The RISE and FALL of IBM - MY LETTER OF RESIGNATION:
I have championed roles spanning the development labs, consulting services and technical sales. I have worked with clients in Europe, Asia and North America as a systems engineer, project leader, developer, architect, instructor and technology evangelist. I am also an Open Group Master Certified/Distinguished IT Specialist.
And, I have never let up or rested on my laurels. I have consistently and continually taken on new challenges, re-invented myself into new roles and contributed to client success across many industries, including paying it forward by mentoring, sharing and recruiting top talent into IBM.
IBM EXCELLENCE:
For approximately 25 of my 30 years at IBM I knew that I had an appropriate level of job security and that I was representing a company that was second-to-none with respect to our magic-quadrant-worthy product/solution offerings, culture of excellence, inspirational innovation, respect for the individual, impactful cultural diversity, reputational eminence in the eyes of our customers/competitors/industry and IBM's resume-building career opportunities.
IBM CHALLENGES:
I have spent the last 5+ years compensating for a CHRONIC, SYSTEMATIC AND WIDESPREAD EROSION OF EVERY SINGLE POSITIVE DIMENSION OF IBM THAT I CITED IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH. There is no more job security, meaning, without exaggeration, no one is safe. In other words, regardless of skills, contributions, measurable impact to the business (e.g. quota attainment and/or NPS) or how profoundly IBM professionals are in demand and highly regarded by their customers, peers and management... No one is immune from being blind-sided with a layoff notice (a.k.a. RA). While I have managed to avoid being collateral damage of IBM's transformational and creative downsizing efforts, I no longer feel that my consistently compelling contributions and achievements can come anywhere close to compensating for the PROFOUND AND DISTURBING LACK OF JOB SECURITY AND PERVASIVE ABSENSE OF CAREER BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES AT IBM, GLOBALLY.
IBM Culture:
The IBM culture has become toxic, the career paths are effectively non-existent for most professionals at IBM, the organizational instability is pervasive, and the overwhelmingly unpredictable nature of most job roles at IBM translates into the inability to achieve anything that comes close to a quality of life and work-life-balance.
IBM GRATITUDE, RESPECT AND TOXIC LOSS OF CONTROL:
To be clear: I am thankful and grateful for the historical career building opportunities and experiences I have had at IBM. I respect and value the majority of IBMers (including most of my managers) who are smart, caring, talented, diverse, innovative, top-notch professionals. I almost never take my world-class management team for granted. However, the recent and seemingly permanent overwhelming toxic and unpredictable organizational culture at IBM has created an environment where a majority of the factors needed to cultivate a sustainable career and solvent business are now not only unpredictable but almost completely outside of our control, both directly and indirectly.
My Departure and Aspirational Career:
Therefore, in order for me to continue to put my customers first, trailblaze a vibrant career path as a technical professional in the high tech industry, and to achieve a quality of life with a solid work-life-balance, I MUST LEAVE IBM AND GO TO WORK FOR A DIFFERENT COMPANY. I must leave in order to recapture what I valued at IBM for approximately 25 of my 30 years as a proud and respected IBMer. I must work somewhere else where I can once again "Work on things I passionately believe in, teaming with great people, so that outstanding business outcomes naturally follow”.
BH 2020 Update: I wrote this in 2018 and LIFE REALLY IS better outside IBM!!!!!