Things I'll Miss about Ohio, Part IV - KF

There's no doubt about it -- I'm going to miss this place. I'm not sure I'll ever have another job quite like this one. It's a strange place, but in a very good way. I will miss the relationships that I made here and the work that I'm able to do here.

I always joke that I'm surprised that they pay me to work here. I get to sit around reading fascinating things, explore ideas with others, work on my writing, AND get paid. I really think I've got the better end of this deal.



It all started with a curious beginning. I had a few failed job searches (either I turned them down or they turned me down), and I had no where else to turn. It just so happened that this position came open, and I jumped on it. I had a very dear friend who was familiar with KF tell me that I would be working in an interesting environment with an eclectic group of characters, and I would probably become a liberal. My friend was right on both accounts.

My first week on the job I attended a farewell party for the person who was in my position before me. One of the program officers remarked to my predecessor in her acknowledgments that KF was like Hotel California, "You can check out any time you want, but you can't ever leave." Those words ring true as well. I'll still stay involved with the wonderful work that KF is doing through contract research. It will be a way to stay engaged in an awesome network of folks doing amazing research to make our democracy stronger and improve the welfare of its citizens.



I'll also miss the curiosities that come with working 8:30 - 4:30 here. Trying to build and maintain a learning organization comes with all sorts of funny quirks and unintended consequences. I think the biggest takeaways from a theoretical standpoint from working in a learning organization I have are: 1) Decentralization can lead to oversight and overlap, thus resulting in waste, and 2) Feedback channels must be actively maintained and reviewed.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how much I'm going to miss the relationships and daily interactions with folks around here. With only 45 or so people who work full-time here, there is an immense of diversity on all fronts. Like any place one works, it really is the people who make or break the experience. These people have definitely "made" the experience a great one. I admire the candor, balance, and intelligence that people here have. I think it's very special.

I'll finish up here as a full-time employee at the end of the month. I'm taking a lot of solace in that my "good bye" will truly only be "see you later" since I'm really only "checking out."