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I'm wondering if anyone has any stories about the dumbest or most inexplicable thing they have seen their boss (or higher) do.

Did you ever find out later on that they did these things for perfectly logical reasons?

Kind regards
Kev

gehrhorn's picture
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I fear that "dumbest thing my boss has done" topic may not be constructive. My best advice is the MT cast, "Assume Positive Intent". I do lots of things that people may think are dumb. Here are some.

  • I make decisions with incomplete information. People think this is dumb, but it's a matter of perspective. I view progress as a vector. It has a direction and a distance. For most things, I'm content to going in the "mostly right direction" and getting more "steps" in. I'd rather take three steps and then adjust rather than taking an extra week to make sure my vector is pointing in the right direction. 
  • Frequently I'll assign tasks or a project to a person who isn't "best for the job". I do this to stretch that person's skills. Also, you can't go to the best all the time.  
  • I haven't started a project that would eliminate a redundant technology in my organization. The two redundant technologies don't cause enough overhead pain to do anything about it right now. Starting a project to eliminate one may start a holy war and would distract people from more important work. Both sides of this want the other technology gone (to a degree), but it's not worth the effort right now. 
  • I spend a ton of time on my self-review and reviews for my direct. (My self review is 2,700 words. This is about 1000 more than average.) This seems like a waste to some people, but I think it's important. 
  • I usually request 2 phone screens (somtimes 3) before bringing someone in. This uses more time because Person X has to do a 30 min phone screen and a 45 min interview. I do this to increase the chances that I decline bringing in a poor candidate.
Kevin1's picture

Thanks Gehrhorn

These are the kind of things I'm looking for.  I'm trying to build a catalog of perception v reality mismatches to share with my directs.

Many thanks

Kev