Embracing Change: Tales of Growth in Tech

Hi! And thank you for clicking. I'm starting on a new journey: a small challenge for myself to capture 17 years of experiences, lessons learned, and observations in the tech industry. I hope you stay and join me as I publish more blog posts on my experiences. My goal is to share how I've navigated 17 years in the technology industry and in sharing I hope you can learn and take inspiration from me.

Today, as a first entry into my blog: I want to write about change. In an era of unprecedented earnings in our tech field, many of us in tech have found the layoffs to be disturbing and a change for the worse. Should record profits mean record hires? This doesn't seem to be the case. This means some very abrupt and painful changes for our friends and professional connections that have been let go in this time. For some of us, we have been lucky enough to keep our roles, but it's no longer business as usual. We may be more paranoid now than ever on getting the cryptic 30-minute invite from an unknown HR representative and our line manager on CC.

But how should we think about change?

Change is inevitable, especially in the ever-evolving and accelerating tech world. Further, we are in a post-COVID area where technology CEO's are pushing to increase productivity and business earnings more than ever. Embracing change is not always easy, but this change is good and often necessary to propel ourselves forward.

One of the most significant lessons I have learned in my journey as a tech leader is that change can be a tremendous catalyst for growth. When we step out of our comfort zones we open ourselves to new opportunities and growth. This discomfort is what changes us and our adaptations to a new environment is how we truly grow and evolve as a tech leader.

I vividly remember my first and most significant sense of discomfort and setback as a tech professional. Several years into my professional life, I found myself as an engineering project manager with an opportunity to take on the mantle of a program manager within a Defense-related company. Perhaps I was too eager and green, but I took on the role with enthusiasm and dove into it head first dreaming of grandiose success, high profile accomplishments, and quick promotion to bigger and more well paying roles. Boy, was I wrong. Within months, the project was behind schedule, over budget, and I had missed every milestone that we had set for the program. Leadership bearing down on me day-to-day asking for status update and blunt feedback that I needed to step up. Within 6 months, I was sat down in a 1:1 with the senior program manager and my line manager to have "the talk". Though I avoided being let go, I was told in no uncertain terms my opportunity to be a program manager within the organization was gone in that instant. Follow-on feedback with my line manager was "in time" they would have another opportunity for me to step into that role. The writing was on the wall: my career had stalled.

I wasn't ready for change! The job paid well enough, I was supporting the warfighter, and I had already spent several years making a life in San Diego; friends, hobbies, my favorite local eats. But, the reality was I was facing the uncomfortable truth that my career had come to a turning point. I was no longer in a space where work was able to give me the growth I had hoped for. So, despite a comfortable personal life, I began the arduous effort of finding a new role. I spent a lot of time conflicted - is work everything? Is pay everything? What of my friends? My house? My hobbies that I picked up in sunny San Diego?

Ultimately, I accepted an opportunity as a project manager, accepting a lateral move into the private consultancy working in the consumer and medical electronics space. Yes, it moved me out of San Diego and into the Seattle area. I had to integrate into a new work culture, deal with the dreary Seattle weather, reset my social life, and sell my house. I discovered, as I worked through this transition, that my goals were ultimately better suited to change roles. In retrospect I am grateful for the disappointment of losing my program manager role. I am grateful for opportunity that brought be to Seattle and out of the Defense industry. The new role exposed me to new thinking, faster pace environment, high stakes client interactions, and ultimately experiences that translated well to roles I took on later (I will share more in a different blog post).

The disappointment and discomfort that came with the change in roles, though self inflicted in this case, taught me a few things:

1. Embrace the change: some things are out of our control. But give 100% to what you can control.

2. Discomfort is good: to a certain extent. Discomfort forces you to think long and hard about your motivations and drives action to plan a way out of the discomfort. New certifications? A plan of action? Or in my case, a new job?

3. Look for a mentor/support network: change is hard. It's harder when you're going at it alone. We often put our heads down and focus on the work, because why not? We're paid to do hard things. But in a time of change, you will need people to bounce ideas off of or simply to talk through your discomfort.

As I reflect on my journey in tech, I am reminded of the importance of being adaptable and open to change. In an industry where innovation comes fast, organizations adjust abruptly, and course corrections align quickly with the market, we too need to be adaptable to the change. Embracing change allows us to think hard about ourselves, evolve and change with the times, and come out the other side as better individuals and contributors. So, to my fellow tech folks, I encourage you to embrace change with fearless spirit. See it as an opportunity for growth and development, rather than a hindrance. And remember, the only constant in life is change - so embrace it.

If you ever need someone to talk to, I am an available resource. I've been through a few tough changes myself, so I know the challenges and darker thoughts. Reach out.