My work day was busy. Typical meetings, putting out fires and so on, but, also, lots of personal counseling. I'm trying to be better about checking in with my staff, it's something I'm quite dreadful at, but I'm slowly learning the importance of the manager/staffer relationship beyond e-mail. Yes, I'm pathetic. Anyway, without even trying I found myself learning of and counseling different staff members through, the following scenarios:
When do I call the guy I've been e-mailing for the past 3 weeks thanks to a virtual "set up" from a mutual friend? He called me Sunday. We've e-mailed since and mentioned talking again. Should I call him tomorrow? (My answer was no, call him on this coming Sunday, in case you were interested.)
So my best friend is moving to Jordan next week to take a job with the UN and he springs on me this morning that his feelings for me are more than friendship, how do I feel and what can we do? (My response? Hell, I have no clue.)
I'm really freaked out about my interview today. (internal candidate applying for a promotion) What do I do if I don't get it? (Not take it out on me and not resign. Ok, that's not exactly how I said it.)
So my once supportive fiance whom I left 3 weeks ago to come to DC for this job opportunity has announced he's packing up and leaving me and taking my dogs to the pound. (Hell, that one even made me cry. And we both confess to only caring about the dogs.)
The timing of these counseling sessions wasn't so great. I'm busy as hell at work. But, then again, it felt really good to be a confidante again. I specialized in this stuff in prior jobs, people just trusted me and valued my opinion. Fools. While I know I haven't been fully responsible for isolating myself in my current position, I have made concerted efforts to keep things professional. I fear, however, that I've done this too much and, as such, have missed out on some great opportunities to connect with people and build trust. I know it's a fine line, but maybe I just have to give a bit more of me, particularly in light of my new hires, to build that loyalty and spirit of teamwork I've wanted all along. It felt good to be there for people. It always has. Even when I don't have the answers, it still feels good to tag along for the journey of finding them.
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The answers to your staff's questions are: 1) call him Sunday, correct; 2) Tell him that, since he's moving 3/4 of the way around the world, it'll have to be played by ear, and revisited, if necessary, when he returns to roughly the same area code; and 3) Shoot the finance (hell, I'll do it - where's he live?) and take the dogs.
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