Today, I reached out.
A resource left the company. A project is teetering on the brink with their departure. For the project to succeed, this void must be filled. This was known two weeks ago. I arrived back from vacation and have discovered this void remains. To express my fundamental concern with the well being of the project and the company, I wandered into the GM's office, asked if they had a moment, and expressed my concern and indicated I would be taking action - but that before doing so, I wanted to discuss the situation with them. We spoke at length. I was unable to pay attention because my ears were buzzing, but I picked up enough to allow me parrot a few words. After this impromptu meeting, I wandered off and bumped into the VP under whom, several layers down, this cluster resides.
Me: "So, I talked to the GM about X, and we think we should Y".
VP: "Yup, me too. What do you think?"
Me: "I think we should do it. Excellent opportunities for mentoring and esablishing a beachhead for [a project].
VP: "Yup."
Now, I feel I have completed the most important part of my day. I have appeared engaged, authentic, and optimistic, all the while using a confident tone. I would be happy to do more, but the next several months are already booked, and I can't afford the time to fight the fight needed to do Y above. No one can. As I write, I can see the project tilt so very slightly a touch more towards the abyss.
