Sometimes it’s hard to believe, I know. We all have managers – well, I suppose a percentage of us do – and we’ve all had those moments with our managers that left us speechless or infuriated or frustrated or…

We expect our managers to understand our needs even when our personal lives invade our professional lives. However, the courtesy is not always reciprocal. We expect our managers to “take care of” a lot of junk, respond to our telephone calls at off-hours, and juggle an enormous amount of pressure and demands. After all, that is why they get paid the big bucks, right?

Wrong.

You might be surprised how much (or how little) your manager earns, especially in nursing where it is not unusual for a nurse to manage another nurse earning a higher wage. In addition, managers’ personal lives take a toll with work just as everyone else’s does. They must learn boundaries. Don’t forget they are often accountable to other managers or stakeholders or shareholders, even. So, take it easy. Treat your manager the way you like to be treated.