The Discovery—

Change is inevitable within any organization. Problems arise, strategies evolve, and people leave both expectedly and unexpectedly. Talent Assessment & Development is no stranger to change as we have gradually undergone our own through recent years.

Jim Lyonfields cofounded TAD with his wife Shawna in 2008 and served as the President and a consultant at the company until his departure in the spring of 2015. Plans for his retirement were prompted after he was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, a genetic disorder that progressively breaks down the brain’s nerve cells. Three years ago, after noticing slips in his motor skills and short-term memory, Jim and Shawna collectively decided to reduce his responsibilities at TAD until he could effectively retire.

Jim understood he was slowly losing his capacity to perform his duties. The disease, caused by a single defective gene copy, was negatively impacting the performance of his entire body. Through his years of experience, Jim knew that organizations work in a similar manner – a single defective employee can negatively impact the performance of an entire company. Jim did not want his condition to become problematic for both clients and coworkers and knew it was in the best interest of the entire TAD community that he retire.

From his early work as a psychologist in the United States Air Force to a career centered around psychological assessments, Jim has devoted a majority of his life to understanding how the brain works. To have his own brain be the very thing that failed him was initially a difficult reality to accept. The diagnosis, however, was in the past and rather than dwelling on what could not be changed, Jim and Shawna turned their attention to the future.

The process of leaving Talent Assessment & Development was painful at times, but in the end, Jim was able to exit gracefully. It hurt to walk away, to leave the company he helped create, but he was certain that the TAD family would remain strong after his departure.