Entry No. 025 · The Inmate Index
The genuinely great manager who is human first, and the trap of mistaking one good person for proof that the corporate prison itself is good.
Full Definition
A Fairy God Warden is a great Warden. Human first. They appreciate you, trust you, and raise you up. This one is real, and that's exactly why it's dangerous.
Here's the trap. Some Inmates put so much stock in this one good person that they start conflating them with the prison itself. My manager is amazing, so this company must be amazing. It's not. The building didn't get better. You just got a good human inside it.
And like any fairy godmother, they don't stay. Great Wardens get new jobs. They get reorged out. Sometimes, sadly, they get laid off too. Wardens are Inmates one level up, and the prison doesn't protect its favorites either.
Signs You're Living It
Survival Move
Appreciate them. Learn from them. Just don't get overly attached, because they're not forever either. They could get a new job or get laid off tomorrow, and the prison will be exactly what it always was. Give the credit to the person, not the place, and keep your own plan moving.
Field Manual
Related