Responsibility

I have a conference call with my boss and about twelve of my colleagues every Friday morning at 8:30.

This is ridiculously early for me, considering I'm normally just waking up around then. Luckily, since it's a conference call, I can wake up at 8:15, wash my face, turn on my laptop, and take the call in my pajamas. If I wake up really early (8:00), I pick up a cup of coffee at Zona Rosa and then come home and crawl back into bed with the luxury of caffeine and sugar to keep me alert while we chat.

Occasionally, the call gets cancelled (and those are such wonderful Fridays), and once in a blue moon, my boss has a conflicting meeting and she delegates someone else to lead the team on the call. It's usually Max, who is smart and organized and somewhat bossy (in a good way). I actually can't think of a time when it was anyone other than Max.

Until today. My boss mentioned to me yesterday that she might cancel the call because of another meeting. I checked my email late last night in hopes that I could sleep in this morning. Instead of cancelling, she had sent out the agenda and asked me if I'd facilitate. I was both nervous and excited.

How cool to be asked to take a leadership role! Even though it's not like heading a major project, it's still kind of a big deal. Wrangling a dozen people (especiallly my opinionated colleagues) through as many agenda items within a set time frame isn't easy for my boss, let alone anyone else. I wanted to do a good job and not be impatient or sharp with anyone, as I am sometimes wont to do.

I woke up super-early and went into the office to take the call instead of doing it from home. I looked over the agenda and pulled up information on the issues I'd be covering. (Every agenda item is usually delegated to someone different based on who was the lead or where it took place.) I am pleased to report that the call went well: we stayed on track with the agenda with very little off-topic conversation and we finished in exactly one hour, which I think is a record for us when we have so many topics to cover.

I feel like a total nerd, but it was such a lovely ego-boost for me to be asked to lead the call, and even more so when a few of my colleagues complimented me on my facilitation skills. Yay, me!