How to deal with a manager who is confidently wrong
Incompetent managers often rely on outdated methods and refuse to consult their teams, leaving employees stuck implementing half-baked ideas without proper research. This dynamic forces staff into the impossible position of either executing flawed technical decisions or constantly pushing back while enduring micromanagement and disrespect.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1looking for another job
- 2Cover your ass (CYA) by documenting warnings and concerns in writing
- 3Let bad ideas fail while protecting your own accountability
- 4Look for a new job elsewhere
- 5Present actual researched data and costs to management
- 6pretended I never had one and didn't know what she was talking about
- 7giving the new hire opportunities, space, and grace
- 8checking everything he touches
- 9documenting his failings and dates
- 10bringing issues up to management
- 11Sitting quietly and waiting for the rant to end so they can go home
- 12Confronting the principal directly during meetings when singled out
- 13Meeting every two weeks instead of every month
- 14Speaking to them frankly during board meetings
- 15Trying to get hard facts and data before they continue making changes
- 16updating a resume to prepare to leave or change schools
- 17trying to stay true to oneself and waiting for the supervisor to leave
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I've (28F) been working in local government for about a year now, recently got promoted to the accountant role after being the AP/Accounting Tech.”source ↗
“The guy doesn't understand basic accounting concepts, can barely use a computer, and quite frankly has zero problem solving skills.”source ↗
“Everything he messes up becomes my problem, while I am FOUR MONTHS BEHIND on bank recs due to the transition & training of him.”source ↗
“How do you deal with a manager that is confidently wrong about basic IT infrastructure and fundamentals?”source ↗
“They did a thing in 2005 so therefore we must do it today. No research. No checking with the team to see what they think. No google.”source ↗
“Its so laughable that I don’t want to sound like the “know it all” but at the same time I can’t possibly in good conscience actually roll out some of these half baked ideas and I don’t want to do their job for them.”source ↗
“This person lied on their resume and lied in the interview. The have ZERO sales experience and it shows - it’s HIGHLIGHTED.”source ↗
“Hiring them was a mistake. Keeping them is demoralizing.”source ↗
“The owner is starting to nitpick every little thing.”source ↗
“She yells at me that I f****** returns up when it's literally just adjusting to the different software and her process of doing things is not as organized and accurate as the firm I came from.”source ↗
“I swear our staff meetings have basically become my principal’s personal rant sessions.”source ↗
“We will have maybe four actual things on the agenda, but somehow we spend 45 minutes listening to everything she is pissed off about.”source ↗
“She also loves taking something ONE person did and ranting to the entire staff about it.”source ↗
“At this point everybody just sits there waiting for the rant to end so we can go home.”source ↗
“I don't trust them more than I can throw them and the rest of the board have expressed concerns as well.”source ↗
“When I asked Nancy about it, she said she heard there was tension with this partner and she didn't know how to address it, so she did nothing.”source ↗
“I just want to know if I should have some grace for people I thought I knew stepping into a brand new role.”source ↗
“She has been a control freak about everything and I refuse to be talked down on like that.”source ↗
“It’d all be great if my supervisor (edit: not building principal, an ap) weren’t breathing down my neck.”source ↗
“We’ve had 22 school days, and she’s been in my room 8 times. All but ONCE has been a random drop by”source ↗
“all but ONCE, she’s felt the need to make some undermining comment to my classes”source ↗
“Maybe I’m paranoid, but gee. It sure doesn’t feel like it.”source ↗
“I want to punch a wall on a daily basis. It’s such an epic fucking shitshow.”source ↗
Where this came up
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