We are under stressful times and that might mean that you are asked to go above and beyond what our job entails. And if you’re in tune with the climate of the organization, you pitch in and do what needs to be done whether it’s your job or not and don’t complain because you know you are working towards a goal in the organization that is bigger than you.
Then there are those times when things just happen in the dark, heavy puddle of burnout and uncertainty, when a freak accident happens and it offers, even just for a short time, levity and it reminds us we are all human and laughter really is the best medicine.
Once a week, I get one hour with my boss where he devotes his time to me and allows me to ask questions, get clarifications and mentor me in whatever job related topic I choose. It also gives him the same opportunity to make requests and plant the seeds for future projects. So you bet, I try to get as much info and direction as I can in that one hour because I may not see him again for the rest of the week. Last week was like any other with one exception. The night before, I was in my writing group and our fearless leader was showing us how you can have different backgrounds and play with your image on the screen in Zoom. So I used the five minutes before my 1:1 to test this out. What i didn’t know, was that in my attempt at changing the background, somehow I had inadvertently given myself a beard.
I didn’t know I had done it until he came on screen and just busted out in laughter. I couldn’t’ figure out how I had done it nor how to get rid of it. So, I ended up having my coveted 1:1 with my boss. With. A. Beard. He wouldn’t look at me the entire time because if he did, he’d break out in fits of laughter. Something we both needed.
Balancing Cat 