losing our leader

I have been attending the same weight-watcher’s meeting, off-and on since 2009.  When our original (and much-loved) leader Steve left, a familiar face, Robin, replaced him.  She had been the receptionist.  Robin is a WW lifer, having been the youngest person to ever join WW (at age 7) and the youngest to achieve a lifetime status.  The group is mostly comprised of supportive, smart and articulate women.  There are about twenty who come regularly, and over the years, we’ve become friends of sorts.

Our meeting is held in a non-descript room with stained rugs.  Nothing fancy.  A couple of months ago Robin tells us we are moving to a new facility, one that will be much nicer.  The move is now a week away.  Yesterday we learn that along with a new meeting place, we will also be getting a new leader.

With no warning, Robin was told she would no longer be running our group.  She was given no explanation, though one is promised for next week.  Ridiculous!

Most of today's meeting is about strategizing how to keep Robin as our leader.  It’s what the group wants, and we are a vocal group.  We hope an aggressive email campaign will save her.

But it makes me think how capricious our jobs are, particularly when someone else controls it.  I have lost my job more than once, and the sting of each loss is still fresh, regardless of reason.  Once it was a business downturn, but it happened while I was on maternity leave.  Twice it occurred because I was in a “newly created job” that really had no reason for being.  And once, the most painful, was because the person who ran Sales was an idiot, but a powerful one who disliked me.  He was fired soon after letting me go (I wish I could say it was because of that bad decision, but of course it wasn’t).

I have no idea why Robin will no longer lead our group.  Right now, she has no idea either.  But someone at Weight Watchers knows, and whomever that someone is, he or she has made an irresponsible decision.