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Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move?
I've never been able to find a list so I figure I would ask y'all.
Examples of corporate power moves:
- Showing up 5 minutes late to a meeting, to show someone your time is more valuable.
- "The Hard CC" where you cc someone's boss to throw them under the bus for not being accountable.
- Having someone prepare a report or do a lot of work on something and then tell them to "simplify it" or just give you the "key points" in a meeting
What are your favorite (or least favorite if something drives you nuts) corporate power moves?
- mtmail 7y agoAt $bigcorp we had a senior vice president continuing his phone calls in the mens room (toilet) at the pissoirs. I can imagine he saw himself doing a power move (I certainly didn't) showing how important or busy he is. He did wash his hands at least.
- waterside81 7y agoHa - I've never seen the word pissoir before. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pissoir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pissoir Although you probably meant "urinal", I'm glad you used this word! Now I know what the things in Paris are called which are a life saver if you have a little kid with you who says they don't need the bathroom while at the hotel and then 10 mins later do need it.
- mtmail 7y agoAh yes, it was a urinal. Source: stood next to him (awkward)
- smacktoward 7y agoU.S. President Lyndon Johnson used to take this power move a step further. In one-on-one meetings with members of his staff, he would go into the bathroom attached to his office, start urinating, and then call the staff member into the bathroom to continue the conversation. They would then have to either go into the bathroom and literally watch him relieve himself, or risk offending their boss, who happened to also be the most powerful man in the world.
- mieseratte 7y ago> They would then have to either go into the bathroom and literally watch him relieve himself, or risk offending their boss, who happened to also be the most powerful man in the world. Those are the times you politely demur, and when pressed ask the "reducto ad absurdum" question - "Sir, you wish for me to watch you urinate?" Helps if you have a solid poker-face.
- airbreather 7y agoThe response of "noted". You do a little scribble in your book or tablet or whatever and look up and say "noted" and then just stare with a pregnant pause, indicating you are waiting for the next meaningless "concern" to be articulated.
- cyberpip 7y agoI do this all the time and didn't realize it was a power move. I find myself saying it to curb additional discussion I feel like is going to be superfluous - especially over slack or whatever. Noted!
- LarryDarrell 7y agoQuitting. Especially effective in the Midwest U.S. where jobs are more scarce and employers tend to take you for granted.
- ok_coo 7y agoI'm not sure why you got downvoted, but I have to agree. At least a couple of employers I had in smaller towns in the midwest would treat employees like property, and would assume you would never (or be able to) leave. "You should be grateful to even have a job" was common.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- knightofmars 7y agoAs someone else who works in the Midwest U.S. you are absolutely correct on this. There are always opportunities to fill the void short-term if you decide to "pull the trigger" so to speak.
- derision 7y agoWhat Midwest are you talking about? It's the opposite - there are tons of jobs and not enough talented people to fill them.
- human20190310 7y agoI like to leave at exactly 5pm.
- RocketSyntax 7y agoHa. Slave to the man. Do you badge out too?
- human20190310 7y agoFew people can entirely avoid having to work for a living.
- RocketSyntax 7y agoThese just sound petty, not powerful
- ljm 7y agoWholesome corporate power moves, also known as being a good leader: - Allowing your team to work remotely if they want to - Assuming responsibility for something that needs doing when it would be easier to pass the buck - Shielding your team mates from unwarranted external criticism the complete list is practically endless
- stronglikedan 7y agoUnfortunately, while not fair to others, it's sometimes necessary to act petty or narcissistic to get ahead in the real world.
- RocketSyntax 7y agoScheduling an offsite or business trip to avoid trivial initiatives you don't want to deal with.
- jppope 7y agonice.
- themikesanto 7y agoI enjoy being a nice person and not fucking over other people for my own personal gain.
- mieseratte 7y agoSeconded, with the caveat that I enjoy fucking over those who fuck over my team.
- jessicalondon 7y ago+1 to this!
- stronglikedan 7y agoYeah, but sometimes a hard CC is the only thing that works, no matter how nice you try to be before resorting to it.
