How to Receive Feedback if You Want to Be Promoted

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How to Receive Feedback is an important skill that is not talked about nearly as much as how to give feedback.  Below, we talk about:

  • Why you would bother to care about How to Receive Feedback
  • How you go about gathering feedback.
  • How To Receive Feedback if you want to get fired.
  • How to Receive Feedback if you want to get promoted.

Why you should care about How to Receive Feedback

How to Receive Feedback is a critical career skill.

  • By learning How to Receive Feedback, you will have discovered one of the most powerful ways to develop and change your behavior.
  • Your powers of self-perception only go so far. People around you notice things, both good and bad.  Remember — “What you think about your leadership is not as important as what others think about your leadership.”
  • The critical factor in making the feedback effective for your personal development is how you deal with and respond to the information you receive.

How to Get Feedback

The first necessary step in learning How to Receive Feedback, is to get feedback.  Here are some ideas:

  • Ask – there is nothing wrong with asking people specific questions about your leadership or your performance.
  • 360 Feedback – some organizations have infrastructure in place for formal feedback such as a 360 assessment.  In the absence of such instruments, you can still solicit feedback in a more formal way.
  • Skip Level Meetings – The skip level meeting is an excellent way to solicit feedback.  There is some risk in having your boss interview your direct reports, but the feedback can be very valuable.
  • Listen For It – Every day, people will offer clues to you about your leadership and your performance.  If you can pay attention to these clues, it can be very helpful.

How to Receive Feedback if You Want to Get Fired:

  • Get emotional – if you become angry or emotional when receiving feedback, it sends a very clear signal about your maturity to others.
  • Be defensive – if you consistently rationalize the feedback, and fail to take responsibility, you will likely get fired.
  • Deny — if you fail to consider others’ points of view about your performance, it will compromise your career.
  • Explain and Make Excuses – there are lots of ways to explain away poor performance.
  • Sulk – if you fail to see feedback as a gift to improve, but rather feel injured as a result of having someone telling you something you didn’t want to hear, you are risking your employment.

How to Receive Feedback if you want to get promoted:

  • Listen — Attempt to listen without judging what the person is saying. Listen without expressing your opinion or responding.
  • Clarify — Ask probing questions to make sure you understand what is being said. Ask questions to clarify. Ask for examples and stories that illustrate the feedback.
  • Thank — Thank them for the feedback even when you don’t agree with all of it, there will be some good ideas – accept them. This shows respect for the other person’s perspective.
  • Think — Consider and reflect upon others perceptions of your leadership behavior. Work on developing your understanding of how others perceive your behavior and its impact – the intended and the unintended consequences on that person, other employees, and the work environment.
  • Change — Work to improve.  Devote your energy to finding improvement rather than disputing observations. People can and do change. Choose one or two behaviors to focus on in developing your action plan. Identify concrete, observable actions to do differently.  Get help. Monitor how well you are doing by keeping track of what you committed to change.
  • Follow Up — This step is the most critical one. Follow-up demonstrates that you are truly committed to changing your behavior. “You know that I am working on being a better listener. How am I doing? If you had any suggestions for me, what would they be?”

Three Things to Remember about How to Receive Feedback:

  1. You do want to encourage feedback – it is a key career and survival tool
  2. You can decide what to do with the feedback.
  3. Don’t forget to follow up.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about How to Receive Feedback (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Your Call is Important to Us — and Other Lies

I was passing through airport security a while ago, and two of the people that are responsible for my safety in the air were having quite a conversation about how drunk they got on the weekend.  I was completely invisible, and given that I was running a bit late for my plane, I made a critically poor decision.

I opted to offer these folks some feedback that they should probably be a little more focused on what we were paying them to do, and a little less on debriefing their leisure time.  Much to no one’s surprise, I was selected for “random” additional security screening.

I can only claim temporary insanity at forgetting the very first (and only mandatory) rule of offering feedback:  The recipient has to be willing to hear you.

Of course, everybody says they want your feedback, but in reality, they’re often not all that interested.  How many times have you heard:

“Your Call is Important to Us”

“Tell us what you think”

“Your opinions are important”

Yes, we are constantly bombarded with messages that people want our feedback.  In reality, people are really keen to receive feedback that tells them they have done well, or that reinforces their view of the world.  Any other types of feedback will only begrudgingly be accepted.

