I have had the privilege of working with some terrific people over the years. (I’ve also had the dubious honor of working with some challenging people, but we’ll call those character-building opportunities.) I’ve made some mistakes as a supervisor, and I’d call out any manager who said they hadn’t as a liar. There were times when I was too lenient and times when I should have delegated more. All in all, though, I would like to think that I’ve invested in people’s lives in a positive way that has helped them take further steps in their careers.

Rapport is an important element in my work ethic, both as a supervisor and as an employee. What that means to me as a manger is that it’s important to be reachable, build trust and know your team on a personal level. Does that mean that you have to be buddy-buddy? No, but it does mean that you should know their birthdays, their kids’ names and when someone’s mother is in the hospital.

I’m feeling a bit melancholy today, because my current team has dissolved. The four of us are all still working in the same division, but the three folks who reported to me have been re-purposed into other positions. The last one is moving out (literally, to another office) today. It’s going to be very quiet around here.

On the bright side, I suppose I could crank up some music and not worry about disturbing anyone. 😉  I have to smile or else be sad.