Tom started his first job at a small company. His manager, Mr. Gray, was known to be quite mean. On the first day, Mr. Gray shouted at Tom for being five minutes late. “I didn’t mean to be late,” Tom said politely. “I got lost on the way.”
Other workers told Tom that Mr. Gray always acted like that, but he meant well. He wanted everyone to work hard and succeed. Over time, Tom noticed that Mr. Gray was also very careful with numbers. “The mean value of sales is going up,” he often said.
Tom began to understand his manager better. Mr. Gray wasn’t just mean, he had high expectations. One day, Tom asked him, “What does this report mean?” Mr. Gray smiled and explained. He even said, “You’re doing better than the average worker.”
Later, Tom saw Mr. Gray helping a new employee who had made a mistake. “He’s strict,” Tom thought, “but he means well.” From then on, Tom worked hard and became one of the top workers.
He realized that sometimes, people who seem unkind are just serious about their work. And understanding their true meaning can help build a better relationship.
コメント