Probably the most dangerous thing someone can do, is respond when their boss says, “I’d like your feedback”.  That is the professional equivalent of a person’s wife asking, “Do I look fat in this?”  In the history of humankind, no one has ever advanced their own cause by attempting to answer such questions.

The last time I was asked such a question, I ran away so fast, there was a Bob-shaped hole in the exit door.  It’s like the “room-mate switch” – it has never been done, and we must never speak of it again. (Seinfeld reference – look it up on YouTube)

So the next time your boss asks you for feedback on his presentation, you need to answer as follows:

“I really thought you nailed the messaging, and came across in a powerful way.”  If he pushes you for some constructive feedback, you might want to offer something like, “I probably would have opted for the arial font – I don’t think the cambria is as easy to read.”

Either that, or just run away so fast, you put a {insert your name here}-shaped hole in the exit door.

 

Cross Cultural Differences (Where You Wouldn’t Expect Them): Doing Business in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia/NZ

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People have increasingly raised their awareness of Cross-Cultural Differences in the past couple of decades – particularly where those Cross-Cultural Differences are obvious and well defined.  But what about Cross-Cultural Differences that are more difficult to spot?  Below we discuss Cross-Cultural Differences that may occur between the seemingly similar nations of:

  • The United States
  • The United Kingdom
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • New Zealand

Specifically, we talk about:

  • Why you should care about Cross-Cultural Differences between these countries.
  • Comparison of Cross-Cultural Differences of these countries on 5 different dimensions.

Why Care About Cross-Cultural Differences?

On the surface, many people may be hard-pressed to identify any significant differences between these countries.  However, people that have worked in more than one of these places will testify as to the multitude of Cross-Cultural Differences.  Further, the Wily Manager website and podcast audiences come overwhelmingly from these five countries.  Even if your organization does not do business internationally, you may have people you work with that come from one of these other countries.

When managing Cross-Cultural Differences, it is often easier when the other culture is substantially different so the potential points of conflict or difference can be identified and mitigated.  In many cases, it is much more difficult when the Cross-Cultural Differences you are trying to bridge originate from an American working in Canada, for example.

Caveats to this Discussion of Cross-Cultural Differences:

  • We make many generalizations about these countries, and the people that come from them.  Inevitably these generalizations will not apply to every person in every situation.
  • The content below are merely observations, not evaluations.
  • If you are from one of these countries, you will almost certainly be offended by at least one of our assessments below.
  • NOTE:  The Wily Manager guys have worked in all of these countries except New Zealand — an oversight we’d like to correct!  For now, we’ll take comfort in our numerous visits to NZ.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Managing Conflict

  • Canada & NZ: Both these nations produce chronic avoiders of conflict.  Their history is littered with examples of keeping the peace at any cost.  In many cases, this has served them both well.  In the context of business, avoiding conflict is an unhealthy response to a situation.
  • United States:  Americans are much more prone to surfacing disagreement, and dealing with it.  While others may find this approach confrontational, conflict is often resolved more quickly, and more permanently.
  • UK & Australia: These two countries most often find themselves between the two extremes noted above.

International Awareness

An individual’s awareness of the rest of the world will influence how she conducts herself at work.  Specifically, it can make dealing with Cross-Cultural Differences easier or more difficult.

  • The US and Canada
    • Most North Americans are typically unaware of what happens outside of North America.
    • Many Americans and most Canadians will disagree with this assessment, which can be quickly be proven by asking them to name the Prime Minister of Australia or New Zealand.  Further, until recently less than 10% of Americans, and less than 25% of Canadians held a passport.
    • The majority of North Americans have never left the continent.
  • The United Kingdom
    • The British are (sometimes reluctantly) connected to Europe, as well as to the Commonwealth and the United States.  As such, they have a broader sense of the world.
  • Australia and New Zealand
    • The remoteness of these two nations creates a greater need to look outwards.  Many (if not most) Aussies and Kiwis (those from New Zealand) spend months or years abroad

Water Cooler Chat

Those topics that are considered appropriate or inappropriate in a professional setting can be some of the best examples of dealing with Cross-Cultural Differences.  Below is an assessment of how likely people are to talk about religion and/or politics in a work setting:

  • Canada & New Zealand – Discouraged in business settings.  Such conversation would normally be avoided or minimized in work settings.
  • Australia & UK – The Aussies and the British are only slightly more likely to talk about such things in business settings.
  • United States – In many American workplaces, it would not be unusual or inappropriate to be asked what church you attend, or who you might be most likely to vote for.

