True, the shopping list format is prevalent on Campus too - we have the VC's 10-point plan, the 9 pelvic thrusts, the 7 planning objectives, the 5 action men, erm, guides... - and so it's obviously a popular format. Like the Boy Scout Law and the Defining Characteristics of Water at Room Temperature, it's probably easier to swot up and recite off by heart, checking them off ones fingers, if they're a known quantity easily summarised in a simple sentence.
And so, in the interest of World Peace, herewith three management homilies for the day:
* Don't shout at your line staff. Especially don't shout at them in front of other people.
* Tell your line staff the information they need in order to do their jobs. Don't expect them to hear from other sources, and then rage when that hasn't happened.
And, especially for this time of year:
* Don't get drunk and silly in front of your line staff, even at year-end parties. In order to function effectively, management needs to be sustained by the myth that the manager has good judgment.