Moving On, Staying Connected
PEOPLE + LIFE: How transitions challenge us to seek new communities and connections
Every day, I am grateful for the time I had to prepare for my retirement, which began this spring after 31 years of HR leadership at Chevron. And with a less hectic schedule, I have had time to reflect on broader lessons about how we think about leaving familiar communities and finding new ones.
While I felt ready to leave my role and the company, I was not prepared for what it would feel like to leave my work community — one filled with routines, structure, and daily moments of camaraderie. Leaving the comfort of familiar communities to join new ones can be both scary and fulfilling.
The theme feels like a constant thread these days, even with the start of the new Major League Baseball season. My team, formerly the Oakland Athletics, has moved to Sacramento. My plan to attend every home game with my husband will change. I will find different activities to fill my next chapter. We had routines, structure, and camaraderie with fellow fans and stadium staff for home games. We coordinated our attire, packed food, and drove the same secret faster route to the stadium parking lot each time.
We all know it hurts when someone or something you care deeply about is abruptly gone. We’re seeing increasing instances in the news of employees receiving immediate notice of losing their jobs and having just a few hours to clear out their workspaces. Often this news is delivered impersonally via email, a scripted video meeting, or IT system access removal.
These stories are a stark reminder of what happened to my father. When I was in high school, he was laid off from a job he loved at a company he loved. His shock and devastation taught me the importance of keeping what I do separate from who I am — and to be prepared to leave a job at any time.
My father is also responsible for my love of sports. I spent my childhood watching and going to games with him. He passed away 20 years ago, but every time I went to a game at the Oakland Coliseum, it reminded me of wonderful memories of me and my dad.
The connections to both my work and baseball communities have officially ended. That means spending more time with people I love and who love me, negotiating new routines with my husband, and finding new communities.
I will learn to play chess so I can become a great chess player. Over the years, I have taken chess classes a few times and, for a variety of reasons, ended up withdrawing. I now have time to focus. The other new community I joined is the Workday board of directors. The first meeting I attended was at a hotel on Market Street in San Francisco. This created a full-circle moment for me, as I started my career working in an office just a few blocks away.
Leaving a familiar community is never easy, but growth comes from embracing the unfamiliar.”
Familiarity is comforting. Life changes and surprises magnify discomfort and unfamiliarity. My two new communities will provide opportunities to embrace discomfort as I acknowledge my fears, learn new things, and meet new people.
Leaving a familiar community is never easy, but growth comes from embracing the unfamiliar. As you navigate new communities in your life, give yourself permission to acknowledge both the loss and the opportunity. Stay connected to the people and routines that matter most, and remain open to new experiences. Seek out communities that align with your values and your interests, even if stepping into them feels uncomfortable at first. Embrace curiosity, ask questions, and remember that building new connections takes time.
And this baseball season, if you see two visiting fans at your stadium wearing matching Oakland Athletics jerseys, please be kind and friendly. And if you’re in the Bay Area, look for me at the Berkeley Chess School. I’d be happy to meet up to play a game.
Rhonda Morris is the former CHRO at Chevron. She currently serves on the Workday board of directors.
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