Moving, Learning Lessons, Proving Yourself, and Being Unleashed

Here's a little story about MJ. MJ used to work at plant supporting several assembly cells making lots of cool little products. He did well there, even getting the company out of several jams with their major customers, but found when management changed, he was on the outside looking in. He worked hard and really helped things there, but he was young and he made mistakes at times. It was weird though, the better he got at his job, the more the management thought it was time for him to go. He fought hard to to keep the job, but realized it was futile. MJ took it personally, he thought he had failed to prove himself. So MJ quit, contrary to some of the advise of friends and family, and started preparing himself for a new job.

In that downtime, MJ reflected on what he did wrong, what he could do better, and what he was damn good at. With that he pounded the job boards and recruiters, and after getting several good offers and interviews, found the perfect fit.

MJ used to work with 20 other engineers and answer to dozens of people, the new job consisted of him, alone, supporting the whole factory. Seems scary, but in reality it was freedom. Remembering those traits that had flawed him in the past, MJ went about reinventing himself. He started fixing things, proving himself, and winning over the management. With that lack of engineers and management to answer to, he found the freedom to do what was right with the plant. MJ took on a huge project and made it a success. Then took on another, and another. Those went pretty well too. MJ was succeeding, shaking off a stigma of failure that he felt after losing the battle for his last job.

Today, this day, MJ was given his biggest project yet, and told to make it happen, make it what you want. He realized that day, he had proven himself, and he was now unleashed to actually push the factory into a new direction as he saw it. There was no more thought of failure, it was a good feeling.