10/21/2003 Entry: "Supervise, Supervice: Squeeze The Work Out Of Them."

At first I was upset. I have a new client, another major initiative up for review, and have had a headache for about three days now. So how the hell did I become chair of the Activities Committee for next week's company charity fundraiser? Don't I have enough to do? Why me?

I'm not sure why I was volunteered. I'm not exactly the role model for the skill sets an Activities Chairperson would need:

• Communicator: (sits silently in office with overhead light turned off...check)
• Organizer: (filing system is a messy pile of papers stuck pell-mell into a dirty tablet of paper...check)
• Motivator: (late to work, having laid in bed trying to come up with an excuse to call in sick...check)

Then we had the meeting that I called. Each of the events people presented their spreadsheets and presentations, and I nodded sagely. Each committee member presented their action plan, we established next steps, and I walked out of the meeting having committed to nothing more taxing than making three decorative boxes for contest entries. Turns out I do my best management by not managing anything at all. How libertarian!

I'm beginning to suspect that I've just been promoted to the position where I can do the least damage. Senior Management, here I come.