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Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

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51–60 of 81 posts

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#51
CC boss is called "escalation" and is useful if direct requests don't work. It's not throwing under the bus, its ensuring accountability. CC boss on the first request is usually unnecessary.

Showing up late to meetings is indeed a "power move" but not respectful. Its the same as "busy bragging", talking about how much work/meetings you have. Both these are completely lame.

The biggest thing I see is holding the floor in meetings, even timing your words and sentences to prevent interruption. This is sometimes necessary when making brief, complete points, in a very aggressive environment. I like to teach people how to break into the monologues.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#52
I didn't start doing this because it was a "power move" although its been pointed out to me that it was since.

My company like big 20 person meetings where my portion of the agenda may only be 5 minutes long.

The rest of the meeting I will listen to what is going on, chime in when relevant, but I keep on coding so I can meet my deadlines. This bothers some people who think your full attention should be on the meeting, but honestly it just isn't required for me so I multitask.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#53

I don't know if it's a power move, but I like to reiterate all verbal communications in a follow up email to the person(s) I was conversing with, prompting them to ensure I understood everything correctly. While it's more of a CYA thing, the power move comes into play when they try to feign ignorance on the topics of the conversation, and I can use their written words to set the record straight (or just have a record…

I would call that good practice and reasonable manners, this is normal in my professional circle and not doing it would be a dick move or maybe setting up for an ambush.

Conflict arises from differing or unmet expectations, so continually managing alignment of expectations is crucial to an end result where both parties feel there has been a positive outcome.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#54
Document dump. Not software-related, but someone needs files for diligence and either has some obnoxious request list or wants something you'd prefer they not really know about; you just dump literally everything on them in terrible formats to potentially obfuscate negatives and consume an enormous amount of their time. Many people will find whatever they need to check the box and move on. It's a dick move.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#55
post #17

Being the only remote employee when the rest of the company is onsite.

Huh. Achieved that at my previous job (3 days out, 2 days in), but the effect was ultimately opposite to what you'd expect. Sure, initially I was the person that managed to convince management to give them remote work. Fast forward couple months, I was next to nobody on the floor, because I couldn't keep up with the social aspects of the workplace and wasn't present at the relevant watercooler conversations.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#56

Employ or feign total ignorance of operations so no one can expect a raise, because the boss/manager doesn't even know what you do here. Assume loyalty only from those whom you have directly hired; remove all those who predate you. Make a strict deadline, but merrily add features at your whim, when the deadline is missed, then act astonished "how could this have happened?" Elicit sympathy from your underpaid minions…

I am sorry.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#57

Giving my boss a heads up that I was gonna quit if things didn't change. Things didn't change, so I quit. They had almost no other technical staff so they called me asking to fix "just a couple little things". I quoted my rate at 300$ an hour, minimum 20 hours. They balked. Three days later my former boss calls me and agrees. I ended up billing 80 hours.

So weird how human nature works. The more I grow old, the more I see everything is a struggle/war/negotiation.

I'm always looking for friendly high drive collaboration but it's so rarely the case.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?

#59

Document dump. Not software-related, but someone needs files for diligence and either has some obnoxious request list or wants something you'd prefer they not really know about; you just dump literally everything on them in terrible formats to potentially obfuscate negatives and consume an enormous amount of their time. Many people will find whatever they need to check the box and move on. It's a dick move.

Wow. never seen that one out in the wild, but damn that does sound just savage.
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