I have a simple tale today for my message.

This happened many years ago when I first became a manager.

It took maybe a minute to transpire and yet it became a foundational stone which the following 35 or so years of me being in and around management rests on.

It was a Thursday morning.

I was the new assistant manager to the GM of a 2 million dollar a year, 18 staff member co-op.

An employee phoned to let me know that a family emergency had come up and they would be out the rest of the week including Sunday morning. We ran the whole co-op with 3 people on the Sunday morning shift.

I was super stressed-out trying to fill that shift when Andre, who is a great worker and the third member of our Sunday team, walked into the office. 

Andre is from France and in his totally delightful French accent he asked, “Stephanie, something’s come up, could I please get this Sunday off?”

I think I involuntarily threw my hands in the air. Glared at him and said,

“You’re asking what?!  So and so already called out this Sunday!  And so far I can’t find anybody to fill in for them let alone you! Ugh, why are you putting me in such a bind like this? This is so stressful.”

Andre as sweet as could be (bless him!)  in his most wonderful deadpan expression said:

“Stephanie, I am the employee. It is my job to ask.  

You are the manager; it is simply your job to say yes or no.”

Bam…something clicked inside me. 

I took a breath, smiled at Andre, and with warmth in my heart said “No, it won’t work to give you this Sunday off.”

Thanks for the lesson Andre; It stayed with me.