What's Next?

The question we should always be asking

When I first started to train PRINCE2 some twenty years ago, I remember sitting in a room at Wolverhampton University in Telford, Shropshire to co-deliver a course.

I watched as the trainer delivered the training, wandering around the room in his slippers.

I remember, very clearly, thinking to myself, if I need to wear slippers whilst training, that is the time to retire.

Today I intended to come to work in my slippers, but having walked my dog Cooper, a crazy cocker spaniel, I dashed back home in order to get to work, I forgot them.

Age is a wonderful thing but I can’t remember why!

Today is my retirement day, after 55 years of working in many different roles, some successful, some less so, I retire today and it has been one of the most challenging decisions I have ever made.

Surely someone who has managed projects and programmes, been involved in some major projects around the world and helping people improve their careers by training them, surely moving from one state to another should be easy.

Every project and programme comes to an end at some point, they are all temporary and they all close in a controlled manner, I almost laughed as I typed that.

Every project closure means we should be asking, “What’s Next? What difference did we make? How have we improved things?”

So, what’s next? I have some plans!!!

Thank you everyone who has helped my over the years, there are many of you, too many to mention, but you know who you are.

There’s a song by an American musician who I had the pleasure to meet, briefly, at the fake New York in Las Vegas. Cameron Calloway sings April 23rd and in it he asks the audience to think for a minute about the people who have influenced their lives. I listen to the song at least once a year and always think of you.

Thanks for reading, see you soon.