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Britta Peterson                                 nc1421@noc.netcom.net 
Network Administrator, Network Operations Center  
ICG Communications



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 03:56:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ralph Pearson <ralph@clouseau.Mola.ORG>
To: noc-staff@noc.icg.net
Subject: resignation



Hello, NOC folks. 

I thought I'd forward a copy of the letter below since it's mildly
relevant (although probably not all that surprising) to NOC.  I've had
a chance to speak with most of you regarding my stepping down from the
NOC Director position, and while the rumor-mill has been quite active
as of my first mention of this back in January, the context has mutated
repeatedly with the common thread being that I *may* stay with the
company should the right opportunity present itself elsewhere in the
organization.  To put this issue to rest (finally), the letter below is
indeed a final resignation from the company.  I don't feel comfortable
ending a three month conversation like this without clarifying a few
things about what led to my decision and what it may mean for you:


1.  First off, I'd like to apologize for having been, for the most
    part, spiritually and emotionally absent from NOC for several
    months prior to my departure.  This group has needed strong,
    proactive, directly-involved leadership for several months, and I
    have done a poor job of providing it.  My decision to change roles
    or leave the company left me in a maintenance mode of handling only
    top priority fire-fighting and/or company politics type work,
    off-loading a good portion of my work to the managers, and,
    unfortunately, leaving a fair amount of work undone.  Oddly enough,
    the fire-fighting and politics easily filled a 40-50+ hour week.
    At any rate, while I feel I did contribute to the greater good of
    the company last quarter, NOC's internal needs and issues certainly
    didn't get an appropriate share of my attention, and for that, I 
    apologize.


2.  My departure is in no way a "no-confidence vote" in the company's
    business plan.  On the contrary, this is the first time during my
    tenure in NOC when the company has had a coherent (albeit
    ambitious) plan.  For much of my 5.5 years with this company (in
    its various forms), the marketing side of the business wasn't even
    sure who our target customer was (end user? small business? both?);
    ICG's redefinition as an Internet infrastructure wholesale provider
    brings much needed focus and provides a plan that needs only to be
    executed on by a fraction to produce measurable success.  RAS will
    sell itself (as it has been), as long as it can be deployed and
    supported.  As vaguely indicated in the letter below, my departure
    has more to do with "opportunities outside the company," and the
    fact that 5.5 years is an awfully long time to be in one place,
    particularly in the Internet industry.  A rolling stone gathers no
    moss...so, if any of you are doing the same thing in the same place
    after 5.5 years...shame on you!


3.  Don't let apprehension rob you of opportunity.  This group has
    survived several changes of leadership, and as I look back on the
    departure of my predecessors, it is clear to me that not only is
    NOC in much better shape now than at the end of the previous
    management cycles (with much more support from upper management,
    more resources, and, believe it or not, less high-urgency work per
    person:  when Jay Adelson left shortly before I took over, we had a
    total of 8 people in NOC and the queue times during the day
    averaged over 20 minutes! -- take a look at the old NOC wishlist if
    you want to get an idea of how bad it was), but, more importantly,
    all the pessimism, cynicism, doomsday prophecy, and
    headless-chicken panic that accompanied the close of previous
    regimes was uncalled for, pointless, counter-productive.  I've
    heard a few things said about my departure that remind me of things
    I said about the departure of Robert Hood, Craig Clemens, and even
    Jay Adelson -- the world didn't end when they left, in fact it got
    better through the efforts of those who saw an opportunity to make
    a difference.  The bottom line is that if you personally have
    something to gain by learning more, getting more experience,
    expanding your responsbilities, etc., then a change of leadership
    should be viewed as an opportunity, not an ominous portent.  Make
    the most of it.

    For those of you that identified strongly with John P.'s rather
    eloquent exit email, I have only this to say:  if you don't fit in
    with the new regime, do yourself and ICG a favor and split.  This
    company is moving way too fast to look back and try to preserve old
    culture at the expense of the business plan.  Expect more suits,
    ties, rules and red tape, but don't let such things interfere with
    your pursuit of happiness, career advancement, etc.  If you can
    deal with a stiffer, more corporate environment, these things
    shouldn't phase you; if you can't...don't put up with it; you have
    the attention of the company's leadership in a way that rarely
    occurs in corporate America.  Speak up.  If no one listens, then
    leave if you must, but give the top brass a chance to respond
    before you decide your next move.


4.  Thanks.  Big thanks to all who made the last half-decade the most 
    intense, fun, educational, exciting, humbling, and rewarding time
    of my life.  You guys rock!  


Good-bye, NOC folks.  Take care, and keep in touch.



P.S. -- That thing in the bogus 4/1 newsletter about Colin getting my job
	is, in fact, bogus.  Sorry Colin ;-)

P.P.S. -- Can someone set up a cron job on every unix box in the
	  network to admin-up my T1 port every 5 minutes or so?  Thanks.





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
4/14/00

This letter is to serve as my formal resignation from ICG effective
4/28/00 (or sooner as the company may see fit).  I will refrain from
attempting to put into words what the last 5.5 years have meant to me,
but I will say that I really appreciate having had the opportunity to
work with some of the most talented and professional people I have ever
met, and will have lasting memories of the challenges we faced, battles
we won, and lessons we learned.  I have been impressed by the new
additions to the management team over the last few months, and have
utmost confidence in the leadership provided by Bill Beans, Jim
Washington, Jim O'Brien, and others; however, it has become necessary
for me to face the uncomfortable fact that while ICG is now positioned
for great success, opportunities outside the company have made it
impossible for me to remain at ICG to share in that success.  I wish
everyone the best of luck in the challenges ahead, and would like to
thank everyone who aided my efforts to make the network and the people
who support it perform to their potential.

Good-bye Netcom/ICG Netcom/PST/Netahead/ICG Communications, Inc. 



--
...........................................................................
Ralph Warren Pearson             Former Director, Network Operations Center
ralph@ralph.net                                    ICG Communications, Inc. 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^




...........................................................................
Ralph Warren Pearson                                            Brewmeister  
ralph@ralph.net                                            King St. Brewery 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!