Harshest critic (part 1)

This conversation really occurred while walking down the hall with a colleague. I don’t remember what we were discussing.

Senior faculty member: Now, Dave, I’m my own harshest critic….

Junior faculty member (me) in an exaggerated comforting voice: No… I don’t think you are.

A couple of key points:

• This was my third incarnation as a junior faculty member. At my first one, I never would have said something like that even though I had many such opportunities. Instead, I kept my head down and my mouth shut, just as instructed.
• At my second stop, I never had any reason to say something like that.
• At my third and current job, where now I’m a senior faculty member, I felt a level of comfort that I had no trouble being myself even back then, knowing that this my self was accepted.

Feeling accepted. That matters so much in bringing out the best in people.

Are you accepted where you work? Are you part of making someone else feel accepted too?

What do you think?

See you tomorrow.