Tolerance for Authority and Government

How people view authority and government is a key factor in managing Cross-Cultural Differences:

  • The United States – Americans are more focused on the individual and individual freedoms than any of the other countries compared here.  The fact that this nation was born out of rejection of authority and government is still obvious in how business is conducted today.
  • Australia – Much like the US, Australia is a product of its history.  The individualism is not as strong as it is for Americans, but Australia has a proud independent streak that is obvious in business settings.
  • United Kingdom – The British have a strong respect for their institutions, although in the past 30 years, there have been significant tests of authority and government by its citizens.
  • Canada & New Zealand – Once again, the Canadians and the Kiwis are grouped together as people that have relative tolerance for authority and government.  This is not to say that people do not disagree, but compared to the other three countries, these two have the most respect for authority and government.

Time off

If you work with people from one of the other profiled countries, you will notice almost immediately their expectations and attitudes about time off.

  • The United States:  Americans get very little time off — in many cases only two to three weeks per year.
  • Canada: Canadians only get marginally more time off than their American neighbors.
  • United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia: These three countries have much more time off than the North Americans.  Many employees have six to ten weeks of holiday (vacation) time.  There are also many more statutory holidays than are found in the United States.

Three Things to Remember About Managing Cross-Cultural Differences

  1. Just because someone may look and sound like you, they may have a vastly different life experience.
  2. There is nothing wrong with discussing cultural differences, as long as you do it with sensitivity.
  3. You don’t have to travel, or do business internationally to need cross-cultural skills.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Cross Cultural Differences (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Dealing With a Rotten Boss

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There are good bosses, bad bosses, and downright Rotten Bosses.  Below we offer some suggestions as to how to deal with a Rotten Boss.

Ways You Can Deal With a Rotten Boss

  • Throw your Rotten Boss “under the bus”.
  • Hug it out with your Rotten Boss
  • Give your Rotten Boss  the “It’s not you, it’s me” speech.
  • Leave your Rotten Boss behind.

Throw Your Rotten Boss “Under the Bus”.

You have to think very carefully before you attempt to take down your Rotten Boss.  There are some significant risks:

  • Be prepared for nothing to change.  You expose yourself to some professional risk, and nothing may change.  Unless you boss has done something illegal or against policy, there may be little the organization can do.
  • Be prepared for it to get worse.  If you undermine your boss, it is very possible s/he will discover from whom the complaint originated, in which case, it may be even less comfortable for you.

If you have considered the risk, and still want to complain about your boss, you can do some things to increase your chances of success:

  • Strength in numbers:  If you can find a number of others to come forward, you avoid the “he said, she said” situation, and the organization may have to act.
  • Documentation.  Much like a problem employee, you should begin a paper trail.  Write down incidents and occurrences with you boss including who was involved, as well as the date and time.

Hug it Out With Your Rotten Boss

A less risky strategy is for you to attempt to resolve your situation with your boss without involving the larger organization:

  • Sit down with your boss and discuss exactly how you are feeling.  It is possible your boss does not understand how you feel.  It is also possible you have misunderstood or misinterpreted some events.  Leave your mind open to this possibility.
  • You may also want to invite your boss to share his or her work preferences with you.  By better defining expectations about what work s/he wants done, and how it should be conducted, you may be able to resolve your Rotten Boss issues.

Give Your Rotten Boss the “It’s not you, it’s me” Speech.

If you take on more than your fair share of the “blame” for a dysfunctional relationship, it could be viewed as a display of humility that may begin to heal the situation:

  • Ask yourself honestly how you are contributing to the relationship with your boss.  You could very well be doing things that contribute to the dysfunction.
  • Remember that you only control you own behavior, so once you begin to act differently, your Rotten Boss may respond differently.
  • Learn what your boss wants and doesn’t want, likes and doesn’t like, and how to do the kind of job your boss is looking for.

