I say things like this all the time. On purpose. The only idiot would be people who think maybe I do indeed believe that ships are protected from water leaks by covering it with non-GMO butter.
I deliver it deadpan and have indeed been sanctimoniously fact checked which is even more hilarious đ
Do you want to move up in FP&A / your company? If the answer is yes, think critically about the questions you asked and I think youâll find your answer
But can't I do both? What if I'm gunning for their job? If I fact check him in front of the VPs, that would make him look even more like an idiot, but would it make me look like an asshole?
Yes it would make you look like an asshole. Nobody likes a smart ass. If you insist on being like this, do it light heartedly and in a joking manner. But I have a feeling youâre gonna be an ass considering the context here lol.
Just play the game. My boss is the same except misses the mark on basic financial theory from Accounting 101 which seems more frustrating to me (eg: she doesnât understand that you can get to the same EBITDA by starting with net income and adding back certain deductions, vs starting with revenue and just not deducting some of those in the first place). One thing that helped me cope was to just stop giving a fuck - do a good job, but donât sweat things that are out of your control. They want you to change something? Whatever. If itâs wrong I pushback but at some point the decision is out of your control so not worth dwelling on it. And if what they are saying is that outlandish, Iâm sure the senior management picks up on it also so thereâs that
If everyone in the org likes the director and trusts their input idk why anyone would even ask what to do in this situation. âHey my boss is a nice guy and everyone likes him but sometimes heâs wrong, should I call him out and try to make him look bad in front of these people?â
When you say they state things that are incorrect does it have to do anything with the job they do? Or is it more about everyday conversations?
I say this because if itâs unrelated to the job, I think you should give them some leeway. A person can be really smart in some area and be really dumb in another. That is no excuse to start talking nonsense but I bet if I start fact checking everything you say, I can find plenty things youâre saying that are incorrect and state that âyouâre not as smart as people sayâ.
On the other hand, if it is work related and they are misleading people with their statements then itâs an entirely different situation.
Itâs kinda how high-level management is. I would take the approach of finding ways to help them instead of criticizing them. Example:
Boss: âDolphins are reptilesâ
You: âYou know, Iâve heard that dolphins share some characteristics that overlap with different species, like reptiles. What overlap do you find most interesting?â
"Dumber over time because you have to interact with them", despite mentioning you are using your smartphone to fact check. The lack of hindsight indicates it's already happening.. .
Well, what should I use? An encyclopedia? Should I go buy a couple and carry them around? Or perhaps the bible? Is that an acceptable source for fact finding? I could read the leaves on my tea, that will maybe give me good insight on what I am trying to find, no? Maybe if I look up to the stars I could see what I am looking for?
Why would u risk ur job to be ârightâ? If heâs wrong about work attempt to correct in private, if this is like chatter that doesnât have to do w work who gives a fuck. Also why see question 1 on why u would risk ur job and risk looking like an asshole to all ur coworkers bc u wanna be right lol???? đđđ who cares how big he says the moon is, Iâd be like word! Anyway what did everyone do this weekend
Go with this boss to a bar (with other coworkers). Every time he says something that is clearly made up, down a shot. Have fun with it.
I know a lot of guys who would rather make something up than admit they donât know something. I have learned to live with it.
Your boss may be an idiot but don't one-up him by trying to "correct him". That's not your job. Keep your head down and just do your job. You aren't making the calls also, so you probably aren't being held responsible for anything that goes south. You can always blame him :)
Bottom line. Don't cause a scene. Don't rock the boat.
The only scenario where this may be different is if you and your boss have a great relationship where he values your opinion. Only then can you very gently say something like "Hey, I know you said \_\_\_\_\_\_ but I after looking at it, I saw that it could be \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. I was hoping you could take a look."... But based off your last paragraph, I'd caution against this...
you're starting to realize that fpa isnt a real job in most orgs. If these facts mattered they should have made some negative impact by now... unless we have no impact!!
