Category Archives: Change

Change happens…

Earlier this year, I talked about it being time for change – how do you decide?  How do you know it’s time?  Well, my family and I decided it was time when an opportunity to go work for Citrix Online came open in my field.  What a great company, really smart and talented people and a great desire for being ever more customer focused.  My family loves living in beautiful Santa Barbara vs. living north of Seattle in Bothell.  Change like this often feels like a leap of faith - you weigh your options, check your gut, agonize with friends and family (okay, maybe that last one is only me) and then decide.  You really don’t know until you actually make the choice though, do you?

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Love and Loss

My mother passed away on Friday.  I feel sad but also happy and at peace.  You see, she has been terribly ill for a very long time and we who loved her have watched her decline in an anxious miasma of sadness and helplessness.  The thought that continues to reverberate through my brain is that she isn’t hurting anymore.  For the first time in a very long time, her life is not defined by pain. 

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Leading Change

The importance of communication in leading a successful change effort cannot be overestimated.  I find myself pondering that element while participating in a major change initiative at work.  It is difficult, in our busy day-to-day world, to remember that others are not mind-readers - there is not instantaneous knowledge transfer.  Therefore, what you know is not necessarily known to others.  So how do you, as a leader, remember to communicate to the broader audience? How many of us build a formal communication element into our planning process that enables us to segregate people into communication audience categories and follow up diligently throughout the change?  Based on my experience this is a key element of employee dissatisfaction, when done poorly.  And what a shame, because so many initiatives might be more successful had effective communication happened in a timely manner.

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Tis the season…

This time of year often brings the introspective urge to the forefront.  I really love this time of year, the time I get to spend with my family and the fun I get in putting up the tree.  The thoughfulness though… that makes me look back on the year and myself.  What could I have done better or differently?  Did I do what I wanted to do with my life and career this year?  What should I do differently? 

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