I'm on my way to Baton Rouge today. The call center opens 2 weeks from today and I can't belive it has come so fast! We will open in a rented temporary location while our building is being finished. Never did I think after 9 years of technology projects would I have an opportunity like this. It has been so much fun in spite of the fact it has been non-stop action. Stepping out of my comfort zone makes it fun to come to work. If I can't stay home with baby and work on Tiny Tales, then this has been a good deal.
I was thinking about all the roles I have played on this project:
Project Manager - ok, this is a given and what I knew I would be doing when I ageed to take this project.
Travel agent - recommending hotels for all the people we have traveling down there. Coordinating trips between the team so people could share cars and save money.
CFO - I review, approve, and sign off on all purchasess related to the project. I keep track of spending as compared to budget, and make tradeoffs where necessary.
Interior Designer - despite assurances to the contrary, all decisions on paint, carpet, tile, chair fabric, wood finish, etc. were left to me. The VP said it would be a group decision, but when it same time for the decision to me made, no one was around!
Real Estate - when it became clear our building would't be ready in time, I had to fly down last minute and find a temporary site to put 70 people in for a few months.
The visit this week is to make sure all the setup is going well and we are ready for opening day. I'll post photos when I get back!