Heard this really interesting story about responsibility avoidance. My former co-worker P shared this bit of office gossip last time we caught up. Her boss had been out on maternity leave for over seven months last year and old showed up in the third quarter. But she came all guns blazing, made sweeping org changes, slayed ever so many demons all while mostly sleepless from having a new baby. Now she is out on yet another long leave and slated to return early summer. She cannot be contacted in any way shape or form while she is out. P is responsible for everything her boss was while she is out.
But the house is on fire by now thanks to all the things she shook up and did not restore during her short stint back in the office. The way P sees it, she came and set things in order so everyone could go forth and be successful. With her gone, everything will fall apart (really there is no other way this story ends based on how she set things up) and she will return blameless ready to take on the job of cleaning up after a bunch of incompetents. With any luck she can be out before the next big thing to deliver appears on the horizon. This is how significant careers are made, P opined. We can only hope to observe and be edified.
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