Patiently waiting?

I sometimes get the chance to have a one-on-one talk with a high member of management at the plant. I was recently reminded of a conversation with a top-notch manager concerning career goals.

"When I was a private, obviously I had to grow and learn, but eventually I came to realize my sergeant was making mistakes," he told me. "And I said to myself, 'Well, I can make those same mistakes,' and I went after it and I became sergeant."

"Again, I realized my superiors were still making mistakes so I said to myself, 'I can make those same mistakes, too.' and so I went for it, and got promoted again." His point was that I was being reluctant in pursuing higher goals because I felt inexperienced. He told me I would be ready one day and to seize the opportunity.

"Well, I don't want to be ruthless, to stab someone in the back to get where I want. I want it because I earned it," I explained. "Yeah, but you can't sit around waiting for it. Look at your boss, she's been here how long and just got to the top? You can do that, just go for it. You don't have to be ruthless, don't stab anyone in the back I'm not saying that, but you have to go for it if you want it. Just do it!"

...and yet as much as I agree wholeheartedly, this is one case in which I feel I must bide my time. It isn't worth destroying a quasi-friendly work environment with this person. When I gain the position it must be known to all that I earned it. I have a lot to learn concerning management and workplace leadership...things I intend to start learning before making the leap. So for now, I'm patiently waiting--reading, learning, perfecting my craft so I can train my future crew to be the best.

Everyone has two sides. Or do they?

"Everyone has two sides," she enlightened me with her wisdom. Her beautiful blue eyes wide open and focused intently. Dozens of icy stalactites radiated outward from her pupils, piercing me to the core and engraving those words into my brain.

Two parts influence and one part axiom, I agreed. Weeks later those words etched with a blue flame began to weigh on my mind. Do people really have two sides? Do we always put on a face to match our various activities (work, home, social)?

She was referring to two members of management for our client who had previously engaged in epic warfare in the conference room. Two major superpowers, one above the other in chain of command, having an all out discussion concerning an issue of repeated controversy which directly affects our operation. This will be winner take all in the end. This time the higher-up won the battle, but the war is far from over. They strive for the same cause, but in different ways.

“Everyone has two sides.”

My counter-point is that we only have one side -- the one which shows who we really are. Maybe most people are never stressed to their boiling point, the point in which one shows what they're really made of. Maybe we are sometimes bitter or cruel, but some people refuse to show that face to others on a daily basis. Maybe it's an act of courtesy, to not take it out on those around us who have not wronged us. Maybe it really is a two-faced society. So if we have two faces...

“Is this the real me? A better question would be ‘Is this the real you?’ Or are we shallow to the core?”