"29
Skills Every Founder Needs to Master" is the theme of the November 2013
Inc magazine issue. Topics such as "How to Do More of What
You're Good at and Less of What You're Bad At," "How to Take a Fresh
Approach to a Staid Old Business," and "How to Really Connect with Customers,"
are typical. I scanned over a few to see what the entrepreneurial business
owners had to say about their experiences that they considered most
to be useful. Then, I arrived at the last one, Tip No.29:
How to Be Funny at the Office. This I had to read.Something
just didn't seem right, though, as I progressed through the story. Take
this passage from a Q&A session: Manager: "I worry about making
a joke that might offend somebody. How can I be both hysterical and
politically correct?" Advice Giver: "It's perfectly acceptable to tell
offensive jokes at work, as long as you add to the end of each one,
'Ha ha! It's OK, because I dated one in college,' or 'Ha ha! It's OK,
because I tried it once at summer camp.' That covers most bases." My
spider senses started tingling. I will admit that I was half-way through
the piece before it occurred to me that it might be more than coincidence
that the Pointy-Haired Boss from Dilbert appeared at the bottom of the
page. A quick search for the author confirmed my suspicion; there was
Scott Adams' name. Posted
October 30, 2013 |