Characters We Work With – The Sopranos
The Paulie Walnuts
Paulie is the classic #2, or #3 in the office. There is one boss with a title, be it the manager, the supervisor, whatever the title may be – there is one boss that you, Paulie and everyone all report to. After that, there are those few who are the closest to the boss, they often share the same title as twenty others all of whom report to the same boss. But Paulie and the other chosen few exercise a bit of authority as through they’ve been ‘left in charge’ while the boss is away. They may tell, not ask, others what to do even though they actually have no authority. And when the boss is around, The Paulie is sure to be deferential, runs and grabs him a coffee or a sandwich, takes every opportunity to give a compliment, and he laughs the hardest at the boss’ jokes. By all indications he would take a bullet for the boss. Paulie believes this is the path to taking over when the boss moves along some day, but you and most everyone, know it is never to be.
The Dr. Melfi
Dr. Melfi is your HR Lead for the office. She talks a lot, she seems curious, and asks a lot of questions. In the end, Dr. Melfi does little to solve anything or make you feel better. But she will give you all the time you need. It may seem that the time and counsel she provides are free of charge , but you will pay for her services in the form of whatever you discussed with her coming back to haunt you at a later date. While it is always important for you to have that place to vent, particularly when your work is complex, as are the people you work with, you go back and forth as to the value of Dr Melfi and in the end think it is a role your office or organization probably doesn’t need.
The Johnny Sack
You spend most days with your team, surrounded by the same people, same office or setting, doing the same work. And you like it. You don’t find it boring or tedious, even if you have similar, specific tasks to complete each day. New customers, new initiatives, changes in the business keeps things fresh and interesting. You are accustomed to your work universe, you know who the leadership is, and who is in charge day to day. But you know that your team or organization is a branch under the umbrella of a larger organization. And every so often the Real Boss makes an appearance – The Johnny Sack. While you and your colleagues at the branch site have a relaxed atmosphere, comfortable and casual in front of your ‘regular’ boss, when Johnny Sack makes an appearance, everyone tightens up a little, straightens the tie, shuts down minesweeper, the Facebook and does their best to look busy. You won’t find many people making eye contact, hoping the visit is a short one. The few that do interact with Johnny Sack are strategic, making sure to pay their respects, believing that if Johnny Sack remembers them, it could come in handy should they ever need someone to vouch for them when a future opportunity arises. But then they too hope he leaves right after!
The Janice Soprano
Janice is a lot of work, period. You never know on any given day what to expect from Janice. If she is in a great mood, the office will seem delightful all day. She may even bring in that vegan quiche she got the recipe for and told everyone about because she is all of a sudden vegan as of this month and preaches why everyone else should go vegan as well. Happy Janice is a pleasure to be around, but that Janice surfaces quarterly maybe, or at best monthly in a good year. For the most part, Janice’s moods and subsequent behavior is simply erratic. She can be hot, cold, then hot again from one hour to the next, all relative to the last person, customer, or office equipment she has interacted with most recently. She could be topping off your coffee one moment and being held back from destroying the copier with a sledgehammer the next. Because you have both a healthy fear of, and a level of pity for Janice, you find it best to keep her at arm’s length, never asking ‘how are you doing, Janice?’, for fear she may launch into a diatribe of drama. Instead, it is always a quick fly-by with “Good Morning, Janice”, never pausing your stride long enough to get caught in the potential hell storm.
The Tony Soprano
Tony is the boss, simple as that. You recall when Tony was working his way up the ranks, willing to do whatever was necessary. Sure, he did some crazy things in his youth, when crazy things are a bit more permissible. But you have seen him grow up, mature, become a family man, and take his life and career more seriously over the years. Doing so long enough, and being good at his craft, he ascended to the role he has today, which most saw was his destiny. He is unapologetic for his sometimes rough or brooding behavior because he is who he is. He is comfortable and incredibly confident in his own skin. You appreciate that he always has the back of his team and disrespecting a team member is like doing so to him, which he will not tolerate. He is the only one that defers to no one. Even when Johnny Sack swings by Tony will give him respect, and give him time, but you always know when the two are together that Tony is the boss here, and no one else.
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