In a completely random turn of events, this week Joe started a new job on the base. Getting your foot in the door on base is tough unless you planned for it while you were still on active duty. Joe did not. As a matter of fact, Joe was the coach of team "I'm never stepping foot on this base again after I retire". After 30 years, who can blame him? He was tired of the politics, tired of the people, and tired of just about everything. He desperately needed a break. So not only did he NOT plan and prepare to get a job on the base, he pretty much burned (flame sprayed, actually) every bridge to the base on his way out the gate.
He found work quickly in the "civilian sector" and at first was satisfied with the job, which was to help reform welfare in Tennessee. He intentionally applied for a job at a lesser position than he was qualified for to try and avoid the stress that comes from being in a management position. But it wasn't long before he casually made some suggestions to his bosses on how they could improve some areas. People started to pay attention and pretty soon he was in charge of not only his office, but several other counties offices as well. And the more he streamlined processes and the more he implemented new procedures, the more responsibility he got. Within six months, he was promoted to be the Regional Director for the company's offices in the city of Memphis. There are a lot of folks on welfare in Memphis, so you can imagine how big this job was and how many folks he was now responsible for. They paid well, but that wasn't the point. He was away from home from 6:30 AM to nearly 8PM. His commute to Memphis was really long and awful, and Joe hates to be in the car. He was tense when he left for work and tense when he got home.
And then Jack brought everything to focus very quickly.
"I wish you were working on the base again. You are never home and I don't get to spend time with you anymore."
Somewhere down the line, he lost site of why he stayed away from the jobs on the base. His original intent was to take a lesser position with less stress so he could focus on other things. But if you know Joe, you already know that was a planned disaster. He's not the type of guy to just sit in his cubicle all day long without trying to "fix stuff". He's a fixer. That's why he excelled in the Navy. He can streamline procedures and fix broken processes like a champ. And as non-people-friendly as he may seem, the people that work for him love to work for him.
So now what was he going to do? Let's go back to paragraph one where he severed all ties and connections to the base on his way out the door. He fixed the burned bridges, reconnected with some folks, submitted some resumes, and got some interviews. Thankfully he was hired for the job he really wanted and is now a Business Systems Analyst for a really great company. He gets to test and streamline systems and processes to make sure Navy systems are functioning in the most proficient way possible. It's a perfect job for him. He is also home by 4:PM, and guess what else?
He comes home singing. And he's smiling.
And so is Jack.
He needed the break. He needed a new environment for awhile, and even he is glad he had the opportunity to "test the waters" out in the "civilian sector". But he is back where he belongs now, doing what he is best at, and I'm glad to see him happy about it.
That is wonderful!
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