- DrScump 7y agoMe, too. Plus, I sleep really well.
- nathan_long 7y agoThe classic programmer corporate power move is wearing whatever you want to the office.
- aloisdg 7y agoMetal/Video Game/Nerd T-shirt + Bermuda short + Espadrille was my main dress code this summer. Skater shoes + cargo pant + hoodies right now. My power move would be to switch to a sirwal (best pant ever!). I may try it. My god level move would be to wear a mundu or a pareo.
- ljm 7y agoI've done the pareo before on multiple occasions. The cooling factor in 30°+ heat is unrivalled. Easily one of my favourite things to wear at work when the weather's good for it. Probably want to practice putting one on and keeping it secure for a bit first though - don't want it slipping off in front of people! (That would be a different kind of power move.)
- stronglikedan 7y agoHow much cooler if you freeball it?
- ljm 7y agoHard to quantify it but it's far more comfortable due to the soft fabric and lack of friction around the thighs. It's super refreshing not just with the breeze but also because it's like shade for your legs. It's honestly a shame that it's not socially acceptable (in the West) for men to wear skirts and dresses.
- AstralStorm 7y agoOne of these days I should go to work in the fencing outfit. (Mask optional.) Maybe even the full historical reconstruction set I have.
- Blackstone4 7y agoHaving confidence in myself and my own future. Enough so that I can say exactly how I see a situation and I can deal with the consequences whether positive or negative.
- Blackstone4 7y agoTo add to my comment, having learnt this 10 years into my career, I feel like this thinking is a virtious circle. If I am able to communicate exactly what I am thinking in a diplomatic manner, the more it is appreciated and the more success I have. This leads to greater confidence and the more I express myself in such a fashion.
- cryptoz 7y agoHow are these power moves? They transfer your power to someone else? Showing up late for a meeting purely to waste time tells the other person you are extremely inconsiderate and someone they should actively avoid. If I value my time, why would I spend any of it around you?? The rest of these things are just extremely rude, I cannot understand why you'd call them 'power moves'. They show insecurity and a desire to destroy the company you work in, not 'power'.
- rpmisms 7y agoSometimes rude is necessary to communicate a point or just moving shit out of the way.
- rgoulter 7y agoThey're certainly quite rude. It's possible the OP isn't sincere in asking for more ways to be rude. In a sense, being rude is a signal of power, because if you're rude and not powerful then you'd get punished for being rude. (As you say, I wouldn't wanna work anyone who behaves so rudely, though). https://medium.com/incerto/how-to-legally-own-another-person-4145a1802bf6 https://medium.com/incerto/how-to-legally-own-another-person...
- jppope 7y ago(OP here) I am 100% not advocating the use of "power moves". I don't believe they grow mutual respect or help build constructive work environments... but let's be real, any of us that exist in the real world have seen this stuff from time to time and like everything, there are good and bad versions of it. The "Ask HN" is meant to be of an "observational" nature. My aim is that the discussion provides utility for understanding social dynamics, and hopefully people use discretion with the info (i.e. Hanlon's razor). Hopefully the info can be used to help people navigate their lives better.
- seiko988 7y agoEmploy 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 for crashing your Porsche again while auto racing.
- farazbabar 7y agoI am sorry.
- tpae 7y agoWorking from home
- akman 7y agoFrom the comments, seems there is confusion on what you're looking for. I sense sarcasm in your request, i.e., 'What are cargo cult things one can do to show power?' But some responses are more genuine. If you make the ask clearer in what you're really looking for, it'll make it easier to decipher the responses. My 2 cents...
- jppope 7y agoMea culpa. I could have been clearer. I was mainly looking for a "zoo of power moves". definitely not advocating for the use of dis-respectful social tools. I was mainly trying to identify what they look like out in the wild - the good, bad, and ugly included.
- cspags 7y agoBeing the only remote employee when the rest of the company is onsite.
- TeMPOraL 7y agoHuh. 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.
- legohead 7y agoRefusing to sign NDAs and non-competes
- NoNotTheDuo 7y ago"Per my previous email" is my favorite. I usually attach the prior email that answers the question.
