Palmer's Hall of Honor - Good Bosses

As my friends know, I enjoy collecting quotations . . . have been doing so for over 30 years. There are several good ones related to work, including:

"One of my bosses had a way of saying nice things about his workers that got back to them. True things, but nice things. We appreciated it, and we couldn't keep from trying to do more things that he could tell others about. People will work hard to uphold a good reputation." - Fred Smith

This time, I want to switch that around and say nice things about my former bosses.

A good boss is a great thing. I've been very fortunate in my career . . . in all my full-time jobs, I've never had a bad boss. Two of my bosses, though, stand out. The first is Sheldon Nord. Sheldon and I went to college together and right after graduation he started working in Admissions while I stayed in school another year. About a year later, we were sharing an office. We worked alongside each other for a time and then he was promoted to be my boss . . . and he's been one (or two) steps ahead of me ever since. Sounds like a recipe for trouble, eh? Fortunately, it's been anything but that. Sheldon turned out to be a real catalyst in my life, encouraging me to move ahead, holding me accountable (even when it was painful), giving me autonomy and valuing my viewpoints. Unfortunately, he's also left me twice! He's brought me in to take on new jobs and then found other adventures to pursue, leaving me behind! But we won't hold that against him. (As for the time he sold me a van with a rusted out gas tank . . . but we're not bitter. Ha!) Sheldon's now in his dream job as the VP for Student Affairs at Eastern Oregon University.

Another boss I deeply appreciated was Dick Mandeville. I only worked for Dick one year, right after I earned my master's degree and went to Whitworth College. The person who hired me at Whitworth moved to a different position before I ever got there, so there was some trepidation when I arrived in Spokane. I met Dick for the first time when he walked into staff training, with his shirt tail sticking out through the zipper of his pants. On purpose. (I stole that little icebreaker and used it on my first day of work here at Oregon Tech.) After that, I knew this was a guy I could talk to! Dick and I spent many hours discussing college life and students. He always encouraged me to stretch and respected my perspectives. I was in my first year working in residence life and he encouraged me through all those rookie trials and tribulations. And then Sheldon stole me away. (I'm not sure but Dick may still be a little bitter about that. Could be worse . . . at least I didn't sell him a lemon of a van.)

Both Dick and Sheldon lead with integrity, intelligence and humor. They have the courage to make tough decisions. One of the things I most admire about both of them is the fact that they think quickly and seldom misspeak. They inspire incredible loyalty from the people who work for them. I hope I can impact my the people who work for me in as positive a sense as Sheldon and Dick did.