askyourdreamsforideas: In praise of the perfect employee

There are two rules about hiring in my business.

The first one is that only attractive people get to work with us.

The second is that no candidate goes past the first interview unless they have 'the bright eyes'.

By bright eyes I definitely don't mean a physical thing,though you can surely see it in their faces as well.No,we are talking about mental attitude here,zest for life,enthusiasm,charisma even!

Now imagine how often we can find that in a candidate.But even when we can,they are not at all interested in working for someone else,because they've got the guts to run a business of their own.Or,they might have the bright eyes,the willingness to work and learn in someone else's business,but they are severely underqualified,because it really takes all you've got to teach adults,they are a very demanding audience.Or,said prospective employees might have all of the above,but our personalities-mine and theirs- would clash so badly that you could see it coming,there would be constant bickering and bitterness between the two of us,which is not at all good for business.Or peace of mind for both parties involved,namely boss and employee.

I was blessed with having a coworker and friend that combined all the above desirable qualities and then some,Panagiotis.He is loyal,a great friend,an awsome teacher,extremely popular with the students,fully qualified (spent 5 years in England and got a degree in English there) and pure pleasure to work with.What's more, (though you probably can't tell from those pictures), his sense of humor is so great that he'd had everyone,students and co-workers and me alike,cracking with laughter on a daily basis.

His work ethic would put to shame all of us in the school;he never ever missed a day's work-even when sick!-all four years he's been working at LEXIS!

He is a boss's dream,hard working and an excellent team worker,funloving,enthusiastic and ready to implement new ideas when necessary but also in the know of all the knots and bolts of teaching.He could get on with practically anybody,be it student or colleague!Hell,he could even get on with me,notorious for being a 'difficult' boss! (No,my social persona is not indicative of my employer persona,in case you are wondering!)

On a personal level,he's always been there for me through thick and thin in all those four years we've been working together,as we have become,I believe,great friends in the meantime.We know and respect each other's quirks and little vices and can talk about everything,just like all good friends do.We would confide to each other and advice each other but he'd never cross the line because of our friendship and become less than respectful and reliable as an employee towards me.

He gets on perfectly with my husband and kids and they simply love him.As for his partner,not only is she a beautiful,really accomplished and clever girl,but she also happens to be the coolest wife in the world!

When I first met Panagiotis,Panos for short,he was coming out of a rather disappointing working experience in another teaching position.We both helped each other grow professionally and he was the reason why I felt confident to stop teaching altogether in my classes and concentrate on directing the school instead.I mean,he was so damn good a teacher that I was confident about students being in good hands and his co-teachers having a reliable team leader and so I could concentrate on my administrative and marketing duties.

I've always known that he wanted to have a school of his own in his wife's hometown one day,he was upfront about it from the beginning,he had even given me a timeline at the beginning of our work realationship.I guess I just kept pushing it further back into my mind as is sometimes the case with unpleasant stuff..So now that it has actually come to his leaving us and he is no longer part of LEXIS,although it was not a surprise,we miss him sorely.I believe it goes both ways,because in between his own obligations,he stills comes to visit us and see how things go for the school that he really cared for and helped become well-known.

Being great at one's job is one of the biggest sources of satisfaction in life,giving us a sense of pride and accomplishment that is essential to our self identity and wellbeing.And sometimes,as is the case with us,a boss can be inspired and motivated to be the best they can be because of a special employee's charisma and work ethic!

Thank you for being awsome and good luck with the rest of your life,dearest Panos!

May all your wishes and aspirations come true!You deserve it!