An outlet for my frustration.

I’m trying to focus on the new job because it’s great.  It’s shiny and new.  My owners and my staff are all shiny and new.  Hell, even I’m shiny and new.  We love each other.  If we were a marriage, you could say that we’re in our newlywed stage.  It’s not without issues, sure, but these are new issues and new challenges, and that’s what I love to take on.  So, what, you ask is hindering my focus on the great new job, and why do I need an “outlet for my frustration?”  Oh, boy…where do I start?

I recently left a job that I had been at for five years.  My owners decided not to find another to take my position, but rather to reallocate all of my day-to-day operational duties to the remaining staff.  I disagreed with this decision, but it wasn’t my place to debate anymore, and quite frankly, it wasn’t my problem–I was the one that left.  Truth be told, it was the best choice that I could’ve made.  You see, my old job had become like a bad marriage, and my owners had become like spouses that made me miserable, bitter and disheartened.  It was definitely time to get a divorce.  So I did…

I agreed to remain on in a part-time consulting capacity to assist with the transition, and to help with larger projects, monthly financials, etc.  What I didn’t realize would be the amount of stress I would experience hearing the horror stories from the staff about the Practice since I’ve moved on.  A consultant (one who I previously admired and respected) was brought in to shake things up…to light a fire under everyone’s collective ass if you will.  What has it done?  It has turned this great group of team players into selfish individual contributors; they are only looking out for themselves, and they are constantly trying to throw each other under the bus.  Every member of my once and former Dream Team has turned into a sniveling, whining little jerk, and every shred of cohesion is gone.  One of my former co-workers likened it to watching a tightly wound ball of string unwind.  Good God.  What has happened?  It makes me so sad.

It has made me realize my value as a strong manager, for certain, as I watch them from afar getting sucked into the tornado of chaos and spit out into the abyss of upheaval.  This is what happens, folks, when a business fails to understand the importance of good leadership.  I hope they realize soon that they need someone to come in and re-align the troops before it’s too late.

Thank you for letting me vent.  Hmmm.  I actually do feel better.