Here’s my simple message this week. 
You can be a manager…
…you can mentor, train, clarify, coach, give tough feedback, explain performance gaps, define boundaries and still be kind. 
You can discipline and even terminate one of your employees and still show regard.
Managing is a caring occupation whether you like the person or not.
We don’t have to safeguard our sensitive inner emotions with some preemptive strike of hardened steely-eyed emotions and attitude toward those we manage.
Ever.
It doesn’t pay.
We care about doing our job well and that means we care that we always remember we’re dealing with a person…
even when that person drives us crazy…
even when we’re uncomfortable, they’re uncomfortable and we wish we didn’t have to have that certain conversation.
We put in the effort because we care enough to do right by staff – all of them.

There’ll be times when our hearts hurt and we’ll be worn thin.
When we’ll be frustrated and really don’t get along with someone.
When we can’t believe someone would act that way.
Yet we will hang on to our caring, be guided by clarity, and make the effort 
because managing is a caring occupation.