"And in the end...The love you take, is equal to the love you make." - Paul McCartney

Today, in Atlanta, our friends at SHARE (http://www.share/org/) are meeting again and I find myself thinking of them and all they have done for me and for my family. I’ve said many times that SHARE has been the greatest and most satisfying experience in my professional career. It’s quite clear to me as I look forward to the end of that career that this will remain true. I am grateful for that and for our SHARE friends.

The picture with this essay is of the backpack I carry with me to work each day. It’s one I got at a SHARE conference and the latest in a long line of SHARE bags that have been my constant companions at work over the years. It is getting a little worn, as am I, but I think we will make it to the finish line together next May. It is a constant reminder of lessons I’ve learned at SHARE that make me more effective in my work, lead me to be a better colleague, and help me to get the most from, and give my best to, the work we do together. Pretty much every time I put that pack on my back, I also think of my dear friend, Martin, who once told me I’d better use both straps or I’d hurt my back! That’s the kind of caring I found in our SHARE family and I’ve used both straps every day since.

I’m thinking today of all that SHARE has helped me pack in my backpack over the years of my career. I first went there for technical training on the MVS mainframe environment I was supporting as a systems programmer in the financial industry. I’d been to many classes at IBM,  Amdahl, and Candle, and had reached the point where what I really needed was a program that would allow me to get both broad and deep technical content customized to my needs. SHARE was just the ticket! I went there and had the opportunity to attend sessions on a wide range of topics that gave me the very latest information on the programs, tools, and techniques I could use to be my very best back at the shop.

SHARE also gave me some of the best opportunities I’ve ever had for professional networking. I met colleagues who were facing similar challenges to those I was dealing with, and we shared our experiences and contact information. I met IBM developers and technical experts from science, programming, and engineering including IBM Fellows. I’ll never forget the time a group of us were so fascinated with the latest updates on storage technology from IBM Distinguished Engineer Don Chesarek that we almost got locked in the Anaheim Convention Center over night! It’s a good thing the security guard came by and shooed us out to continue our discussion at the SCIDS evening reception. I’ve reached out to my SHARE colleagues countless times over the years and found them a generous and resourceful crowd.

I got my first experience managing others as I worked my way up through various positions as a volunteer with the SHARE MVS Storage, and Windows Projects. Those lessons in coordinating the efforts of other volunteers have remained invaluable to me. I couldn’t offer them more money, I had to appeal to their common interests, and their desire to learn, and to make a difference. I still find those motivations more powerful than money and position among the people I manage.

When I joined the SHARE Board, my first role was as Director of Human Resources and I had the chance to address issues and opportunities that come with recruiting, building, and retaining effective teams. My mentor, Gary, was the first to make me aware of SHARE, and he sent me to my first SHARE meeting in Anaheim more than 30 years ago. It was there that I found more great mentors and my first chance to be a mentor for others. It’s been one of the most satisfying things I’ve done.

At SHARE I also had my first chance to deal with significant budgets and financial management. Serving as Treasurer there helped me learn how to manage expenses and revenue and, more significantly, to understand how to look at the value proposition for an investment. All throughout my SHARE career, presenting at technical sessions, working in the projects, and serving on the Board of Directors, I had the opportunity to practice and improve my verbal and written communication skills. It was at SHARE that I became an effective speaker, honed my skill at creating presentations for executives, and grew in every aspect of communication. My work as SHARE Secretary gave me a wonderful opportunity to work with policy, too.

Participating in the strategic planning process at SHARE prepared me for the roles I’ve played as a participant and leader as we’ve created strategic plans for IT at our university. I had the opportunity to work with strategic planning and partnerships at the Director and Vice President level at SHARE, and the value of those experiences has been immeasurable. Every step along the way in my growth as a manager and director at the university, I drew on experiences and lessons I’d already learned at SHARE. I’m confident I would never have experienced the level of professional growth and success I have enjoyed without the opportunities I had first there.

I haven’t had the chance to be as active at SHARE over the past seven years, and I admit I’ve missed that experience and these wonderful people. I’m glad I’ve had the the chance to come back and visit a couple times over these years and to participate in the EXECUforum program. I hope I’ll have more opportunities to visit at SHARE in retirement.

Most of all, Sue and I are grateful for the friends we found at SHARE, and especially for our beloved friends, Martin and Cathy. If it hadn’t been for Sue, I wouldn’t have had the support I needed at home to accept the chance to run for the SHARE Board, and I would never have met Martin. Sue wouldn’t have joined me that September in Santa Fe and met Cathy. We wouldn’t have found best friends in the process. But we did and it will be 14 years next month that we’ve enjoyed these special friendships and our adventures together. Who would ever imagined we’d find such special friends who live over 2,000 miles away?

I’m thinking of the two of them as I write this morning, and of all their lovely family as they enjoy some time together at a cottage on the lake this week. We love this Canadian tradition of spending time together relaxing with family, and the times we’ve been able to join them. The love and joy they’ve added to my life is a sweet and powerful reminder that the greatest rewards from my career are the people I’ve met and the relationships we’ve formed. It’s lovely to know that the wonderful gift of their friendship, and love, will still be mine all throughout the retirement years to come.

SHARE. It’s not an acronym. It’s what we do!