is that I will agree to take on a major administrative role of some sort
and find that I actually like it...
actually, I fear that I would like it, yet not actually be any good at it
I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if I liked and were good at it
ok, so that isn't really my greatest fear: I mean it is not up there with a giant asteroid hitting the Earth, or a bankrupt financial institution losing $60 billion in a quarter and getting bailed out by the taxpayer or a giant pandemic with high mortality rates
but, on a personal, career scale; it is definitely way up there
More like this
So sorry for the very short notice. The following airs here in the UK tonight (Thursday 30th June 2011), Channel 4. I look forward to it.
Once again I'm going to do the advertising thing for those fantastic Inside Nature's Giants people. Sorry that notice is so short, but I only received the relevant information today (Wednesday 13th October).
I declare today all Kraken day! I bet Kevin Bacon is happy. In case you have not got your fill, browse these old post for fun.
The foreshadowing last week was accurate.
Hm, does issuing an academic summons count toward this fear?
This is definitely a rational fear on your part. Once you have started down the path that leads to administration, forever will it dominate your destiny.
I was department chair for my last three years before retiring. The experience validated my decision to retire. However, now that I have forgotten most of the bad stuff, I nostalgically remember it as being pretty good fun. So, at the right time and situation doing administration is not a bad thing.
Come on in, Steinn, the water's fine!
yeah, but you're like really good at it...
from close second hand observation that makes a difference
it is liking it but being bad that scares me
'course the pay is better, generally...
When a new chair was being selected when I was in grad school, the conventional wisdom that was passed down to us from several different faculty members was that you *didn't* want the person who really wanted the job to get it. We were told that the best administrators are the ones who take the job kicking and screaming all the way.
So I think the best way to prevent your fear from being realized is to start to appear really eager every time an opportunity comes your way.
The pay increase does not even start to compensate for the increase in bull**** that one needs to deal with every day. Which is why I'm glad to return to my other kind of BS on a regular basis!
Ideally, if you took on a major administrative role, the role would involve helping to prevent a giant asteroid from hitting the Earth...
Admittedly, that might make the scenario even more scary, but at least then you'd be safe from really enjoying being an administrator.