Never Brag

I am quite fond of teaching new officers. Many have gone on to bigger things. One even helped me greatly when she became my boss and highlighted my numbers and leadership. One of my students has gotten too big for his ego and I decided to demonstrate my point.

The first lesson I teach is people who brag are usually useless. Great officers never sing their own praises others do. When the top boss asked me to rank myself against my peers I declined. When pressed I said around number thirty. There are many elements to the job and all have strengths and weaknesses.

This former student has become the office gossip. Moreover, he claims he is a skilled interviewer. I am more modest and rely on facts and logic. I concede plenty of people beat me. Sometimes, there just isn't enough there to rationalize additional action. I might have a gut instinct but until logic and facts back my hunch it is meaningless.

I sat in the presence of a young woman who was one of the officers I trained. She saw me lie through my teeth and concoct a tale that conforms to all of this persons gossip. She asked me why I did it. I pointed out that I am tired of his bragging about what a skilled interviewer he is and tired of his gossiping. No doubt the lesson will be lost on the clueless. Another boss saw me do the same trick on another office gossip monger who at least has the presence to cross examine me. Afterwards he told the boss I was too calm for the tale to be true.

The truth was not lost on my current and recent students. You are good officers, someday you will be better than me.
However, someday is not today and never ever oversell your skills.

My new office is being set up close to the space I was in almost six years ago. All of the officers are gone with perhaps five still serving. I go from the junior officer on my old team to the top of the seniority. I still miss the
Huge Cathedral spot that was home for years. Oddly I never sat in my office and I was there five months. I know all the members of my new team but served with none of them. The floor I left is upset because my arrival was big news.

In the end I am comfortable working with my favorite Cheif and old buddies from when I started. Some of them are near
Retirement. I want to spend that time with my friends and mentoring new officers. I probably won't escape having to do new tasks but..... Life goes on.