Page 301 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

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could not have been on a faster track—great company, lots of promo-
tions, and frequent calls from headhunters wanting him to jump ship
for better-paying gigs. His life as a technology project manager could
not have been better.
Then came a series of unfortunate events that proved to be his per-
fect storm: the bursting of the dot-com bubble, computer jobs mov-
ing offshore, and the introduction of new technology platforms with
which he had less competence. This typhoon left his employer no
choice; Steven and a group of fellow middle managers were let go.
Steven received a six-month severance package from his employer
in 2001, but instead of taking time to update his skills, he frittered
away the window of opportunity. He took a programming job just to
pay the mortgage, but felt bitter about this “demotion”—something
his new employer sensed. That job lasted barely a year.
For the next five years Steven floundered, slogging from one
dead-end job to another. A reunion with an old college pal got him
thinking about his course. Steven’s friend could sense his anger, dis-
appointment, and lack of enthusiasm about work. His friend gave him
it to him straight: “My friend, you need an attitude adjustment. You are
your biggest enemy. If I were a manager, I wouldn’t hire you.”

From Drowning to Sailing
After several years of drowning in his own pity, Steven decided to
take a hard look at his life and his attitude about work. Could he sail
himself out of this perfect storm?
The job he held at that time was far below his skills, and he found
himself working for a supervisor a dozen years his junior.
Steven decided to reach out to his old college friend for help. His
friend reminded him of the way he felt about his profession in the
early days of his career: “Do you remember how excited you used to be? Do
you remember how those long hours paid off for you? I know you still have
that in you. You just have to find it.”
His friend was right. He did love this work, but he’d let his anger
get in his way. Steven pledged to turn his career around by heading