Dealing with an incompetent boss
Since starting in the investment banking realm, upon completion of grad school, I have worked at a total of three firms (two FT one internship). Since I've started my new job, there is one jack ass who does not see the benefit of changing old ways, incorporating new ideas, in order to make work flow more efficient.
I am not a mean person, and I have tried every way to negotiate with him. At this point it seems he is so hard headed that he is acting irrational. Everyone else within the firm has warned me that he is the old school grouch that listens to no one, and I have tried every rational logical way to try and connect with him.
Any thoughts? Any suggestions?
Backstory: Every firm I have worked for, I have found flaws that are easily fixable, and everyone from the analyst all the way to the MD's have had great gratitude for me streamlining the process and make the work more efficient, except for this guy.
You are not the boss and changing your attitude to a more positive one will help your big ego.
Some people can't be changed, but maybe this can spark an idea
it sounds like you're a perennial complainer, fail to look for alternatives, and are destined to be miserable. I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul.
either that or you just need a good boning, in which case download tinder.
some men aren't looking for anything logical. they can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. some men just want to watch the world burn.
Son, can you get off of WSO and call up the elevator operator to make sure he is at his post? Been waiting 20 minutes here in the lobby.
Also can you order some new mechanical adding machines? Going to be a busy weekend recalculating some IRRs and we need all of the capacity we can get.
I had one of these back in the day (at my pwm firm). Everyone who worked for him before me hated the guy and most junior staff were terrified of him. One analyst that reported to him directly actually asked him once for mentorship and to help understand how to improve performance as a junior employee and the guy literally told him to get the fuck out of his office.
He and I actually developed a good working rapport. In my other roles, I've really pushed the boundaries of the box to help improve procedures and ways of getting work done. This guy just wanted someone to come in and get his shit done for him the same way it had been done for thirty years. I did a good job, put my head down, and fit into the mold he had built for himself (he was, after all, an important part of my performance review). Rather than pushing out of his little box, I pushed into it, took his criticisms and did it all his way. He loved it, because knowing I was getting shit done his way meant he could take more martini lunches and not worry about shit hitting the fan. That meant I had time for other pursuits in the office.
At the same time, I found the extra projects and opportunities to go above in beyond in different areas - through some lateral work with other managers, and in some national level procedural work that helped pushed policies from the top down.
This also meant that after a year, I had proven that I could work with one of the toughest managers in the firm, which opened the door for two rapid promotions into a fast growing part of the business.
I get that your situation might not allow for this, if these inefficiencies of yours mean that you're pumping out work at 3am every night. I was also at a more junior level then than you likely are now. But some food for thought.
How far into his box did you push?
My boss still fucking likes clip art in their pitch books. Wtf it's 2017