The Slice: Leave ‘em alone – for now

I know some of you are eager to get started.

But let’s not have any leaf-raking until I’ve given the all-clear. All right?

OK, let’s move on.

“Sounds like listening: Certain subjects turn otherwise companionable people into bores. Many of us here in the Spokane area are reminded of this each fall when some of our friends start talking about skiing, snowboarding or collecting firewood. (It’s sort of like when I get going about baby names or my neighbor’s cat.)

You don’t want to be rude to these folks. But neither do you really want to pay much attention to them – even if you yourself happen to ski or gather firewood.

So you need a few things you can drop into the conversation to make it appear that you are listening.

Got you covered.

Here are seven lines you can toss in whether you are trapped listening to a rhapsody about fresh powder or trying not to black out while a pal goes on and on about a chain saw:

“I can picture it.”

“Yeah, it’s getting to be that time of year.”

“There you go.”

“You don’t say.”

“Sounds like you’re going to be ready.”

“Yowwwzah.”

“I guess that’s why you live here.”

“Pardon his French: Slice reader George Fawkes has taken a bit of pride in the fact that he has “been able to control the urge” to respond to various tidbits appearing in this column. But that was before a recent contributor said she didn’t think many people around here knew the meaning of RSVP.

Fawkes vigorously disputed that.

Of course, knowing what it means and actually complying with the request are two different things.

“Kiss this: A press release including a truly chilling passage crossed my desk the other day.

The release promoted interview opportunities with the author of “21 Ways Women in Management Shoot Themselves in the Foot.” The news peg was the approach of “National Boss Day,” which is Oct. 16.

The troubling passage? “Every office has its ‘suck-ups’ and ‘brown-nosers,’ and everyone knows who they are … except the boss.”

Good night. Bosses don’t know who these people are?

Talk about scary.

I always thought most managers simply tolerated them. And, sure, we all know some bosses encourage them. But not know who they are? Yikes. That’s bad.

Maybe some supervisors are so busy they don’t notice the telltale signs that the rest of us see.

So perhaps we can help these bosses. Maybe we can offer a few easy-to-remember pointers.

Which leads us to…

“Today’s Slice question: What behaviors signal that someone is a workplace suck-up?