- Blackstone4 7y agoIsn't this passive aggresive? Would you do this in real life? I feel like this thinking would breed bad culture and is a short-term win at the expense of a long-term relationship.
- jerf 7y ago"It depends". I've used this when someone is claiming to their boss that we never communicated something, generally in situations where we've been communicating like crazy, but possibly not with them directly, but via emails to the several affected parties. Generally I assume that the person is just forgetting because they are very busy rather than out to get me, but, nevertheless, you have to defend yourself against that sort of thing. Passive-aggressive in this case is superior to aggressive-aggressive. If you don't defend your reputation, nobody will.
- Blackstone4 7y agoI generally agree with what you said. Maybe I take issue with the phrasing: "Per my previous email" I feel like it triggers some people. I prefer to try and soften it by saying something along the lines of: "I don't know if you got my previous email (see attached)"
- AstralStorm 7y agoThat one is additionally condescending, implying the recipient cannot handle their email. Good job!
- hindsightbias 7y agoHaving changed roles that puts me in more frequent contact (not support) with admins, “per my email”, “per my instruction document” seems a bit kinder than RTFM. I don’t want a long-term relationship with IT people who think I’m their resource for their live streams of conciousness IT sessions. I had a call this week where my instruction doc was on the right side of the webex and the terminal on the left and they wanted me to read the commands to them...
- celim307 7y agoGiving 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.
- agumonkey 7y agoSo 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.
- maliker 7y agoPretty much every scene in the movie Margin Call. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhy7JUinlu0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhy7JUinlu0
- stepvhen 7y agoThe "Hard CC" isn't a power move its how things get done. I constantly check in to make sure I'm doing my job right and when I am and the problem isn't fixed, its time for it to be someone else's problem. source: working in Support.
- zwieback 7y ago"What I'm hearing you say .." and then say what you want to happen.
- jppope 7y agolol. Yep seen many a manager use that
- stronglikedan 7y agoI 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 of what I may have understood, but they failed to clarify by not responding to my follow up).
- airbreather 7y agoI 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.
- jppope 7y agoIt's definitely wise to have a written record of certain conversations.
- mbrodersen 7y agoThis is not a power move BUT something you absolutely have to do to protect yourself against the corporate blame game.
- mturmon 7y agoThe re-org in which dead wood is shunted off to an out-of-the way planning or strategy assignment. Extra points for dotted-line reporting to another strategy person. Further extra points if the planning assignment is not funded adequately and/or has no personnel authority.
- cottonseed 7y agoBeing late isn't a power move, it's just makes you look disorganized and disrespectful. This would have 100% the opposite of your intended effect with me. Real power moves are exercising real power: saying no and being able to back it up, expressing a dissenting opinion, solving problems and providing real value, brining in money, controlling budgets or headcount, threatening to quit because you can/will, leading by organizing people to get something done, articulating a framing for situations that cut through the BS, understand people's motivations and what's actually going on, etc. These moves "take up space," but don't confuse taking up space for power. People with actual power won't. So get to those meetings on time.
- loco5niner 7y ago> Being late isn't a power move, it's just makes you look disorganized and disrespectful. Sometimes yes, sometimes no
- wdhodges 7y agoCC 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.
- mbrodersen 7y ago"busy bragging" tells me that you are unorganized/inefficient/trying to impress (i.e. not powerful).
- ghostbrainalpha 7y agoI 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.
- allworknoplay 7y agoDocument 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.
- jppope 7y agoWow. never seen that one out in the wild, but damn that does sound just savage.
- paleotrope 7y agoYou mean hundreds of scanned pdf files without ocr and password protected with different passwords isn't helpful?
- segmondy 7y agoCanceling the meeting after 3 minutes to show them you don't tolerate lateness.
- stunt 7y agoI don’t know what kind of corporate culture you are dealing with but I personally believe in Open,Honest,Direct approach to solve my problems.
- thefrenchsmith 7y agoMy boss never accepts calendar invites for meetings, and may or may not show up to the scheduled meeting. Brilliant filter since people will ask again if she's really needed, vs just invited for show.