When we were 15 years old, Bobby and I went out swimming at Naragansett Pier. The undertow became a problem, and both of us drifted out into harms' way. Somehow, I managed to pull Bob to me and swam against the undertow to where we could stand up. Did I save his life? I don't look at it as such, but who knows.
Fast forward to 1997 (41 years later). Bobby was born with one kidney. He was quite ill at times, and he missed a lot of work as an IT Systems Analyst in Lucent Technologies in New Jersey. I believe he had married and had children. I was promoted at Lucent to an executive position and had the responsibility to manage Bobby's department as well as several others in IT.When management re-carved Lucent in 1998, they asked for a reduction of 130,000 people to 90000 people over the next two years. Due to Bobb's absences and low reviews from his supervisors, he was given a reduction in force separation package by me.
I felt terrible doing this. It was so ironic with the swimming incident in 1956, and now I had to let him go. With all the layoffs in the reduction which was ripping apart personnel, it would have been ill advised to keep Bob on board unless his reviews had imrpoved and there was work for him to go do.
I think often of him, and I hope you too who read this will remember a good student, a friendly smile, and a guy just looking to live a good life.
When news of his death came, I felt very sad for a long while.
From Mel Indyk 03/23/09. mindyk@melindyk.com web site: www.melindyk.com.
Mel Indyk
When we were 15 years old, Bobby and I went out swimming at Naragansett Pier. The undertow became a problem, and both of us drifted out into harms' way. Somehow, I managed to pull Bob to me and swam against the undertow to where we could stand up. Did I save his life? I don't look at it as such, but who knows.Fast forward to 1997 (41 years later). Bobby was born with one kidney. He was quite ill at times, and he missed a lot of work as an IT Systems Analyst in Lucent Technologies in New Jersey. I believe he had married and had children. I was promoted at Lucent to an executive position and had the responsibility to manage Bobby's department as well as several others in IT.When management re-carved Lucent in 1998, they asked for a reduction of 130,000 people to 90000 people over the next two years. Due to Bobb's absences and low reviews from his supervisors, he was given a reduction in force separation package by me.
I felt terrible doing this. It was so ironic with the swimming incident in 1956, and now I had to let him go.
With all the layoffs in the reduction which was ripping apart personnel, it would have been ill advised to keep Bob on board unless his reviews had imrpoved and there was work for him to go do.
I think often of him, and I hope you too who read this will remember a good student, a friendly smile, and a guy just looking to live a good life.
When news of his death came, I felt very sad for a long while.
From Mel Indyk 03/23/09. mindyk@melindyk.com
web site: www.melindyk.com.