4 ms·

I had an eye opening lesson on optimizing for the human factor from a friend in law school. I missed a class and asked to borrow his notes. His note taking styl

I had an eye opening lesson on optimizing for the human factor from a friend in law school. I missed a class and asked to borrow his notes. His note taking style was very different from mine. I was focused on the details in the textbook. He had all of that, but also included notes on the professor. For example, if there were multiple prevailing legal theories for an issue, he would put a note next to one and write "Prof. seems to prefer this." He was clocking the professor's take on the issues so that come test time he could craft answers that appealed to their predilections. Law professors, like many lofty scholars, often think they know best and simply love students that stroke their egos. My friend, finished second in our class. Well ahead of me!

dahwolf 3y ago
That is both clever and creepy. It's as manipulative and opportunistic as my example, but clearly it works.
- acters 3y ago
  I guess they are just min/maxing their real world personality and connections. Very similar to how people play MMOs to the highest level.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
systems_glitch 3y ago
You don't play $boss like that?! I don't care for mgmt roles so the way I got what I wanted done was to walk $boss into thinking they came up with what I wanted to do. All you have to do is pay enough attention to the (often not work related) stated preferences and work some of them into the plan. Maybe I'm the bad person :P
- ebiester 3y ago
  I’m a $boss. I’d say that is different. I want you to be asking about the strategy I have and incorporating ways to achieve that. I have that out in the open! I usually want to know if you think my strategy won’t work and why, and how to make it better, but I might disagree with you. If we disagree, I still want you thinking about how to make my strategy successful even if I know you disagree. I also want you to be telling me where you think we should be going and so I can make sure we both get credit for it. (Me because I did the extra work to make sure it isn’t blocked upstream and because I give it the space to succeed against other ideas, and you for having the idea and working through the hard parts.) It doesn’t have to be sneaky to work.
  - systems_glitch 3y ago
    You sound like a Good Boss, or at least a pragmatic one! I don't think I've had any of those, or at least none committed to actually thinking differently. So you do what works: subterfuge and flattery :P

dahwolf 3y ago

That is both clever and creepy. It's as manipulative and opportunistic as my example, but clearly it works.

acters 3y ago
I guess they are just min/maxing their real world personality and connections. Very similar to how people play MMOs to the highest level.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

systems_glitch 3y ago

You don't play $boss like that?! I don't care for mgmt roles so the way I got what I wanted done was to walk $boss into thinking they came up with what I wanted to do. All you have to do is pay enough attention to the (often not work related) stated preferences and work some of them into the plan. Maybe I'm the bad person :P

ebiester 3y ago
I’m a $boss. I’d say that is different. I want you to be asking about the strategy I have and incorporating ways to achieve that. I have that out in the open! I usually want to know if you think my strategy won’t work and why, and how to make it better, but I might disagree with you. If we disagree, I still want you thinking about how to make my strategy successful even if I know you disagree. I also want you to be telling me where you think we should be going and so I can make sure we both get credit for it. (Me because I did the extra work to make sure it isn’t blocked upstream and because I give it the space to succeed against other ideas, and you for having the idea and working through the hard parts.) It doesn’t have to be sneaky to work.
- systems_glitch 3y ago
  You sound like a Good Boss, or at least a pragmatic one! I don't think I've had any of those, or at least none committed to actually thinking differently. So you do what works: subterfuge and flattery :P