A Good Job Done
Julia was sick today, so we hung out at my place and went through ALL of my clothes. This was no small task because I have clothes from my Freshman year of college (if not older), which was 19 years ago. So, we went through everything, my two closets, my dresser, my bureau, and everything on my floor and now I have six stacks of clothes about three feet high ready to go to Goodwill and three stacks of clothes to keep. Plus, I threw out all my old, crappy metal and plastic clothes hangers and replaced them with good, wooden hangers that look really nice. It really was a good job done and Julia was awesome. She had a good laugh at some of my old clothes -- including a couple of Cosby sweaters.
I think money or gift cards for new clothes would make good birthday gifts.
The other good job done is my job at WizKids. As of a week ago Thursday I'm no longer employed there. I was holding off on saying anything until they announced the reorganization which they finally got around to doing this past weekend. Here's the announcement:
From Marc Lore, Chief Operating Officer of WizKids:
"Dear Hobby Game Community,Due to changing demands within our industry and within our own company, WizKids is reorganizing to strengthen itself within the marketplace.
Unfortunately, this brought about a tough decision to have a reduction in force. This is necessary to realign overheads with revenues as well as refocus our resources on the functions that we believe will create value to the industry and growth for our company. These steps are necessary for the long term health of WizKids., and will allow us to focus on our core Brands of Battlestar Galactica, HeroClix, HorrorClix, MechWarrior and Pirates.
Our company is firmly committed to supporting the Core Hobby Game industry and plans to serve this industry for years to come. WizKids’ commitment to innovation and excellence has not changed and we look forward to working with all of the folks that make this industry great to help transform the marketplace once more into one that is vibrant and exciting. In the next few weeks, we will share with you the results of our deliberations, and our plans for the future of the great games you have come to know and love."
There you go. I'm unemployed and looking for something new. Happily, those of us that were layed off received a severance package and we have our medical coverage for a while. At the worst I have the summer off, and at the best, I'll have a new job soon and some severance money in the bank.
What do I think of the whole thing? Well, I'm sad to be gone. This was the job I moved out here for and I loved what I was doing, but I think cutting my position was the right choice for the company right now. I can get into that a bit more later, but I'm done writing for now. Leave comments about anything you'd like me to address and I'll see what I can do.
posted by Jon @ Monday, June 19, 2006
2 comments
2 Comments:
Jon,
It was great to have met you through WizKids. I hope to have the opportunity to cross paths with you again in the future.
Angus
Ottawa, Canada
Wow. . .. .I'm sure you'll land on your feet, you've established yourself pretty solidly in the industry both with the work you've done at WizKids and other projects.
I'll have to jump on the wizzy forums and see how this is being handled there. I'm sure the word in DOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
Frankly I look at that press release and wonder if WK is going to become a one-trick pony, because if they do they ARE doomed.
Sure, there have been some marketing mis-steps in the past (I'm looking at YOU packaging costs for Creepy Freaks!), but it has always been WK's ability, even eagerness to push for innovation that added strength to the successful lines.
I always felt you were one of the key people to that spirit of innovation. Certainly there are others in the organization as well, but a willingness to cut you shows a disregard for that forward looking innovative spirit. IF that's the case, many of the innovators that remain will look around nervously and jump for greener pastures.
All that said, WK is obviously doing this in the classiest way it is possible to reduce workforce size. Severance packages that include continued health care, that's very classy.
I worry that the company has/will become a stagnant off-branch of its parent company, and I think a lot of other fans of its product fear that, too.
But at the end of the day my concerns return to you, my friend. Make sure you utilize the resources that your state's job services at http://access.wa.gov/employment/index.aspx .
I'd write more, but I'm flabbergasted.
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