Leave Your Rotten Boss Behind

In some cases, all your efforts to repair your relationship with your boss will fail.  If this is the case, you cannot count on your boss leaving anytime soon, so you should make the decision to look for alternatives:

  • Look for an internal transfer
  • Ask for a lateral move
  • Leave the organization.

Only in the Movies

Many victims of a Rotten Boss may fantasize about completely inappropriate things they might do to solve the problem.  The list below is purely for entertainment value, and should not be attempted:

  • Take him out for a drink after work, then call the cops and report a drunk driver when he leaves.
  • When he leaves his desk, send offensive emails from his computer in his name.  Suggestions include pornographic pictures and videos, sexual and racist jokes, and complaints about senior management.
  • Log on to his computer and visit numerous sites of illegal activity, then tip off IT.
  • Write anonymous letters to your local paper, your CEO, websites, and anyone else you can think of, outlining all of the offenses committed by your Rotten Boss.

Three Things to Remember About Dealing With a Rotten Boss:

  1. Proceed with caution.  Don’t underestimate the risk to your career.
  2. Once you start, be prepared to leave.  If the organization doesn’t do away with your boss, they may choose to do away with you.
  3. Make sure your own backyard is squeaky clean.  If you make accusations, you should ensure that you cannot be targeted for any inappropriate behavior.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Dealing With a Rotten Boss (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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Don’t Trust the Trust Game

“Let’s take everyone off-site for team building.  It will help get people out of their comfort zones.”

The last time I heard that, I ran away so fast, there was a Bob-shaped hole in the exit door.  I’m not exactly sure what logic leads people to believe that one day away from the office is going to make up for poor management and inadequate leadership on all the other days of the year, but you need to think very carefully about how and when you take your team offsite.

Don’t get me wrong… I do think some of these outings can be fun.  I just don’t think it will have any impact on the business or the people.  I am reminded of the manager who decided that taking his team out for Karaoke would be a good idea.  It would help them bond as a group, and promote creativity.  For the one aspiring rock star of the group, it was a great time.  The rest of the people, however, were jaded and cynical that they had to sit through Karaoke without the one necessary ingredient to make it fun – booze.

Think about it – if you want to breach people’s comfort zones, then it depends a lot on the people.  If you have a bunch of Type-A extroverts, then getting them to play silly games, and make asses of themselves is well within their comfort zones.  The introverts will be horrified, and the extroverts will be in their element.  If you really want to breach the extroverts’ comfort zones, get them to sit quietly for an hour and read a book.

I’m also reminded of the group that was encouraged to play the “trust game” where you fall backwards and trust that your team will catch you.  You guessed it – one broken wrist later, they discovered it had far less to do with trust than it did with the physical logistics of catching 200 pounds in the palms of half-a-dozen sets of hands.

The bottom line is that most forms of group training and other team building exercises are a waste of time and money.  There needs to be specific desired behavior changes that can be measured back in the workplace, otherwise save your money, and just take your team out for dinner instead.  It will be cheaper, it is more sincere, and it will be appreciated more.

Company Retreats & Offsite Meetings

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For some organizations, Company Retreats represent a considerable expense, and their value are often questionable.  Below we talk about various types of Company Retreats, as well as how to (and how not to) structure them.

Company Retreats Out of the Building

There are some benefits of taking people out of their element for a meeting.  It can be a very good way of minimizing distractions that exist at the office.  You are more likely to be able to hold everyone’s attention if they can’t run back to their desk at break times.  Sometimes this is as easy as getting a conference room at a nearby hotel.

Company Retreats Out of the City

Some organizations like to hold meetings out of the local area entirely.  In some cases, companies have meeting participants that are scattered around the country (or the world), so getting them all together necessitates getting people out of the city.  If you do this:

  • Avoid group vacations.  These may be well intended, but often have unintended negative consequences.
  • Be very clear in what you are trying to achieve.  This type of Company Retreat is very expensive, so it is not good enough to simply have such a meeting simply because you do so every year.

Getting People Out of Their Comfort Zones

Taking people on a Company Retreat to get them out of their comfort zone may be a well intended exercise, but it often generates cynicism and negativity.  Be very cautious in these circumstances.

