When A Detour Turns Out To Be The Best Route

I remember it so vividly.

I was standing in line at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, waiting to board the bus and begin the hour-long ride home. The bus station, as usual, was dirty and crowded. I couldn’t wait to put the Big Apple in my rearview mirror and start the weekend. But it wasn’t just because a week of commuting and fighting the crowds had taken its usual toll; this time, it was because I had experienced an “aha” moment.

Earlier that day, a senior manager of the company where I worked had summoned me for an impromptu meeting that had left me scratching my head. As soon as I walked in, I knew it wasn’t going to be fun. It seemed ad sales had taken a nosedive, and he wanted answers — that part I understood. But as an editor with zero sales background (and no desire to ever enter that fray), I couldn’t fathom why I was the target of his frustration.

But regardless, I was. And apparently, I needed to come up with ways to increase revenue if I ever wanted to advance my career as an editor. The promotion I had worked so hard to earn was now contingent on achieving something that was far outside my realm of experience. I would have come up with a much better reply than, “Umm… okay…” if I hadn’t been so utterly shocked and confused.  As he ranted on, I sat there with the same look on my face that I had when the teacher called on me during algebra class. I had no idea what had just transpired, or why. I just knew that it was time for a change.

But unlike earlier times in my career, when frustrations with a job would prompt a knee-jerk reaction (that I often regretted later), this time, I took a pause. And that’s when it hit me — I knew I wanted out, but I didn’t need another job. I needed a plan.

I thought long and hard about what I really wanted — where I was willing to compromise, and where I would stand firm. I had many long talks with my husband, and spoke with colleagues I’d met through the years about what they liked and disliked about their jobs.

Eventually, I started to formulate my plan. By this time, Anthony had launched healthsystemCIO.com, and I knew I wanted to be part of it. But that was going to take time, so in the meantime, I took a job closer to home. In addition to eliminating the long commute to New York, the position also enabled me to do some freelance writing and editing on the side. It wasn’t my dream job, but by that point, I knew what I did want, and I was moving closer to that goal.

Of course, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were moments when I had my doubts, but I knew that if I could just be patient and stay the course, things would work out. And so that’s what I did. I never took my eyes off the prize.

The day Anthony sent me an official offer letter, I felt relieved, happy, and vindicated, all at the same time. As it turned out, the meeting that had been so upsetting at the time was a turning point for me. It gave me the motivation I needed to figure out where I wanted to go, and find a way to get there.

And I know I’m not the only one who’s had an “aha” moment. Through the interviews I’ve conducted at healthsystemCIO.com, I’ve learned that many CIOs have experienced a major turning point in their career, whether it was an unexpected job offer, a change of heart, a risk that paid off, or a mistake that turned out to be the best move they could’ve made. I believe there’s so much to be learned about the twists and turns in the career paths of others, and I invite CIOs and other leaders to send me your story, so that I can share it with our readers.