Ouch. Very true. I'm honestly not sure how to manage other adults. Kids are easy, mostly because they're smaller and less autonomous. For adults, what happens if they don't do what you expect? There aren't always good options for "discipline" or resolving conflict. The latter is a very advanced social skill that most people don't learn... at least not in the natural course of living. We're often raised in households with poor track records in conflict resolution--dysfunctional parents, possibly very few (if any) siblings, sometimes few demands to share space/resources with others (e.g., everyone has their own room), etc. If you don't have experience communicating well, or "fighting" & making up, or if you have mental/developmental issues... Whew! It's a wonder anyone ever gets along at all
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Yeah, it's hard. I'm glad that I'm no longer directly supervising anyone. At one point I had 8 supervisees--gah! However I'm now my boss's lab manager and his group currently has 36 people in it. Luckily, there's only one real problem child, and only a couple of hothouse flowers. Most everyone is pretty cool and responsible.
I wonder if I'm the problem child, or a mere hothouse flower.
Well congrats on getting out of the supervisor role. It must have added to your philosophical knowledge base on scientific culture, but I can't imagine it being easy.
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That's a very good point.
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Well congrats on getting out of the supervisor role. It must have added to your philosophical knowledge base on scientific culture, but I can't imagine it being easy.
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