There are times when it would help to have someone else read this blog before I post. Last night was one of those times.
I was so intent on using the exact wording of my second-line manager’s question as an excuse to insert a reference to IBM’s Career Derailment Factors into the post that I didn’t realize that what I’d written would be confusing for anyone who wasn’t living in my head (or at least in the same house).
Today, though, two friends at work pinged me within a few minutes to ask whether I was OK and if I could explain what I’d written.
So I’ll try again (there were no other reportable developments today, so this gives me an excuse to post).
I’ve chosen not to look for a new full-time position at IBM; if a truly wonderful position came looking for me, I would certainly consider it, but it’d have to be right on target. Unless that happens, I’ll be retiring from IBM in the near future.
Note that I said “retiring from IBM”. I’m not ready to really retire, but I am sure that the grass is differently-colored on the other side of the firewall, and this gives me a great opportunity to find out what that color is.
funny, I understood what you meant—may not have been perfectly clear, but I got what you meant.
and, having been laid off more than once in my life, I know you’re not always in the best of spaces while working thru all this.
hang in there and good luck on whatever you do after big blue.
I knew EXACTLY what you meant because I had a very similar epiphany last year :-)
I will say it wasn’t clear to me until I read this. Congratulations on nailing down your decision; that’s important and appropriate and — as far as I can tell from outside your head, of course — is for the right reasons. Again, best of luck.
I have to admit I had to read and re-read many times, but in the end I understood what you meant – maybe I am less equipped with experience to understand faster.
Anyway, I wanted to say that it is relieving to see you’re quickly finding your path. I hope my best that it continues steadily like this for you.
Same space. I was “offered” an interview for a VP Job in Dubai with Server Group in S&D, might have been a good job for someone, but living in Austin, trying to get my US Green Card, and having never been a manager in my career, I decided it wasn’t for me, retirement was the right move… and then low and behold ;-) Ok, I admit it, I was already working on it.. like you, I saw the writing on the wall and got right on it, writing that is, not the wall…
You know, that’s what I thought you meant and it seems to me to be a reasonable decision. However, I gave you the benefit of the doubt when reading yesterday’s post and assumed that you had intentionally obfuscated the details. Despite what you wrote today, I’m going with that. :-)
@Mark — at least I didn’t have to worry about the geopolitical aspects of my decision.
I didn’t look hard enough to see if I would have had to become a manager (something I’ve never done), but other than that, my skills were pertinent and I might not even had to move out of my office (though I suspect SVL would make more sense). If I’d been offered a choice between this job and the one I took in CIO last January, I might well have taken this job, in fact, but it didn’t exist then.
@Doug — OK, I’ll take your vote of confidence in my writing skills!
@Trish, @Julian, @Greg – short declarative sentences, that’s the trick….so someone please let me know if my reply to @Mark in #7 is too convoluted. :-)
@Frank — you have an unfair advantage! :-)
David, here’s to your clarity, and all these wonderful people supporting you, my friend. I love what you are creating for yourself and how you are grabbing the future with both hands, from a place of curiosity and possibility. You inspire me! Thanks for being your funny, talented, wonderful self…
@Vicki — thanks!
You have been a great help in this journey (I was going to say “process”, but that’s wimpy).
I look forward to reports from _your_ upcoming journey (and your photos should be _much_ more interesting than anything I might take on this one).
(In the interest of clarity, I’ll add that Vicki is going to Turkey as part of IBM’s Corporate Service Corps.)
I knew instantly what you meant, David, and suspect you will continue to thrive wherever you go and whatever you do. You’re just that sort of person. IBM is losing a lot of irreplaceable people of late. Sad they don’t see that. For now, I find myself keeping something alive (that not coincidentally you helped create all those years ago) that is still vitally important to IBM (and likely to continue to be so for at least a few more years). For that, I am grateful to you (and of course to Mike C and John H as well).
Thanks, Bob.
It just so happens that I uncovered a copy of the 1992 presentation I’d given to SHARE on that project yesterday — expect a PDF in a couple of minutes (for whatever value it has)!