Like a Boss

I have a great manager at work. He's been in program management for many years, and my co-workers and I often turn to him to put difficult things into "manager-speak." The bad news doesn't sound so bad and the good news sounds great.

Today was a good news day. I've been assigned two huge new projects with high-profile clients. Their logos might just look like this:

It's a ton of responsibility, and the project needs a really competent leader. Enter moi.

But I'm not here to (only) brag.

I left that meeting feeling pretty darn good about myself. Not because I'd been handed the project, but because my manager said that he thought it was a good fit for my abilities, and that he knew I could handle the work, and that he was confident I'd knock it out of the park. Not only that, he knows I'm looking at moving up in the editorial world, and he's getting my foot in the door.

When I said Thank You, he said he was "happy to be able to do it". Really.

And then I wondered...

How many conversations can we have with our kids where they leave feeling great about themselves? More confident. Ready to take on the world.

How often do we lessen the blow of the bad news and spin it for good?

How often are we crystal clear about expectations and deadlines?

We shouldn't necessarily think of ourselves as the bosses of our children, but maybe sometimes we can parent...