5 – Departures Lounge

The Departures Lounge

I’m writing this blog from the departures lounge of Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto en route to New York City for my first girl’s only weekend with my daughter Kiera. It’s a fitting location. As I write this I have departed KPMG after twenty-five years. The beauty and magic of a multi-path career is that it can be wonderfully fluid.

Three weeks ago an offer had just arrived in my inbox to extend my KPMG contract for another year. Then in three incredible days everything changed, and I had accepted a position as the Global Vice-President of the HR Technology Practice with HR Strategies Consulting.

It has been a whirlwind journey, it’s still continuing to sink in, and I wanted to share it with you for a few reasons.

First, it’s an illustration of false assumptions. I never imagined that my portfolio career could consist entirely of executive level positions, and especially this VP role. I had incorrectly assumed that when my Director role at KPMG was eliminated due to restructuring, and I committed fully to a portfolio career, that a VP role like the one I just landed would not and could not be part of the mix. I thought it would be impossible to take on a role like this part-time. I was convinced that a company like this wouldn’t accept or at best would frown on maintaining the other elements of a multi-path career while taking on this role. But that’s the interesting thing about assumptions – they are often proven wrong. And that’s also the beauty of relationships and reputation.

Second, it speaks to the importance of building strong, trusted relationships. The company that I accepted the role with has known me for a year. My innovation consultancy shares office space with them. They know me and I know them. I have watched their tremendous growth. I have had the opportunity to get to know their team, their culture, and their services. I have enjoyed meals with them in our shared kitchen. They have supported multiple Lonny’s Smile fundraising events. They have enjoyed Crazy D’s sodas. We have both appreciated the perfect match between our values. And they know my capability and work ethic. They have watched our innovation consultancy practice grow, and they have seen my contribution first-hand. Most importantly they know my fit with their people and culture. We are familiar if not almost family. If not, neither of us would risk my longstanding career with KPMG. It is our mutual, perfect fit.

Third, it’s a demonstration of strong, inspired leadership. The leader and founder of HR Strategies Consulting is Ruby Maini, an incredibly driven and successful entrepreneur who I have admired since I first met her. Many of her team, who have now become part of my team, are also successful entrepreneurs in their own right who have launched multiple companies and in many cases still operate them. Not only is that okay for Ruby, but she welcomes it. She is part of a growing community of leaders who appreciate that a team member who has a portfolio career can bring enriched experience and a greater sense of passion and fulfillment to all roles, and collectively strengthen the capability of the team.

Lonny’s Smile Fundraising Event with the HR Strategies Consulting Team – little did I know that I would soon be joining their organization!

Photograph by Karunya Vemulapalli

Finally, it confirms that you can’t plan a multi-path career. You can only discover that a portfolio career is right for you, and then start with one and in many respects let the rest discover itself. I say that cautiously, because I don’t want to imply that putting together a portfolio career is haphazard or by chance. Although my portfolio career continues to evolve, and the offer and acceptance of my new role took place very quickly, the relationship and reputation on which it was built happened over time, such that my decision to leave KPMG after twenty-five years and accept this position was very deliberate. The other careers in my portfolio were solidly established and I knew both what I brought to the table and the experiences I was still looking to build, such that when the opportunity came up, it was obvious that it fit in perfectly with everything else.

 

It’s assurance that you don’t need to know everything that will make up your multi-path career. You just need to figure out the first thing and the rest will come. Makes me think of the film ‘Field of Dreams’ when Iowa farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) hears a mysterious voice one night in his cornfield saying, “If you build it, he will come.” Just like the ghosts of great players start emerging from the crops to play ball after Ray builds a baseball diamond on his land, the various careers in our portfolio start emerging too.

I realized through adding this latest path into my career that I had made some false assumptions.

What are some assumptions you’ve made about having a multi-path career? Write them down and let’s see over time if they prove right or wrong. Here are a few to start you thinking …

• I don’t have the time/energy to add anything else onto the career I already have.
• My performance in my current role will suffer if I add another career.
• If my employer finds out I’m doing something else, my job will be at risk.