Bye Bye Lotus 1-2-3 – Thanks for the Memories

It was bittersweet to read this week that IBM has announced the end of support for Lotus 1-2-3.  This may seem like a minor blip on the geek landscape, but for me this announcement was akin to Proust’s madelines.  Released in January of 1983, Lotus 1-2-3 became the first killer app for personal computers, releasing millions of office workers from the tedium of paper-and-pencil spreadsheet analysis and ushering in the era of personal computing.

More important for me, though, was Lotus as an employer.  I was there from ’92 to ’99 – pre- and post- the 1995 IBM acquisition of Lotus.  Lotus was a downright magical place to work – high growth, brilliant colleagues and lots of opportunity to advance your career if you were willing to work hard.  The benefits were trailblazing – onsite daycare, first company in the US to offer benefits to same sex couples, significant commitment to the advancement of women and minorities.  I loved my time at Lotus.  It was the google of its time, and I will always be proud to have had the opportunity to work there.

And here, in no particular order, are some of my fondest memories:

• Visiting my kids at the onsite daycare at lunchtime (and sometimes joining them for nap time)
• Becoming a manager for the first time – and getting great support from my teammates
• Hosting a medical and scientific forum to discuss AIDS research in the early 90’s because it was the right thing to do as a corporate citizen
• Teaching sales skills classes all over the globe
• Helping CTO John Landry don an Evita-style strapless ballgown for his appearance at the annual sales conference
• Working for and learning from terrific mentors, especially Deb Besemer who saw more in me than I saw in myself
• Learning, learning, learning

Bye, bye, 1-2-3.  You’re gone but not forgotten.

We’re reading this week:

The Affordable Care Act: Executives Take Note: http://www.workforce.com/article/20130513/WORKFORCE90/130519993/the-affordable-care-act-executives-take-note#

Getting Onboarding Right: http://www.tlnt.com/2013/05/15/getting-onboarding-right-another-reminder-that-its-not-rocket-science/

The Most Powerful Workplace Motivator: http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml

What is organizations culture? http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/05/what_is_organizational_culture.html

Working With People You Don’t Like http://ow.ly/kYrza via @hrbartender

How Far Can Employers Go In Mandating What Employees Eat? http://ow.ly/l8hKP via @TLNT_com

The Most Powerful Workplace Motivator http://ow.ly/l8hYb via @Forbes

Listen Up! Workplace Words for New Grads and Old Guard http://ow.ly/l8itM via @HuffingtonPost

Kronites are writing about:

New Time Well Spent #Cartoon: Moving #IT To The #Cloud http://ow.ly/kYhJr

Even small local retailers can leverage the #cloud to grow their businesses http://ow.ly/kYMow via @SmarterCafe

The Big Event! http://ow.ly/l8hza via @simonmacpherson @KronosUK

@WF_Institute Discusses the Working Families Flexibility Act http://ow.ly/l5ID0

Won’t you let me in, integration man? http://ow.ly/l8hlI via @SmarterCafe

Fredo, I know it was you… at KronosWorks! http://ow.ly/l8hqa via @SmarterCafe

#Kronos and @successfactors Partnership Helps Organizations Manage a Global Workforce in the #Cloud http://ow.ly/kYVoW #SAPPHIRENOW

Our finance department helped The Paul Center prepare their summer camp for children withdisabilities. Pictures: http://ow.ly/kYIxn

RT @andrewbusby: Fantastic customer attendance at #KronosLive2013 biggest & best yet! @KronosInc @ kronosuk pic.twitter.com/Cl3XZtiUwk

Less than 10% of #kronoslive2013 #boston audience have a strategy to help comply w/ the #ACA. #kronos can help. http://ow.ly/1WaYzh

Check out some pictures from #KronosLive #Boston http://ow.ly/l1JUs

Affordable Care Act Compliance ow.ly/l5Ilx via @ChainStoreAge

Did you miss our tweetchat on #ACA this afternoon? Check out the archive: http://ow.ly/l6Cc9