Nonsense at Work
| posted by James McIntoshWhen good news isn’t
Now that the “R” word is being used freely to describe the state of the economy, be ready to hear some good news from your people.
Yes, I said ‘good news’. Your people understand the most important rule of organizational life: Keep the boss happy. Why? Because you decide on salary increases, bonuses, promotions, and so on.
The kings of old taught us how those in power react to bad news: the bearer lost his head. No wonder we like to pass on good news rather than bad; – to tell the king what we think he wants to hear; – to leave the bad news to someone else; – to let a colleague be the one to lose her job.
The result? The poor boss at the top must make decisions of great import based on a steady stream of good news.
My point? Don’t listen only to what your subordinates tell you. Unless you like only good news.
