On the day I step down as department head I thought I would categorise types of people I have had the privilege to line manage:
The dream: the professional who always does their job well, efficiently, and with no fuss. Most people.
The stranger: no idea who this is but they talk to me a lot. I know the names of their spouse, children, grandchildren and dog and that last week’s dental exam was a great success.
The trumpeter: the academic who lets me know about each request to submit a paper, each talk invite, each prospective graduate student inquiry, and each bowel motion.
The ghost: the academic who never mentions anything including prison sentences, Nobel prizes, and the job they’ve taken on the other side of the world.
The Taker: the academic whose research is more important than that of all of their colleagues. The sole function of these colleagues is to do the bits of the job that The Taker is too important to do. Like teach, examine, publish papers, apply for grants, or turn up to work.
It’s been a riot. I am looking forward to becoming: the ex-head who knows best.