Work Update...

As those who follow regularly know, the last 12+ months have been a roller coaster ride at work. There has been much change in our organization and change to my daily tasks. The Dublin office of DE has gotten progressively smaller since June, 2008 - from 70ish people down to 30ish today. On a good day we will have half that in the office - due to travel, Work From Home days and those who are regularly in the field. The mood has been rather "eh" and low - and gotten even worse after an announcement in early December revealed that the option to close the Dublin office and relocate employees/positions to DE's Pittsburgh office was be heavily considered. I really tried not to think about it during the Holidays...why worry, what can I do about the decision...it wasn't my decision to make. I didn't want it to affect my beloved Christmas season. We were told that nothing would be announced prior to Christmas - so why stress.

Most of the office took most of the two weeks prior to and after Christmas off. So needless to say everyone was refreshed and ready to start 2010...however, the pending announcement was looming overhead and tensions were rather high. We were ready to find out our "fate". We were told we'd know something by January 31, at the latest. So at exactly 4:30 p.m. on Friday, January 15 we received a meeting invite for 9:30 a.m. for Tuesday, January 19. I've never seen an office empty so quickly (well for those of us who were actually in the office - I should say!). Monday came and the buzz was the next days meeting - none of us could concentrate on the work that was pending. We were just ready to know.

I arrived at the office, and performed my normal morning routine. Settle in, turn on the laptop, open up Outlook to read e-mails that came in throughout the evening/early morning and review my "to do" list for the day - while sipping a cup of hot tea. While skimming the e-mail box for subjects that would be of importance or from senders that require immediate attention - I saw an e-mail from my boss "Please order lunch for the office to be delivered at noon - pizza please"...that was my first sign that the meeting wasn't going to be good news. Then I had my back turned and as I turned around I saw someone standing at my desk - someone that didn't "belong" to our office. She introduced herself, as I have worked with her countless times on various HR projects. Why would HR be here if the news wasn't bad? That sealed it for me...they were going to close our office - I knew the announcement before it was even made. So at 9:29 a.m., I picked up my steno pad, pen mug of tea, and headed to the 2nd floor for our meeting. The silence was deafening and the faces looked somber - close to a funeral is how I would describe the mood. I found my place in the back of the room (my safe zone) and waited. No one was talking to those around them, we just waited - then entered our VP and the HR rep. (she sat next to me, since she "knew" me). The VP was rather fumbled as he found his place. He then started the meeting by reading from a pre-typed letter..."It is with regret that I inform you that alternative locations in the Dublin area, are not being considered. The Dublin office will officially close on June 3, with our last working day to be sometime the week of May 23. You will shortly see meetings with myself and other leadership appear on your calendar to discuss your options." Ugh...my stomach fell to my toes - the silence was worse than pre-meeting and the faces went from somber to total disbelief. Questions were asked and the meeting was over by 9:50. Shortly after arriving back at my desk - my boss pulled me aside to make sure I was okay and to tell me what I'd find out in my 1:1 meeting with our VP...Pittsburgh or Separation Package. Those were my options. My meeting with the VP was scheduled for 2:15 - and it seemed to never get here. But it did, and it was confirmed that I could either stay with DE and move to Pittsburgh - same position, or take the separation package to obtain my 6 weeks severance package. Oh yeah - and we had to let the VP know our decision by Friday, February 5 - 2.5 weeks to decide if I was ready and willing to make a major life change...to move from the only city that I've known.

So that brings us to today...I've been considering my options, weighing each one very carefully and spending many hours in prayer chatting about this with God. I'm pretty sure I know the decision - but I've not make it official, and won't until February 4th - when the UPS man picks up my package containing my Declaration of Intent. I have been searching the job postings both on Monster and at various company websites. I've found a few options and thankfully I have until the end of May to really need to have something nailed down - if I stay in C-bus. If I stay in C-bus, my desire would be to stay with DE until the end - but I am going to be looking and I'm not going to pass up an opportunity, if one should come my way. I do have an interview lined up next week in C-bus with a utility company...and it looks promising. But I've given it to God, and it's His to direct - not mine. So I'll follow how and when He leads.

Please continue to pray for wisdom as I make the decisions, annoucements and transitions that are necessary during this time. Change isn't always my strong suite - but it's not my weakest either. God has seen me through bigger hurdles than this - so I know He won't turn His back on my now. Right now, I'm seeing only one set of footprints in the sand...His - because He truly is carrying me right now.

2010...it's bringing lots of change my way, and there are a few things that I've yet to tell you...those will come in another blog.