I make a crap chairman. I even took my gavel to a meeting, but it seemed rude to use it. Very bossy, banging a gavel.
Do you know, sometimes I really feel I'll be glad when I can quit. I devised a five-year plan to come off all committees. Within a few weeks, I had agreed to join another one as the secretary was moving away from the area and they really needed someone at once.
This happened five years ago last June. Last July, I left one committee. I still have a five year plan.
I suppose it would be useful to have a proper job at which I was visibly busy every day, so that people wouldn't think I have plenty of time to spare. I know I appear capable, confident, articulate, but not domineering. I explain that I am also lazy, disorganised and casual, although efficient. This is absolutely true, but saying so is sometimes mistaken for modesty.
I will feel less grumpy in the morning.
But I will still rather want to quit.
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5 comments:
or, you could do something so ill reputed that they'd be forced to remove you. bang the gavel on someone's head, perhaps. or drink yourself under a table? i suppose there is a face saving element to all of it, so it depends on how much you really want off...
Dear Z - be ye not dismayed. I am all of those things...the not-so-good ones...lazy, casual disorganised AND inefficient..and yet people still think I can do things.
(Why? oh dear me why?)
You are not alone. Take comfort.
Proceed with the 5-year plan and revise as needed. Never give up.
Yours in empathy
wendy
Jen, if I were out of my depth I'd resign, though behaving so badly that I was removed is a vastly tempting notion. I'm not bothered about saving face, I would be more concerned about not upsetting people.
Wendy, glad it's not just me. Maybe we are that good really and we are simply in denial.
oh no, don't resign, we need people like you! I often spot when my Governors are about to resign, they have a certain look on their face and they avoid my gaze and clutch a white envelope (in which is their letter of regret at resigning). I can always pre-empt them from mentioning the R words at all and they leave smiling happily, glad to feel valued and of assistance. I always wondered how long the smiling lasted - now I know. I bet they are looking sad and getting out their crumpled five year plans before they reach their cars.
I feel sure you are a brilliant chair.
Tess, you are lovely. I told the governors, when I took on the last term of office, that it would be my last - I'd be chairman for three years, stay one more, and go. In that time (we were in a Pickle at that time), I'd make sure we had a full board of governors who knew what they were doing.
I was at my best putting the Pickle right. Then I worked at making myself completely dispensable. I said (and meant) that if I was missed, I'd have failed.
I succeeded.
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