My old manager told me to 'just figure it out' - best advice I ever got

Back in 2019 I had a manager at a small marketing firm in Cleveland who refused to help me with anything. Every time I asked a question he would just say 'figure it out yourself, that's what you're paid for.' I was so frustrated I almost quit twice. But after six months of struggling through problems on my own I started to get really good at troubleshooting. Now I run my own freelance business and I realize he was right. If he had spoon fed me answers I never would have learned how to dig through documentation or find solutions online. Has anyone else had a boss give advice that seemed cold but actually turned out to be a hidden blessing?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole3561mo ago

Honestly, isn't that just called doing your job?

daniel4741mo ago

Staring at my screen for a solid ten seconds trying to wrap my head around @cole356 saying that. You're telling me a cashier handing someone their change is a "wow factor" now? I once watched a guy at the hardware store load bags of concrete into an old lady's trunk and nobody even blinked.