For whatever reason, I’ve been thinking about bosses I’ve had in the past, and I’ve thought about what I liked or disliked about having them for bosses or managers. There have been a few that I still fondly remember to this day and wish I was still working with them. Then there are others that I’m glad I no longer have to be around on a daily basis and fake laugh at their jokes.
My first favorite boss was when I worked at McDonald’s while I was in high school and college. This person was a manager who eventually became our store manager. He was the kind of person you’d want to work with on your shift because he made it so much fun. He’d make you laugh; he’d joke around with you and make your eight hour shift bearable. One day, he said to me, “If you can’t have fun at work, then what’s the point?” I still think about that. And he was right. Who wants to spend eight hours of their day being bored and/or miserable.? Not me.
One Of My Favorite Bosses
It wasn’t until years later that I had my next favorite boss, and it was an attorney that I worked for. She was smart, personable, hardworking and encouraged her team every day to do their best and come to her with any questions. I was devastated when she left the firm because I lost a newly found friend and the dynamic on our team had radically shifted with her departure.
A few short years later, I was working at another law firm. While I enjoyed my job because it kept me so busy, I wasn’t truly happy working there. The presence alone of the office manager alone was one where you could feel the staff collectively hold their breath and walk on eggshells. When the manager would go to lunch, or out of town, you could feel the mood in the office lift up and people could be jovial again. It was like a dark cloud over the office. The worst part was they would put a proverbial bullseye on someone’s back, and once it was on someone, there was no shaking it off. The office manager wasn’t happy until they fired anyone they didn’t like.
Playing Favorites Doesn’t Do Anyone Any Good
Just about every job I’ve worked has had managers or bosses with a tendency of playing favorites. And they’d usually say that they don’t have favorite people that they work with, but my coworkers and I always knew otherwise. It was just in the way they’d interact with them, how they’d speak with them, and other little things.
But when you get a good manager or boss, it’s amazing. You can get along with them, they trust you to do your job, to get your work done, and they don’t hound you constantly or make you feel uncomfortable just for breathing the same air they do.
You’ve probably read this far and you’re doing one of two things by now. You’re either nodding your head in agreement, or you’re wondering where I’m going on this long rant about bosses.
October 16 Is Bosses’ Day
October 16th is Bosses Day, which is on a Saturday this year. This day evokes mixed emotions for people everywhere. Some people are more than happy to get something for their boss to show how much they appreciate them, some groan at the very idea of signing a card for a lackluster boss, and others don’t think there’s a need to give their boss extra praise one day out of the year. I think it all depends on the kind of boss or manager you have.
With Albuquerque Plumbing Heating & Cooling, we have a management team that is incredibly amazing, as well as ownership. Each individual person goes above and beyond for the whole team, and we couldn’t be more thankful for them, their hard work and their direction.
If you have a boss that you adore, and you don’t mind showing them your gratitude and appreciation, then have at it! They will welcome the warm fuzzies you send their way, and it will put a smile on their face and give them a pat on the back.