“Jane has difficulty reading you. She does not feel a strong connection with you. But performance wise, you’ve been doing very well on your projects.”
Jane was my direct supervisor. The above remarks came from her boss. We had regular 1 on 1’s to review performance, raise concerns, and set goals. It was all very textbook, but this comment stood out.
I knew exactly what she was referring to. Jane was an all-around rock star when it came to her craft. And while I greatly admired her aptitude in that area, she had much less experience in the field of people management.
For months, I tried my best to calibrate to Jane’s management approach and work style. This was out of character for me. I pride myself on being a strong communicator and typically make it a point to be transparent about the resources and support I need in order to deliver the best results. I knew that finding an effective way to work together was crucial to having a functional manager-employee dynamic.
After multiple attempts without success, I decided the best way to maintain a working relationship was simply conforming to Jane’s work style. I was agreeable and diplomatic, making sure to be receptive to all suggestions. I implemented feedback quickly and adapted. So despite Jane doing her part in ‘managing’ me, I could certainly understand why she sensed a…
