The Ink Zone
Number 102 May, 2001
Beyond corporate America
Yesterday, by mutual agreement, I accepted an early retirement
package from the company I have served for over ten years. While the paycheck
will not hold the financial options it once did, I am beginning to see that
the light at the proverbial end of the tunnel is as bright as the brightest
super nova. In fact, the metaphor
come true of being in a tunnel to break out into an expanded universe is
reward enough for me. Old enough to have experience beyond my years, and young
enough to have the drive and wish to do more, I now see the future as the
ultimate opportunity - do it and do it without the bureaucratic politically
serving restrictions. Not that I
don't understand the similarities between corporate America and the television
survivor series, there comes a time for some of us to umbrella above survival
within a corporation work ethic to flourish in an environment of proactive
involvement into really making a difference in business. For me, I see taking
a few measured risks, changing the paradigm of how to succeed, and having fun.
It is about time and my only regret is that I did not see the light
earlier.
Now please do not get me wrong, I have prospered, enjoyed, and
succeeded within the corporate world and did so for over 35 years. Much of
what I know today is a direct result of working, learning and applying the
experiences from within four companies and short stint with the federal
government. From my beginnings in geology the science, I have learned the
business and how to be practical in making valid mineral discoveries, as well
as knowing when not to pursue ideas and projects. So, I am who I am because of
who I was plus all the steps in between.
As I look forward to the fun and excitement of building a new
opportunity, I do wish to share one lesson that summarizes the biggest gift to
me - the chance to work with talented people. The following are the ideals
taught to me:
Exploration Leadership Ideals
Measure
success by success
Do what works
Be a catalyst
Apply what we
learn
Focus on the
best
Set clear high
goals
Manage risk,
don’t avoid it
Don’t fear
failure, learn from it
Have vision,
let it take you there
Be and treat
people as equals
All ideas are
good, some better than others
To my way of thinking, people are the only true and reliable
resource a company has and a resource that cannot and should not be abused.
In this corporate America world, many play a word game dubbed buzzword
bingo. What ever are the “in things” to say or reference, if you hear five
of these during a meeting, the bold will shout out “BINGO” as a reminder
that it is not what we speak that is important, it is what we do that counts.
New words, nonsense acronyms and letter phases that mean little too most, this
is the communication of the biz culture.
B2B, adding value, operational excellence, teams, performance
partnering, and more are today's way of saying-make a profit. I find the old
things dressed up in new jargon a silly at best realization that each
generation needs to learn the same lessons that prior ones did and each feel
like it is progress. Only if we were all on the Starship Enterprise and
enjoyed the selected ability to complete a Vulcan Mind Transplant. Maybe we
would make real progress. Will I
miss the culture that admonishes innovation and rewards conformity, probably
not. Will I miss the smart folks that populate a good company, sure I will and
I draw comfort that I will see them again - most likely outside the confining
tunnel.
I extend thanks to cooperate America for what I learned and giving me
the chance to grow and contribute. Corporate America does not seem to want
folks to be 10 years older than the chairman and in an all to disturbing
trend, companies discard experience like old rags before they are obligated to
offer full retirement. No problem, for these folks too will age as well and
likely find themselves in a similar position in a few short years. By then,
the rest of us will have all the jobs and have made the best of what we have.
Lessons to learn.
What will I do? Don't know, can't say! What I will do, however, is to
not limit my thinking to a search for a challenging opportunity to just what I
have been doing. Once free, I see no bounds, except my imagination tempered by
whatever talent limitations are inherent in my genes. That is space I have
never been to before.
There is life beyond corporate America, life on the other side of the
tunnel and I aim to have fun living it.