I would not single out one specific story; it is more of a long-term working relationship, and many stories are grouped together. I had several great managers over the years, but the best one was a woman I worked for the last few years before retirement. I had known her for about 10 years and worked for her for about 3 years. She was somebody who knew just the right questions to ask, how to keep you on point when things were getting a bit nutty, and when to back off and let me be me. She made me a better person and manager of my own team, and I could ask her anything. She always knew and said, “You give Kevin a task, and he runs with it.” Like any good manager, she let me do my thing, and I learned quite a bit from her.
On a personal note, I admired and respected her for her managerial skills, knowledge, and work ethic. I watched her get her master’s and then complete her doctorate. I knew she wanted to teach as a second career, and she will make a tremendous teacher. The one thing I do miss in retirement is the mornings when she was an early arriver like me, and we would spend a few minutes most days just chatting.
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