Someone else volunteering you to do something

My employer didn't assign me. Somebody who has the same job I do just shouted "not it" faster than I could.

 

From what you wrote, the other person is a sports editor. Apparently there are two sports editors at a small paper ... interesting.

That being said, from what you wrote, you had a third person who also hadn't shouted "not it." So really, what you did was read someone saying you'd be good at it and then pout for a while.

 

Not a weekly, a group of weeklies.
We're dealing with a new content management system, one I'm not completely comfortable using yet. I may not be good at it.

 

Is the problem here more that you don't feel comfortable with the CMS, or because a higher-up other than your supervisor wanted you to do something?

If it's you're not comfortable with the CMS, send an email back to the guy, and CC your supervisor, and say that you'd be happy to do it, but you're still learning the system and you hope he's available to help you should something go wrong.

If it's you're pissed off that the guy isn't your direct boss, oh well, stuff happens. Do your work.

If it's a guy who not only isn't your boss, but he's on the same level as you are, then send him an email,and CC your boss, offering to split the work with him. Because it's important for everyone to show that they're team players and company men. Hopefully he gets the hint.

 

Then you should have SAID something. The entire point here is that it was known it had to be decided among three people. One person "nominated" you. He didn't say you had to do it. He gave his reasoning. You had a chance to decline and give your reasons, and open the conversation for another direction, or do the job. You opted for C.) Try to fuck it up so you never have to do it again AND bitch about how you're being "volunteered" for things against your will. Someone said it above: Grow a pair. Christ. You had options. You chose not to speak up, and instead seethe inside about this and try to rally people to your side about how poor and put-upon you are.

Last week, it was announced two members of our team will be trained in a new platform that the other two of us will have no access to. One of those two people will get to be a "super expert" on said platform and work with an operations team going forward to help our site become better. I nominated my coworker and explained why (she already works with the ops team, she's in the same office where training will be held, and her work schedule better overlaps the people she'd be working with). I sure do hope she's not seething that I thought she was the best person for the job! I hope she doesn't come after me with a strongly worded disagreement email about how she doesn't "appreciate" me "volunteering" her for stuff.

I also, on an editing level, really wish you would stop calling it volunteering. It is impossible for someone else to volunteer you for something. They can recommend you do it, they can assign it to you ... but they can't volunteer you for it.

 

Ijag, perhaps I should have used the word "drafted" instead. Basically, I was put on the spot, in a position where I really was in no position to say no.

 

So, hold on.

The schedule was made a while ago. No one had spoken up or started a conversation until Thursday for an event that happened this weekend. You never once asked about who was doing it, or tried to make sure you knew the CMS well enough to do it? SOME people would have seen it as an opportunity to be a "do it all" kind of guy, to learn something new and to become the go-to person for the staff. But not you. You were hoping ignoring it would make it all go away and fall on someone else.

You are worthless, and a child, and worthless. Also, worthless.

 

Was the guy above you in the food chain, or a peer?

 

Popcorn popped. Feet up.

Please....continue.

 

Peer.

 

You know, you were drafted for what sounds like positive reasons -- you'd done it before, you'd done a good job, and you've been willing (because you're a company man, or for whatever other reasons).

Why aren't you taking this as a compliment and just doing it? If you have trouble doing it, get some help so that you can do it. At work, you can't always only do things that you're good at already. Sometimes, you have to learn as you go.

Your peers apparently have confidence that you can do that.

You sound like you're just scared of failing. If you do, I'm pretty sure it won't be intentionally, but, well, hopefully, you'll do the best you can, you'll learn something along the way, and you'll just do better with it next time.

Sometimes, the best you can do is the best you can do. Try it and go on from there.

And then, later, talk to the other guy about please not volunteering you for things without your prior knowledge in the future.

 

I nominate smallpotatoes to write the car column