Work

Have you ever had to fire someone? I mean, have you ever been forced to tell a colleague that from that day he or she will be able to stay home because it is no longer sustainable? And have you ever put yourself in that colleague’s shoes, slipped into his or her life? Have you ever identified yourself with a bedridden mother, or without a partner and a child to take care of, or with a wife without a job and multiple children to support, or with a mortgage just signed, or with a newborn child, or a wish just wished for?

For so many days I have written nothing. Nothing on the blog, nothing in my journal, nothing but emails and reports and analysis and bullshit to keep alive a professional social media account that I am already thinking of closing. Nothing.

There are daily occasions that suggest parallels to my work and team management. Simple things like, for example, choosing which gadget to give to your son or daughter: is a walkie-talkie or a watch better?

I’ve done something in the last few days that I’m not very proud of. But it was something I had to do, that several people suggested I do, that I didn’t even need that they suggested I do, but so I did. I activated an account on Instagram.

This is a long story. I could write a long post. I don’t assume you’re interested: in that case, feel free to close your browser or skip to the next content proposed by your feed reader. But if you would like to know more about this long story, keep reading.

In a job interview that I recently conducted, the candidate told me to be very meticulous, and that, if he had many things to do, he wouldn’t return to home until he’s done all. This approach demonstrates excellent motivation and a good sacrifice propensity¹.

I’m aware that delegating can be tricky. It’s uncomfortable, and it’s often problematic. I heard this from anyone has a managing or team leading role: it’s difficult to find the right person, to choose the appropriate tasks to give him, and to evaluate the proper support to give him. It’s a hard nut to crack. Better to do himself, they said.

There is a guiding light that must light up your working path: you can switch companies.