I commute to work for 30 minutes each morning. In the morning I listen to NPR or music or nothing. I am calm and relaxed. Maybe I think about a dream, or a conversation I had with David, or something on NPR. But then I pull into my parking space at the office, and all that changes!
I have three assistants and I work with about a dozen other people directly. Some coworkers, some clients. I report to the president and the vice president. I am a MIDDLE MANAGER! Despite the dubious reputation, middle management is a delicate balance handling people below me, people on a level with me, and people above me--making sure that communication never breaks down and projects continue to flow smoothly. A good middle-manager is hard to find. I owe my skills to two things: (1) having had some of the worst possible managers, and (2) having had some of the most wonderful managers imaginable. Whether I work for a difficult manager or a saint, I can truly say both have something valuable to teach me--either about how to treat people, or about how NOT to treat people. I am grateful to them all. Currently I am lucky enough to work for a wonderful company that really cares about its employees. They offer as many benefits as they can for a mid-size firm, and the management is very understanding and supportive.