Upgraded makes consulting life easier for Jimmy Arvidsson

Jimmy Arvidsson has an exciting and varied background with roots in the performing arts where he has worked as a technician and lighting designer at theaters, concerts, exhibitions and events. He himself says that it is in the meeting between people and technology that he enjoys the most and his interest in people has followed him all the way into the role of consultant. Likewise, the experience is still at the center even if the arena is different.

After many years as an employee and self-employed, with a focus on IT development projects, Jimmy chose to become a consultant in 2021. One of the biggest advantages of the consultant role is that he gets the opportunity to move between different assignments and businesses, meet many new people and build a large network. As a consultant, he can focus his commitment and energy on what he does best, understanding the customer’s needs and conditions, building the ability in the organization and then when the organization is mature, hand over the baton for the project when it transitions into a management phase. The opportunity to learn from all the people he meets, gain new perspectives and share experiences gives him a lot of energy and often shows that there are multiple ways to solve challenges. At the same time, Jimmy says that it can be difficult to leave a well-functioning team and part with what you have been a part of building. Jimmy’s focus as a project manager is to ensure that everyone has the right conditions to continue. If one of us gets hit by a bus tomorrow, the work still has to work, he explains.

Jimmy is a specialist in project management and related areas, where his strength is navigating correctly in complex environments.

-The goal is known but often not the way to get there.

He describes himself as genuinely interested in people and that interest together with his good communication skills and creativity has helped him to quickly adapt to new environments and people as no two assignments are the same. It is in his role as project manager that Jimmy first came into contact with Upgraded and over the years the relationship has been strengthened with the many call-offs made through Upgraded. Jimmy describes the collaboration as fast, efficient and very pleasant. The collaboration has been characterised by straightforward communication without hassle and it has been easy to get advice on “best practice” which I appreciate, Jimmy continues.

Jimmy’s driving force is clear; he wants to make a real difference and improve and simplify for people. He thrives best when he has the trust and space to lead the work and solve the task together with an existing or new team. Understanding, planning and supporting are key words in his work.

Jimmy’s two most recent assignments have been incredibly developmental, where he, together with his team and other key people, laid the foundation for self-development in the public sector and created a bridge between agile methods and traditional waterfall methodology. Communicating and putting energy into well-functioning collaborations have been two success factors. It is in such environments that I develop the most, says Jimmy.

-The assignments have really challenged me in both my leadership and my perseverance.

Jimmy believes that the key to successful customer relationships is to understand the customer’s real needs, not just what was initially requested. He emphasizes the importance of daring to challenge the customer in cases where the assignment does not match his own picture of the actual need in order to investigate what scope there is to change that picture. The driving force is to create solutions that really make a difference and to always have the customer’s best interests in mind.

Jimmy is positive about the future and believes that organizations’, as well as his own, ability to adapt will be crucial to whether we continue to remain relevant. AI is really interesting and necessary to embrace on several levels, he interjects.

Jimmy is looking forward to continuing to develop his leadership skills, working more with portfolio management and continuing to develop his communication skills. He would also like to spend more time mentoring to help others develop. His advice to those considering becoming consultants is clear;

– Find out what are the important values ​​for you to thrive. Think about what your offering is, your skills and qualities and what is your core. Ask yourself why you want to become a consultant and above all: Try!

What motivates Jimmy the most is making things better for people and contributing to meaningful improvements. Being able to help turn something difficult and complex into something functional and easy to understand is satisfying. Being able to then disconnect from work when the workday is over and still feel like he has made a real difference is fantastic. The consulting role has really helped me find the right balance, concludes Jimmy.