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Or are those people just playing you? Some people are really good at playing along. I do it pretty convincingly. You make way more friends than being the grumpy

Or are those people just playing you? Some people are really good at playing along. I do it pretty convincingly. You make way more friends than being the grumpy git who moans about annoying HR stuff all the time. I pretend to like my boss’ jokes, some of his interests etc. Makes for a way better relationship. I’m not the only one who does it. I’d say the majority does!

yakshaving_jgt 3y ago
> I pretend to like my boss’ jokes, some of his interests etc. Makes for a way better relationship. I’m not the only one who does it. I’d say the majority does! Speaking as a boss, this is deeply depressing.
- switch007 3y ago
  Not unexpected though surely. Why should employees not engage in marketing, just like your company does? Sucking up to your boss is a tale as old as time lol
  - yakshaving_jgt 3y ago
    No, not unexpected, but depressing nonetheless.
- orwin 3y ago
  First: not all employees. Second, i think it really depends on how your employees need job security. I don't (most IT people in my country do not), so probably not playing games like that. I'll still be polite, and i'm really a good target for jokes, its rare i don't find one funny, but if you fire me, i'll just go my way and find another job. I interview well, and i do not need money. [edit] I also have to add that some people on the spectrum (who were called "Asperger" a few years ago in my country) have troubles pretending and lying, so target those if you're afraid you're being lied too. They aren't easy to work with if you don't understand them (you really have to make them trust you and their environment, else they won't communicate as much as they should to be able to work in a team), but it can really be worth it.
  - yakshaving_jgt 3y ago
    Yes. I understand, and agree.
atoav 3y ago
Nah, it is demonstrably true that some people are motivated by (others woud say fall for) slogans. I know people that are only motivated by salary, others are motivated by being part of a team, where they would call their teammates friends, others just want to e.g. code and do it well. It is however correct that a boss is usually not in the position to judge what people think.
tdeck 3y ago
You're getting downvoted but I often suspect the same thing. I find myself thinking "is this person I'm talking to really writing financial APIs that let you connect Coinbase to your Wells Fargo account because they're 'passionate about empowering financial freedom'?" Somehow I just don't have it in me to believe that. Folks who talk like this are generally in the minority so maybe that's really how they feel, but I always read it as a way to sell yourself.
- switch007 3y ago
  > but I always read it as a way to sell yourself. That’s exactly it. Why are bosses – who must understand marketing on some level – confused or even depressed by employees engaging in marketing! It doesn’t stop after we are done with the interviewing
- atoav 3y ago
  Exactly in this case it is very likely more true that: "Guys, we found something for which people pay us money, lets try to give them the impression we are passionate about it". Don't get me wrong, they might be passionate about creating a good product, but they would probably be equally passionate if it was about geodata instead.
- mnsc 3y ago
  I'm a person that is very much motivated by missions and lofty bullshit. This mean that I would have a hard time writing api integration glue code in the financial sector regardless of compensation. Is this good that I feel this way? Maybe not because it limits my career opportunities but it is what it is. Best gig I've had in this aspect were one where there weren't any mission but I created it for myself and that let me find meaning in my work. The problem with that approach were that the rest of the organization didn't share my mission so there were lot of little conflicts due to this and I wasn't aware enough back then to trace it back to this incompatibility/non alignment.
  - vaylian 3y ago
    I think "meaning" is the keyword here. The lofty bullshit might be over the top, but there can still be a kernel of meaning in it.
onion2k 3y ago
Over the past decade I've managed a decent number of people across a few jobs. I think I'm a pretty good judge or when people aren't being honest about what they tell me. I guess I could have been wrong every time. One question this raises though: if someone only pretends to like the company values but they do better work when I've assigned them value based projects, aren't they lying to themselves?
- reverius42 3y ago
  Maybe they reasonably expect to be rewarded more over time (money, promotions, etc.) for aligning their work with the stated company values. It doesn’t mean they share those values, but I guess it does mean they are motivated by them. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs.
ArekDymalski 3y ago
>Or are those people just playing you? Definitely not everyone. For example I do treat mission or company values seriously, especially when I see that they are not just corporate poetry, but something actually engrained in the culture. And was lucky enough to always find such an environment
- XajniN 3y ago
  There is only one reason for any company to exist, and that is making profit.
watwut 3y ago
I know people who are nominated by that and they were my friends and peers. I had zero power over them.