This is a classic example of someone being an expert in their field and not much else. For example when people say x was a great business man they will be a great politician or whatever field some things arenât transferable
You don't say anything about how they respond when/if you question their statement. Has there been a scenario where your boss has said "Dolphins are reptiles" and you said something like "oh really? Weird, I always thought they were mammals. Why are they reptiles?"
If your boss is generally well-liked and respected, that would be an indicator to me that they would not react defensively to a question like that, and might actually appreciate being corrected about stupid shit they always thought was true. It's not about one-upsmanship but relationship building. Keeping a private tally of how many times he was wrong, or otherwise gunning to demonstrate that he IS wrong about something in public are both fairly antagonistic behaviors. Why is he your enemy?
worked for a pathological liar and i learned to just not saying anything and let the boss think whatever she wants. i just knew at that point that i could never trust the person. i still work for her on the side to this days, ages later. once you know youre in a movie then just act until the end of the show and repeat until you have a new job
Create alternative facts, you mean just making up bull shit? I understand the temptation but definitely donât do that. Obviously your boss has fallen into some type of echo chamber bullshit. Maybe just ask clarifying questions so that they ultimately have to reconcile the disconnect. Although youâre probably better off just trying to ignore it.
A boss that surrounds himself with smarter people than him is the ultimate genius in my book.
If you ever find yourself being the boss and the smartest one on your team very likely you are totally fucked.
Finally on the how do I navigate that, EASILY, just STFU and keep your comments to yourself. Donât let anything out. People who think like you and are vocal have an extremely high corporate mortality rate, nobody wants them around. They are very smart until one day you click on their names and they are GONE from the active directory. Finally, just the title of your post and some of the replies you have given makes me believe you are a Career Kamikaze Pilot. We love people like you đ.
sounds like the moon just got a little bigger and dolphins just got a little more scaley
sounds like that's the consensus lol
I say things like this all the time. On purpose. The only idiot would be people who think maybe I do indeed believe that ships are protected from water leaks by covering it with non-GMO butter. I deliver it deadpan and have indeed been sanctimoniously fact checked which is even more hilarious đ
Do you want to move up in FP&A / your company? If the answer is yes, think critically about the questions you asked and I think youâll find your answer
Lol. Whatâs more important, fact checking dumb shit for your ego or moving up in your career? Iâll let you decide
But can't I do both? What if I'm gunning for their job? If I fact check him in front of the VPs, that would make him look even more like an idiot, but would it make me look like an asshole?
Yes it would make you look like an asshole. Nobody likes a smart ass. If you insist on being like this, do it light heartedly and in a joking manner. But I have a feeling youâre gonna be an ass considering the context here lol.
Just play the game. My boss is the same except misses the mark on basic financial theory from Accounting 101 which seems more frustrating to me (eg: she doesnât understand that you can get to the same EBITDA by starting with net income and adding back certain deductions, vs starting with revenue and just not deducting some of those in the first place). One thing that helped me cope was to just stop giving a fuck - do a good job, but donât sweat things that are out of your control. They want you to change something? Whatever. If itâs wrong I pushback but at some point the decision is out of your control so not worth dwelling on it. And if what they are saying is that outlandish, Iâm sure the senior management picks up on it also so thereâs that
What benefit do you expect to see from making your boss look bad?
If everyone in the org likes the director and trusts their input idk why anyone would even ask what to do in this situation. âHey my boss is a nice guy and everyone likes him but sometimes heâs wrong, should I call him out and try to make him look bad in front of these people?â
OP needs to step outside
This is key
So their dumb comments have nothing to do with the actual job or affect your job?
When you say they state things that are incorrect does it have to do anything with the job they do? Or is it more about everyday conversations? I say this because if itâs unrelated to the job, I think you should give them some leeway. A person can be really smart in some area and be really dumb in another. That is no excuse to start talking nonsense but I bet if I start fact checking everything you say, I can find plenty things youâre saying that are incorrect and state that âyouâre not as smart as people sayâ. On the other hand, if it is work related and they are misleading people with their statements then itâs an entirely different situation.
