You know that feeling, the one where you know you’re going to be asked about something you have absolutely no clue about? But you need an answer? So you say the first thing that comes into your head. Which, for the most part - unless you have a particular penchant for the obtuse, or being rude is part of a stance or your ‘look’ - turns out ok. Well, in this line of work, at least.
Truly ‘wrong’, misleading, downright duplicitous or actual lies I tend not to come across so much.
When I do (no Ivory Tower dwelling here) usually (actually, almost always) it always concern deadlines; which having been on the giving and receiving end, I can vouch for as mostly fiction anyway.
Not that they can’t be harmful (perhaps not in the way that the ‘dead line’ was originally intended - as a prison “shoot-a-person-for-crossing-a-line” type) if you’re someone who actually believes bad things will happen if that PDF doesn’t reach the C-suite by 9am Monday morning.
If you’re on the receiving end of those regularly, might I recommend my last ramble and develop a ‘weaponised incompetence’ towards those demanding (sorry commissioning) them from you. They’ll soon get frustrated enough to stop asking, or embarrassed enough making false promises to others on your behalf, without your consent.
My notion of (stoically or otherwise), and approach to accepting a work outcome that clearly others think must either belie a lack of me understanding the staggeringly awfulness of the situation as presented - or that I must’d not been listening (and selective hearing is a life skill. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise) - likely gives off strong Question Hound vibes (for it is he - I think it’s a ‘he’. I could be projecting) I always keep in mind in these s(h)ituations.
And as K.C. Green’s eponymous meme-dog is ten years old, or around 65 dog-internet-meme-years I guess so looking at retiring if the pension investments went to plan, I thought it well worth celebrating (as I have other reasons for doing so today) and encourage you to do the same - celebrate that mostly, in work, everything is fine.
But don’t blame me if your career goes on fire for listening to this rubbish.
