You're cleaning out the attic and find an old painting. You take it to an appraiser and find out you're holding an original Picasso.
You're at karaoke singing a spirited cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and a music producer stands up and says, "You're amazing! I want to sign you to my label and make you a star."
These harmless fantasies are just that: imaginary scenarios that we know won't happen but that give us momentary feelings of excitement and hope. Many fantasies involve becoming rich and famous without having to do much work.
Another common fantasy is telling off an authority figure. When you were a child, you probably bit your lip when your parents scolded you. In high school, you probably imagined what it would be like to give that mean chemistry teacher a piece of your mind. And now that you're an adult, a bad boss can become the focus of your silent anger.
Of course, you don't actually say what you're thinking because you could risk your job. So we decided to ask workers what bottled-up rants or even some tough but loving advice they have sitting on their tongues, waiting to be said to their bosses. Unsurprisingly, workers have plenty to say. Here are a few things workers would tell their bosses if they thought they'd be received kindly.
Be a professional
"He needs a crash course in saying 'no' or 'not right now' when it comes to promises to clients or myself (employees). He continuously bites off way more than he can chew and needs to make requests fall within a more realistic timeline. Stop promising what's difficult to deliver in the time frame given, state it can be done but will take longer than client believes.
"Also, his consistent tardiness to meetings and discussions, especially those I've planned for him (since it affects me), is not only unprofessional, but reflects poorly on myself and the company. It's inconsiderate to other parties involved to be tardy even in personal settings, but that insult is magnified in the professional realm. If time equals money, you have cost them by your tardiness.
"[And your] follow-up stinks to high heaven. I wouldn't care, except this directly affects my income and it aggravates me severely. My income level is dependent on your follow-up and it's been a big disappointment whenever I think of it." -- Kim
Be careful
"I did tell my boss what was on my mind and was fired. No regrets.
"My boss promoted a team peer without considering the other team members' experiences, which were all negative. The peer which was promoted had [a romantic bias] towards another peer. In bringing this information forward, my boss remarked with, 'You are making me feel as though I was bamboozled.' I replied, 'I cannot and did not make you feel anything. I simply want you to know that you may have a potential lawsuit as a result of not checking your facts prior to a haphazard promotion.' Within a week, I was let go and given an eight-month severance package. The action that occurred continued with others over the next six months." -- Tina
Be a boss people want to follow
"Protect, back up and defend your workers."
"Listen twice as much as you speak."
"Do not always seek to find bad behavior to punish, but also seek good behavior to reward."
"Promote within."
"Encourage a work environment that is conducive to success."
"Allow for failure." -- Michael Coritsidis
Bing: What you should never say to your boss
By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.