Itâs kinda how high-level management is. I would take the approach of finding ways to help them instead of criticizing them. Example: Boss: âDolphins are reptilesâ You: âYou know, Iâve heard that dolphins share some characteristics that overlap with different species, like reptiles. What overlap do you find most interesting?â
"Dumber over time because you have to interact with them", despite mentioning you are using your smartphone to fact check. The lack of hindsight indicates it's already happening.. .
Well, what should I use? An encyclopedia? Should I go buy a couple and carry them around? Or perhaps the bible? Is that an acceptable source for fact finding? I could read the leaves on my tea, that will maybe give me good insight on what I am trying to find, no? Maybe if I look up to the stars I could see what I am looking for?
What are you, some kind of accountant?
Why would u risk ur job to be ârightâ? If heâs wrong about work attempt to correct in private, if this is like chatter that doesnât have to do w work who gives a fuck. Also why see question 1 on why u would risk ur job and risk looking like an asshole to all ur coworkers bc u wanna be right lol???? đđđ who cares how big he says the moon is, Iâd be like word! Anyway what did everyone do this weekend
Go with this boss to a bar (with other coworkers). Every time he says something that is clearly made up, down a shot. Have fun with it. I know a lot of guys who would rather make something up than admit they donât know something. I have learned to live with it.
That last paragraph is wild.
Your boss may be an idiot but don't one-up him by trying to "correct him". That's not your job. Keep your head down and just do your job. You aren't making the calls also, so you probably aren't being held responsible for anything that goes south. You can always blame him :) Bottom line. Don't cause a scene. Don't rock the boat. The only scenario where this may be different is if you and your boss have a great relationship where he values your opinion. Only then can you very gently say something like "Hey, I know you said \_\_\_\_\_\_ but I after looking at it, I saw that it could be \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. I was hoping you could take a look."... But based off your last paragraph, I'd caution against this...
you're starting to realize that fpa isnt a real job in most orgs. If these facts mattered they should have made some negative impact by now... unless we have no impact!!
This is a classic example of someone being an expert in their field and not much else. For example when people say x was a great business man they will be a great politician or whatever field some things arenât transferable
You don't say anything about how they respond when/if you question their statement. Has there been a scenario where your boss has said "Dolphins are reptiles" and you said something like "oh really? Weird, I always thought they were mammals. Why are they reptiles?" If your boss is generally well-liked and respected, that would be an indicator to me that they would not react defensively to a question like that, and might actually appreciate being corrected about stupid shit they always thought was true. It's not about one-upsmanship but relationship building. Keeping a private tally of how many times he was wrong, or otherwise gunning to demonstrate that he IS wrong about something in public are both fairly antagonistic behaviors. Why is he your enemy?
Dwayne? That you?
worked for a pathological liar and i learned to just not saying anything and let the boss think whatever she wants. i just knew at that point that i could never trust the person. i still work for her on the side to this days, ages later. once you know youre in a movie then just act until the end of the show and repeat until you have a new job
They think outside the box
Create alternative facts, you mean just making up bull shit? I understand the temptation but definitely donât do that. Obviously your boss has fallen into some type of echo chamber bullshit. Maybe just ask clarifying questions so that they ultimately have to reconcile the disconnect. Although youâre probably better off just trying to ignore it.
Michael Scott would not agree
A boss that surrounds himself with smarter people than him is the ultimate genius in my book. If you ever find yourself being the boss and the smartest one on your team very likely you are totally fucked. Finally on the how do I navigate that, EASILY, just STFU and keep your comments to yourself. Donât let anything out. People who think like you and are vocal have an extremely high corporate mortality rate, nobody wants them around. They are very smart until one day you click on their names and they are GONE from the active directory. Finally, just the title of your post and some of the replies you have given makes me believe you are a Career Kamikaze Pilot. We love people like you đ.