Trip to Austin

I just returned from Austin, Texas where I attended IBM new hire orientation. It was an interesting event. I have been an IBM temp for 5 years, but I learned so many new things about IBM. The new hire class included people of all ages, from college graduates to middle aged career changers. It was neat to collaborate with people from different parts of the world.

We spent an entire afternoon talking about IBM ethics and values, and we did group activities to practice applying those values to our work. I never realized the importance that IBM puts on its employees to follow a specific set of values. The 3 values are: 1) Dedication to every client's success, 2) Innovation that matters for our company and for the world, and 3) Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships. When I thought about these values, I realized they not only apply to life at work but life in general. Think about it - we should be dedicated to our "clients," be they children, parents or friends. We should care about how our actions affect the world around us, and we need to realize we can change the world. We should always be trustworthy and we should accept personal responsibility for everything we do. We suffer from victim mentalities and entitlement attitudes that allow us to justify poor choices simply because someone hurt us in the past. Oh, I'm going off on a tangent.

Anyway, the class was informative and fun. As I drove home from the airport, I reflected on all the people I met and all the people who helped me during this trip. Rob and Joanne took care of the boys and took over my job as chauffeur. Patricia, a new IBM employee who drove me from the hotel to the office and back. Eric, my previous IBM manager, who took me out for dinner in Austin. Emilio, the guy sitting next to me on the plane, who encouraged me and provided thought-provoking conversation. When I lost my car in the airport parking garage, a stranger went out of her way to help me find it. What a blessing these people were to me. Thanks.