Let go of the old in order to gain new ground

“Let me go back one last time to make sure I’ve not left anything”, Karatasi said as he walked back to his former office. He knew that he had forgotten nothing. He just wanted to sit in his office one last time before leaving.

As he sat by his table in deep thought, he recalled the many meetings he had had in this very office. Some of the meetings had been stormy. For the last ten years, Karatasi had held the position of chief human resource officer in the organisation.

Only two months ago, his attention had been drawn to an advertisement for the position of head of human resources in an international consulting organisation. He was intrigued and did not think much about it as he sent in his application.

It was therefore a big surprise for him to receive an invitation for an interview, followed in rapid succession by some telephone calls asking him to verify his credentials. Then the letter of offer came one morning.

He was just settling for the day when the office messenger, Waposta, walked in holding a bunch of letters.

“These are for you,” he said. As Karatasi glanced through the letters, one envelope drew his attention. It bore the logo of the organisation that he had submitted his application to.

He tore the envelope open and gave a loud “Yes!” They wanted him by the end of the month. Everything moved very fast from that point on. He accepted the offer and prepared to leave.

WOULD NOT BE EASY

It would not be easy because it would also mean relocating his entire family since the headquarters of the new organisation was in another part of the country.

Karatasi was in such deep thought that he did not hear Waposta walk in. Waposta looked at the younger man and said, “Boss, I understand what you are going through. Transitions are not easy. One of the hardest things to do is to let go of the places and people that are familiar for new things and people. It is human nature to want the familiar, but sometimes you must let go of the familiar in order to scale new horizons.

Don’t be afraid of change. I know you are my boss but as an older man, I can tell you that everything will be alright.

Letting go can be difficult if you don’t have a clear vision of the new that you will be embracing. Before embarking on this new journey, ask yourself what it is that you will be bringing on board the new organisation.

I know you have great people skills and a wealth of experience. You also have an eye for detail. I believe that your new employers saw something in you, which is why you were given the job offer. Go on and prove your worth. Your work is done here”.

Karatasi looked up at the older man and said, “You remind me a lot of my late father. He once told me a story of a man who was walking down a steep cliff. It was getting late and he could not see well.

As darkness set in, the man slipped. On his way down, he grabbed onto a branch and clung with all his might. In desperation, he cried out, “God, help me!” Then he heard a voice telling him, ‘let go of the twig and you will be safe’.

He ignored that voice and clung to the twig all night. The following morning, some climbers found a dead man clinging onto a twig, just a few metres from a warm cave”. Karatasi concluded, “You are right. As l move on, I will also carry with me the lessons I learnt here so that I do a better job in the new organisation.” He was ready to move on.