A few years ago, a colleague I’ll call “George” leaned in confidentially to tell me, “Take on a high-profile, low-stakes administrative task, then royally mess it up. They’ll never ask you to do anything like that again.” As a fellow law professor, George thought he was sharing his secret formula for writing scholarly books and articles – the coin of the realm in universities – while his colleagues did research on top of committee work like updating the curriculum and reviewing applications. Ever since I recounted this tidbit over a family dinner, his name has been shorthand for slackers at my house. If one of us tries to get out of walking the dog or washing the dishes, the one who picks up the leash or sponge is likely to tease the free-rider for “pulling a George.”
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New!
HBR Learning
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.