In my experience,

• This results in unbalanced team capacity – some working 60 hours a week, some barely working 40 hours a week. People working overnights and then not being available during core hours.
• If the hero is also the only subject matter expert, which is often the case, there is a high reliance on this person. This can come in the form of interrupted vacations or simply more work getting done in a linear fashion because the hero has to be involved.
• Heroes often work in isolation, which means there is little collaboration and solutions are of lower quality.

Instead of fostering a culture of heros, a little planning can go a long way. Figure out where to redirect these types of heroic efforts so that it will benefit the entire team as well as keep the former heroes motivated to do awesome work. Figure out what the heroes think is or would be awesome work. Figure out what motivates them. Because running around like a chicken with your head cut off is not healthy for anyone.

A few of the sessions really got to me. Here’s what I took away.

The first session I attended by accident. I was on my way to something else and happened to see what looked like Play-doh, batteries, and LEDs. I had to sit down and see what that was all about. That, and I love Play-doh. Turns out, it wasnt Play-doh exactly, but dough that either is conductive or insulating. The Squishy Circuits session was facilitated by a woman affiliated with SciGirls which focuses on getting young girls interested in science. We learned how to illuminate LEDs with a battery pack and conductive and insulating dough. And the child inside me really just wanted to make a smiley face! This session reminded me of a purchase I have been putting off because I just don’t have the time or need (beyond a learning experiment): an Arduino board. I had been contemplating this for awhile, but just can’t seem to pull the trigger. Maybe this will do it.

In the second session, Sasha Westin, owner of Fabuliss, helped us define our own style by creating styleboards. Often women don’t know what their style is, but creating a styleboard is one way of figuring that out. By defining a power word, perception words, and a power color, and then selecting images that represent these, I walked away with a better understanding that it is good to know how I define myself and how others, friends, family, and those in my professional life perceive me.

A session later in the was dedicated to figuring out what to learn next. This is a question that is constantly plaguing me. One of the most interesting ideas contributed was to read current job postings for sought after skillsets, even if you are not looking for a new job.

At the end of the day, there is a mini-retrospective where we reflect on what we’ve learned. I think these refelctions from others hit me the hardest. While I experienced some of those sessions as well, it was great to hear it from other perspectives on what the other take aways were from a particular session. I think a common theme was really just being able to connect with others on topics we are passionate about. That’s where conversations about how to wear an awkward skirt are held, Dr. Who comes in and a frank discussion of game crushes happens (which, since I am not a gamer or Dr. Who fan, I was only a spectator).

To get the Twitter feed for all She’s Geeky events, go here.

Thanks goes out to those that made this conference happen:
The Science Museum of Minnesota, GITMSP, Clockwork, ipHouse, Minnebar, Sieent, TECHdotMN, Minnesota Tech Jobs, and MinneWebCon.

A lunch of cider, olives, calamari, and fried mussels at Bar del Pi right by my hotel in Plaça de Pi topped off the afternoon. By the end of my meal I had learned how to say ‘bill’ in Spanish: cuenta.

After my late lunch, I made my way over to Casa Batllo, a house that Gaudi designed early 1900s. It was definitley the best money I spent in Barcelona. Nothing in his designs has straight lines, all curvy and wavy like water.

And now it’s time to pack up and go home…

After, I decided a visit to Museu Picasso was in order. Definitely not worth the €10. Was thoroughly disappointed.

Parc Guell was next on the agenda and also slightly disappointing. The “walk” to get to the park entrance was uphill at (what felt like) 45° angles with only a couple escalators. I only wish I had taken a photo, but thinking I would be returning, decided to wait until I left. If there is anything I’ve learned while I’ve been here it’s to not assume ANYTHING. So, I didn’t get the photo since you leave using a different route. Nine bajillion people were also there so it was difficult to enjoy the views.

After the Oceanogràfic, I made my way to the supposed pickup location of the infamous, ghost-like yellow beach bus. My info from the Internet was inaccurate so 3 hours later I was at the right stop and headed to Playa de El Saler. A couple of relaxing hours in the sun next to the sea and I was ready to head back to the hotel. Covered in sand.

Tomorrow, renting a car and heading up the coast to Peñíscola for the night.

And then there is the amazingly ginormous Plaza de Espana.

After stumbling upon Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid on Saturday, an open air market full of awesomeness (and sangria, olives, tuna stuffed pickles, and numerous other tapas and wines), I had to leave it behind to catch a train “hotel” to Lisbon, Portugal. The ride to Lisbon was rather uneventful. Arrived at the Santa Apolonia train station a little after 7:30AM and made my way towards the Metro after my usual wandering around trying to find it in the train station (rarely are they one and the same but rather connected). Luckily I was able to get an early hotel check-in, so my much needed shower came earlier than I expected. Once cleaned up, I headed to the center of town, Marques de Pombal and hopped an open-top sightseeing bus (the ones I vowed I’d never try since it’s slightly too touristy for me). Not having gotten much sleep the prior night and still jet lagged, I decided to give this a try since it would introduce me to the town quickly while I could sit back and soak up the sun. It worked. I was able to scope out the places I wanted to hop off at: Torre de Belem, Padrao dos Descobrimentos, Museau de Arte Popular, Elavador da Gloria, Elavador de Santa Just a. By then it was lunch time, so I grabbed a seat at a an outdoor restaurant and enjoyed a pancake stuffed with smoked salmon and cream cheese. It was fantastic.

Tomorrow, there will be some or all of the following before heading back to Spain:
* Portuguese wine tasting
* Oceanario (aquarium)
* Museu Coleccao Berado
* Monumento ao Cristo Rei
* Tram28