  • Silly games often have no purpose.  Some people find them fun; others find them annoying; most people find them pointless.
  • Getting people out of their comfort zones is a highly individual thing.  It is nearly impossible to have one exercise or game that could have a uniform impact on people and their comfort zones.
  • Beware of physical limitations.  Not everyone on your team has the same physical capacity.  It can create hard feelings or embarrassment if someone is not able to participate to the same degree.

Cautions for Any Company Retreat

  • You need to have a clear purpose.  What are you trying to get out of this retreat?
  • Something needs to be different afterwards.  What action, performance or behaviour will be different as a result of conducting this Company Retreat?
  • People have families, and lives outside of work.  If you take people away from home, be well aware of how disruptive it can be for some people.
  • Watch for liability issues.  If someone gets hurt (or otherwise injured) on your Company Retreat, are you adequately insured?  Do not minimize the potential risk.
  • You need to manage perceptions.  If you take people away for a weekend golf trip, consider the impact on:
    • Participants’ spouses and families.
    • Participants themselves.  Some will simply say, “Just give me the money”.
    • Other employees.  If you only take some people away, what will the others think?
    • Clients.  It is possible your clients will perceive your Company Retreat as evidence they are paying you too much.

Properly Structuring Your Company Retreat

  • Have a clear purpose
    • Desired outcomes
    • Agenda in advance
    • Pre-work required
  • Be clear on what will be different afterwards
  • Manage perceptions carefully
  • Think very carefully about silly games, and the risks and benefits of them

3 Things to Remember

  1. Meetings are expensive.  Calculate your return on investment, and think carefully about whether you should do it or not.
  2. Team building doesn’t happen in a day (or a weekend).  Great performance is a result of great leadership throughout the year.  One Company Retreat will not elevate the sense of team, or performance in any significant way.
  3. Manage the perceptions carefully.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Company Retreats and Offsite Meetings (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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At Which End Should You Crack Your Egg?

As someone who travels a lot for work, I end up eating in restaurants a fair bit, and I sometimes end up having difficulty deciding between the chicken stir-fry, and the boiled fish.  Yep, that’s right, I have eating habits typical of an obese rabbit.  But I digress.

You can imagine the confusion I would cause if I simply didn’t decide on a meal.  For some indefinite period of time, I would become more and more famished, while the waiter, kitchen and support staff would wait (at first patiently), and then eventually boot me out for being such a twit.

Interestingly, this is exactly what happens to managers who fail to make decisions.  People will wait patiently for some period of time, perhaps make a recommendation or two, but eventually they’ll get angry and boot you out.

There are a variety of reasons that managers fail to make decisions, but there are two essential things for indecisive managers to remember:

1)   First, the decision you are about to (not) make, is really not all that important.  It’s about as consequential as my choice between chicken and fish.  Unless you are reading this as the head of some nation-state headed for armed conflict (in which case, I’d love your comments below, Mr. Netanyahu), then don’t flatter yourself by thinking that decision you’re delaying has any serious consequence.

2)   The wrong decision today, is better than the correct decision a month from now.  At least if you make the wrong decision now, it will become clear quickly, and you can change course.  Just ask the guys who came up with the genius idea of “New Coke” a few years back.  The old Coke was only off the shelf for a matter of seconds before they realized they’d made a huge mistake.  It took a few more seconds to correct course, and get back to the business of pedaling sugar-water to the entire world, and kicking Pepsi’s ass.

So it’s time to quit agonizing and make a decision.  When in doubt, flip a coin – the worst you’ll do is relive the New Coke fiasco.  Start tomorrow morning by making the important decision of which side of your egg you should crack (with due credit to Jonathan Swift – look it up).

 

 

My Boss Won’t Make a Decision

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How do you deal with a boss that has difficulty making decisions?

  • First, you need to fully understand the consequences of a boss that has difficulty making decisions.
  • Next, you need to figure out why your boss might have difficulty making decisions.
  • Then, you can determine what you can do about a boss that has difficulty making decisions.

Consequences of a Boss that has Difficulty Making Decisions

  • In most cases, people (both internally, and externally) become frustrated by the lack of action.
  • In some cases, unnecessary delays become emergencies.  This is entirely avoidable.
  • Difficulty making decisions diminishes the credibility of the department or business.

