Early on in my career, I hit that first rut; I wasn’t excited to go to work and I didn’t know what was next. I had a conversation with my then manager, Steve Smith, and he asked me what I needed. I responded, I need you to appreciate me and want me to succeed.
After the conversation, Steve would often tell me, “I appreciate you and want you to succeed.” Then one day I came into the office and saw this note on my desk, “I appreciate you and want you to success!” It made me feel heard and made me laugh. My manager, with his journalism degree, made this basic grammar mistake. I kept it, thinking It would be great to have so I could make fun of him.
However, 10 years later, I learned the real lesson. The responsibility of a people manager to is lead people, to get them to achieve beyond their skills and abilities, and help them grow. I have since framed the note as motivation for me to be the best manager I can be.
Jenn Uhen (Pronounced Genuine) 