How could things get any weirder between the Boss and me? Today I found myself doing two things I didn’t want to do, one because he asked me and another because he didn’t ask me. I don’t know if I’m trying to impress him or get him off my back. Maybe a little of both.

He phoned this morning, fresh from a brainstorming session with Julie about how to lighten my work load. He made a suggestion about reducing the number of worksheets he thinks he needs to see at the end of each month. He wanted to reduce the number by one, because he thinks some of the work Julie does for the accountant duplicates that one worksheet I’ve been doing. And in a way it does.

But he still wants to see another monthly worksheet that I’ve been doing for him. The trouble is, to create that worksheet, I have to do the one he told me he doesn’t need any more. In other words, he’s not reducing my work load at all, just the amount of it he sees. This gives him the illusion of taking away some of my burden, which makes him feel better about the whole thing than it makes me feel.

Of course I didn’t tell him this, but I’m not sure why. Either I want him to think he’s making my life easier, or I want him to keep enjoying the fruits of my labor, even if I don’t get credit for as much laboring as I actually do. Maybe it’s a little of both (if that’s even possible).

The other event occurred this afternoon, at quitting time. I wasn’t quitting, but it was that time when he called and asked a question about the Big Project. He’s been analyzing it for several days and thinks it’s ready to go to the accountant, but he had a small concern. Uh oh. I think I showed a little impatience, because he said, “Don’t worry about it now. We’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

“No!” I said. “I want to do it and get it over with.” And, as it turned out, he was right. Some of the gyrations we did late last week produced a discrepancy that I hadn’t accounted for. It took me about five minutes to find it and correct it. Maybe I should have taken a little more time before giving him the corrected sheet, but I wouldn’t want him to think I’m working too hard.