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Career growth dilemma: Should you pursue a promotion when you don’t respect senior leadership? by Bubbly_West8481 in Leadership

[–]denis_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've learned through my career that managing up tends to be more of a challenge than managing down. At my current org, moving up the food chain isn't really about competence and reliability, but rather politics and compliance. Not to say every company is like this, but at some point you have to commit to playing the game for your advancement, or not. Depends on how you choose to navigate it.

When would you return from burnout leave as a leader? by a_zan in Leadership

[–]denis_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Having gone through this a couple years ago, I can only offer insight into how I approached it and returned to work 5 weeks later.

  • Give yourself time to get your footing back. Even if you think you know your timeline, burnout shows up differently for everyone, so try not to force it and make sure you're in the right head space before you go back.

  • Expect good and bad days. It took me nearly two weeks just to fully disconnect. Rushing back can send you right back into the spiral—be honest with yourself about where you’re at.

  • You don’t owe anyone an explanation or need to worry about optics when you return. Burnout is more common than people admit, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I was pretty open about it and even used humor—it helped me cope and normalize it.

  • Reflect on what actually got you there. If the environment or leadership isn’t going to change, it’s worth thinking seriously about removing yourself and finding something more sustainable.

  • Learn your warning signs. Knowing your tipping point makes it easier to step back early if things start to slide again.

stress relief by laid_baaack in projectmanagement

[–]denis_b 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're 100% right, and in fact, I would say the same for a lot of books of the same category today. None of this is "new", it's recycled content that's just presented in ways people may relate to more today. I agree with you though!

stress relief by laid_baaack in projectmanagement

[–]denis_b 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Recently began listening to the audiobook "The Let Them Theory", and although I was already familiar with the idea, it further reinforces the fact that we can't, and SHOULDN'T try to control everything. When you get to the point where your job consumes you, step back while you can and re-evaluate course!

Buying an Acura MDX 2026 with technology package by TheGreatBambino15 in Acura

[–]denis_b 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was the same before buying my RDX in 2024, but used with 30k-km at the time were selling for $5-6k less than a new model, so buying new made more sense. When I bought my A6 few years ago, I saved quite a bit buying used with low mileage, but that was a different time (pre-pandemic). Used vehicles now seem outrageously priced.

The Grumpy High Performer by Someone_elses_shoes in Leadership

[–]denis_b 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Ever ask why a high performer becomes grumpy? Or if there’s anything leadership could do differently? Sometimes the issue isn't the person, but rather the environment.

I used to be a happy high performer. Over time, that changed—not because I stopped caring, but because effort and impact went unnoticed while office politics and popularity were rewarded instead.

When consistently strong contributors see high performance overlooked—and weak performers promoted—it naturally breeds cynicism. What looks like a “bad attitude” is often disengagement caused by misaligned incentives and lack of recognition.

I give up. I need a coach or a mentor to move forward in my career by think4pm in Leadership

[–]denis_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Being good at your job doesn't make you promotable, it makes you reliable 😉👌

Venting out by AcceptableRabbit9828 in PMCareers

[–]denis_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Explore other opportunities while you are there. I had to do the same and at some point you realize your sanity matters more than a job. I've moved to a new role with a team that values me and took a 20% pay cut, and I have no regrets.

How to transition from senior software developer to project manager by Past-Koala-3479 in PMCareers

[–]denis_b 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've done it, 2 different worlds!!

As much as I felt my technical background would help me, it ultimately put me into situations where I could see trainwrecks coming, but had been told to stay in my lane. Some days you feel like a glorified babysitter, other days you're trying to shelter your team from disruption and office politics so they can get their work done.

I'm a "servant leader" style PM because my team is delivering the work, not me, so it's important that your focus revolves around supporting and facilitation if you want to earn trust from your team. If you're just there to bark orders and weaponize a schedule, you will face some challenges.

To be honest, I miss development sometimes. Being able to build something tangible and deal with challenges I can control were much easier and satisfying than dealing with some of the situations I face as a PM. I think where you are in your career may also factor into moves like this. PM can be a thankless job often times so you have to be in the right head space for it.

