Coming Off Injured Reserve
While I’m trying to remain totally transparent in this endeavor, sharing this string of “pre-postings” and revealing how vulnerable I’ve felt over the past couple of years recovering from an accident during a major industrial downsizing — I might add that I now find myself living through an unfamiliar experience trying to come off the “injured reserve” list!
After 4 years and 8 reconstructive surgeries, I remain indebted and thankful that the Company has allowed me to remain employed in a capacity that facilitated my recovery, but it is now a MAJOR challenge to re-engage my career and contribute at pre-accident levels.
At the time of the accident, I was fortunate to have held one of the most prestigious (and controversial) assignments in all of Marketing and Sales — the Regional Manager of the Detroit Region. Of course, the day of the accident was also the start of a string of massive reorganizations for Ford-Lincoln/Mercury (3 in less than 18 months) and I was relegated to watch it all unfold while my injuries clearly kept me off the field. The mishmash of new chains of command was incredible. Politically, one camp after another had their turn running things and the worst of our culture prevailed while each camp destroyed more than the previous. People were leaving the Company left and right. It was truly surreal to watch.
The resulting remnant of our structure has finally settled and “jelled” and there doesn’t seem to be much to aspire to at this juncture in my old “territory”. Not to mention, when you have been on the sidelines in an organization for as long as I have, you are officially an outsider. It will take a “re-hiring” decision to find another role.
The options remain limited, and I find there are multiple hurdles in uncovering opportunities at my level. To open doors, I have volunteered for nearly everything that presents itself. I have specifically tried to broaden my personal knowledge of parts of the Company that I previously had no interest in pursuing. It has been fun opening myself up to new technologies and initiatives (like social media). I wish I had done so earlier.
The fact is, however, I will have to leave the only world I’ve known – North American Marketing, Sales & Service. I’m prepared to do so, and I am hopeful I can find an area that allows me to repay the Company for standing by me through this recovery. Coming off the injured reserve list is a lot more difficult than I ever expected.
Tags: career re-engagement, injured reserve
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