by When I called my boss—who was driving at the time—to tell her I was leaving the company, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, I didn’t expect yelling, but I’d come to like and respect her so much that it was a difficult message to deliver. Besides that, our small team was already down one team member, which would put more strain on her and my remaining colleagues.
She didn’t disappoint me (she never did) and handled it well like the professional she is. She was, of course, sad I was leaving and wondered if she could do anything to keep me, which is appreciated but kindly declined. There was nothing wrong with the organization or the team. It was just time.
The team was bound for Austin the following week for a pre-planned in-person summit we’d organized. We’d only gotten together a couple of times in the year-and-a-half I’d been there, and we were all looking forward to it. Our in-person brainstorm sessions were epic and always resulted in new, exciting ways of delivering content to our internal audiences. So, I was elated when she still wanted me to attend!
We were small, but we’d become a fiercely creative powerhouse to help tell the stories of the incredible work being done within Ascension’s technology teams. We were an internal technology news organization. And what’s even better than all of that is that we genuinely like and care for each other. We were people first, communicators second.
I still have very strong ties to this team. And though I’m ecstatic in my role and my new team at Oracle, these people will continue to be important to me. Just as the friendships I cultivated at Accenture still play a role in my life today. I was at Accenture for over twenty-two years, so I have long-standing friendships from my time there. But my time at Ascension was shorter at a year-and-a-half and I feel so lucky to know these people and to carry them forward with me in my life and my career. I’m very, very lucky.
The world is full of chaos and division. It’s important to build your tribe and bring them with you as you move through the phases of your life and career. If you’re lucky to meet amazing, inspiring people, fight to keep them in your life. Support them in their journeys and they’ll do the same for you.
