Wednesday 23 January 2013

10 Things Your Boss Never Wants to Hear



10 Things Your Boss Never Wants to Hear


By Brooke Howell, Monster Contributing Writer

One of the best ways to ensure your day-to-day work life is pleasant and your career remains on an upward trajectory is to get -- and stay -- on your boss' good side. It sounds like a simple thing to do, but you'd be surprised at the number of employees who can't seem to get it right.

The problem often is that they're unwittingly saying and doing things that communicate to the boss that they're incompetent, uncooperative or immature -- qualities no boss likes in an employee.

Don't want to be that employee? Then steer clear of saying these things that are sure to put any boss in a bad mood. 
  1. "It's not my fault." Even if it's not, saying so just makes you sound like a 6 year old. Adults take responsibility, and then take action to make things right. Bosses want employees that are always part of the solution -- especially after they've been part of the problem.
     
  2. "It's not my job." Your responsibilities aren't limited to those specifically stated in your job description. If the boss is asking you about something that needs to be done then it's your job. When you say otherwise to his face you sound childish, disrespectful and uncooperative.
     
  3. "There must have been some miscommunication." "Because all businesses are so competitive these days, bosses cannot afford to have employees costing the company a big client or critical contract because of their poor communications," says Anita Bruzzese author of "45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy -- And How to Avoid Them." Different bosses have different informational needs, so find out what your bosses are and then be sure to meet them. "Being a good communicator is critical for the success of a company, a boss -- and an employee's career."
     
  4. "I'm so hung-over." This isn't something to brag about and admitting to heavy drinking on a work night shows the boss you aren't taking your job as seriously as you could. It also makes her wonder if you're prone to making bad decisions in other aspects of your life and work.
     
  5. "I can't stand Steve." This doesn't just apply to Steve, but to all of your coworkers. "Bosses get really annoyed when they have to take time from important tasks to break up spats between co-workers and they don't want to get human resources involved when two workers can't solve their differences in a professional way," says Bruzzese. "They want workers to be respectful of one another and act like adults, period."
     
  6. "I'm too sick to work." This is fine if it's true, especially if you can't do your job from home and are contagious, but if it's a lie and your boss finds out you could be in big trouble. The chances of getting caught have increased greatly with the proliferation of social media. It only takes one stray Facebook update, Foursquare check-in or Twitter tweet to show the boss -- or a big-mouthed co-worker -- what you're really up to.
     
  7. Too much or too little. "Employees may have never bothered to ask how or when the boss wants to be communicated with, so they may sit on critical information the boss needs or bug him or her endlessly with trivial stuff," says Bruzzese.
     
  8. Whines and gripes. "Since the Great Recession, employees have been asked to do more with less and many have fallen into the habit of chronic whining about their situation," says Bruzzese. With everyone in the same boat and companies still at risk, that complaining really stands out to bosses who are also plenty tired themselves. You want to spend your time coming up with solutions to problems, she says. "Remember, there are still about three people for every job opening -- the boss may not have any trouble filling your shoes."
     
  9. "I need a raise."  It's not your boss' responsibility to fulfil your need to pay your credit card bills, go on vacation or eat out more. She should pay you fairly for the work you're doing, though. If you think you deserve a raise, approach her with concrete evidence that you've earned a salary increase and make it a two-way conversation -- not a confrontational demand.
     
  10. "I'll quit if ..." Never threaten to quit unless you're prepared to follow through if the boss calls your bluff. If he does and you don't, you'll definitely lose his respect -- and possibly your job.


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Monday 21 January 2013

2013 AFCON Live...list of fixtures





The 2013 AFCON Soccer Fiesta Is Here, Below Are The Fixtures Of Matches With Today Opening Tie Between Host South Africa Vs Cape Verde. 2013 Africa Cup of Nations will officially kick off today with the opening ceremony. Records have it that local and foreign coaches are tied at 14 titles each as the best of African players will also be
aiming to be on the top of their games for the ultimate prize, the trophy.

 Saturday 19 January 2013
1. South Africa v Cape Verde
Islands National Stadium 18:00
2. Angola v Morocco
National Stadium 21:00
Sunday 20 January 2013
3. Ghana v Congo DR
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 17:00
4. Mali v Niger
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 20:00
Monday 21 January 2013
5. Zambia v Ethiopia
Mbombela Stadium 17:00
6. Nigeria v Burkina
Faso Mbombela Stadium 20:00
Tuesday 22 January 2013
7. Ivory Coast v Togo
Royal Bafokeng Stadium 17:00
8. Tunisia v Algeria
Royal Bafokeng Stadium 20:00
Wednesday 23 January 2013
9. South Africa v Angola
Moses Mabhida Stadium 17:00
10. Morocco v Cape Verde
Islands Moses Mabhida Stadium 20:00
Thursday 24 January 2013
11. Ghana v Mali
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 17:00
12. Niger v Congo DR
Nelson Mandela Bay
Stadium 20:00
Friday 25 January 2013
13. Zambia v Nigeria
Mbombela Stadium 17:00
14. Burkina Faso v Ethiopia
Mbombela Stadium 20:00
Saturday 26 January 2013
15. Ivory Coast v Tunisia
Royal Bafokeng Stadium 17:00
16. Algeria v Togo
Royal Bafokeng Stadium 20:00
Sunday 27 January 2013
17. Morocco v South
Africa Moses Mabhida Stadium 19:00
18.Cape Verde Islands v Angola
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 19:00
Monday 28 January 2013
19. Congo DR v Mali
Moses Mabhida Stadium 19:00
20. Niger v Ghana
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 19:00
Tuesday 29 January 2013
21. Ethiopia v Nigeria
Royal Bafokeng Stadium 19:00
22. Burkina Faso v Zambia Mbombela Stadium 19:00
Wednesday 30 January 2013
23. Algeria v Ivory Coast
Royal Bafokeng Stadium 19:00
24. Togo v Tunisia
Mbombela Stadium 19:00
Saturday 02 February 2013
25. Winner Group B v Runner-up Gp A
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 17:00
26. Winner Group A v Runner-up Gp B
Moses Mabhida Stadium 20:30
Sunday 03 February 2013
27. Winner Group D v Runner-up Gp C
Royal Bafokeng Stadium 17:00
28. Winner Group C v Runner-up Gp D
Mbombela Stadium 20:30
Wednesday 06 February 2013
29. Winner Q/F3 v Winner Q/F2
Mbombela Stadium 17:00
30. Winner Q/F1 v Winner Q/F4
Moses Mabhida Stadium 20:30
Saturday 09 February 2013
31. Loser SF1 v Loser SF2
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium 20:00
Sunday 10 February 2013
32. Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 National Stadium 20:00

