Well, again the best-laid plans can sometimes get waylaid. Many greater men than I have probably said that over the years; I’m not the first and certainly won’t be the last.
So, flashback to Winter 2011. Steelers are in the Super Bowl, I was flying high with some good family news, things at work were cruising along, and the Blog Spot to be known as CaritasHR was on the way to be a blog sensation.
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| At least we got the Mirrorball! |
Oh, how things can change. Overall, life continues to be great and I am thankful every day for the many blessings I see. But I have heard it said that in life there are four big changes you can go through unlike any other: getting married, buying a house, having children, and changing jobs. (I would also add that as a Steeler fan losing the Super Bowl cause a change in your viewpoint for a while, but I digress…).
So no new kids, house, or marriages to report, but I did make a big change in role. Starting a few weeks ago I accepted and started a new position with a great local organization, Invacare, where I’ll be overseeing the North American HR function with some work in OD that will also involve global work. For me at this stage it is a great and exciting opportunity and a new challenge I am ready to face.
Despite having made several moves the past few years, changing jobs is never easy nor something that I relish doing. I continue to be amazed at the insights that my children provide to me, and one day I came home from work to find a note in my office that said, “DADDY, I LOVE YOU....WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST?” I thanked her for the note and asked what she meant (not really knowing what she was asking and kind of thinking the worst of what she might be looking for). She said “At Time Warner, Dad! What else?” Amazing how an eight year old can be looking for the simple stuff. I told her without any doubt the people. We often say in HR that people choose to stay or leave in a job due to the people. As much as that might be true in many instances, the people in this case made it very hard to leave. At TWC I’ve been proud to work alongside some of the best professionals I’ve met in my career and there are few industries where people take such pride in the work they do. The cable industry certainly has its detractors in customers and the media, but it is an industry that has some of the most dedicated team members you will meet who want to make sure everything goes smoothly (and runs simple and easy) for you. |
| Anne, Marsha, and Carol: 3 who were a pleasure to work with |
(Special note to Jeremy and Antoinette…when I shared the news I was leaving they said they will follow me on my Blog, so I have to give a Shout Out to them! Thanks for mentioning you are following!)
So now the HR Guy is the New Guy again and as a result I let the Blogging get behind, but I’m ready to get back in the saddle again.
How’s the Onboarding, you ask?
Things are always new and a little intimidating, but I’ve been very impressed by everyone I’ve had the chance to meet so far. There are a lot of good things going on at Invacare and lots of opportunity to make an impact. What I have found here again is a very dedicated and passionate group of people who are committed to making others’ lives better through our products and services. Examples of how we build products that impact lives can be found on our YouTube campaign, like this story here below of Paul Schulte:
I recently told a group in a meeting engagement it is all about meaningful work; it don’t get much more meaningful than this.
So as the shoe has gone onto the other foot and I’m re-acclimating to a new environment, I’m pleased to say that the transition has started out smooth and the new team has been very welcoming. It has been a reminder, too, as to how important it is for organizations to make sure there is a good launch pad for new hires (not literally, of course!). When the little stuff doesn’t go smoothly it can make for some trying early days, and may create an impression on a new hire that becomes hard for the organization to overcome.
As I begin this new journey I’ll again recommit to highlighting the messages that continue to be key to me, and pass along a few learnings along the way. My next goal is to summarize my Boston trip with Leadership Cleveland and by learning more about Beantown what we experienced that made us all realize how great Cleveland is.
So as a footnote to the end, when I was finalizing the position I told my wife “You realize that by accepting this position we may no longer be able to call Cleveland the ‘adopted home;’ this will make us Clevelanders?” And without hesitation she said ok.
It is amazing how this town can grow on you after 16 years...
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