Author Archives: Grumpy100

I Didn’t Get Any Cake

Milton Waddams in Office Space: Nina: Now Milton, don’t be greedy, let’s pass it along and make sure everyone gets a piece. Milton Waddams: Yeah, but last time I didn’t receive a piece. And I was told… Nina: Just pass. … Continue reading

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You Do This Well, But You Could Improve That…

The Problem Providing feedback that praises, and then offers suggestions for improvement. I’ve always wondered why such a method left a bad taste in my mouth, but I came across one possible explanation in The Paradox of Choice: Why More … Continue reading

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Respect and The Prefix “Pre-”

In many ways, good parents, good teaching, and good management have similar traits. There has to be respect to have control. Respect is not about being liked; respect is about being trusted to make good on whatever promise or threat … Continue reading

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The Collateral Damage of a Meeting

Meetings, much like 1-hour credit lab courses in colleges, carry a much higher price than their appointed time indicates. We’ve been over this before:  A 15-minute meeting is more disruptive than a 3 hour one elaborated on the 15-minute meeting … Continue reading

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Do Not Mess with the Flow of Coffee

I know times are tough, and that we need to save money wherever we can. That being said, DON’T MESS WITH THE FLOW OF COFFEE. *ahem* Please, excuse me for yelling.  The supply of coffee to your workers is as … Continue reading

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Friday Diversion: Sunrise through the clouds

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Crash the Project Plan

Why in the world would you want to “crash” a project plan? The very use of the word “crash” seems to purvey a sense of doom. If you’re not familiar with the “crashing” process, it involves taking a current project … Continue reading

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Offensive Email

No, not offensive email that will get you in trouble with HR, just with the recipients of your emails who already have enough bloat in their inboxes. What’s the problem? I think we covered the part about motivational sayings in … Continue reading

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Read Receipts in Outlook

Read receipts can be obnoxious. Outlook’s handling of them can be equally obnoxious. I curiously received a read receipt in Outlook when I scheduled a meeting, that meeting was forwarded by a invitee of the meeting, and the recipient of … Continue reading

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Be Open to Change!

“The only constant is change.” “Be open to change.” “Embrace change.” For those who work in small businesses or startups, these mantras probably aren’t necessary. When you’re breathing constant change, you don’t have to be reminded that it exists. No, … Continue reading

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