4 Years of Positive Transitions Pt 1/4
2019, as deemed by my husband and me, is our “year of positive transformation”. We’ve watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, (aka: started folding our clothes instead of stuffing them into drawers), we’re clearing out & shredding old paper files, giving away clothes & toys, selling things we don’t need, paying off car and school loans, and preparing ourselves to move forward into the future lighter, brighter and ready for the next curve ball life throws at us.
In light of this I feel compelled to write about a 4 institutional transformations I’ve been a part of over the last 4 years through the lens of professional and personal growth.
1 of 4: Growing Pains Suck
Every organization goes through shifts and changes. That’s how I ended up at my current job.
4 years ago this month, (Happy Anniversary!) I, along with other colleagues, were laid off; no fault of our own. I had a sweet deal that kept me employed through the end of the fiscal year to complete my projects and also allowed me to find new work at a less hectic pace. The organization that laid me off was also going through a growth transition and having to make tough decisions. I ended up with the bum end of the deal. (…Or did I?)
At the time I was very upset with the way the lay-off was handled while also fully understanding that there’s no perfect way to handle a layoff, especially when they are necessary for institutional solvency. However, I vowed to myself if I ever found myself in a position where there was going to be any significant staffing shifts, I would be transparent and provide a space for my staff to share insights and perspectives, via open dialogue, to provide for a smoother transition BEFORE lay-offs or shifts are announced. (Foreshadowing to my Part 4! Sigh... Promises, promises.)
It’s never a good feeling when others make a decision for you while you feel that maybe they really don’t quite understand or haven’t thoroughly reviewed what it is you do or the role your position plays in the greater institution. At the time I liked to compare it to a young adult with their whole life ahead of them, donating a kidney to a stranger, without fully understanding how that kidney might come in handy later in their life. It’s a risk and a beautiful sacrificial risk for the life of another, but did they fully understand the impact that a single kidney could have on their overall health? Of course they did! But, as the kidney, I was hurting from the separation and worried about whether my transplant would be accepted or rejected at my new organizational body.
It all worked out great and I love seeing the growth and innovation that was developed at my former institution. I also can’t think of a single colleague who didn’t come out on the greener side of the meadow after the layoff. We all have to move forward, respond and adapt to change and forge new paths towards positive transformation both as institutions and individuals.
Growing pains are necessary for strong bones (foundations) to form.
Tune in next time for part 2 of 4: Practice Makes Perfect!