Unexpected Turns: RV Breakdowns and Workplace Resilience

There was a loud bang, and the RV veered sharply toward the side of the freeway. My sister yelled, “KIM, WALL!” Fortunately, I managed to steer us back into our lane. In the car behind, our mom and my nephew thought we were going to flip over. I held the wheel as steady as possible and guided us safely to the roadside.

Once we stopped, we stepped out to assess the damage: a front right tire was completely shredded, the hubcap destroyed, and exposed electrical wires hung beneath the RV. But we were okay. We gave thanks, regrouped, and formulated a plan.

I’ll spare you most of the details because they are long and exhausting, but in Mesquite, Nevada, in the 108-degree heat, I ended up spending a small fortune on tires and got to spend some quality time with my sister. We were back on the road in five hours with six new tires. Imagine our shock when, less than two hours later near Baker, CA, we heard a noise, smelled rubber, and pulled over to find a brand-new tire ripped up and flat. From the side of the freeway, I looked at Becca and said, “Well, that’s a surprise.”

We are no strangers to RV breakdowns. If you know us, it seems every year something unexpected happens to our RV on our annual trip to Yellowstone. Here are just a few of our experiences:

  • The awning coming down in the middle of the night on the freeway in Las Vegas.

  • The living room slide almost falling out while driving through a canyon (my sister, daughter, and nephew literally held it in while we made it to a pullout).

  • The roof coincidentally coming apart during a 100-year record rainstorm.

While I’m not superstitious, I admitted to Becca that before the first blowout on Friday, I had secretly been congratulating myself and my RV on an event-free trip.

As we sat on the side of the road, I started thinking about the parallels between our RV mishaps and the delays or detours we often encounter in our workplaces. Have you ever celebrated something early only for it to change completely? How about the times when you’re feeling momentum and an organizational change is disruptive and unwanted? Perhaps you’ve been working on a project, only to have funding removed, stopping your efforts dead in their tracks. I remember celebrating a new leader’s vision, only to find out that the vision for my beloved team included restructuring without me. We all experience moments when our careers take a hard right turn and seemingly head straight for the wall. The question is, what do we do when it happens?

Our response in these times matters. When I called my husband after the second tire blowout, he said, “Just leave the RV there.” He had had it, so to speak. And sure, we could throw our hands up in despair, but is that what we should do? Early in our RVing life, I wasn’t nearly as calm during a crisis. One trip, I called my husband (who was at home) over fifty times, frustrated and complaining. Early in my career, I obsessed over restructures, but over the years, I’ve become more comfortable with them as part of life in the corporate world. Whether its new tires, new leaders, or new processes, my responses have become more measured. Typically, I’ll do the following:

  1. Assess the Situation: Understand what’s happening and why.

  2. Manage Emotions: I am a big believer in both gratitude and lament. We need to address our emotions in healthy ways to move forward.

  3. Develop a Plan and Move Forward: Review your goals, determine your next steps, and adapt.

I may be good at responding to these situations, but before we left on our camping trip, my husband had told me to stop and check the tires. I didn’t, and I should have. We should be proactive in our careers as well. The tips above don’t just work in crisis; they work before the RV or the career takes a hard right turn too.

Proactive steps for your career:

  • Assess Your Career: Consider your job satisfaction, the challenges you face, and the skills you’ve developed. Ask yourself questions like, "Am I happy in my current position?", "Am I learning and growing?", and "Do I see a future for myself in this role?"

  • Manage Your Emotions: Show gratitude. What is going great? Celebrate it! Be thankful for it. Address issues. If you need to lament, do it. You can’t move forward well without addresses work grief or issues.

  • Develop a Plan: Set career goals, review your skills, work with a development coach

Last week, as I sat on the side of the road in my RV waiting for a tow truck, I realized it was the 30th anniversary of the day I started working in healthcare. Thirty years serving in Catholic Healthcare—over twenty-nine with CommonSpirit Health, and now approaching year one with Ascension. What an amazing ride it’s been.

#catholichealthcare #ascension #commonspirit #restructuring #flattire #RVlife #GoRVing #healthcare #griefatwork #organizationalchange #gratitude #lament #workanniversary #careergrowth #coaching #sacredcubicle #thesacredcubicle

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