Appreciation post: The week my old boss called me a 'glue person'

It was a Tuesday in 2018, right after a huge project in Chicago fell apart. The lead dev quit, and I just started fixing handoffs between teams without being asked. My boss pulled me aside Friday and said, 'You're the glue that held this place together this week.' That phrase changed how I saw my own role. Anyone else have a moment that redefined their job for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_roberts5d ago

Got me thinking though, a glue person isn't just about connecting people. It's also about spotting the cracks before they split open, you know?

oliviahenderson5d ago

What makes a glue person different from just a busy one? For me, it clicked when a coworker said I didn't just do tasks, I connected what people needed to what was actually possible. That focus on linking things up, not just checking boxes, really stuck.

terryb114d ago

The glue person idea is good, but joseph_roberts has it right. It's more about seeing the weak spots before they break. A busy person just does the work in front of them. A glue person sees how all the pieces fit, or don't fit, and quietly fixes the connections. That's the real skill, noticing what isn't being said or what is about to fall through the cracks. It's a different kind of work that doesn't always show up on a task list.