Work will wait for you, life will not

Work will wait for you, life will not
The power of adaptability
Know your boss

5 Different types of bosses

As time passes we find ourselves doing things we thought were impossible only a while ago.
We suddenly see the accumulated success we have built over the years.
You may not be winning “the best employee” of the month every time, but guess what you started as a sales person a few years ago and now you are the manager.
You may not win the “Nation teacher’s award” this year, because in most countries well, teachers are not appreciated as they should be, But the kids in your classroom are happy to come every day and their parents can see that you are not only teaching them but also guiding them.
Whatever your success story is, I bet it comes with a few sacrifices because we tend to “lose some to get some”.
And as highly evolving beings, we ADAPT:
Well throughout the years of work, you must have had so many different types of seniors or managers.
Therefore you have developed what we can call an “Auto-pilot” mode for each and every type:

1- The Immature type:

Who takes everything personal even if it’s something as lame as being late to your shift a couple of times.
Auto-Pilot “Immature Manager” mode on:

• Ask them for advice even if you don’t need it.
• Explain everything you are going to do before doing it, to make sure they don’t take things the wrong way.
• Stay out of the drama and don’t get involved if they get in an argument with another employee.

2- The bossy type:

Who gives you orders to do tasks that cannot be accomplished during a certain period of time, but gives the orders anyway “because he’s the boss”.
Auto-Pilot “Bossy manager” mode on:

• Try to do all the tasks they are requesting.
• Make them think any new idea is theirs.
• Give them lots of compliments.

3- The comedian type:

Who even finds that you received the wrong order of clothing very funny, and doesn’t really take any problem you encounter seriously.
Auto-Pilot “Comedian manager” mode on:

• Memorize some new jokes every day, preferably the type they like.
• Laugh at all their silly and unnecessary jokes.
• Smile all the time.

4- The “you do the work I take the credit” type:

Who is one of my personal favorite. They know that you know, that they know that you know that they don’t really know anything. And they go with the flow anyway.
Auto-Pilot “you do the work I take the credit manager” mode on:

• Just do the work.
• Do not embarrass them in front of their seniors on purpose, showing that you can do it better or that you are the one who did the work.
• It’s been proven that with time, someone will eventually discover their incompetence.

5- The moody type:

This type is really fun to work with on the good days, when they’re hyperactive and happy and involved in the work. But then when the days of their bad mood come, believe me on those days nothing will lift their spirits up.
Auto-Pilot “Moody manager” mode on:

• Find out the signs that can tell you if this is one of the good days or the bad days.
• Avoid them on their bad days at all cost.
• Hold on, this will eventually pass and the happy good days will come again

Well you may have managed to adapt to all these types and even more to be where you are now. But let’s be honest, you are no longer who you were then.

You’ve lost so many friends on the way because you don’t have time to meet them. By now, your family knows that you will not attend family dinners because you’re working overtime. And yes, you are single because your girlfriend or boyfriend is not willing to wait for you at a restaurant table, to find out later on that you forgot about the date.
You started categorizing people and labeling them, and you’ve reached a place where you’re asking yourself
“Is this what I really wanted?” Did I give up too many things on the way? Should I have treated myself fairly even if others didn’t?…”

Don’t be so hard on yourself; give yourself more credit, and fight more for what you believe is right in a diplomatic way.
It takes time to get over these ADAPTATION HABITS you’ve collected.
Note to self: please stop working overtime and stop taking half your break to finish your work before the deadline.
Write this on a sticky note and put it on your desk:
“Work will still be here when i come back”
Go out more with your friends, spend more time with your family, and enjoy life.
Because work will wait for you, life will not.