Saturday 19 January 2013

Kobe Bryant has a new Nike ad, gives world’s greatest interview.



Kobe Bryant has a new Nike ad, gives world’s greatest interview.


Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant has been a part of the NBA for 17 seasons. During that time, he's seen several different eras, from the end of Michael Jordan's dominance to the recent ascendance of LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The only constant, really, has been Kobe. He's been so good and so relevant for so long that a certain kind of fan — anyone younger than 30, basically — may have a hard time conceiving of the NBA without him.
In other words, he's a constant. It's exactly that idea that gives the new Kobe-centric Nike ad it's power. In the spot, a British woman narrates Kobe's daily routine and performances as a part of the natural cycle of the world, a sure thing much like the sun shining, rain falling, and grass growing. He's a fixed part of our lives.
Opinions on Kobe change, of course, and it's not as if he's the exact same player or personality every season. But this commercial nevertheless nails the Kobe experience very, very well. He really is an essential part of the sports landscape, a defining figure in NBA history.
As if to hammer home his unique importance, Bryant also happened to give an instant-classic interview with Chris Palmer for ESPN.com. The conversation touches on many aspects of Kobe's life, including his belief that he's the greatest one-on-one player ever, his similarities to the common man, and his lifelong crusade against dog poop.
In the question and answer session, Bryant went out of his way to tell Palmer that, nearly 17 full years into his professional career, that he's never come out on the losing end of a one-on-one game. Accept that with however many grains of salt you typically prefer with Bryant, but that's his quote. From the interview:
I love going one-on-one with someone. That’s what I do. I’ve never lost. It’s a whole different game, just to have them right in front of you and be able to do whatever you want.
Check out some other highlights after the jump.
As noted in the preceding paragraph, the biggest basketball-only revelation in this interview is that Kobe gives some details of his one-on-one prowess, as well as past victories (via TBJ):
Who would you most like to play one-on-one, either active or retired?
Jordan. No question.
What would happen?
I’m not sure, but he would win some and I would win some in a seven-game series. It would probably come down to the last few shots.
You versus LeBron? Who wins?
Me. No question. As far as one-on-one, I’m the best to ever do it.
Kobe goes on to describe how Kevin Durant could possibly give him problems in a head-to-head matchup. Palmer follows up by mentioning prime Tracy McGrady as a potential challenger, and that's when things get out of hand:
I always wanted to see you play Tracy McGrady.
I played T-Mac. I cooked him. Roasted him. Wasn’t even close. Ask him, he’ll tell you. When I was about 20, we were in Germany doing some promotional stuff for that other sneaker company and we played basketball every day. We were in the gym all the time. We played three games of one-on-one to 11. I won all three games. One game I won 11-2. After the third game he said he had back spasms and couldn’t play anymore.
His back bothered him for most of his career.
Well, now you know.
Kobe's memory may be off, but he turned 20 in August 1998. McGrady first struggled seriously with back injuries during the 2001-02 season, which means that it's entirely possible that Kobe is claiming to have caused T-Mac's career-long back problems in a series of one-on-one thumpings. I do not want to jump to conclusions, but it's a possible interpretation.
The interview shifts course shortly after this exchange and gets into more personal territory, and that's where things get really interesting. I'm hesitant to spoil too many of the surprises, but it's worth reading in full just to experience the wonderful quote "I do all of life's daily tasks" in context.
However, there is one point worth giving special attention. Palmer asks Kobe for his pet peeve. His response:
I hate dog s---. I won’t go near it. So pissed when I step in it. I’ve got four dogs and I just don’t do dog doo. I’m a diva when it comes to that.
I'm not sure if dog poop can be called a pet peeve — unless, that is, Kobe thinks a pet peeve is a peeve about pets — because that term typically refers to ever-present, inescapable problems that just won't go away. Whatever the case, it's worth noting that Bryant has been on a crusaded against dog poop for at least three years. In 2009, he gave an interview to Complex.com in which he also expressed his disdain.
I'm still not sure why Kobe thinks it's notable that he hates something 99.9 percent of humans hate, but he's obviously had some bad experiences with dog poop. Yet, if he really does have to deal with it more often than anyone else in the world, as he seems to think, then that would certainly explain some of his more bizarre behavior.