time, a colleague brought so many pancakes we even had them for lunch. We sit, eat, and talk. We plan these breakfasts once a month, and if someone was on vacation recently, they show photos and share stories. It’s a really nice way to start the workday.
Every Monday, we have a team status meeting at 9. We prepare notes about what went well last week, our priorities for this week, and any important information for the whole team. Even though we’re a close group and usually know most of the updates already, it’s helpful to hear everything at once and discuss any issues.
After that, I had another meeting where I presented the results of my CX activity, mainly focusing on the feedback from a recent questionnaire. I made a list of the main problems our users mentioned, and after presenting the results, my colleagues and I agreed to have a separate meeting to discuss everything in detail and hopefully improve things for our customers. I really hope we can help.
During this meeting, our program manager also introduced a new colleague who will be supporting him with project tasks. She seems really nice, so after the meeting, I took her to our office, introduced her to everyone, offered her some breakfast treats, and invited her to lunch with us. I hope she settles in well and becomes a great addition to the team.
Since the weather was finally nice again (spring is coming, yay!), we went up to the roof after lunch (I had amazing Chinese noodles from my husband). Most of our office buildings have accessible rooftops with lots of greenery and places to sit and enjoy the sun. It’s a great chance to get some fresh air (smoking isn’t allowed there, which I appreciate). On the top floor, there’s even a small basketball court, so we take turns shooting hoops. I’m not very good, but I enjoy spending time with my colleagues, especially outdoors.
In the afternoon, I had three more meetings. It’s not usual for me to have so many in one day (I typically have two or three), but this time it was necessary. The first was probably the most important. Each month, our program presents a status update to the Steering Committee. This time, like in the morning, I presented the findings of my CX activity. I was pretty nervous because the Steering Committee is full of high-level managers, but I did well. Two colleagues even wrote in their status updates that my presentation was “one thing that went well this week,” which made me really happy. Still, I want to keep improving my presentation and public speaking skills.
The second-to-last meeting was more of a background session for me. Every two weeks, we have educational workshops for the whole program, covering various important topics. This week’s focus was “How to Manage Risks and Issues.” But I needed to get some work done, so I admit I didn’t listen much.
By the last meeting at 4 p.m., I was really tired, but it ended up making me happy. The main topic was the app I designed and originally sponsored (though now there’s a new product owner, which has freed me up to focus on other work—much better for me). A colleague explained how they solved a problem identified last week, where developers had released a feature that wasn’t ready yet. He proposed a new process and set up a new task management system for the developers to prevent this from happening again.
That should have been the end of my workday—or so I thought. In the afternoon, another colleague called to ask if I could quickly design a prototype for a web page, as a follow-up to the workshops and designs I did last week (see the blog post: The One with the Incredible Work Opportunity). So instead of going to Zumba as I usually do on Mondays, I went home and designed another prototype. I think I did a good job, although I should probably work on my ability to say no sometimes. As I texted my colleague, I said I’m done with evening work for now.
After that, I just went to bed—I was exhausted. At least I managed to stretch (yes, in bed) since I didn’t get the chance to work out. The weather was weird all day, and we all felt like zombies. No windows in our small office for ten people doesn’t help either. I was actually looking forward to the rain.
Simple Explanations
Program vs. Project
- Project:
A project is a temporary task or activity with a clear goal and an end date. For example, creating a new company website or launching a new product. Projects are like one-time missions—they start, they finish, and then they’re done. A project manager is the person who plans, organizes, and makes sure the project is completed on time and within budget. - Program:
A program is a larger, ongoing effort that includes several related projects. Imagine a program as an umbrella covering many projects that all work together toward a bigger goal, like making a company’s customer service better. Programs can last for years and change as the company’s needs change. A program manager oversees all the projects within the program to make sure they are coordinated and support the overall goal.
CX (Customer Experience):
CX stands for Customer Experience. It means looking at how customers feel when they interact with a company—whether they’re buying something, using a service, or asking for help. Companies collect feedback from customers to find out what’s working well and what could be improved, so they can make things better for everyone.
Program Manager:
A program manager is like the “big picture” leader for a program. They make sure all the related projects are moving in the right direction, help solve problems, and keep everyone focused on the overall goal. They often work with many different teams and departments.
Steering Committee:
A steering committee is a group of senior managers or leaders in a company who regularly meet to check on the progress of important projects or programs. They help make big decisions, give advice, and make sure everything is on track.
Prototype:
A prototype is a first, early version of a product—like a website, app, or gadget. It’s not the final version, but a rough draft used to test ideas and get feedback. This helps teams see what works and what doesn’t before spending time and money on the finished product.
Product Owner:
A product owner is the person responsible for deciding what features or functions a product should have. They listen to feedback from customers and the business, set priorities, and make sure the team is building the right things. They are the main decision-maker for the product’s direction.
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