Forget the Yellow Brick Road

by Liz Green

  When Dorothy pulled the third box closer, it rattled, which sparked her curiosity. Opening the lid, she peered inside and was taken aback by its contents. She remembered. This box was the box she had used to collect her personal belongings from her office when she had resigned from The Organisation all those years ago. Hesitantly, Dorothy reached into the box and retrieved one item at a time.

  On top was her framed MBA testamur. She remembered how proud her father had been that day at the graduation ceremony. All that knowledge, she thought, and what use was it to her now? She put the certificate aside and reached into the box again.

  Next she pulled out a small, slim-line, silver case. Dorothy polished the silver with her sleeve before opening the case. Inside were her business cards. She slid out one of the cards, held it up, and read her name and title aloud. A twinge of pride swept over her as she reread her title: Group Financial Director. She put the business card away and put the case to the side, on top of the framed testamur.

  Reaching into the box again, Dorothy retrieved her black, dust-covered, leather-bound diary. Gently and reflectively, Dorothy wiped the cover of her diary and with her finger traced the embossed logo of The Organisation on the top right-hand corner. It felt surreal to be holding this diary again, she thought. It had been her lifeline back in the day if it was not in her diary, it would not happen. Dorothy twirled the navy blue ribbon that dangled from the bottom of the diary around her finger. The motion felt incredibly familiar to her. Closing her eyes, she imagined herself back in her office. She could hear the drone of the air conditioning, the occasional ring of a telephone, the office chatter. She could see the bright fluorescent lights mixed with natural light streaming in through the large glass windows, bouncing off the walls and against her skin. Sitting in her executive chair, she could see the harbour views. On the wall behind her was the original oil painting of the ocean at dusk, with the sun just disappearing behind the distant horizon line of the ocean.

  Without opening her eyes, Dorothy stretched her arm into the box again and placed her hand on an object that brought back very vivid and unsettling memories. She opened her eyes and violently snatched her arm back out of the box. Peering into the box, Dorothy could see the innocent-looking grey piece of technology. It was the digital voice recorder that Wendy West had used to frame her. It brought back memories that she had no interest in revisiting and less interest in ever experiencing again. Deep down, however, Dorothy felt a small sense of satisfaction in knowing that she had defeated Wendy in the end.

  Dorothy left the recorder in the box when she saw the back of a photo frame that she excitedly withdrew. It was a photo of her with all her friends at The Organisation’s fairy-tale-themed Christmas party.

  Trent was dressed all in brown, with his hair dishevelled and a dog collar around his neck. Scott Crow was wearing his flannelette pyjamas with a rope tied around his waist, a floppy hat, and had straw sticking out of all the wrong places. Tim Woods was dressed in what looked like a silver space suit. He carried a toy axe and wore an upside-down funnel on his head. Catherine Lyons wore a cute tan suede dress, furry leg warmers, and a headband. There they all were together, having the time of their lives. Dorothy remembered the security and sense of friendship she had felt that special night.

  Trent had now officially left his job and was working full-time running his adventure travel company for troubled teens. Dorothy rarely got the chance to speak to Trent these days, but whenever she did, he sounded blissfully happy and challenged every day by the work he did.

  Scott Crow had become quite the politician and human rights activist. He had chosen to continue working at the local level of politics where he felt that he could have a greater direct impact on the community he chose to serve. Dorothy was continually impressed by Scott’s ability to face the opposition head-on and invariably convince others to see things his way, which in Dorothy’s opinion, was more often than not the right way.

  Shortly after the adoption of their daughter, Amy, Tim Woods had taken paternity leave, which allowed Fiona to continue working. For them, it had been the ideal situation. Tim had missed out on his first daughter’s early years and relished this second chance. Fiona was more career oriented and earned a higher salary than Tim. Recently, now that their girls were older, Tim had begun working as a financial planner and mortgage broker. Together he and Fiona had found a perfect balance for their family.

  Catherine Lyons had built a hugely successful and award-winning boutique consulting business. Unfortunately, her marriage did not survive her rise to the top. Only when she was released from the guilt of her own success, was Catherine empowered to reach her greatest achievements. She was an exceptional role model for her children.

  Looking back at the photo, Dorothy saw herself in the middle of the group of friends. She had her hair in braids and was wearing a blue gingham dress with red stiletto heels. Staring at her face in the photo, she wondered how another person would describe how she had ‘turned out’. A failed financial accountant? Dorothy caught herself mid-thought. She had not seen herself in that light for a very long time. In fact, she had been proud to stay at home and raise her children but now….

