I'm a product manager who has recently joined a medical device company in Minnesota. My new job is terrific and I believe that it is a great fit for me. The problem is that I'm having a difficult time emotionally separating from my previous company. I worked in the old organization for seven years. It was my first job out of college and a wonderful experience. The size of the company limited my opportunities for growth and I subsequently joined my current employer. I left Florida for Minnesota and in the process said goodbye to many friends and family. I'm having trouble getting to know people in my new community and find myself spending a lot of time on the phone with colleagues at my old company. There are times when I'm tempted to quit and go back to Florida. I know that my work will eventually be impacted if I don't let go of my previous employer. Your advice would be sincerely appreciated.

Beginnings and endings are often the most challenging times in our lives. What you are experiencing is not uncommon, but requires a strategy for letting go and moving on. Your situation often occurs when individuals don't spend sufficient time letting go of their old situation before moving on to a new job. In your case, the process is exacerbated by the length of time you spent in your old job and the fact that it was a very positive experience for you.

My recommendation is that you develop a plan for both your business and private life that will be both challenging and stimulating. I believe that a two-pronged attack is necessary in your situation. Just focusing on work will not be sufficient to help you separate from your old job and friends. Join groups connected to your primary interests and get active. In relation to your job, design a plan for the next six months that will allow you to both contribute and grow professionally. Interview key stakeholders, design the plan and present it to your manager. Make the plan specific and include time-lines to accomplish each segment.

Discipline yourself to limit the number of times you contact your former colleagues. It will be important for you to change the nature of your relationships with these individuals and to move on. They will still be important people in your life, but the frequency of your interaction needs to change. This process will take a little time, but you will develop new relationships and become excited about your job. You may also want to consider a book that has been helpful to me in going through similar changes entitled, Transitions: Making Sense Of Life's Changes by William Bridges. This book will give you more techniques and strategies than I can provide due to space limitations.

Good luck. Keep me posted on you progress.

Copyright , Mark J. Campbell. All rights reserved.
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