The biggest difference between high-flyers — my word for the “parents” at work — and the strivers, or the “kids,” is their perspective.
A guy I dated once told me a shrink had asked him to imagine a car going down a seaside highway.
The shrink followed that question with another: “Were you looking through the windshield, or were you outside the car watching its progress?
My date didn’t remember the point of the question, but the point is perspective. Are you calling the shots — putting the kids to bed and getting them to brush their teeth, or are you the kid who’s told to turn off the PlayStation and walk the dog?
The “parents” are usually the professionals who get promoted early, make bank, and are invited to important meetings while their peers are waiting in the car.
On the other hand, there are the “children,” as Mr. Fitz called them.
Frustrated strivers waiting to be recognized, appreciated, and awarded with a raise or a promotion.
If you recognize this dichotomy and don’t like which side you’re on, keep reading.
High flyers rarely hear, “we need you to step up.” And if they do, they already have one foot out the door. Don’t treat them well at work, and they’ll find someone who will.
One day, my first boss confided, “My sister and I were the parents in our house. We paid the bills and made sure the lights stayed on.”
This boss had a basketball team of siblings, most of them younger, and her parents had relied on her to be the adult in the room.