YES YOU CAN

This is a little different from the you can do it ploy. To achieve this option you have to do a little encouraging. I really struggle to even say the word since the idea of trying to make believe think they are able to do something carries the risk of them becoming confident.

That can definitely be a liability when you need to keep people oppressed in a subtle way so they will accept you treating them like slaves. I have to view it that way because if I grant them too much of a sense of independence they will start thinking for themselves. Which can lead them to the conclusion that I'm a lazy jerk. It is hard to avoid that opinion if you watch me long enough and that is something I do my best to never let any of my employees do.

So in terms of this yes you can item I do tread very carefully while walking a tightrope between conning the person enough to convince them they can do something and not going over the top so they think it is permanent. I will admit that I have blundered at times on this subject, but normally I am able to offset in one way or another. Including framing the person if necessary to totally burst their bubble of any sense of worth.

Obviously I can't tell my employees my game plan on this subject. So it is necessary to keep a set of proper responses in order to be sure I can pull out the right one to fit any occasion.

I have toyed with the idea of turning those into a self-help reference manual for greedy, backstabbing and lying bosses with no morals, but I just can't trust that if I do that I will end up with one of them using the manual against me. I just know the kind of scum who would buy that kind of book.

Thus even though I would love to make a few bucks off of the book, I wouldn't enjoy one of my employees getting a copy of the book and using it on me. Oh I know I could use a fake name as the writer. But I'm just paranoid enough to believe it wouldn't be safe to do so.

Therefore I have to content myself with the joy of head games and dangling enough praise out there like some carrot on a stick that keeps the employees acting like puppets. Ah, it does fill me with such great memories.

Up till now this approach has fit my needs very well. I'm always grateful that my employees are gullible enough to buy my baloney and don't appear to get wise to my lies.

If they do, then they keep it to themselves. Which is something I can definitely be grateful for. As they say ignorance is bliss.

In my case you can do it is bliss too when it ends in some employee working like a dog and without getting a raise. Those are the best of times. I think I'll avoid mentioning what are the worst of times.