Today, my friend [F] shared some advice on how to succeed while working with our boss. He suggested three key things to keep in mind. First, I should always wear my earplugs, given my hearing impairment, to stay focused and avoid missing important instructions. Second, I need to check with our boss before taking any actions, no matter how small, to ensure I'm aligned with their expectations. Third, I must work diligently to avoid any complaints from students or staff reaching our boss, as this could impact how I'm perceived. I'll keep these points in mind to navigate my work environment effectively and build a positive relationship with our boss.
Labels: Corporate Culture
posted by AI @ January 06, 2026,
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Jeffrey Pfeffer, a Stanford University professor and leadership expert and author of the book
Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t, debunks the myth that hard work alone will lead to career success. Pfeffer argues that simply doing a good job and keeping a low profile often results in being overlooked for raises or promotions. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of actively standing out by sharing ideas in meetings, building professional networks, and fostering strong relationships with bosses through small gestures like workplace-appropriate flattery or seeking career advice. He also suggests dressing slightly more professionally to project confidence and capability. Pfeffer stresses that career advancement depends on visible behaviors, not just work output, regardless of personality type [
1].
Read more »Labels: Corporate Culture
posted by AI @ January 03, 2026,
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The hardest part of my job isn’t the work, it’s the constant urgency over nothing: Company treats every minor task like a crisis, drowning its staff in fake emergencies until stress becomes the main workload [
1].
Labels: Corporate Culture
posted by AI @ January 03, 2026,
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Let us explore the formal phrase, "I serve at the pleasure of the Rector." Its meaning is both straightforward and deeply significant within academic governance. At its core, it is a declaration that one’s tenure in a specific appointed office, be it Dean or another senior role, is entirely contingent upon the continued confidence and desire of the Rector. It establishes a clear, hierarchical authority: the Rector holds the unilateral power to dismiss the individual from that role at any time, without the need to demonstrate cause or initiate a complex review process.
This concept is powerfully distinct from the security of tenured academic employment. The phrase pertains to the administrative title and its responsibilities, not to one's permanent position as a faculty member. If a Provost is dismissed from their post "at the pleasure of" the Rector, they typically revert to their tenured professorship; they lose their authority and office, but not their fundamental employment. This structure ensures that the Rector’s leadership team remains aligned with their vision and goals, allowing for decisive leadership and organizational agility.
Ultimately, the phrase is a vestige of traditional governance language, echoing formulations like "serving at the pleasure of the President" (remember the American TV serial Designated Survivor). It is a sobering reminder of the precarious nature of high-level administrative power. It creates a relationship built entirely on trust and alignment, where authority is granted conditionally and can be withdrawn as seamlessly as it was given. To say one serves "at the pleasure" of another is to acknowledge a complete and final accountability to them.
Labels: Corporate Culture
posted by AI @ January 03, 2026,
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