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52 The PCB Design Magazine • March 2017 Does this sound like a familiar story? Sarah was young and bright and had been at the top of her game in her previous role as a technician when she accepted an inter-compa- ny transfer to the design department. Her natu- ral ability to master new skills quickly showed itself and it was obvious that she had a great fu- ture ahead of her as a designer. But something began to go wrong. She started missing work and the attention to detail and eagerness to learn that once was her hallmark now seemed to be diminished. She was still getting her job done, but everyone agreed that something was "off." Unknown was that Sarah's marriage was in deep trouble and tragically, she didn't know how to deal with it or how to get help. Being a private person, she wouldn't talk about it, and without her knowing it, those problems she tried to hide began to manifest themselves in her behavior and attitude. As she turned inward with her struggles, her co-workers started keep- ing her at arm's length, and the once healthy work-relationships in the design group quickly soured. What the group saw as someone who was pushing everyone away was in reality a per- son who was lost and confused and unable to cope with the devastation in her personal life. It came as no surprise then when one day she accepted a position with a different company, where she hoped to find co-workers who were more understanding, while her previous co- workers were silently pleased to be rid of their dysfunctional problem. This is a fictional story I've composited out of several different situations that I've observed over the years. But I'll bet there are portions of her story that sound similar to situations some of you have observed over time. So, what went wrong here? Why would someone like Sarah, by Tim Haag INTERCEPT TECHNOLOGY Take Care of the People in Our Industry TIM'S TAKEAWAYS