Every day is like survival: here, there and everywhere

Satisfying the expectations of both the IT organization and the department, while maintaining the momentum of our own professional development, is often tricky. We strive to align our work with the goals of the organization, but are interrupted by the immediate needs of our department. We work to strategize long-term but are asked to put out fires at a moment's notice. We struggle to reconcile the disparities between following the goals of upper management and the, sometimes-conflicting, edicts of direct management. We wonder if it is possible to provide superb customer service, apply innovation in our work, and simply produce, in spite of often conflicting goals. Pursuing institutional goals often gets interpreted by our immediate peers and management as us not being team players. Our commitment to the team is then called into question. We are caught between a rock and hard place. And what does this mean for our own professional growth and learning opportunities? It is possible to both rock and roll even while being pulled in many directions. Even when we are urged to spend more time embracing the foxhole, we can shine while contributing beyond the silo. Reaching the area of optimal production is a never-ending experiment where the target moves daily. However, it can be done by increasing self-awareness, aligning our activities with our truth, and a applying a bit of political savvy.