2011 - The Year of Change

2011 was a transformational year for 3 of the 4 of us.  Little A started school,  Big A rode the wave of a privatisation transformation and I saw a changing of the guard at Board, CEO and CIO level (my 3rd executive in as many years).  Change can be exciting but it can also be exhausting and frustrating.  A significant conversation at work with a former boss in February had been enough to "suck up the bad days" during the year and Big A had also been on hand for some very timely advice on more than one occasion.  
Having just come off a two day leadership course I was feeling pretty good about seeing out the next 2 months until I could have the difficult conversation with the boss about having a year off or resigning.  So when I was called into the office for a "catchup" on 13th September 2011 I was ready for a completely different conversation.  
Needless to say I left 30 mins later,  surprised that my position had been made redundant but happy to have a rather nice letter in hand and no more plans for the day.  Met with Big A who was a shocked as me (but also happy at the freedom this now gave us) and SE and SB as we headed for a Sav Blanc at the Boardwalk by the Brisbane river. 
Leaving drinks followed 10 days later and by then we had booked our around the world flights leaving on the 1st December 2011.  8 weeks to get our TO DO List compiled (it ended up being 94 items) and completed.  

Big A's perspective.....

I never attended a school for longer than around 2 years as a kid as my parents had always moved...whether it be between towns, cities or countries. No where felt like home to me really. So as soon as I finished university I wanted to head off and travel the world....which i did for about 16 years. I've never bought into the corporate bull or figured out how people can derive so much pleasure from working...the Child-bride is great as what she does; Storms is even better....and whilst I love them both dearly I have no idea why they want to be so good at what they do...the travel, the after work functions...the smoozing and networking...I actually find it offensive....in my opinion its all false. Work is what you do not who you are. 
So, as you can imagine, when the Child-bride told me her role was being made redundant I was ecstatic...I'd always thought that I would be the one that was going to be made redundant...and any thoughts of taking a year off were contingent upon me being made redundant...now the pressure was off. 
Having worked for a number of start-up companies through the 90's I had faced redundancy twice before and actually viewed the whole thing saw as 'winning the lottery'...a company was actually paying me to leave and find another job...I'd find another job soon enough and be quids in! I've no doubt therefore that from her perspective I probably didn't show enough concern about her feelings about being made redundant...it was a shock to her after all...but to me it was fantastic news. 
Now came the difficult part...the Child-bride wouldn't be working for a couple of months and would be manaing the move and the travel plans....I'm a project manager...I'm a project manager by profession....a born planner...and I've travelled a lot...this was me down to a tee...handing over control would prove difficult for me.