Q.Dear Pat:
We work in a small start-up company for a really great guy. He’s a true visionary and we feel lucky to be working with him. When he brought us onboard, he told us we’d be working our butts off getting this thing off the ground, but that we’d all be part of a team – including him. He was right about the work, which includes long hours and a lot of nights and weekends, but we all really care about what we’re trying to create. And when he’s here, he works as hard or harder than anyone. The thing is, he’s the only one of us who has children, and he’s always leaving early to attend their school programs, coach their sports events on weekends, etc., while we’re left to make sure the work gets done and the deadlines are met. He’s a nice person and the rest of us genuinely like him – and his kids – but it doesn’t seem fair, and it isn’t how teams are supposed to be.