Vacuosity

Pulling strings

I tend to feel a bit insecure about my work when people, like my boss, ask me what it is that keeps me so busy. I can't really describe it; I often don't know. I look back over the day, throughout which I have run like a flaming chimp, and I can't really identify what I spent my day doing.

I scurry about, answering people's many questions, getting things, providing things, arranging things, helping things happen. I realized a day or two ago: I'm a facilitator. My job is facilitating the work that my team does. I hadn't really thought of it that way before.

The funny thing is, just today, Brad Usherwood (from Yield) said to me, "You're job is to facilitate." Just like that; it was weird.

In other management insights, I saw a skill in Greg today that surprised me and angered me a little. I watched him address a topic with another manager that wasn't a particularly contentious point, but regardless, he approached it with the method he refers to as "positioning". Under the guise of an update meeting, he worked his way around to dealing with the real issue. The way it rolled out, it seemed like we just happened upon it in Greg's half-bumbling manner.

I realized why it angered me even though in this circumstance it worked in my favour. Management should not equate manipulation ; and if it does, I want no part of it. Maybe that's why I hate it. I naively expect poeple to be able to deal with the harsh reality of the way things are. I don't want to have to frame it, or position it, or phrase it, or spin it. I want to be able to say, "This is how it is" and have people accept that maturely and professionally. Silly me.

posted by David @ 11:01 p.m.