So when they fall in my lap, I’m not too upset, but usually excited. Good dilemmas are fun – damned if you do or don’t is good, not because the choice is hard, but because what your choice says about you. Which damning do you prefer, or which evil is lesser, or who’s feelings are you willing to sacrifice for a chuckle? Yeah. Good dilemmas are fun.
Kelly saw a rowing contest at work. 3 person teams. Most kilometers rowed. He asked if I wanted in.
I created a little stir by asking how we were going to compete against each other within the team, but once it got settled that we wouldn’t, I was still in and things advanced pretty smoothly. Sorta. Though Kelly and Brian were the first two “in” they were only committing to “going to look at the machines” on the first day. I wanted a number…they wanted to gaze.
So, in anticipation for the gazing, there was really only one other thing to do – research the contest a bit. There happened to be a flyer in the cafeteria. Besides the most kilos rowed by a team, there is a bonus raffle for every individual that gets over 100k (1 prize, x individuals in the drawing…) The contest ends at the end of the month. We didn’t start talking about it until the 7th. So 100k is a pretty good pace. 24 days, that’s just a little over 4k a day. Except when you figure you won’t row 7 days a week. Maybe 3 days at work. And then there’s MLK Jr. Day and now you’ve got 10 rowing MWF days left. We’re up to 10k a day…
And that first day we did 3.5k each.
Got tips from Jason about form, and breathing and pacing. Which has helped a bit. Did another 2k after basketball and then on the 9th another 5k . Did not make it in over the weekend. But got another 5k in on Monday and 7k on Tuesday with Brian. Kelly, the idea man, had other things to do.
So where’s the dilemma? “How do you cut your boss from a team he started?” is too basic.
The dilemma stemmed from the fact that I ended up registering the team and got an email with some basic instructions for how to track progress. But they weren’t that detailed. We need facts – like where and how to log the kilos. So on the 8th, when I was at the gym, rowing by myself a bit after basketball, I asked the lady at the desk for details. She tells me that the lady running the contest was laid off last year and that it isn’t clear who’s taking her place and what the rules would be.
So, now, out of the love for my team, should I tell them that the contest might be canceled? Or, for the love of my team’s fitness (and for my own little body fat percentage weight bet…) do I not share with them that detail, since they already seem somewhat motivationally challenged? How long can I go without telling them? The whole month? Probably not. Though it would be fun to feign surprise at hearing that it was cancelled after trying to do 100k each during the month.
And it’s “probably not” not because I’d feel like I’d have to tell them, but just like me, they like details and would want to know how we’re logging things, etc. And if I flat out lie to them (I’m sending our kilo counts to so and so) then it’s harder to feign innocence later on, when it’s all done.
Not that I really need that innocence later on because I’m kind of interested in claiming some credit for a minor prank of making them row when they don’t “need” to row per se. Though rowing certainly isn’t hurting any of us. In the long run at least. There is some minor pain and discomfort right now.
But that’s all moot now, cause this morning, I happened to run into the lady running the gym, and she says we’re on! Except that she shares with me that I’m the first person to ask how to log the kilos. So we might be the only team registered I think…and when I ask her if we need to use 1 sheet per person or per team, she says, “Well, you’re the only team that signed up, so you can use as much paper as you like.” (Some forms say signups ended on the 12th, others say signups end on the 15th – there might or might not be another team registering…)
So I’ve still got a chance to motivate by misdirection/deception. Kelly’s already curious about why the rowing machines aren’t busier (but he’s got a sample size of 2 days…come on…) and I replied with the fact that people in the other offices could be in it, since it’s all by honor code anyway. And Brian’s thinking that if there aren’t that many teams, we don’t need to try that hard to win. I’ve countered with the position that those teams that are in the contest must be really serious, so we need to try harder.
I also threatened to leave the team to find another team (screw the registration end date – I’m trying to make a point!) that’s more serious about this (and to beat this motivationally challenged first team even!) Then Brian said he’s good for setting 100k as a goal. Which I was happy about.
But then again, a raffle for a prize pool of 1 is more of a sure thing than a raffle in a pool of size 2.
We’ll see what happens and what I can get out of these guys and myself…
…and yeah. They don’t read these posts that are “too long”…so I’m not too worried about putting this out there for them to stumble upon (and if they do, well, that’s part of the fun too).