Think about it

More changes in Navarik. Dono is taking a break from his duties as CFO and will be heading back to university to obtain a degree that he didn't get to finish 14 years ago. He did three years in UBC then went off to work in the accounting field. Dono is one of the founders of Navarik and I've been working with him since Aug 2000.

When he told me the other day of his plans, I was both surprised and not at the same time. Last October, when the decision was finalized to proceed with hiring a new CEO, everyone of us in the executive team was asked to think about what role we want to have in Navarik. And bigger than that, we were asked to think about what we actually want to be doing.

The previous five years have all been about survival. All of us have taken on roles that needed filling, not because we necessarily wanted the roles but because it needed to be done. My different roles in Navarik have certainly not been due to any grand career plan. I just always stepped in where there was a need to lead and take charge of things. Because taking charge is what I naturally and usually do, especially at work. I have always felt an ownership over Navarik and what we were building that I felt compelled to act and help in any way I can.

But now, with the new and more mature Navarik actually becoming a reality, I was being asked to stop and take stock of what I really want to be doing. I am in the enviable position of being able to articulate what I want.

“Think about it” sounds so easy but really, it’s not. There are always so many things to distract me - work, deadlines, staff issues, chores, errands, home life, my cats. Name it, it’s a distraction. And sometimes I think I do know what I want but a week later, I think I want something else.

I think the biggest distration is this - with change comes anxiety. And uncertainty. And sometimes, it’s just easier to not think about it. Just let things be.

So when Dono made a decision regarding what he wants to do at this stage in his life, I felt just a tad envious. I also felt very happy and excited for him. I felt sad, too. Dono and I have worked together for a number of years, we’ve become good friends, and I will miss having him around.

As for me, I know that I have to make a decision soon. Do I stay where I am? Or do I go for a change? What role do I want? Where does my passion lie?

I guess I have some more thinking to do.