Lesson from a Step Ladder, Part II: The Great Resignation
A ladder is good for more than getting to a higher place.
The Backstory
Well, here I am… 4 years after I wrote the Lesson from a Step Ladder (2017) and 10 years after I started my last job (2012): I am taking on my next career challenge at a new organization.
One year ago (2021) I wrote a story on, “What it fees like to quit a job,” and little did I know that I would be changing jobs in the same year.
Were my last stories about career advice and moving on right?
Let’s find out.
The Object
In my last story, I recapped the accomplishments that led me to realize that I reached the point of only being able to achieve incremental improvement. I climbed to the top of the ladder in previous positions, so I took the next step.
Now, 10 years of climbing and stepping later… the previous next step is in the past, again.
How did I know I reached the top of the new ladder?
This was a tough one. For many years, I was constantly challenged. I took on new projects, led transformation, drove innovation, and changed the trajectory of the organization as a senior leader. Those are all cliché sounding words, but they are all true.
I had a great team, and we knew the business so much that we were able to re-invent the customer experience at events, create new products, and increase revenue directly from IT services. It was a dream… until the energy shifted.
The pandemic shifted everyone and everything between 2020–2021. Coming out of the pandemic time was a like a cocoon for many organizations… most aren’t the same now as when they went in. In my case, the focused shifted inward versus outward, and I needed to be on an outward, growth vector.
I am a change-agent… I challenge the information technology, marketing, and service lines to constantly reform and grow. Similar to my last employment positions, I reached another personal growth limit.
I realized that I accomplished all that I could do for the organization. I did what I came to do. I gave all the value and help that I could.
Wow. It was definitely not easy coming to this revelation, and I needed God to literally hit me upside the head, like:
“hey dummy, wake up and take the leap to the next rung.
I know you’re afraid, but I am with you, and adventure awaits.”
I resisted the idea at first… for a long-time actually. I was thinking, “But there’s always more I can do!” Yet, sometimes there really is not. There’s a lot more that can be done somewhere else… a bigger impact, a bigger story, a bigger opportunity, a bigger everything.
So, I joined The Great Resignation.
I was blessed with an opportunity to be a change agent and really help an organization and its customers. I am thankful to be entrusted and encouraged to think differently, push boundaries, and work with passionate people.
I have told my colleagues who wonder about my decision:
“The grass isn’t greener on the other side; it’s just different grass.”
That’s the point. I wasn’t looking for a greener lawn, I was looking for a different yard that really wants a big playground installed!
The Lesson
I still have the Little Giant Ladder, but I am thinking differently about how to use the ladder and what my ladder’s purpose truly is.
I reached the highest rung of my ladder, so did I just extend it to climb higher?
No. I don’t think so.
See, a ladder like the Little Giant is versatile and strategic. It can extend easily to reach new heights, but it can also be doubled up in places, like the base, to establish a heavy and stable foundation when stood upon.
That’s what I’m doing now. I am thinking about how I can best use the ladder… and it’s not just climbing higher.
With a stronger base, I can carry more people with me to the top. I can use the ladder in creative ways to accomplish a new set of ambitions to help others. I can take the ladder apart and create two ladders. I can attach pieces and parts to the ladder to extend its capabilities and introduce new concepts and uses.
A ladder is not just for climbing; it is for getting the job done.
The Take-aways
- Pay attention to your past experiences to help guide your future
- A ladder is good for more than getting to a higher place
- Listen and have faith in others who support you
- Focus on the end-game, not on the limits of a tool’s primary purpose
I’ve been asked by a lot of people how I feel taking the leap to a different yard and new opportunities. ONE WORD… REFRESHING.
While the challenges and work are great, they’re new yet familiar. While the services and content are massive, they’re new yet familiar. I have confidence with the help of my God, my family, my friends, and my co-workers that I can make an impact on this new adventure.
So, yes… my last 2 stories and the advice was right. There are lessons from ordinary objects and signs from God that keep us on track, if we pay attention.
Written by Shaun Holloway.
