How the delicate maneuver between hovering and helping makes the difference

By JJ Rosen June 13, 2023
How the delicate maneuver between hovering and helping makes the difference

This article originally appeared in The Tennessean.

First aid kit…check.

Passport…check.

Copy of passport…check.

Backup first aid kit…check.

A summer semester abroad program is something I’d always wanted to do. Meeting new people, learning about another culture, seeing the world— the experience of a lifetime.

But 30 years removed from college, this trip wasn’t about me.

“Dad…I got this…”

International cell phone plan…check. Tile luggage tracker…check.  Backup Apple Air Tag…check.

I knew our kid would be fine, and I knew I needed to give him some space. Already independent and responsible, he was ready for this new adventure.  But the thought of him being halfway across the world with a group of strangers still weighed on my protective parental soul.

I just couldn’t help myself as I went over my checklist.

I knew our kid would be fine, and I knew I needed to give him some space. Already independent and responsible, he was ready for this new adventure.  But the thought of him being halfway across the world with a group of strangers still weighed on my protective parental soul.

I just couldn’t help myself as I went over my checklist.

But this dynamic doesn’t only happen in families.  It happens at work as well.

In a work setting, where it’s all adults operating in an often complex environment, the line between hovering and helping gets even trickier.  Not offering your help to a colleague when they need it can hurt the business.  But offering too much help can be overbearing and hurt morale.

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