#encorecareer

(CONTINUING FROM ABOVE - see the disclaimer in the post above - this is a fictional post)

What do I love about my Encore career?

• I believe deeply in the mission of my alma mater and now employer, Transylvania University, to educate students in the liberal arts, to help them find their purpose, explore the world and become thinking, acting, contributing members of society.

• While we have revenue and expense, and want more of one than the other, this is not our sole focus. Education and changing the world one student at a time is. It’s meaningful and inspiring.

• I find great reward in the mental stimulation my work and the mission of the college. I have deep, philosophical conversations with the President of the University and my colleagues. It’s more conceptual, more “big picture,” aspirational, visionary, and I love everything about it.

• In my off hours (since I’m not always working or exhausted like I used to be), I have time to volunteer, and it has been enriching for me to reconnect with my desire to be of service to others. I am an active member of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal in NYC (51st and Park Avenue, come see us!). I am co-chair of the Stewardship Committee (more fundraising). And the biggest and most important volunteer task I have taken on – with joy – is to co-chair the Rector Search Committee.

• With time and mental space freed up, I have deepened my faith, my knowledge of the Episcopal Church, I pray often, go to church more frequently, and have become more spiritual. Every one of these is important, meaningful, and affirming.

• I have rekindled my love of lifelong learning. My new job is fundraising, something I have done as a hobby in the past, but never as a professional. I read a lot about higher education, fundraising, LGBT equality, and many other topics. I remain interested in HR topics, but many other new subjects are front and center.

• I like working from home, and traveling more frequently – to Lexington, and to other locations in the country where there are alumni and friends of the college to meet. I’m reconnecting with long-time friends, and making new ones.

• I have three student mentees, part of Transy’s #100DoorstoSuccess mentoring program, and am loving getting to know, working with, learning from them.

• I don’t miss the commute to Armonk, the games played there, or the expense and hassle of having a car in NYC.

• I enjoyed creating new initiatives and challenging the status quo at P 2) advance Transylvania’s position as a leader in the liberal arts; 3) share the talent Transylvania students have with more people; 4) help Transy alumni see that we’re on the right path and they can be justifiably proud of our heritage and our future; and 5) success in fundraising.

A few final thoughts

I wish Cisco and my colleagues still there only success. Full stop.

I think the business strategy articulated by CEO is well-chosen, although it is probably too late. The strategy to splice (acquisitions) and prune (divestitures) is smart, appropriate and executed start to finish better than just about anywhere else.

My disappointment is the lack of genuine care for and respect of the value of Cisco employees, and the consequences that flow from those decisions. Engagement matters, and while it has many elements, in the end it’s simple. Just care. Say it, then show it. In everything you do. Every day. Make people nod their heads enthusiastically when you say “employees are our most important asset” or "employees are essential to our success." I'm not a betting man, but I bet you they wouldn't do that today at Cisco.

This is not just an Cisco problem. The attitude that people are expendable, widgets, resources to be used and tossed aside, costs to be measured and cut, has reached epidemic proportions in corporations. It destroys trust. It's sad, maddening. It's a waste of human potential. It's bad for society, our world, and for the corporations that want to grow revenue and profit and be good citizens.

What can do you? Speak up! What example are you setting for your team? Colleagues? Do you care? Do you show it every day? What actions can you take to share the truth. Sadly, there is a lack of trust inside Cisco, a fear to speak honestly and openly inside the enterprise. Dozens of Ciscoers, including many senior executives, have contacted me since this blog first came out sharing their angst, sadness and fear, and thanking me for representing them.

My #EncoreCareer, my second act for the greater good has been a runaway success. Working a combined 31 years at Procter & Gamble (20 years) and Cisco (11 years), and the compensation and benefits they offered, has given me the freedom to have a second career. I am grateful for the compensation offered in return for my hard work and results. I had some great jobs in P&G and Cisco, worked with people who cared for and about me, held positions that challenged and helped me to stretch and grow, learned plenty, worked with some spectacularly talented and committed people, and had fun.

I don’t need to work, but I want to, and I couldn’t be happier. #LifeAfterCisco -- One Year Later is really good. No, for me, it’s the best thing ever.

What don’t I miss about IBM?

I don’t miss quarterly revenue and profitability reports, being driven maniacally to meet analyst and shareholder expectations, chronic cost control, Resource Actions (RA) (that means firing people in big groups), and the fear of never knowing when you might get tapped on the shoulder or have to tap someone else.

It’s Q1, so it’s RA time. Can anyone explain the logic of how cutting “worker bees” (primarily in high wage countries) is the tactic when the company’s lack of top line growth is due to the actions or inaction of senior leaders on strategy and their cost? Can anyone explain how you grow revenue with unrelenting RAs that damage trust and instill fear?

