How do you tell your boss he's wrong without making it sound that way? 2

[casseopeia]

I did some destructive testing on a building and found some non-conforming construction. There were no weep holes or base flashing at the bottom of a brick veneer exterior wall. The California Building Code (based on UBC) clearly states that weep holes and base flashing are to be installed at the first course of masonry above grade. The seller’s expert didn’t catch it although they were looking at the same opening I was. All I know about the other consultant is that he graduated from Dominican in San Rafael, CA, a liberal arts school. I have friends who went to Dominican, but they have degrees in family therapy, nursing and ballet, not engineering or architecture since the school has no curriculum for those degrees.

The seller’s consultant threw a hissy fit about the flashing issue with my boss on a conference call when I was not present. My boss caved during a conference call, then called to try to convince me to change my report and say that it is acceptable construction. I said as a licensed architect, could not ethically say something that is in direct violation of the building code is OK without a written variance from the building official having jurisdiction.

I am to meet all the parties at the site on Monday morning. My boss said that when I see what they are talking about, I will change my mind and kind of implied my continued employment was at stake. He said he wants the purchaser to buy the building so that the firm gets the remediation work where he can recoup some lost fee. I told him it was not my mind that needed changing. They need to run it by the building official. My quandary is that I am reluctant to openly challenge my boss in front of the other consultant and his Client, the mayor of the city that owns the building. I’m just not sure what more I can say, except ask the other consultant if he could do a lovely pirouette for me.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[hokie66]

Poor detail all around. External pavement too high, cavity below ground not filled, not through wall flashing where needed.

 

[jmw]

I also praised him for a brave decision to back out of what it turning into a very shady deal.

No, no, no, Cass.
Please revisit the Yes Minister reference.

If you tell him he is being brave to take this decision, you make him nervous about it and he will worry he is taking a risk.

You should be saying this is the right decision and the safest thing to do with the least financial risk. Make him feel comfortable with it.
You need to say that it would take a braver more foolhardy person than you to not only overlook a code violation but put yourself on record as endorsing it like the Dom boy suggests.
You don't need to remind the boss that he was going to ask you to do this, but this is a good opportunity to make the boss subliminally aware that you would have refused to act that way. he will think twice next time anyway, his dabbling with the dark side nearly got him his fingers burnt and has certainly boosted his blood pressure.

You now don't need to trash the Dom Boy. He has done a nice job of showing himself up but you can certainly add fuel to the fire, it won't hurt to trash the guy as much as you can because the more odorous you make him seem the more tainted his ideas and you need your boss to be imprinted with the association between this guy and bad ideas.

I wonder how long before Dom Guy's lack of ethics gets him his license suspended?


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[Ron]

Cass...I've done quite a bit of stucco remediation design. Partial removal of stucco on wood frame is problematic. Tieing back to existing stucco is difficult and should only be done at a logical termination such as a corner condition.

The most common tie-in difficulty is because the contractors inevitably use paper-backed lath and they put too many fasteners in it (yes...too many). The paper is so thin that it doesn't allow sliding another membrane under it to achieve a vertical joint. Horizontal joints are even worse and more critical from a waterproofing standpoint.

 

[vanmorrison]

I would not suggest trashing Dom Boy. It is just like American politics, eh. Cass's merit and position will stand on their own. You do not have to agree with Dom Boy and you can make that known in a respectful professional manner. Besides the boss and purchaser is staring to get a whiff of Dom Boy.

I appreciate how the Yes Minister concept was put into context. Thank You. I only hope I can remember it at the appropriate time when I need to use it.

 

[jmw]

Van, you are probably right and I suggest this not for the purpose of getting at Dom Boy publicly but to educate the boss.
He has to learn to trust his own specialist.
Cass has to get him trained or this behaviour will be repeated more often than Star Trek.

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Nice handwriting, Cass Legible... more than I can say for many I come across...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[casseopeia]

jmw, No doubt I need to work on my diplomatic skills. At least I didn’t say what I was thinking. My boss said one of the reasons he wanted to pull out of the project is that he felt disrespected by the Client because of his refusal to take his advice about the stucco, no matter how many good arguments he had to remove all of it. I thought, ‘yeah, this is your chickens coming home to roost and crapping on your head.' Maybe he will manage to make the connection.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump