As fickle and poorly written as I think they are, I frequently read Yahoo news articles and content. Occasionally I find some of them puzzling in that I don't seem to think some of the issues raised are as big of a deal as a lot of NT's seem to think they are.
Here is a recent article detailing things that "You Never Want to Hear at Work" and my replies to them.
Article wrote:
Top 10 Things You Never Want to Hear at Work
1. We've got a crisis on our hands. Don't be fooled by the implication of shared responsibility. That's just a euphemism. Make no mistake; you're on the receiving end of the message because you're the one they're counting on to handle the crisis or die trying.
Crisis to
you Just tell me what it is so I we can fix it.
Article wrote:
2. There's no easy way to say this. Guess what? There's no easy way to hear it, either. This can precede any number of events, from you're about to get fired or your top employee is quitting on you to your biggest customer is bolting for your top competitor. It's all bad.
Don't waste my showing how bad your acting skills really are. I know whatever you have to say is actually easy to say so just say it.
Article wrote:
3. Why don't you take some time off? This particular question can either precede or follow some really unpleasant news, like one of your employees has filed a sexual harassment claim against you or "I'm afraid you're burning out and I don't want to have to fire your butt."
Why don't you just tell me what aspect of my performance you're not satisfied with so we can fix it here and now?
Article wrote:
4. All your meetings have been cancelled. This is where you say, "What do you mean all my meetings have been cancelled?" to which your admin replies, "What can I say, nobody wants to meet with you." They could be customers, the media, employees, whatever, you're now officially insignificant. Never a good thing.
This is where you just go to your boss and request to be put on, or propose a new project so you can maintain productivity and they don't have a chance to think you've become redundant.
Article wrote:
5. Did you really just say that? Lots of people, especially public figures, have heard that one right after they think something that wasn't supposed to actually come out of their mouths, usually while the mic is on, the tape is rolling, or the boss is on the receiving end.
Yes and I meant it, just now how you thought I meant it. Turn the mic back on so I can explain.
Article wrote:
6. I accidentally deleted it. It's gone. You may not have pulled the trigger but the fact that you're on the receiving end means that, whatever it was -- probably a pitch or report you worked on for weeks -- you're the one who's going to suffer because of someone else's screw-up.
That's why I have a backup.
Article wrote:
7. Do you really think your presentation went well? That's when you ask, "Was it really that bad?" and the other person replies, "Um … sorry to tell you this, but you'll be lucky if they don't cancel your whole project."
Yes I did!
Article wrote:
8. Can I have a word with you in private? Not that good news is always delivered in public, but even when someone wants to chat with you about something innocuous, he won't say it like that. He'll opt for something like, "Where can we talk?" or "You're not gonna believe what I heard."
Sure...are you sure you don't want to just e-mail me instead though?
Article wrote:
9. Um … how long did it take you to do that? That's usually followed by something like a recommendation that you do it over and way, way better if you want to keep your job.
A very long time! How long do you think it takes to do it?
Article wrote:
10. You've been served. Not much you can do about this one, considering you've already blown it by answering yes to the magic question, Are you [your name]? Whether you're served at work or not, it really doesn't matter. You're going to wish it never happened.
Why? Did I do something bad?
20 Sep 2011, 5:35 pm