  Dorothy wanted to run away from the thoughts that were trying to follow. In her attempt to escape, she fled the apartment and began walking aimlessly through the city streets.

  Sophia Williams, a former executive of The Firm and The Organisation, had retired from full-time employment several years ago and now spent the majority of her time serving on the board of several organisations. She had just left the board meeting of The Enterprise. It was an innovative business that she found impressive in its approach to business performance, employee engagement, and leadership. The number of women in senior positions in the company also impressed her. The Enterprise, benchmarked as an employer of choice, had developed an inclusive and balanced culture. Located on the city fringe in a converted warehouse, it was not only attracting the best and brightest employees but retaining them, too. Consequently, The Enterprise was growing exponentially, providing immense opportunities for those who worked there.

  As Sophia stepped out of the building and onto the pavement to hail a taxicab, she was almost bowled over by a woman striding by. The woman vacantly apologised and, without looking up, helped Sophia place her falling bag back onto her shoulder.

  “Dorothy, is that you?” asked Sophia.

  Dorothy had been in a daze and had not noticed the woman she bumped into. Dorothy was consumed by confusion, fear, and anxiety. She felt as though she had abruptly found herself lost, without a map, and not even sure where she was headed in the first place. She did not want to have to look this beautifully dressed woman in the eye. She knew her tear-streaked face and dishevelled appearance did not accurately represent the person she was.

  “Dorothy, do you remember me?” Sophia asked again.

  Dorothy wiped her eyes and looked at the woman.

  “Sophia?” Dorothy asked timidly. It was not that Dorothy did not recognise Sophia; she just could not believe that right now, of all times, she would randomly cross paths with the woman who had selected Dorothy for the graduate program all those years ago.

  Sophia sensed Dorothy’s desperation and knew better than to ask how she had been. Instead she said, “I am heading home for lunch. Would you care to join me?” Without waiting for a response, Sophia slipped her arm through Dorothy’s just as a taxicab conveniently pulled up to whisk them away.

  The two women of very different life stages now sat together on Sophia’s back terrace overlooking the

  pool.

  “Sophia, I have failed,” Dorothy said.

  “Failed at what, Dorothy?” Sophia asked curiously.

  “Life, Sophia. I had a plan and things didn’t turn out, so then I just let life happen,” Dorothy replied, “and now I have no plan and have failed at achieving success.”

  Sophia looked into Dorothy’s eyes with genuine care and concern. “Why not go back to the begi
nning and tell me the story of your journey?” she said.

  So that is what Dorothy did. She told Sophia of her excitement when she was a graduate first working at The Firm, the struggle of working for Wendy West, the jubilation of landing her first permanent placement, the terror of her department closing and the potential loss of her job. She told her about her work leading the transition project team, her promotions, the battle in adapting to The Organisation’s culture, Wendy’s attempt to sabotage her and her eventual win, her achievement in the role of group financial director, her failure to be awarded the role of CFO, and her resignation to sail the tropics. She went on to describe working for a not-for-profit, falling in love with a free-spirited sailor, and then staying home to raise her twins.

  “Oh, Dorothy, it’s not sympathy you need. You need a sharp wake-up call.” Sophia looked at Dorothy with a stern face but with caring eyes. “Success is not a destination. It’s a journey. You have just described to me the most wonderfully successful life in which you have made a difference, overcome obstacles, and made choices. You have taken a journey that is full of success. At each of those points in time, you were successful. In fact, your greatest achievements and lessons happened when you stepped off the path and forged your own way,” Sophia said.

  Dorothy felt a quiet awakening inside her. “So why don’t I feel successful now?” she asked. “I just wish I knew what was next and what I should do.”

  “Success is an individual and evolving concept, Dorothy,” said Sophia. “You simply need to adjust your compass.”

  Sophia Williams stood up from the table they were sitting at, collected the lunch plates, and, before turning for the kitchen, said, “You didn’t just meet my expectations, Dorothy. You exceeded them.”

  She then left Dorothy to ponder the significance of what she had said.

  All the pieces began to fall into place; she understood what Sophia had said. Dorothy now knew what she was meant to do. With a sense of urgency, Dorothy thanked Sophia for her hospitability and for her words of wisdom, and departed with a sense of knowing and resolve that she had never had before.

  Another three years later…

  CHAPTER 24

  Success Again

  Dorothy stood on the timber deck of their new house, reflecting. The building was in desperate need of renovation, with its peeling paint, old carpet, and fibro exterior. On the day she and The Captain inspected the house together for the first time, they both felt as though they had arrived home. Today the nearby estuary was crystal blue, and their small sailing boat at the end of the jetty bobbed happily in the gentle waves made by passing boats. The Twins were cheerfully swimming in the pool in the backyard.

