
Ask HN: What's your favorite corporate power move? - jppope
I&#x27;ve never been able to find a list so I figure I would ask y&#x27;all.<p>Examples of corporate power moves:<p>- Showing up 5 minutes late to a meeting, to show someone your time is more valuable. 
- &quot;The Hard CC&quot; where you cc someone&#x27;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 &quot;simplify it&quot; or just give you the &quot;key points&quot; in a meeting<p>What are your favorite (or least favorite if something drives you nuts) corporate power moves?
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celim307
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.

~~~
agumonkey
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.

~~~
celim307
My new place is much better :)

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themikesanto
I enjoy being a nice person and not fucking over other people for my own
personal gain.

~~~
mieseratte
Seconded, with the caveat that I enjoy fucking over those who fuck over my
team.

~~~
jessicalondon
+1 to this!

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stronglikedan
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 of what _I_ may have understood,
but they failed to clarify by not responding to my follow up).

~~~
airbreather
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.

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LarryDarrell
Quitting. Especially effective in the Midwest U.S. where jobs are more scarce
and employers tend to take you for granted.

~~~
ok_coo
I'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.

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cottonseed
Being 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
> Being late isn't a power move, it's just makes you look disorganized and
> disrespectful.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no

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nathan_long
The classic programmer corporate power move is wearing whatever you want to
the office.

~~~
aloisdg
Metal/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
I'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
How much cooler if you freeball it?

~~~
ljm
Hard 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
One of these days I should go to work in the fencing outfit. (Mask optional.)

Maybe even the full historical reconstruction set I have.

------
airbreather
The 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
I 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!

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seiko988
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 for crashing your Porsche again
while auto racing.

~~~
farazbabar
I am sorry.

------
Blackstone4
Having 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
To 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.

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mtmail
At $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.

~~~
smacktoward
U.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
> 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.

------
akman
From 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
Mea 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.

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allworknoplay
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.

~~~
paleotrope
You mean hundreds of scanned pdf files without ocr and password protected with
different passwords isn't helpful?

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wdhodges
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.

~~~
mbrodersen
"busy bragging" tells me that you are unorganized/inefficient/trying to
impress (i.e. not powerful).

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NoNotTheDuo
"Per my previous email" is my favorite. I usually attach the prior email that
answers the question.

~~~
Blackstone4
Isn'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
"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
I 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
That one is additionally condescending, implying the recipient cannot handle
their email.

Good job!

------
RocketSyntax
These just sound petty, not powerful

~~~
ljm
Wholesome 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

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stepvhen
The "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.

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thefrenchsmith
My 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.

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

~~~
TeMPOraL
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.

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human20190310
I like to leave at exactly 5pm.

~~~
RocketSyntax
Ha. Slave to the man. Do you badge out too?

~~~
human20190310
Few people can entirely avoid having to work for a living.

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legohead
Refusing to sign NDAs and non-competes

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cryptoz
How 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'.

~~~
rgoulter
They'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...](https://medium.com/incerto/how-to-legally-
own-another-person-4145a1802bf6)

~~~
jppope
(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.

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RocketSyntax
Scheduling an offsite or business trip to avoid trivial initiatives you don't
want to deal with.

~~~
jppope
nice.

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ghostbrainalpha
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.

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mturmon
The 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.

------
maliker
Pretty much every scene in the movie Margin Call.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhy7JUinlu0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhy7JUinlu0)

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stunt
I 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.

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segmondy
Canceling the meeting after 3 minutes to show them you don't tolerate
lateness.

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zwieback
"What I'm hearing you say .." and then say what you want to happen.

~~~
jppope
lol. Yep seen many a manager use that

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tpae
Working from home