Engaged, committed employees are essential to any company’s success. IBM talks the talk, but their behavior suggests they don’t believe it. Why would employees be loyal and engaged when IBM is demonstrably not loyal to them?

I’m not saying IBM or any other company should take “workforce rebalancing” off the list. However, when this is an ongoing, primary source of cost savings (labor arbitrage) and profit padding, it is unconsciously debilitating, depressing and hurts business results. Has it worked to grow the top line? No. Is it improving employee productivity, teamwork and engagement? From what I have seen, no.

Maybe try something else?

The Glassdoor ratings for IBM are telling, and not good news. With five as a top score, IBM has a 3.3 overall rating, 2.7 rating for senior management, 2.9 rating for compensation you know of which I speak. It's not normal. It should be challenged.

I still work long days, weekends and holidays, probably 50 or 60 hours a week (okay, maybe more), I still take my computer with me everywhere, but there is no obligation or expectation for me to do so. I do it because I love what I do, there is a deeper purpose to my work, what I do is meaningful and helps other people.

I don’t miss bureaucracy, iron grip control by Finance, lack of sufficient reward for good and great performance, slow decision-making, too many layers, and all too frequent brownnosing and managing up behavior.

What do I love about my encore career and the life it has brought me?

I believe deeply in the mission of my alma mater and now employer, Transylvania University, to educate students in the liberal arts, to help them find their purpose, explore the world and become thinking, acting, contributing members of society.

While we have revenue and expense, and want more of one than the other, this is not our sole focus. Education and changing the world one student at a time is. It’s meaningful and inspiring.

I find great reward in the mental stimulation my work and the mission of the college. I have deep, philosophical conversations with the President of the University and my colleagues. It’s more conceptual, more “big picture,” aspirational, visionary, and I love everything about it.

In my off hours (since I’m not always working or exhausted like I used to be), I have time to volunteer, and it has been enriching for me to reconnect with my natural tendency to be of service to others. I run the Twitter feed for our church, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal in NYC (51st and Park Avenue, come see us!). I am co-chair of the Stewardship Committee. And the biggest and most important volunteer task I have taken on – with joy – is to co-chair the Rector Search Committee at St. Bart’s.

With time and mental space freed up, I have deepened my faith, my knowledge of the Episcopal Church, I pray often, go to church more frequently, and have become more spiritual. Every one of these is important, meaningful, and affirming.

I have rekindled my love of lifelong learning. My new job is fundraising, something I have done as a hobby in the past, but never as a professional. I read a lot about higher education, fundraising, LGBT equality, and many other topics. I remain interested in HR topics, but many other new subjects are front and center.

I like working from home, and traveling more frequently – to Lexington, and to other locations in the country where there are alumni and friends of the college to meet. I’m reconnecting with long-time friends, and making new ones.

I have three student mentees, part of Transylvania’s #100DoorstoSuccess student mentoring program, and I love getting to know, working with, and learning from them.

I don’t miss the commute to Armonk, or the expense and hassle of having a car in NYC.

I enjoyed creating new initiatives and challenging the status quo at P 2) advance Transylvania’s position as a leader in the liberal arts; 3) share the talent Transylvania students have with more people; 4) help Transy alumni see that we’re on the right path and they can be justifiably proud of our heritage and our future; and 5) success in fundraising from foundations, alumni and friends.

A few final thoughts.

I wish IBM and my colleagues who are still there only success. Full stop.

I think the business strategy articulated by CEO Ginni Rometty is well-chosen and correct. The strategy to splice (acquisitions) and prune (divestitures) is smart, appropriate and executed start to finish better than just about anywhere else. My disappointment is what appears to be the lack of genuine care for and respect of the value of IBM employees, and the consequences that flow from those decisions.

Engagement matters, and while it has many elements, in the end it’s simple. Just care. Say it, then show it. In everything you do. Every day. Make people nod their heads in agreement when you say “employees are our most important asset.” I'm not a betting man, but I bet you they wouldn't do that today at IBM.

My #EncoreCareer, my “second act for the greater good” has been a runaway success. Working a combined 31 years at Procter & Gamble (20 years) and IBM (11 years), and the compensation and benefits they offered, has given me the freedom to have a second career. I am grateful for what those two firms gave me in compensation for my hard work and results. I had some great job roles in P&G and IBM, worked with people who cared for and about me, held positions that challenged and helped me to stretch and grow, learned plenty, worked with some spectacularly talented and committed people, and had a lot of fun.

I don’t need to work, but I want to, and I couldn’t be happier. #LifeAfterIBM -- One Year Later is really good, No, for me, it’s the best thing ever.