office mindgames, part 1

This one's called, "Pros/Cons." It's nice to play on a dry erase board, since I like the boldness of black-markered lettering, but you could also play with a white piece of paper tacked to a wall. Anyway, pick a co-worker. After writing their name on the top of the list, make a "pros" column and a "cons" column. Fill the columns with real or made-up aspects of the person in question that either inspire or annoy you. Now, here is the important part. Make sure all of the entries are in some sort of indecipherable code. I like to mix it up a little bit. Sometimes, I use pictographs, numbers without labels (women will always think this is about their weight, which is funny, right?), abbreviations, and other obscure mnemonic devices.

At this point, your co-worker will begin to feel scrutinized, criticized, and befuddled. They will get angry, you will point out that you have their pros up there, too.

Occasionally, during conversation, react to something the co-worker says by either nodding, smiling, and adding a pro, or frowning as you shake your head and put a con up there. Meanings, of course, should still be ambiguous.

Begin to do this completely unprovoked, like when you and the co-worker are sitting at your desks silently.

At some point. You should try completely erasing the pros from the list. Leave a question mark on that side. At this point, you have won the game.