7 dirty tricks bosses play....

[jmw]

BNET comes up with some interesting bits and pieces from time to time.
I think we can all recognise the various tricks here and their variants but if anyone thinks they have just 7 dirty tricks, think again. I'm pretty sure we can all add to that list....
PS why the employee in this is a "her" isn't explained. Maybe this was Hugh Hefner's dirty tricks list....

http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachi...y-and-how-to-cope/15211?promo=713&tag=nl.e713

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[zdas04]

I've seen bosses do every single one of the 7 things. Some have done them well enough that we didn't even realize they were doing them until well after the fact. Requirements for being management-slime were the main reason that I've stayed technical all my life.

David

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I like #6

 

[KENAT]

#6 almost sounded like a rant I once put on here, maybe this guy has really been snooping around this site!

If he has anything about how only 1/3rd of Canadian Engineering Grads get jobs in Engineering then we can be sure.

Of course, he may just be plagiarizing Dilbert & Yes Minister.

Anyway I was so impressed I took a look at another of his offerings:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachi...-your-boss/15131?tag=content;drawer-container

I've used the first option, or elements of it, a lot. I've unintentionally done #2 as well, sort of. Just realized I've used #3 kind of. I hope I haven't done #4, though looking at my desk... Definitely haven't done #5, though his last sentence perhaps sums up the whole article.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[btrueblood]

Both those lists detail political games that some people play in the workplace.

If your boss plays these games, find a new boss.

If you play such games on your boss, better be looking for a new boss.

Most of us (I hope) are not subtle enough, or good enough liars, to pull of those kinds of stunts, at least not more than once.

 

[jmw]

Dilbert, or rather, SCott Adams gets plaudits in the 25 books management would rather you didn't read.

yes, Number 6 stuck out like a sore thumb.

In the 5 ways to manipulate your boss:

Yes to number two. I have long understood that managers can't read more that a paragraph or two selected at random on the front page. To be helpful, and ensure they don;t stray, you label the paragraph you want them to read "Executive Summary" They are executives so they naturally read this and nothing else. You don't even have to give the rest dull boring and off putting titles, just don't use the word executive anywhere else.
Then you employ the various Yes Minister tricks to influence the decision (Kenat was spot on with the Dilbert and Yes Minister comment.) This also often involves number 3. Yes/no choices are an anathema to managers, and have the secent of "success/failure" be sure not to choose the wrong one and they usually thus choose neither. Hence you offer a selection of choices, and make it evident which is the "safe" choice. They never think to say "I don't like any of these choices." They just pick the safest.

No 1 is one I'd like to have tried.

The number 5 is not something I could stoop too but the summary is, if this is the only way within the company, get out.

What I'd really like to see on this site is a "How to defeat the brown-nosing backstabbing sychophantic bast*rds"

I think I'll go do a search.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[lacajun]

Several years ago a young, bright ME left the company to get his MBA. The company had been through another round of layoffs and gotten a man that surprised all of us. His layoff was a key indicator that the company would lay anyone off thus it was not a secure place to work. One of the older engineers exclaimed, "What are you going to do, if you don't get another job????? There aren't that many jobs out there and XXX, Inc. is a good, solid place to work."

The kid got his MBA and now works in banking. I'm sure he's making a lot more money now than as an engineer.

 

[Ron]

Yup...same as David. One more reason to leave the corporate world.

 

[HornTootinEE]

My boss is pulling a #1 (Of the 7 sneaky tricks) right now with a "supervisory" position in another town that seems to never get good applicants. I saw this post yesterday, then a SALES REP (knows our company better than actual employees I might add) of all people comes in and tells me I'd be stupid going to that other "supervisory" position. HA The irony.

 

[KENAT]

Well, update. #3 on the manipulate your boss thing didn't really work here. Turns out managers will merrily tell their underlings they were 'forced into the decision' or similar and that they don't think it was the right one.

Oh well, wasn't my idea to present it like that anyway.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[SLTA]

JMW, if you find that brown-nosing one, let us know. That would be really helpful.

 

[jmw]

Its funny, I did do a quick google and it is surprising how many people had the same choice of words as I...
My full (polite) term is brown-nosing, backstabbing basta*rds
I just searched for brown nosers and got my term back several times over.
I can't say I was impressed with the comments in the couple of sites I visited.
Some of the posters seemed to think these were just teacher's pets and had no choice in it and most seem to think that if you ignore them you are safe.... as if.
Others suggested some really sick sucking up to the brown-nosers of their own, especially in meetings where the boss is present they advocate praising the brown-noser at every opportunity.
Sorry, that's a non starter. You might just as well give up on life altogether.
So no, no solutions as yet.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[JAE]

I would suggest that there are good "bosses" out there that don't play those silly games. I've actually never experienced any of that crap myself ...perhaps I'm lucky.

I'm also in a position of management - in a small business setting. Doing any of those listed techniques would first of all be stupid (I think all of them are just plain dumb things to do) and would be so utterly transparent to any employee (assuming they have half a brain).

 

[jmw]

Frequently they are the utterly stupid things that management do do and they are possibly as frequently seen as such by employees.... nut it doesn't help the situation any.
When the boss says his hands are tied by HR or the budgetary constraints so he can't pay you any more, you know and he knows it is BS but you both also know that knowing that isn't going to change the reality. You will be shafted on pay whatever.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[mauricestoker]

JMW,

I tend to use the term "Neal & Bob" to describe brown nosing, cheese eating spineless management types. "Lapdog" is also popular. The Bavarians taught me the phrase "Radfahrer ohne Ruckrad", roughly "bicycle seat sniffer without a spine". Seems the problem is endemic to the entire subhuman species. The only serious way to deal with them is invite them to a shrimp fest and hope they don't recover from a thousand shrimp fork wounds.