Bosses Waste Talent

Bosses who pigeonhole workers waste talent and contribute to turnover, according to WSJ. Sometimes the only way employees can get away from being stereotyped is to move to another company that fosters crosstraining and growth. Pigeonholing persists because it is efficient in the short term, always going to the "go to" person, but this can discourage initiative and innovation in other staff.

Xbox 360

The Xbox project was run by five guys, all Microsoft VPs, in a generic office park across the road from a gravel pit, known as the "nerd farm." This is the "think tank" campus for futurists who get paid for money-losing projects, a far cry from the manicured lawns and softball fields on the "Millennium" campus in Redmond, WA. Watch for the Xbox to be the next generation game, music, DVD portal.

Severance Packages

Federal law gives anyone over 40 the right to mull over a severance deal for 21 days before signing; for a crash course in severance negotiation see www.fortune.com/careers (Fortune, May, 2005)