Lt Cmdr. Avander Promontory: COOXO3: A True Leader
Avander Promontory
((Chief of Operations Office, Operations Center - Upper Level, Deck 6, USS Octavia E Butler))
Avander couldn’t tell if Toxin was seriously bothered or just distracted. Things seemed to be running just fine in the Ops department, but the bearded Bolian hybrid had expressed some personnel concerns with Lieutenant Nilsen. However, when Avander pressed on it, Toxin waved him off.
The chief executed a similar move when Avander asked about Toxin himself—a dismissive sort of “well we’ve all been a bit stressed lately” but without much more beyond that surface-level reply.
Promontory: Fair enough.
He waited a moment to see if the lieutenant had anything more to add.
Promontory: Well, if that’s it…
Arlill: Actually, I had a bit of a more personal question, (beat) well professional that is.
Avander smiled. Sometimes you just had to give people a little space before they were really ready to share.
Promontory: Absolutely, fire away! Personal or professional. That’s what I’m here for!
Arlill: We went through the same Starfleet class. I can’t help but be a little jealous at how successful you’ve been, you know, moving up so quickly.
Promontory: Oh!
That momentarily brought Avander up short. He hadn’t expected a question to get personal about himself. Becoming XO had been, for want of a better phrase, an accident of circumstances, in his mind. Previously he had been a department head in a department of one, but he had had some opportunities to join in with some command-training experiences early on. He went for a delaying question to stall as his mind tried to switch gears.
Promontory: Jealous you say?
Arlill: Oh, well I know, Jealous might be too harsh of a word. (beat) I’m just curious where I might step up more, get more noticed.
Henri: oO That-a-boy Tox, you look out for us! Oo
Avander took a beat and cleared his mind of the dozens of items on his to-do list to just listen to the man in front of him. There was something there—an anxiety, perhaps—but Avander got the sense that this went beyond the usual performance review check-in.
Promontory: First of all, I don’t know that you need to step up. You’re doing great as a department chief and, from what I hear, you’ve been a great away team leader in the field. Maybe I don’t understand, when you say more noticed, how do you mean?
Arlill: I dunno, I don’t see myself being Ops Chief for the rest of my career.
Promontory: Ah. A career shift? Perhaps a stint in Engineering?
Arlill: Response
Avander wrinkled his brow.
Promontory: Oh. (beat) Well, in that case, let’s get you involved with the command training program. (beat) Have you considered doing a stint at the Academy? They always need good trainers.
Arlill: Response
Promontory: I think the best thing you can focus on for now is helping your staff. The most important trait in a leader is helping those below them to make it.
Arlill: Response
Tags/TBC
[[ooc: continue this as long as you want!]]
--