  Around her and inside the house were her family, friends, and colleagues. They had all travelled to join them on their special day. She could hear them enjoying the celebration, just as she had hoped they would. After an extended engagement, looking down at her hands resting on the balustrade, Dorothy took note of the difference the wedding ring made when paired with her engagement ring. After taking a deep breath in to smell the fresh sea air, she exhaled slowly, content, self-assured, and believing in her success. In the three years since her chance meeting with Sophia Williams, Dorothy had discovered a renewed passion for her career and professional life, while genuinely maintaining perfect balance with her personal life.

  The Captain had been mingling with their loved ones, and as he looked out to the deck, he saw his beautiful bride, standing alone, dressed in an antique-ivory lace-covered gown. He was transported back to earlier times, when he had watched Dorothy from the bridge of a ship. Today, however, he thought she was more beautiful, loving, and confident than ever before. He was incredibly proud of her and the life they had created together, on their own terms.

  He collected two fresh glasses of champagne and quietly approached Dorothy. He gently wrapped his arms around her and offered her one of the glasses. He kissed her on the cheek and then turned her around to face their friends and family.

  “I know we have already done the speeches, but there is just one more thing I would like to share with you all,” The Captain declared.

  The chiming of tapping on glasses echoed throughout the house, and the guests fell silent. Dorothy looked at The Captain, and a knowing smile of pride spread over her face as he said,

  “May I introduce you to the new chief executive officer of The Enterprise.”

  Afterword

  And that was the story of Dorothy’s search for success. What’s your success?

  Just remember, follow your own path for personal and professional success.

  APPENDIX

  My Journey

  One of your first activities in developing a career plan is to spend time on a career review. Set aside some time to map out your job and career path since the last time you did any sort of career planning. While you should not dwell on your past, taking the time to review and reflect on the path - whether straight and narrow or one filled with many curves and dead-ends - will help you plan for the future and ultimately assist you in identifying your success.

  Consider the table on the following page and complete each of the columns for your most recent job roles (you may wish to consider doing this on a separate piece of paper to give yourself more space to record your thoughts). List your current and previous meaningful job roles in ascending order and reflect on your achievements, disappointments, pivotal moments and important learnings you can take from each of those roles. This is worth doing properly, so take your time for some personal and professional reflection.

  Once you have mapped your career past in the table, reflect on your course, and note why it looks the way it does. Then answer these questions for yourself:

  - Are you happy with your path?

  - Could you have done things better?

  - What might you have done differently?

  - What can you do differently in the future?

  Mapping My Journey

  Job role

  What were my achievements/successes?

  What disappointments did I encounter in this role?

  What were my pivotal moments?

  What were my personal/professional learnings from this role?

  My Likes, Dislikes, Needs and Wants

  Change is a factor of life; everybody changes, as do our likes and dislikes. Something we loved doing two years ago may now give us displeasure. So always take time to reflect on the things in your life — not just in your job — that you feel most strongly about.

  Make a two-column list of your major likes and dislikes. Then use this list to examine your current job and career path. If your job and career still fall mostly in the like column, then you know you are still on the right path; however, if your job activities fall mostly in the dislike column, now is the time to begin examining new jobs and new careers.

  Take the time to really think about what it is you want or need from your work, from your career. Are you looking to make a difference in the world? To be famous? Become an expert? To become financially independent? To effect change?

  Finally, what are your non-negotiables? Identify your core values, beliefs, and the needs and wants that you are unwilling to compromise on and stick to them. Then also evaluate your current and potential future state against this.

  Take the time to understand the motives that drive your sense of success and happiness, and use this knowledge to make choices and decisions for your future.

  My Next Step on the Journey

  Just as it was important to look back at your career and spend some time reflecting on your experiences, it is now vital that you look ahead. A major component of career planning and development is setting short-term (in the coming year) and long-term (beyond a year) career and job goals. Once you initiate this process, another component of career planning becomes reviewing and adjusting those goals as your career plans progress or change, and developing new goals once you accomplish your previous goals.

  Consi
der the table on the following page and complete each of the columns as your action plan for the immediate future (you may also wish to consider doing this on a separate piece of paper to give yourself more space to record your plan). I have no doubt you have heard it before, but there’s no harm in refreshing your memory….

  Make your goals SMART. That is; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time bound.

  So set your target and go for it!

  If you need any assistance or guidance on your journey please visit www.successium.com

  My Action Plan

  What do I specifically want to achieve?

  What action can I take to work toward that?

  What resources or assistance will I need?

  When will I achieve it by?

  www.lizgreen.com.au

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