Ernesto was going to be a fun student. He had fifteen years experience with his company. He was an expert. Starting last week, he now had one person reporting to him. He was now a manager. And there were already complaints.

“How could a person so valuable, with so much technical knowledge alienate his direct report so quickly?” asked Ernesto’s boss.

“How long did it take?” I followed up.

He shook his head. “A nanosecond.”

“How does it happen?”

“I think he is afraid. He is afraid that his direct report is going to do something wrong, it will be done incorrectly and it will come back on his shoulders.”

“Welcome to management. Of course those things will happen. People learn the most from their mistakes. In fact Ernesto will have to learn from his mistakes. Let’s just make sure they are not fatal.”

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