I just finished my 3rd month of working in Little Green, post Big Blue, and I am still having a great time. Much more importantly, I feel I am starting to make a difference. Calxeda is a small company with big dreams, and it took a while for me to fully understand and appreciate the creativity and daring our company's founders and engineers possess. These guys are really good, but none of us are as powerful as the vision we share of changing the world of servers to be more 10 times more "green" than anything out there today. More on what that means in a future posting!
For now, I just wanted to reflect on the importance of the rare art of listening. Like many other smart-asses, I often act like I know everything. Especially when I have to fake it. Coming into this job, however, the only thing I knew was: I didn't know squat. In the past, I was the teacher, the leader, helping my teams win by sharing what I knew and had mastered (in my own mind, anyway!). Now, I was surrounded by people who would forget more about this space (energy efficient computing design) than I would ever learn. So I listened, and asked a lot of questions. Only then could I begin to add my modest contribution and help build the next step in the staircase. The same is true in so many aspects of our lives, from my fledging yoga practice to just being a better Dad or Husband. And it is such a great part of the journey!
Speaking of Journey's, we return next week to BreckenFridge Co for a few days of skiing. The forecast is for more snow and single digit temps. BRRR! Just for a week this time; not the life-changing month in the summit we enjoyed last January. (http://amonthinthesummit.blogspot.com) but it will be great to be back in the town and on the mountain I wish I could call home (part time, of course!).
Stay tuned for PIX!
Then, its off to meet more customers in Seattle, then in the Bay Area. Where I plan to do a lot of listening!
Ciao for now!
Karl
