I was a product development engineer at 3M Company until 2000. Being a product development engineer was what I wanted to do. 3M was a strong company and well into the 1990's, 3M could buy just about any tech company whole. So, why did I leave after 16 years?
1. Times changed. The culture of the company, or at least of the departments I was in, shifted from a "let's win" culture to more of a "work life balance" culture. I liked the company I joined better than the company I left. The company I joined might have been able to buy Apple and make it work. The company I left lacked a coherent vision.
2. Company Results. The projects I worked on for eleven years were almost always successful. The projects I worked on for the final five years were less successful. It was more exciting to go to work when the projects resulted in business success and when the company was more successful. (The company's financial results, which lagged under two CEOs, become respectable again a few years later under a third CEO.)
3. New Priorities. Major family events were happening. Death of family members makes any job feel unimportant by comparison.
4. Crossing the bridge. I thought to myself, "If I don't leave the company now, I will spend my whole life crossing the San Rafael bridge five days a week."
Past coworkers offered the job back a few times. Turned it down. I feel happy with the decision I made.
1. Times changed. The culture of the company, or at least of the departments I was in, shifted from a "let's win" culture to more of a "work life balance" culture. I liked the company I joined better than the company I left. The company I joined might have been able to buy Apple and make it work. The company I left lacked a coherent vision.
2. Company Results. The projects I worked on for eleven years were almost always successful. The projects I worked on for the final five years were less successful. It was more exciting to go to work when the projects resulted in business success and when the company was more successful. (The company's financial results, which lagged under two CEOs, become respectable again a few years later under a third CEO.)
3. New Priorities. Major family events were happening. Death of family members makes any job feel unimportant by comparison.
4. Crossing the bridge. I thought to myself, "If I don't leave the company now, I will spend my whole life crossing the San Rafael bridge five days a week."
Past coworkers offered the job back a few times. Turned it down. I feel happy with the decision I made.