Why Might Your Boss have Difficulty Making Decisions?

There are a variety of reasons people have difficulty making decisions.  You need to figure out which one applies to your boss.  Here are some ideas:

  • Risk Aversion.  If your boss is highly risk averse, s/he will see every decision as an exposure to potentially undesirable consequences.
  • Perfectionism.  If your boss has perfectionist tendencies, then decisions may be delayed pending perfect information.  Unfortunately, most decisions have to be made without perfect information, which is a significant problem for perfectionists.
  • Confidence.  Your boss may have difficulty making decisions because s/he feels s/he is in over his head.
  • Protecting People.  Sometimes people have difficulty making decisions because they don’t want to overwhelm others.  While this may be a bit paternal, it is a least well-intended.
  • The boss may know something you don’t.  Sometimes, the boss may have information that you don’t.  As a result, a decision may be being delayed for entirely appropriate reasons – just not reasons you’re aware of yet.  For example:
    • Perhaps you boss’s employment is at risk.
    • Perhaps your employment is at risk.
    • Is there a project announcement forthcoming?
    • Is there some other announcement coming out?

What to do if Your Boss has Difficulty Making Decisions

First, you must realize that you do not control your boss’s behavior.  You can however attempt to influence it.  In order to do so:

  • Try to understand why he won’t decide.
    • Is it occasional or habitual?
    • Is one of the reasons discussed above the cause of indecision?
  • Do all your homework
    • Assess risks that may be of concern to your boss.  Ensure you have mitigating actions in place.
    • Understand and mitigate the worse case scenario for your boss.
  • Consistently engender confidence and trust.  If you have dropped the ball before, it will be difficult to get your boss to trust your judgment this time.
  • In some cases, you may want to say, “I’m doing this by this date, unless you tell me not to.”
  • Highlight that no decision is a decision.  As paradoxical as it sounds, it is true.  Some people think that by delaying a decision they are keeping options open.  Most often, the failure to make a decision in a timely manner commits a manager to a course of action (whether s/he realizes it or not).

3 Things to Remember About Dealing with a Boss that has Difficulty Making Decisions

  1. If this person is habitually undecided, s/he won’t change.  You can influence, but you can’t control his/her behavior
  2. There may be information you don’t have that fully justifies the lack of decision.
  3. Be very careful about circumventing your boss’s authority.  If you go out of your way to circumvent your boss, it will almost certainly backfire on you, so be careful.

Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about Difficulty Making Decisions (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):

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My Boss Won’t Make a Decision

Join Jed and Bob as they discuss what happens when your boss won’t make a decision, why he might be unwilling to do so, and what you can do about it.

Watch ‘My Boss Won’t Make a Decisions’ Video (14 mins 11 sec):


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Politically Correct Brainstorming

So… how many politically correct pinheads does it take to screw-in a light bulb?  ANSWER:  None… because they are forever in the dark.

As it turns out, there was a (hopefully futile) movement in the UK to stop using the term, “brainstorming”, because some PCP (politically correct pinhead) decided that this was disrespectful to those with mental illness.

This PCP was apparently in a good position to winge about such things, because very clearly, s/he suffered from some form of mental illness.  I’m not really sure what is more ridiculous to me: this PCP’s delusional version of reality; or the fact this complaint got enough traction that it actually made the news.

Perhaps people paid attention to this for the same reason they slow down to see a car accident.  The most frustrating thing about this silliness is that it diverts attention away from the serious implications of mental illness.

So next time you suggest a brainstorm to generate ideas, and some PCP tells you the term is inappropriate, respond with the following:

a)    First comment on their appearance – no one looks perfect, so find something really obvious to critique them on.

b)   If they happen to be from a visible ethnic group, don’t be afraid to bring that up either.  This is unlikely, as most PCPs tend to be white folks with Anglo-Saxon last names who ease their guilt by advocating for others who would rather they kept their mouths shut.

c)    Question their parentage – that should set them off.

d)   Ask them how much they’d charge to haunt a house.

e)    Be relentless.

After your coworkers have pulled the (kicking and screaming) PCP off you, remind them that violence in the workplace is a serious issue; equating brainstorming with mental illness is not.

Now, I’m headed outside to board up Wily Manager headquarters in anticipation of the forthcoming firebomb.