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Thursday, March 25, 2010
3/25/2010 11:31:00 PM | 
Posted by
Rhonda Guenther
While researching part one of this blog, the effect of March Madness on work production, references to the 'boss button' came up frequently. Anyone who is a March Madness fan knows that this is a button you can hit if you are watching the NCAA games online at your work and see your boss coming. The button makes a spreadsheet popup on your computer screen and mutes the streaming video in hopes of fooling your boss into thinking you are working. (Warning: The 'mute' aspect has not worked on my computer – so some testing may be needed if you really plan on using this feature.)
I was intrigued (also known as side-tracked) by the fact that the 'spreadsheet' that pops up this year was designed by Scott Albert, the founder of the popular Dilbert character. I looked closer at the 'spreadsheet' and found it was quite amusing. It is a 'work flow chart', but the items on the chart include things like:
When anyone tries to talk in a meeting, say, "Settle down."
Ask your boss to help determine if your product is idiot-proof.
Compare apples to oranges and declare a winner once and for all.
If someone asks for information tell them to "go through the proper channels."
If someone asks for information tell them to "go through the proper channels."
So I decided I would post at least a little blurb about the 'Boss Button'. The next day I got the laptop out and was thinking how I was going to write this incredibly witty little post and was going to include a picture of the 'flow chart" so our readers could read the rest of the funny little suggestions, etc, etc…
That is when Google™ got me again!
I did not realize there was such a controversy surrounding the Boss Button. People are angry at the top brass running the boss button! And it's not who you'd think it is… it isn't the bosses that get fooled into thinking their employees are actually working. It is the users of the boss button… or wannabe users in some cases.
While Sports Illustrated refers to this little work of genius as "the Holy Grail" of enablers, the masses are complaining that the spreadsheets that pop up are not realistic or professional looking enough. That if the boss even glances at your screen they will see it is a fake. I've already discussed that this year's spreadsheet was designed by cartoonist Scott Albert. While the flow chart is authentic looking enough, there is a cartoon strip down the left side – I don't know about you but I don't have a lot of spreadsheets with cartoons in them. 2009's spread sheet was full of NCAA references and almost looked more like an ad for Comcast more than anything else. 2008's is probably the one that looks most realistic, even though it was a breakdown of junk food consumed while watching sporting events
The boss Button most likely started as a joke, but has become a very popular part of watching NCAA coverage on the computer. In 2009 there were 2.77 million clicks on the 'boss button', this year there were 3.3 million clicks in the first four days of the tournament.
So where do you stand on this controversy? Do you actually use the boss button as it is said it was intended to, or do you look at it for the humor of it? What about the rest of 3.3 million clicks – are the majority of the people using the button to fool co-workers? Do you think it works? Are you a boss that has seen people try to fool you? What did you do?
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