Cha Cha Cha Changes

March 2019

As I have been saying, this is my retirement year.  I turned 56 in December, and I will have 30 years of employment with my company in May, so it’s a good time to go.  At work, the countdown has been on for some time.  Pretty much everyone knows I’m headed to something new and different. Maybe just out to pasture.  I must admit I’ve been really excited.  I’m not really a party person.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to plan and execute them, but having one dedicated to me, I’m not so sure.  But now I won’t have to worry about that. That was not to be. Not for me anyway.  And with that, today I am pondering how plans can change in a flash.  

Yes, I looked forward to the end of my tenure. Going out with a bang.  I work for the Kellogg Company.  A big multinational corporation that still has a small company feel.  It is headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, where I have spent most of my career.  Kellogg’s has always had a way of sending long-term employees off in grand style.  I myself had planned and conducted 3 amazing gatherings for my closest friends that retired, and it was usually a very memorable event. Secretly, I looked forward to my own. But once again, it was not to be.

Recently, I became more eager to finish my Kellogg career because things were changing, and not in a good way. The top levels of Kellogg had conducted a purge in 2018, and it was under completely new leadership.  Much of it coming from outside of Kellogg’s.  The new leaders were people I had no history with.  There was no one left that understood my past, my successes, nor my strengths. It had made things quite miserable. Many of my peers were unhappy too, and they were not close to the end like I was.  I knew my time left was finite, so I just made the best of a bad thing.

The individual now in charge of R&D, which is the function I worked in, was from outside the organization.  He was also from outside the food industry, and he was reorganizing.  He was bringing in his allies. It’s standard corporate bullshit. But it happens regularly in the business world.  This new leader was an agent for change. He wanted everything to be different, often for difference’s sake.  And he didn’t care what anyone said.  He never sought advice or guidance.  He thought he had all the answers.  He was in a difficult position, but he made it even more so by alienating everyone around him.  Including me.  He just didn’t see my value.  In his eyes, I represented the old way of doing things and was a threat to his authority. He may have been correct.  And he wasn’t passive aggressive about it.  He let me know I was in the way of where he wanted to go.  I appreciated his candor. I was glad I was leaving soon.

I felt a little bit insulated from any volatility, as I had already announced my retirement.  The paperwork was being processed and announcements had been made.  It gave me a bit of security, as I was only months away from getting out of this guy’s way.   But I knew a restructuring was coming.  And sure enough, in late February this year it came. It came fast and without much planning. Which is not normal for Kellogg’s. Usually these things take months, even years.  Especially significant restructuring changes and job eliminations.  There are many legal aspects to consider.  But this guy was in a hurry.

I was in Europe on a business trip at the time.  I was visiting a company in Valencia, Spain.  Generally, when they have these types of “events”, they don’t let people travel. Not if a change will impact them personally, or their team, if they have one.  So, I felt an extra layer of security.  I was in for a surprise.  I got a phone call, in the late evening.  It was 10pm and dinner time in Spain. I was eating paella.  Something Valencia is famous for. I was with a colleague that was, and still is, a good friend.

My immediate manager, a friend all the way back to our college days, tearfully told me on that phone call that my whole team of 12 was eliminated, they had taken out my entire function.  Including me! There were also about 100 others that were cut loose at the same time. Many of them were long-tenured, technical experts.  People I cared about and had helped nurture and grow.  Irreplaceable human beings that had helped make Kellogg’s the great company that it was.

I was absolutely caught off guard.  Especially about my team.  These were veterans of Kellogg.  The real knowledge vault for the company and they had all been let go.  And I had in no way prepared them for this, nor been there to be the one to soften the blow.  If that was even possible. It was tough for us all. As is typical, some blamed me.  Which was very disheartening.

The crazy thing was that I was given 12-months of severance as well as an extension that allowed me to reach my retirement date.  Everyone else that was let go left on February 28^th.  I have been permitted to stay until April 1^st. This will allow me to reach my pension optimization date, which will increase my overall pension by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Whew!

So, I carried on with my European trip and for the next several days, I continued to represent Kellogg’s at some major partners.  I wanted to show my character, in spite of being a bit damaged emotionally. Change is still hard. As adapting to change is an artform.

So, I got fired from the company I worked for 29 years and 10 months. A mere 2 months before my planned retirement date. Kind of a kick in the teeth.  I gained a year’s pay, which was an economic boost, and all I lost was my send-off. And, of course, a little bit of my pride.  Everyone was very sympathetic.  This has hurt my family and kids worse than me!  Both kids texted me when they found out. I saved the texts because I thought they were such a good showcase of their personalities and character.

Text, from my son. “Hey Dad. Sorry you don’t get your walk up the 18th fairway at Kellogg’s. You deserved to tip your hat and hear the cheers. Just a good ole life curve ball. Probs tough to stay focused, but you’d tell me to dig deep, so dig deep! Happy you’re getting out of that place anyway. Didn’t seem like a friendly work environment the last few years.”

Text, from my wife. “Hello dad. Mom called and told me the news. Kind of a "wtf?" moment for all of us, really..... she told me you said you're looking at it as a positive thing, so that's good. That’s so like you. I think the situation is bullshit myself, but I guess since you're my dad that's kind of a conflict of interest. But anyway..... I'm sad you had to be away from home when you were told about such things. I'm happy that you are optimistic. I know you’re being strong because that’s how you are. But I wanted you to know I’m thinking of you, and I am very excited to be seeing you on Sunday. Love, your first born.”

I am unable to show what my wife wrote to me.  It was not fit for family reading! Despite the monetary windfall, she was livid.  To this day, and I am certain for a long time to come, this will be a sore spot for her than it is for me.  I was truly over it very quickly, already as a matter of fact, and I am quite happy to be moving on.

So, I’m taking two months off!  I’m going down to Florida to stay with my son, who lives there.  I’ll have fun hanging out by the pool, walking on the beach, and entertaining my son.  And I will get a really good tan!  I also will begin taking my next steps, from a work perspective, that is. At least in my mind. But what’s the rush?  Who knows what tomorrow might bring?  Whatever it is, I will adapt to the change. The lesson here is clear.  Nothing, absolutely nothing is certain.  You can’t take anything for granted. Even after 30 years!