"As far as I am concerned, you need to get your stuff - and go."
She got up from her chair, behind her desk, and left me sitting there alone, in her empty office. Pictures of her family lined the walls.
Just like that, I went from a top notch producer, to an out of work young man, bewildered and questioning, "what just happened to me?"
I was fired. She was my boss and told me to leave the office. She did not have the authority to fire me, even though she was my boss. She was stuck in a bad spot, but I knew, I could no longer work for her.
"I quit."
And those words, sealed my fate. Those two innocent words, which made me feel so powerful, and in control -- actually cost me ALOT of money. But, for the moment -- I controlled my destiny. I controlled my fate.
I left the office, and bought a pair of Kenneth Cole shoes. I was in a daze. I was alone, but I was free. I bought 10 pairs of new white T-shirts.
I could not call anyone. I was embarrassed.
What would I say?
I just quit my job in the heat of the moment?
I have never been fired from a job. I have never experienced being laid off. But, I quit -- and I never felt better. At the same time I never felt worse.
And, there is the conundrum I faced. I was mad. I knew my time had run its course. I knew the company was evolving and going in a different direction -- WITHOUT ME.
Why am I writing this?
Because it was one of the best decisions I ever made. As scary as it was, I can look back and with confidence say that I jumped without a net, I had no plan, I had no vision -- but, I knew that I did not belong there any longer.
As we get older, these decisions become harder. We all have obligations, bills, commitments, and responsibilities, that are BIGGER than we are.
We stay in jobs in order to fulfill our obligations. We stay in roles that we are NOT destined for, and roles not destined for us......
Life is too short.
One day you wake up and you have more yesterdays, than you have tomorrows. It is a sobering reality, and suddenly you take inventory, of yourself.
Some people call it a "mid-life" crisis.
Some call it "middle age."
Some have a "breakdown."
I can tell you that one of the best choices I ever made was to "jump without a net." I see many of my peers doing this more and more.....AND NOT WAITING FOR DESTINY IN THEIR CURRENT ROLE TO HIT THEM. The job market is lousy, but there are definitely strong signs of improvement all around us.
Our world and economy are changing rapidly. The pace of how fast this rapid change is happening, is frankly staggering. Companies that are NOT evolving quickly, will be "left behind" -- and that WILL AFFECT their employees. It will affect those obligations we all have, of children, bills, college tuition -- all those commitments will be in jeopardy.
2 questions to analyze:
1) are you at a company or in a role that embraces and understand the forces of change around you?
2) if your company understands the change taken place in their respective market, have they taken CONCRETE STEPS to address it, and begin executing a plan to evolve to it?
3) if your company has not embraced change, fill in the blank. ___________________________
Think about the term, "Change Agent." It means: "People who act as catalysts for change.."
We are all experts at something. Change Agents are needed EVERYWHERE. Literally all around us.
Are you a "change agent", or part of the "status quo?"
Is the company you work for, "change agents" or "status quo's?"
Move your pawn, before the Change Agents move YOU.
