There comes a time in everybody’s life when you have to shift gears. Rearrange the furniture. Reboot your system. Usually precipitated by an event or series of events, a change is made.
Change is good.
In my case it was a good job going sour. I’d been hired into an organization that I’d volunteered for for several years. When the new CEO offered for me to come on I jumped at the chance. Heck, I knew the organization, the mission & both the internal & external clientele.
We made our deal and I jumped into the fray. While it was a challenge to be part of a 9-to-5 culture (having been a freelancer for 3 years before) I adapted and threw myself into it all.
Things rocked along for a year or so. Then things changed. Plans were not written down, the motives were different than when I’d signed on and my boss and I clashed over simple things.
About the time things were at their rockiest, I started talking with a friend who ran a similar organization. What started as a “therapy” session soon turned into a tryout. He had what I was looking for.
I engineered a graceful exit and rebooted my life (that’s an oversimplification–it was a lot of hard work to get from one place to the other, including an interview process.
I’ve gone into this detail because the situation illustrates something that can happen to any of us. Like we do with our clients, I stopped and asked myself (my client) what exactly was the problem. By using my network I identified the issues , clarified the situation and implemented a solution. And it became a win-win-win: I found work I could relate to, my new employer got someone who could address their issues with enthusiasm and my former employer parted ways gracefully with an unsatisfied employee.
Every situation and person is different. Things don’t always end happily. But with a little effort, a clear head and the heart of a contractor anything is possible.
Relentless
