Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The Power of Lists

Even though Jay Leno has been begging me to come write for his show, I'm the daughter of a union man and not about to cross that writer's strike picket line. So, that leaves me free to offer you these gems for Tidbit Tuesday:

* What's in a list? Time magazine's list-laden issue also has a dart to throw at the lists we all seem to love (ahem, 45 Things...). Writer James Poniewozik notes that one of the reasons we love things like Letterman's Top 10 lists is because they give us a chance to challenge authority, to point out that the other guy is a moron. "A list isn't truly right unless it's a little bit wrong," he writes. If you want to see the other nine reasons we go list-crazy at the end of the year, check out the story. No. 1 is the real kicker.

* Working makes me sick: If you think that work is taking it's toll on your psyche, it could be that your body is also taking a beating just by showing up every day. Newsweek reports that the workplace may be hurting everything from your eyes to your back to your ears, and provides some insights on how to combat that toll, noting that "small adjustments can make a suprising difference in the quality of your day."

* What your boss says and what he really means:Careerbuilder.com and Second City Communications have put together a list of how to truly understand what your boss is saying. It's sort of like a translation service for anyone entering the executive suite. Some examples:

Boss: "Great job on the report!"
Translation: "I'm taking credit for your work."

Boss: "I have to attend an off-site meeting."
Translation: "I'm having an affair."

Boss: "Let me give you some broadstroke ideas and you can fill in the rest."
Translation: "I still haven't learned how to create an Excel document."

Boss: "Headquarters has assured me we will not be affected by the merger."
Translation: "You are going to be fired."

Boss: "I'm not sure if what you are suggesting is in alignment with our core competencies."
Translation: "What exactly do we do again?"


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