On the herding of cats

[flexagon]

Today, my primary purpose at work was to be a lightning rod for other people's anger. I remember being in a meeting once where my manager told me that was part of his job sometimes -- to let people get it all out, in his direction, while staying calm himself -- and apparently I have his job now.

After a while the angrily snapping person realized (and typed) that she shouldn't be snippy at me, given that I'd already intervened in a helping/effective way. I sighed and said it was safer to aim at me than at someone outside the team, even so. Which is true; enough had already made it to the other team in question that the other team's manager had asked me (quite rightfully) to give some communication style feedback.

They are so marvelous yet so prone to spatting, my direct reports; they really are like cats. Shhhhhhh kitties, there now, it's all okay, it's okay, it's okay. No need for claws.

Comments

[silentq.livejournal.com]

Oof, being an anger target can be hard. Hope you had some good recovery time!