PLAN. COMMUNICATE. LEAD.
Hi, I'm Anastazja Michalak
I am a certified, experienced Program and Project Manager.
My field of expertise is wide and I wear a lot of “hats”, depending on what is required: I am a People Manager, I am a Scrum Master, I am a Product Owner, I am an Agile Project Manager, I am an Agile Coach, I am a Mentor.
But above all, I am an effective executive – I can execute and bring into life any idea, which is trusted into my responsibility.
My Hobbies And Interests
Life would lose its’ bright colours if it was all about work, wouldn’t it? This is why apart from being very dedicated to building my career, I do have a couple of hobbies.
First, I play squash every week. For me this is a perfect sport – it triggers competition, challenges me and takes my head away from work:)
Secondly, I am an avid reader and learner. I wish there were more than 24 hours in a day, so that I could read and learn even more. Learning is my greatest passion. You can see my reading list HERE. I am sure you will find something you might like and this will be another common thing between you and me:)
And last but not the least, I absolutely love cinematography. Watching a deep, thought-provoking movie is a best relaxation I can get. Tim Burton, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Bong Joon-Ho are just some of those, whose movies I can watch again and again.
My Career As A Project Manager
I have been a working individual since I was 18. I worked in educational business, experimented with my own start up, worked in international logistics and as IT customer service specialist before I landed in IT Management. And I think that thanks to my communication skills, being open to all people and being able to talk to anyone anywhere I was able to get to where I am now. People played a vital role: some were my mentors and friends. They helped me validate my own approach and opinions, they helped me believe in myself and keep going. I will be forever thankful to them. Other people were given for experience, shaped my character and made me stronger.
If you asked me about what has had the greatest impact on my career, I would mentions couple of things:
1. Be Brave
I define being brave in my own way. Very often I am afraid, and desperate and lost, like all human beings. But I still keep going, keep trying and keep doing, whatever the circumstances. This was the case when I left everything in Ukraine (job, house, previous career, friends, friends and family) and decided to accept the job offer in IT company in Poland. I did not have anyone in the new country, I did not speak or understand Polish, and I had no idea about IT. You may risk once and stay happy for the rest of your life. I have dozens of such examples.
2. Be Lucky
The more I live, the more I talk to people and observe what is happening around me, the more I think how much we all own to luck. Our hard work and continuous improvement contribute immensely to our success and this is 90% of the road which we have to cover with our own efforts. But this all might be in vein, without the lucky chance, and this is those 10%. When opportunity presents itself, you must be ready.
3. People And Communication Skills
I have been a working individual since I was 18. I worked in educational business, experimented with my own start up, worked in international logistics and as IT customer service specialist before I landed in IT Management. And I think that thanks to my communication skills, being open to all people and being able to talk to anyone anywhere I was able to get to where I am now. People played a vital role: some were my mentors and friends. They helped me validate my own approach and opinions, they helped me believe in myself and keep going. I will be forever thankful to them. Other people were given for experience, shaped my character and made me stronger.
I have worked for such corporations as Greiner Packaging, Atos, Nokia, IBM, SoftServe, EY and was an active volunteer for international project management organization – PMI. Each experience added not only a new line to my CV – it added anew story to my life and changed my whole outlook on business, work ethics, cooperation with people, management, communication, feedback and many other things which I would definitely like to share with you in this blog
For me Project Management might not be a final destination. There is so much more to it. But it is one of the most important milestones in my life, because this skill is the baseline for any successful executive, and it must be mastered.
Why I decided to start blogging?
I decided to start blogging for 3 major reasons:
- Share my experience with you as I develop my career. I want to spark you too: perhaps I will help you find your calling, believe in yourself and take courage to change your life forever. Or, if you already found your calling, I will be able to encourage you to become better in what already do and be Number ONE. And if you are already Number One – I would love to get to know you and it would be great if you could share your experience with me, so that I could be better too.
- Project Management is something you never stop learning and can apply anywhere. Its major ingredients are Knowledge (theory and practice) and Personality (who you are). There is a lot to discover, learn and apply! So let’s make it happen!
- Find “thought-mates” or like-minded enthusiasts who share same passion to Project Management. One head is good, but two – are always better!
