Make Friends
The IT Director I worked for 8 years ago was a psychologist's fantasy; robust, dynamic, hands-on (he claimed and named a hard hat during the construction of the new building, which got him ejected from the site), a whirlwind of activity and curiosity (which he felt enabled him to walk in and sit down at any meeting he felt he needed to be at), a real proactive guy who researched great solutions to technical problems. He was highly intelligent and motivated; BUT completely undisciplined. He had no concept of personal or professional boundaries. When pushback inevitably occurred, he would steam, smoke, and sulk. He was also a liar; and was usually angling for whatever he felt he needed. When he promised me a retired server we desperately needed for a test environment, he was the entirely benevolent dictator. When he decided he wanted to curry favor by giving it to another organization, and I called him on his two faced behavior, he cornered me in the server room and had a meltdown. He was literally inches from my face, screaming unintelligibly, to the point where two female administrators came banging on the door. When he let them in, the alarm on their faces was clear; they had feared for my safety, and told me so later. I'm a small (but mighty!) female, but I had not considered the fact that he might have been more bipolar and violent than I realized. Not long after, he was sent packing, due to his abrasive nature and unpredictable emotional temperament. Just food for thought - you never know what could happen. I work for a public safety organization, now, and that is clearer every day; the human being is a complex, unpredictable entity.
