A Life of Changes

Things change. There’s no way around it. Some of the changes are for the better, but some are not. It’s hard for me to admit, but I (in consultation with my wife) made a big decision yesterday.August 8 will be my last day of full-time employment at Miami University.There are a lot of reasons behind this change and not all of them are suitable for the public arena. The biggest reason is career growth. There are lots of things that I want to do to further and grow into my career, and I’ve gotten to the point in my current position where I don’t have any room for growth. It’s not really a shock – in fact my supervisor was in agreement when we talked through what I wanted – what I called my “pie in the sky.” I’ve had several informal leadership opportunities in my current position, and as indicated by others who I’ve worked with on those projects, I’ve done them very well. But I’m still in a “do-er” role and not an “oversight/administrative” role. That’s the big issue.Starting August 11, I will be an instructional designer for WinWholesale, a company based out of Dayton, Ohio, that distributes wholesale manufacturing supplies (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.). The company has a role in over 500 small businesses around the country, one of those roles being training employees. My role, as the sole instructional designer, is to design, develop, and oversee training opportunities for over 5000 employees around the country. I’ll be knee-deep in designing fully online training courses for all levels of employees (truck drivers all the way to company CEOs). As the initial needs are addressed, I’ll be doing strategic planning in the evolution and growth of the training group, including hiring additional instructional designers. One of my goals that they’ve shown support for, is for me to move into the formal leadership role that I’ve been hoping for.It’s a shift in thinking and comfort, having focused on higher education for the last 7 years, and having spent 11 (almost consistent) years at an institution where I earned 2 degrees and have a lifetime of memories. If you’re doing the math, yes, those 11 years included when I was in school. I’m scared to death for the move to corporate – there’s a huge learning curve, but I’m looking forward to the challenges.To all of my friends/colleagues at Miami, I will miss you. I’ll be around, though, so don’t be a stranger. I’ll be around through August 8, so let’s do lunch!