Working Life - Brief Article

Training & Development, Oct, 2001

* Men: Leave your zipper open for one hour. If anyone points it out, say, "Sorry, I really prefer it this way.

* While riding an elevator, gasp dramatically every time the doors open.

* Walk sideways to the photocopier.

Here are some 3-point dares for intermediate players:

* Say to your boss, "I like your style," and shoot him or her with double-barreled fingers.

* Babble incoherently at a co-worker and ask, "Did you get all that? I don't want to have to repeat it."

* Page yourself over the intercom (don't disguise your voice).

* Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink directly from the nozzle. There must be a non player within sight.

* Shout random numbers while someone is counting.

And for the intrepid and/or foolhardy, 5-point dares:

* At lunchtime, get down on your knees and announce, "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."

* At the end of a meeting, suggest that, for once, it would be nice to conclude with the singing of the national anthem. Extra points if you actually launch into it yourself.

* Walk into a very busy person's office and while they watch you with growing irritation, turn the light switch off and on 10 times.

* For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as "Bob."

* After every sentence, say "mon" in a really bad Jamaican accent. As in, "The report's on your desk, mon."

* While an office mate is out, move his or her chair into the elevator.

* In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your forehead repeatedly and mutter, "Shut up, darn it, all of you just shut up!"

* In a colleague's day planner, write in the 10 a.m. slot: "See how I look in purple tights."

* Carry your keyboard over to a coworker and ask, "Do you wanna trade?"

* Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: "Do you hear that?" What? "Never mind, it's gone now.

* Speak with an accent (French, German, Porky Pig) during an important conference call.

* Hang a 2-foot piece of toilet paper from the back of your pants, and act genuinely surprised when someone points it out.

Out work here is done.