When I was younger and saw men in suits professing to be ‘bosses’ of companies, I envisioned them only as people who have high salaries, easy life and considerable power. Now that I’m in their position, I realized that it is not always the case. At the back of the large salaries, the life of a ‘boss’ is not at all easy.
Bosses work long hours. Many times you do not receive full credit for the time you spend on numerous tasks. I don’t know for others but I think some managers even make little or no more than their subordinates. I come to office long before other employees of the company arrive, and sometimes stay much later after everyone leaves. There is constantly work that has to be done that I must do, as well as deal with unexpected events that pop up. On top of that, there are meetings to attend to. It really involves a balancing act of activities at work, outside of work and family life.
The work consists of many different tasks. I make it a point, as I am expected, to know a little bit about everything that is going on in the business. Sometimes, due to the many tasks that I must accomplish in one day, I lost track of time. I get frequent phone calls and I am expected to have the answers to their questions or to be able to find the answer quickly! When problems occur, I am the one that is notified first and I need to be able to provide guidance to others involved in the situation.
The hardest part and the task I hate most is dealing with employee problems, personal or otherwise. Authority may really be a luxury in some instances, but it brings along with it other tasks that are unpleasant to do. Would you be able to scold or reprimand a perennial tardy or absent employee if you knew that one of his family members was battling a serious health problem? Tricky situation but very delicate to handle.
Indeed, being a ‘boss’ is not easy. Far more complicated than being a doctor. But being in both worlds is fun and challenging.
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