Lessons for a father - Awesomeness As A Service

In a world being lead by technology and information, almost everything can be grabbed from or put into the Cloud. We are not bound by geography to get to things that are important to us. We do not carry huge files, heavy machines and bulky printouts to share information. We use the Cloud to access everything from software to infrastructure as a service.

All the technological innovation, and it is great where it is, still cannot provide human interaction and behavior over the Internet. We still have to talk. We have to lead. We have to love and care and respect. The tools might be easily accessible but someone still needs to use them. Someone still has to be human.

There is little else that I hate, professionally, than the phrase "that is not my job". I hate it not because I find the phrase invalid but because more and more people seem to use it to get away from things that are for the greater good of the organization.

With the tools and their easy availability we should find it easier to do and be more. The lack of knowledge in the Age of Information is a very transient condition and can be removed with simply "Googling" things. Then why is it that we shy away from being downright awesome?

My resume, then, can say that I am a software engineer. It can let the reader know that my job was to build applications in various programming languages. On the other hand, my resume can instead say that being a software engineer was just part of my job. Other things included:

• Helping people become the best version of themselves.
• Adding value to people's lives while listening to them, laughing with them and being available on not-so-good days.
• Never stopping to learn.
• Trying to develop a better "me" daily.
• Representing my organization's values both while being at and not being at work.
• Communicating with the goal being clarity and optimal detail.
• Giving more than receiving in the form of kindness and generosity.
• Lastly, and most importantly, being the best father, son, husband, friend and leader that I can.

Yes, my primary job function is to create software. My role at home is that of a husband and father. The roles are different, but there is an implicit requirement in no matter what I do - the goal remains to provide awesomeness as a service.