An Ode to Crossing Guards

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 “The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.” 
– Carson McCullers, The Square Root of Wonderful

The silent source of comfort to parents everywhere, the crossing guards are there to make sure our kids cross busy intersections safely.  Yes, at first glance they seem to be unnecessary, almost joke worthy.  Yellow slickers, and sunglasses, they look like Minions from Despicable Me.  But here’s what they’re doing, their job description per se:

  1. Looking in every direction at all times to identify disturbances
  2. Proactively seeking potential interference with safety
  3. Blowing that darn whistle to remind us the light has changed and to keep the momentum going
  4. Showing up in rain, snow, sleet, hail, wind
  5. Smile in response to our smile; looking quite focused when concentrating
  6. Allowing us to concentrate on our one child in the mass of children

Does this sound familiar?  Perhaps this post should be called “An Ode to the Project Manager.”

The Project Manager is, in my experience, the most misunderstood role in an office.  They’re referred to as that “Pain in The A**” or “Here she comes again.  Groan.” Or “What do they do all day anyway?”

A PM runs around a lot.  She’s rarely at her desk.  This makes it hard to find her, which can create a perception of laziness or unavailability.  The truth is far more impressive and perhaps even inspiring.  Here’s what Project Managers do:

  1. Look in every direction at all times to identify disturbances
  2. Proactively seek potential interference with the safety of the project
  3. Blow that proverbial whistle to remind us to keep the momentum going
  4. Show up regardless of the “weather” in the home or in the office
  5. Smile in response to our smile; look quite focused when concentrating
  6. Allow us to concentrate on our one piece of the whole

It’s easy to forget what the PM’s are doing all day so here’s a quick description of how they make our life easier:

  1. You don’t need to look both ways when crossing
  2. You don’t need to watch the light intently
  3. You don’t need to block and tackle to get your content in a timely fashion
  4. You might even get a smile

Some companies call them other titles, so to clarify – we’re talking about the people in the background who keep things moving by juggling multiple elements.  They may not say it, but their job is to care about us and ensure that we have what we need to get our job done.  Our part in this is to respect their agenda and meet them halfway with updates, timely requests, and a smile.

It can’t hurt to smile at the Crossing Guard either.