Friends of Dave #305: what's really inside a kitkat
I'd Like to Speak to Your Manager...
Wow! That was quite a reaction from the hostile emoji article last week!
Yes with so much to unpack there, there is no question it will go down in FoD history as one of the most engaging articles ever shared: the searing generational friction, the shock that cartoon communication can be perceived as passive aggressiveness, the ridicule that this is what our society has become....
All I can say is 👍 👌❤️ what a time to be alive, Friends....
Moving on...
I'm going to come clean and admit that the subtitle here is a bit of a head fake -- I am not going to be wasting your time with another rant about "Karens" nor strongly suggest you avoid watching an unbelievable video compilation of public freak outs....we are so much better than that here.
What I am going to talk about is oddly related however.
I've been thinking about the importance of managers in our lives -- and how we all need them.
Now, when most people think about a "manager" they envision a boss at work that tells them what to do, evaluates their performance and asks for TPS reports. That is not the type of manager I am describing.
What I mean by "manager" here is someone who inherently gets who we are, understands our strengths and our weaknesses, and who we trust to help us position ourselves for success in whatever it is we are doing. They have seen us at our best and at our worst and always know the right things to say (and not say) and what buttons to push to get us to stay on track.
A good manager ALWAYS has your best interests in mind -- even when you don't.
Some people call them a BFF, a confidant, a coach, an adviser, a partner, a mentor or consigliere. They often can be someone to whom you are romantically tied like a spouse, but they don't need to be. They may be someone you just know in your network, someone at your job or someone you pay to fill that role (like a coach or therapist).
I don't care how rich, smart, successful or accomplished someone is -- I can guarantee you they didn't get there without at least one manager in their life. If they are lucky, they may have more than one.
Here's the thing: when it comes down to it, we are all really just flying without a safety net.
We are tasked to get up every day and make decisions to help us navigate work and life as best we can. Despite what you might think, you don't have all of the answers. You will NEVER have all of the answers.
And when times get tough or challenging, it is easy to get immersed in grinding away at a solution -- and miss the things on the periphery that can cause further complication or risk for us.
That's where having a good manager in your life gives you an advantage. They are not there to tell you what to do -- they are there to help you figure things out on your own. They also know you well enough to help you avoid becoming your own worst enemy.
Think about your own life: who are your managers? If you are not sure, here are some traits that might help you identify them more clearly:
They always shoot straight with you -- even if the truth might hurt
They reserve judgment on what you do and the decisions you make
They always catch something in a situation that you miss
You trust them and their opinion 100%
You just don't see them as a sounding board -- you actually LISTEN to them as well
The last part is important -- because even though you might trust someone, they are unable to effectively manage you if you don't want to be managed.
That also means that in order to have a good manager in your life, you occasionally you need to be willing to listen to them. You, your humility, and your self awareness play as much a factor as the qualities of the manager themselves.
So, if nothing else, hopefully this preamble gives you a chance to pause and give a shout out to those managers you are lucky to have in your life. Show them how grateful you are for all of the things, big and little, they do to help keep you on track. You wouldn't be where you are without them.
And, getting back to how this whole thread started, perhaps that is what people who feel compelled to publicly freak out really need -- instead of being publicly shamed after the fact, maybe they just need someone to manage them during what certainly is not their finest hour....
Although there are no emoji articles this week, there is nothing standing in your way if you want to fire a random thumbs-up emoji at your favorite Gen-Zer just to mess with them...my kids have been getting a healthy dose of them from me all week and I feel awesome! Enjoy the last week of Rocktober my Friends!
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
How 30 Days of Kindness Made Me a Better Person — www.success.com Generosity allows us to forget our own self-importance, even temporarily, and look outward to uplift those around us.
For Your Day Job...
What is CX? CX, or customer experience, encapsulates everything a business or an organization does to put customers first, managing their journeys and serving their needs.
Remote workers describe how they secretly worked multiple jobs from overseas — wecruitr.io
Work-from-home policies have allowed employees to log in from their living rooms in their pajamas, but some workers have taken the idea to an extreme.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
These Global Cities Show the Highest Real Estate Bubble Risk — www.visualcapitalist.com A global look at which cities have the most overheated real estate markets. Toronto shows the highest bubble risk in 2022.
People are feeling confused after learning what is inside a KitKat — virginradio.co.uk When was the last time you properly examined a KitKat?
Drinking Gold Was a Grisly Anti-Aging Trend of 16th-Century France — www.atlasobscura.com The tony elixir killed elites looking for youthful complexions.
Giant roadside Cheetos sculpture attracts tourists — www.wcvb.com
A giant Cheeto, complete with massive fingers coated in orange dust, has become a roadside attraction in Alberta, Canada. You expect to find Cheetos in a bowl or a bag, but not in a field.
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