The Change

This was it - the week it all changed. It was my last week in Cleveland.

Looking back, it was a bit of a ride: I started in December, and it was supposed to be 3 months, 50% onsite. By January, it had accelerated to every week onsite, and by February, I was in an interim Director role. I was supposed to be done by March, then May, then September... And each time, there looked like some glimmer of hope that I could go, and each time there was some circumstance that kept me in place.

I've complained in the past - but I'm done with that. It was work, and yes, there was severe and deep dysfunction in the client, but looking back, I don't know if it was WORSE than any other. The issue was that the core WORK I was doing was stressful at a time when me and the family were ready for me to come home. And the work itself after the start became a lot of people management. A LOT.

Last Friday I spent an hour on the phone with two of my team members, listening to their sides of a dispute, and recommending "communication strategies" to keep them both on the team and not killing eachother. It was a big team - almost 40 reported directly to me, over 70 on the whole team. 30 were contractors I was responsible for managing, so I also did a lot of travel approvals, room and car rate negotiations, explanation of the per diem policy... and the obligatory "being nice to their salespeople" thing. Actually that was pretty easy, having been on the other side. More than one told me I was the best client to work with they'd had in years, because I knew their life. If this was a local gig, I probably could have stuck with it, but add to this it was travel... it was too much.

Anyway, we set this week as my last week: The client was in fact no closer than they ever had been to replacing me... we were getting ready for another Lucy Football Pull, and another round of "gosh, what will we do - just 3 more months". Well, Bella and Isaac and Pamela let me know they had enough. It was really time to recognize that there IS no good time... and they needed me more. I agreed.

Happily I didn't have to leave my consulting company to make this work: We swapped me out for another person in the firm... someone who will do a great job taking them to the next stage. She's also a lot tougher than I am, and will probably leave a different impression with the team.

On Monday I had a going away party. My bosses gave me tearful hugs. Actual tearful hugs, and hugs without the back patting. It was a little odd, but hey. And I had co-workers toasting me, getting drunker and drunker and standing and making declarations like "JIM YOU ARE A GOOD MAN. A GOOD SOUL, AND WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE WORKED FOR YOU". It was like an irish wake... with me still out of the pine box. Fortunately the pub was just a couple of blocks from my hotel, so I was able to celebrate AND walk home.

The week was a whirlwind of activity. In the middle of the week, I actually had a big presentation for my client in Allentown too, a preliminary findings review that had me up to 1am drawing data flow pictures. And I tried to hit all of my favorite restaurants: Breakfasts at LA Pete's, Dunkin, the Hotel Lobby, and Starbucks. Lunches at Aladdin's, the Winking Lizard, and Heidi's deli. Dinners at Romano's (a good fill in for Geraci's), Lola, and Hoggy's. I missed a final visit to Taza (lebanese), and Mike's Cozmic Subs... but it was a good round-up.

The flight home was on time and uneventful. I had a good conversation with a woman who is also consulting in Cleveland, and knows some of the people I'll be working with in Minneapolis. She gave me some good info.

As the flight came in, for the first time, we approached from the north EAST, and circled around to South West, and back in to the airport. So it was a long orbit around downtown, which stayed just in view out my window on the left side of the plane. A lingering sight to say "welcome home".

I got home in time to read another chapter of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban to Bella (the chapter with the Knight Bus - we were laughing a lot at my attempt to do the cockney voice of the bus conductor). And it was good to be home.