Two people sat down in a meeting room. It was a long day at the office, with much stress flying about. Tension was thick and decisions of a difficult nature needed to be put into action.

“Well, we’re here now.”

“Yes. Is there anything else that need to be said at this particular juncture?”

“Well, I guess the main issue regards whether we go ahead with the decision at hand, or not.”

“We need to, but it is a difficult one to make. Surely that needs to be understood.”

“Well, a lot of people are going to be put out by this, if you go ahead.”

“If I go ahead? This is not a singular decision. This is both ours to make and pursue.”

“That I realise, but it is you who w ill have to make the announcement after all. Not me. This really rests on your shoulders. Not mine.”

“So what you’re saying is that whilst you will take part in pushing this forward, you are not going to accept any responsibility. Is that what I am to understand you are saying?”

“Not necessarily in those words, no. It’s more that I do not have the privilege, nor the competence to be able to carry something of such weight out. Surely you would be better suited for such a thing on your own.”

“Well, that may be. However, you need to also sign off on it. If I announce it solely, then you only serve to lose out. After all, all of them need to know that this was a joint decision.”

“Are you certain that that is what you want to pursue? That that is the course of action that you wish to take?”

“Of course. It’s a joint decision. You’re not going to be able to only go half of the way. After all, when all this is said and done, who would want to work with someone who doesn’t see their actions the whole way through?”

“My only action is to sign off on the decision. I have nothing else to contribute.”

“As part of this company in what many would consider a lofty middle management position, you still have quite a lot to provide. Or are you going to try and not do what is required of you once more, and let someone more qualified take over instead?”

“I’ve never done such a thing.”

“So you say, but you’re not going to be getting out of responsibility again. You sign on this and you see it the whole way through, just like I will.”

And so they sat in silence for a long time. The tension remained thick as hesitation and anticipation took over, but eventually they had to reschedule the meeting as neither were budging.

Thus a hard decision was postponed indefinitely as meeting after meeting with no conclusion occurred. Neither would budge but both would keep employees on the edge due to the weight of expectation.

And on and on it continued.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 09:11:30

Not sure what I was aiming for with this one.

I really wanted to write some dialogue but I don’t think I did a good job.

That said, I think I painted a picture of a meeting. Perhaps not a very professional meeting, but a meeting nonetheless.

Written at work.