Tales of Fails: Early People Management
When employees are crying, it can’t be good. I cried to my boss, and today an employee is crying to me.
What does she cry about? Why? Today, this recipient can’t connect. Was it something I said? Didn’t say? External unrelated circumstance?
I can’t remember whether I ever knew.
All I remember is sunlight filling the white walls, and an anchor of modern grey berber carpeting below our feet. A heavenly corporate environ — a place unfitting of an emotional outburst.
With more than a conference room table separating us, our morning meeting devolves. The face of the woman across the chasm flushes pink. A moment later tear-wet cheeks become red.
My mouth runs dry of spit, and this brain is just as dry of reassuring words.
Yet moments later something musters from the deep; from my own episode in her shoes:
“We’re not doing brain surgery here. It’s just toothpaste.”
Beyond that lifeline, this stunned new manager had nothing more to offer. Her tears continued until my kindnesses and mother-like soothing bridged the gap. To anyone passing by, no doubt our “talk” sounded like “bullsh bingo”.
I still needed to learn the lessons of a manager. Years and years offered their slow reveal from the ether.
And this experience today? — well, it’s where leadership patina started growing on some part of my being. It’s when life came full circle again.
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