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The Art of Sitting Quietly
Sometimes I am required to sit quietly and wait. I hate it.
It’s been an awfully long time since I had a particularly clear job description. My job is usually to figure out what needs to be done, do it, and then file the paperwork saying that it was done. Technically I am a project manager by trade but, when there aren’t projects to be managed, I also manage offices, crews and sometimes even piles of receipts so large and decrepit that they may as well be considered sentient beings.
The one thing that is consistent is the ebbs and flows of communication. Most of what I do requires some sort of input or response from other people in order to tie everything together. The unintended result of this is large spaces in which I am simply waiting for a reply. I have never been good at sitting still and would much rather get up and leave than sit at a desk as part of the decor. But there is inherent value in being present. The phone rings and I set up a new client or I happen to be around when someone has a question about the health and safety program.
I am lucky enough to be able to work from home when the need arises. When things are slow, I prefer to be able to work at my kitchen table because it greatly expands the scope of things that I can tackle. Ten minutes to spare before a teleconference, why not start supper? On hold for that same…
