workMy manager announced that our office was a family, so I asked whether we had family meetings and passive-aggressive holiday dinners. He said no, but we did have one family tradi…Office Family
workOn my first day, my manager said we were a family here, so I brought a covered dish to my performance review. Apparently, the only thing they wanted me to contribute was unpaid …Family Values
At my annual review, my manager praised my ability to stay calm under pressure. Then he added a surprise deadline, and I watched my career demonstrate the same skill by quietly …Annual Reviewwork
workMy boss asked why I was late, so I showed him my navigation app, which said the commute took 18 minutes. He pointed out that I had left home 47 minutes ago, and I had to admit t…The Commute Report
workMy boss asked me to lead a team-building exercise, so I brought everyone into the parking lot and made them push my car. It worked beautifully: by the end, we were united by a s…Team Building Exercise
workOn my first day, my manager told me to treat the company like it was my own. So I took a three-hour lunch, ignored every email, and left early. HR says I am not showing leadersh…Company Ownership
workOn my first day, my manager said our team was like a family. By lunch, one coworker had asked me for money, another had shared a secret, and the boss was pretending not to know …Office Family Plan
workAt my performance review, my manager said I needed to show more initiative. So I scheduled a meeting to discuss whose initiative that should be. He said I was ready for manageme…Initiative Meeting
workAt a job interview, I was asked whether I worked well under pressure. I said yes, then noticed the interviewer’s pen was leaking and spent the next minute saving the table. I di…Pressure Test
workMy boss asked me to lead a meeting about improving morale, so I brought snacks, games, and an inspirational speech. He watched for five minutes, then announced the good news: no…Morale Meeting
workMy boss told me to think outside the box, so I moved my laptop into the hallway. I am not more creative, but everyone agrees my meetings have better circulation.Outside the Box
workMy boss asked me to stop saying I have too much on my plate. So I changed it to I am experiencing a resource-allocation imbalance. Now I have too much on my plate and a meeting …Corporate Vocabulary
workMy boss told me to think outside the box, so I moved my desk into the hallway. Now HR calls me innovative, but facilities calls me a fire hazard.Hallway Innovation
workMy manager said he wanted employees who could multitask. I told him I could ignore emails while pretending to listen in meetings. He promoted me to management, where that is app…The Promotion Test
workMy manager sent a meeting invite marked optional, so I declined it and enjoyed a peaceful hour. Then she asked why I missed the meeting. I said I thought optional meant I was be…Calendar Confidence
workMy manager told me to bring more passion to my work, so I started whispering encouraging compliments to the printer. It still jams whenever I walk past, but now it does it with …Passion Project
workI bought a standing desk to improve my productivity. For three days, I answered emails with the confidence of a CEO. Then I realized it was just an expensive way to pace while a…Standing Productivity
workMy boss told me to be more proactive, so I scheduled a meeting to discuss how much I dislike being told what to do. It went so well that I’ve been promoted to someone else’s pro…Taking Initiative