yakshaving_jgt 3y ago

> I pretend to like my boss’ jokes, some of his interests etc. Makes for a way better relationship. I’m not the only one who does it. I’d say the majority does! Speaking as a boss, this is deeply depressing.

switch007 3y ago
Not unexpected though surely. Why should employees not engage in marketing, just like your company does? Sucking up to your boss is a tale as old as time lol
- yakshaving_jgt 3y ago
  No, not unexpected, but depressing nonetheless.
orwin 3y ago
First: not all employees. Second, i think it really depends on how your employees need job security. I don't (most IT people in my country do not), so probably not playing games like that. I'll still be polite, and i'm really a good target for jokes, its rare i don't find one funny, but if you fire me, i'll just go my way and find another job. I interview well, and i do not need money. [edit] I also have to add that some people on the spectrum (who were called "Asperger" a few years ago in my country) have troubles pretending and lying, so target those if you're afraid you're being lied too. They aren't easy to work with if you don't understand them (you really have to make them trust you and their environment, else they won't communicate as much as they should to be able to work in a team), but it can really be worth it.
- yakshaving_jgt 3y ago
  Yes. I understand, and agree.

atoav 3y ago

Nah, it is demonstrably true that some people are motivated by (others woud say fall for) slogans. I know people that are only motivated by salary, others are motivated by being part of a team, where they would call their teammates friends, others just want to e.g. code and do it well. It is however correct that a boss is usually not in the position to judge what people think.

tdeck 3y ago

You're getting downvoted but I often suspect the same thing. I find myself thinking "is this person I'm talking to really writing financial APIs that let you connect Coinbase to your Wells Fargo account because they're 'passionate about empowering financial freedom'?" Somehow I just don't have it in me to believe that. Folks who talk like this are generally in the minority so maybe that's really how they feel, but I always read it as a way to sell yourself.

switch007 3y ago
> but I always read it as a way to sell yourself. That’s exactly it. Why are bosses – who must understand marketing on some level – confused or even depressed by employees engaging in marketing! It doesn’t stop after we are done with the interviewing
atoav 3y ago
Exactly in this case it is very likely more true that: "Guys, we found something for which people pay us money, lets try to give them the impression we are passionate about it". Don't get me wrong, they might be passionate about creating a good product, but they would probably be equally passionate if it was about geodata instead.
mnsc 3y ago
I'm a person that is very much motivated by missions and lofty bullshit. This mean that I would have a hard time writing api integration glue code in the financial sector regardless of compensation. Is this good that I feel this way? Maybe not because it limits my career opportunities but it is what it is. Best gig I've had in this aspect were one where there weren't any mission but I created it for myself and that let me find meaning in my work. The problem with that approach were that the rest of the organization didn't share my mission so there were lot of little conflicts due to this and I wasn't aware enough back then to trace it back to this incompatibility/non alignment.
- vaylian 3y ago
  I think "meaning" is the keyword here. The lofty bullshit might be over the top, but there can still be a kernel of meaning in it.

onion2k 3y ago

Over the past decade I've managed a decent number of people across a few jobs. I think I'm a pretty good judge or when people aren't being honest about what they tell me. I guess I could have been wrong every time. One question this raises though: if someone only pretends to like the company values but they do better work when I've assigned them value based projects, aren't they lying to themselves?

reverius42 3y ago
Maybe they reasonably expect to be rewarded more over time (money, promotions, etc.) for aligning their work with the stated company values. It doesn’t mean they share those values, but I guess it does mean they are motivated by them. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs.

ArekDymalski 3y ago

>Or are those people just playing you? Definitely not everyone. For example I do treat mission or company values seriously, especially when I see that they are not just corporate poetry, but something actually engrained in the culture. And was lucky enough to always find such an environment

XajniN 3y ago
There is only one reason for any company to exist, and that is making profit.

watwut 3y ago

I know people who are nominated by that and they were my friends and peers. I had zero power over them.