Wise Words for the Workplace

There are no facts, only opinions.

Problems that go away by themselves come back by themselves.

Just because you’ve fixed a problem that doesn’t mean you’ve fixed the problem.

Just because it works that doesn’t meant it’s right.

Never mistake activity for progress.

Whom you bad-mouth today will be your boss tomorrow.

They will remember how poorly the job was done long after they’ve forgotten how quickly it was done.

If you hang around long enough you’ll get somewhere.

Nothing is simple.

If it were simple, everyone would do it.

The hardest lesson to learn is that learning is a continual process.

No one will grow who is not stretched.

It doesn’t matter how long you work on something, what counts is getting it done right.

Failure to plan on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part.

Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.

That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

You can’t make a fact out of an opinion by raising your voice.

You can never destroy the Establishment, you can only replace it. If you do take over, you become the Establishment.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Every advantage has at least one corresponding disadvantage.

Carpe Diem – Seize the day.

By working faithfully 8 hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work 12 hours a day.

If you can’t get all of your work done in 24 hours, work nights!

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

If a committee or team is allowed to discuss a bad idea long enough it will vote to implement the idea simply because so much work has already been done on it.

The Principle of Success – get up one more time than you’re knocked down.

Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

Ambrose Bierce’s definition of a lawyer – one skilled at circumventing the law.

The only function of economic forecasting is to make weather forecasting look respectable; the only function of weather forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.

Some say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, others point out that it is the first to get replaced.

The closer a day is to a weekend, holiday, or vacation the greater the probability an employee will call in sick. No one is sick on a Wednesday.

Any discussion of increasing productivity or taxes refers to that of others.

Think lucky, if you fall in a pond, check your hip pockets for fish.

The less you know about an opportunity, the more attractive it is.

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to treat everything as a nail.

If your boss were any smarter would you be out of a job?

Team work is a lot of people doing what I say.

To lead people, give them a reason to follow you and the freedom to do so.