turn up my monitor

Yesterday I once again came back to a blog entry that was forwarded to me by a friend last year. At work we were talking about some movement in positions at - one is promoted, another steps up to fill that vacancy - and I realized that once again, How to Play in Someone Else's Band became a nice touchstone. I always appreciated that the lesson runs both ways if you think of the statuses of both leader and the member alike. What brought it up was my recommendation that the one filling the vacancy is now in a position of leadership, not just rocking the bass, and needs to change, for lack of
a better work, appearances. I've often thought about the discussion about how the worker becomes the manager, or how the businessman becomes the enforcer (Joe Kennedy?), and our misguided interpretation of both sides of the equation. The fact of the matter is that regardless of how you work or behave when you are in the band is always going to be different than when you lead the band - and noone should expect anything different: you shouldn't be chastised for becoming more directive and controlling in nature when you take charge. But, with that acquittal of change, you can't not change - I consider it a necessity. Government/military-related work is driven by a 7:30a to 4:30p workday with a good bit of flexibility included. In this area traffic can dictate how painful your day is based on when you drive in and out of the city. Lots of the bandmembers work a 7a-3:30p (or 6:30a-3p) schedule in order to avoid the brunt of hellish traffic: perfectly acceptable in the band. One you become a manager/leader you need to change that frame and move to a more "present" 7a-5p workday - you need to be here earlyish and leave later. Trust me, nothing massively important, or on a deadline, ever happens before 3p in government work. Taking the position includes changing your workday to align with all of the other bandmembers who will still get the benefit of early arrivals and early departures. Leading, and the monetary bonus, is what you've taken on by accepting the job. (Of course, I've always advocated to new bandmembers that being here until 5p is always better; if you can never be found post-3pm it will show in reviews and critiques, fair or not.)

Hey, we got married ten days ago, in case you didn't know. We had a hearty crew of 17 join us for the ceremony and reception in Stowe - hard to imagine a better mix of people. For those that made it, thanks; for those that couldn't, we thought of you and wished you could have been there.

I'd like to get into some music, but since one reader is nitpicky about that I'll hold off until the next entry.