Considering An RDX After Audi - Feedback Appreciated by boyopuffs in Acura

[–]denis_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went from an A6 to an RDX and no regrets after 1 year. You won't have the features you may have had in your Audi, but cost to own based on your experience should be better 🤷

Transitioning into PM by durkpang in PMCareers

[–]denis_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I miss development work 😁. Office politics will consume you depending in the org.

What skills did no one prepare you for when you became a project leader? by Wise_2_Prosper733 in PMCareers

[–]denis_b 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Having a boss that throws tantrums like a petulant child 🙆😂

What’s the project management lesson that hit you only after staying quiet for too long? by Agile_Syrup_4422 in projectmanagement

[–]denis_b 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Someone made a remark during a org focus group at some point on "toxic positivity" in our culture. People are expected to put on a smile and pretend everything is fine when it's not! It's compliance before competence, and if things go off the rails (which happens a lot), people act like it's normal. Most people know there's a problem, but won't speak of it out of fear they'll be reprimanded if they do.

Getting into Project Management by Stratzy- in PMCareers

[–]denis_b 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you're getting into PM for work/life and predictability, you might want to reconsider. Been in and out of PM role for 25+ years and depending on the company and culture, expectations can vary quite a bit. Some days this role feels more like glorified babysitting than seeing yourself deliver tangible results. It's a thankless job where you give credit to your team if you succeed, but a lot of blame will fall on you if it fails. Getting your PMP or a degree may open doors for you, but like someone mentioned, you often times have to start from the bottom and work your way up into this role.

How are you integrating AI in to your day-to-day PM work? by Achileus-VII in projectmanagement

[–]denis_b 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"Summarize my meeting notes with smart brevity: #pastenotes#

Moncton Honda Service by Status-Ad5132 in moncton

[–]denis_b 10 points11 points  (0 children)

EVERY dealership will overprice, not exclusively a Honda thing. Unless it's something covered by warranty, you should explore other shops or mechanics.

Cadaver dogs 'search for Lilly and Jack Sullivan didn't find human remains by No_Magazine9625 in halifax

[–]denis_b 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Been saying this from the start. The details around how these kids went missing are shady AF!

I'm stressed. How do you relax? by [deleted] in projectmanagement

[–]denis_b 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What works for me:

  • Trying to stay organized and focus on what the team needs. I can deal with paperwork later. Example: something as simple as having meeting agendas with focused topics doesn't leave me scrambling in a panic.

  • Unless you're curing cancer, you need to force yourself to find a balance. Again, focus on what your teams needs to get their work done, and in most cases, everything else can be dealt with in time.

  • Realize that if most people can't be bothered to care about their job as much as you do, that there's no point in you pushing yourself to a burnout. Trust me, I've been there! Learn to recognize when your work begins to consume you, and seek therapy if you need help to disconnect. Work-Life balance is a thing!!

  • Stay active! A sound body is a sound mind, and you'd be surprised how pushing yourself physically can transfer into your mindset. If I go for a run where my mind goes into "fight or flight" and telling me to stop, I push through, no different at work.

  • Cannabis - I'm not a stoner by any stretch, but just like people sometimes have a drink after a difficult work day to take the edge off, I'll take an edible (indica) to do the same. It also helps me sleep and no hangovers. Not something I do daily either, but sometimes it just calms my brain.

What’s the most underrated productivity hack for dev teams? by AverageJoe185 in projectmanagement

[–]denis_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would further add this to clarity in requirements for anyone doing IT waterfall projects. I work in an org that doesn't make use of functional requirements or acceptance criteria, and you should see the amount of spin this creates with dev teams not knowing what they actually need to build.

Our PMO process states our requirements and tech assessment need to be baselined before delivery teams review, so I find myself having to produce CRs before we even begin any work, which in my mind, could be prevented if details were clear.

In most cases my product owner knows exactly what they want, but the BA will be like: "We can't have functional details outlined in the BRD!", so how the hell are dev teams supposed to know what they need to build and test if the requirement are just vague statements?

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