Q: I’m new in my department and my boss is very demanding. If I’m working on a project, sometimes he says he’s going to “hold me accountable.” Other times he tells me he’s going to “hold my feet to the fire.” What’s the difference between these two? They’re both scary, but which one is more serious? And are there other warnings that I don’t know about yet? I’m worried where where he might go next.
A: One of the most important skills is learning to accurately assess warning cliches. That’s because different warning cliches may communicate different degrees of the same message. For example, ‘holding you accountable’ is pretty mild, while ‘holding your feet to the fire’ takes it to another level.
However, you should remember that even the worst warning cliches are used only when there is still hope. Your bigger fear is when the warning cliches stop and are replaced by a pat on the back and an invitation to the boss’s office at 4:55 on Friday afternoon, usually followed by a warm and fuzzy cliché like, “You’ve been doing a great job, Jack.’ That’s when your neck hairs should stand on end.
That’s when you’re gonna wish your daddy had never met your mamma.
