The next time I saw Jillian, I asked her about the management situation. “Not 'cause I'm prying or anything like that,” I said, “Just interested.”
I mean you are well educated and your credentials for the job you are doing are impeccable. I reckon you'd be liked by everyone. I guess I am not sure what is happening.”
“There's no problem,” she said. [Editorial note – I didn't say there was a problem, this is a presupposition which often comes from negative thinking.]
I just don't want all that responsibility and all the extra work that it would entail.”
“OK.” I said.
“Pity. I reckon you'd make a good boss.”
“I am a boss (if you want to call it that)”, she said.
I have a small team and we do alright. Our research is going well, although it is not really the kind of thing I thought I'd be doing when I was at Uni. I mean it's not rocket Science, but it is important work and not too full of reporting useless stats that no-one ever reads, and there's not a lot of that admin bollocks.”
“I didn't know all that”, I said. “But you were pretty ambitious when we were in school. And competitive to boot. I remember the time ….[perhaps not appropriate for here – maybe another time and place?]”
“Yes. Thanks for that.”
“So why are you choosing to stay at shallow end of the pool then?” I asked.
“None of your bloody business!” she blurted.
Oops. Always the forthright one?
#ourjillian