Felicity cross-referenced the notes she’d been keeping on her assistant since she was assigned to her. It was almost time for Olivia’s end of probation interview, and Felicity knew she had a solemn responsibility not only in her ability to provide an honest appraisal, but also in the understanding of the effect this would have on Olivia’s career.
Felicity thought back on the sacrifices and struggles she herself had had to make in order to earn the grudging respect of her first boss, and the opportunities his hard-fought reference letter had given her when she’d finally been able to free herself from her first job. That journey had made Felicity tough and successful, but along the way she’d also lost herself to her anger. That inner fire had served her for a time, but now it was time to make it grow into something that could serve her even better. Fire could destroy, but fire also gave life. And she was determined to help Olivia come to this same realisation without making the girl go through the same struggles she did.
There was a soft knock on her door, and Olivia stepped smartly into the office hugging her tablet to her chest as if it would protect her from danger. Felicity chuckled inwardly at the comical sight, but forced herself to remain outwardly impassive and motioned for Olivia to sit in front of her.
“As you know,” Felicity began, “your probation and training period with me is almost at an end, upon which you may be permitted to transfer to a team of your choosing-”, Felicity paused, “-should your employment at the company be allowed to continue”. At that, Felicity examined Olivia’s face for signs of her internal reaction, and was pleased to see a flash of resolve despite the faint nervous tapping of Olivia’s heels.
“It’s no secret that I haven’t always been as happy with your performance as either of us would have liked”, Felicity continued to press, but allowed Olivia to see a sincere smile as she said “so I would like to know first if you feel I have ever been unfair in my treatment of you”.
Olivia’s mouth dropped, not only at the question, but at the genuine kindness in Felicity’s demeanour. She appeared at a loss for words, so Felicity helpfully prompted her with an apologetic smile as she admitted “I’m not always the easiest boss to work for, and I freely admit that I’ve been doing some soul-searching of my own these past few months. But I wanted you to know that I admire your perseverance, and I respect how you have conducted yourself and continued to grow in your abilities despite my demanding nature.” Felicity sat back, and with an encouraging nod, Olivia found her voice.
“I admit that you haven’t always been easy to work for...but I never felt that you held me back, and I truly appreciate the opportunities you gave me to prove myself. Perhaps I stumbled as often as I did because you gave me responsibilities with the stakes to both succeed and fail, but I feel that I’ve learned a lot from you and would be honoured to stay on your team especially now that-”, Olivia paused ever so slightly, but dared to go in for the kill “-you’ve acknowledged room for both of us to grow”.
Felicity instantly beamed at the bold statement and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, but added, with a slight wink, “don’t push your luck too much, your training has only just started”.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way”.
Food for thought: What is the importance of cultivating positive emotional connections with others?
