How to tell my boss he's wrong?

[AttilaTheGeek]

I was hired as an intern at an up-and-coming software startup just two weeks ago, and after a couple days of learning my way around, I was given my first assignment. I'll put the technical jargon in a spoiler at the bottom for the uninitiated, but the assignment boiled down to "Use [this program] to do [this task]".

So I spend a couple weeks installing it, getting it set up, and trying to work through the badly-written documentation. With google's aid, I found about other programs that could also do the job, but wanted to stick with the one I had been told to use. However, I got fed up and decided to just ask stackexchange if I was on the right track. The responses were surprising, to say the least.


This is one of those moments when you need to go to whoever specifically instructed you, and tell them they are wrong. Use [another program] instead.


[Program] is not designed to do what you want. Put simply, you're trying to weld metal using a sponge cake.


Do people really use [program] for doing that?!

I'm a lowly intern, but I report to the Head of Operations. I've always known the Playground to be good at helping out with social situations (like the LGBTAitP and Relationship Woes and Advice threads), so I decided to ask here. What do I do now?

Tech-speak: I was asked to use Puppet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppet_(software)) to manage user passwords across an arbitrary number of servers, which are running a mix of RHEL, CentOS, and OS X. Apparently it's better for configuration files instead? The internet suggested I use LDAP, which I don't know either.

[EmeraldRose]

I've generally found it to be a good practice, no matter the job/class/training/etc, that if there is an issue with a specific person, especially if that person is your supervisor, to take it directly to them. Trying to go around them can only cause you problems.

Go to your direct supervisor with your concerns about the task you were given, let them know you've done some research on your own (bonus points?) and that you think X program may be more suited to the task than Y. Then lay out a factual reason why. Keep it to the facts, stay respectful, keep emotion out of it, and if the answer is, "Nope, you do it my way," then request direction on how to accomplish your task.

As an intern, you are supposed to still be learning. Who knows? Maybe what you were supposed to learn is that the program you were tasked to use is inappropriate, and something else is really required?

Good luck and congrats on the internship!!

[Deepbluediver]

I would strongly advise not trying to tell him flat out that he's wrong about something. Approach him at a time when he's not entirely consumed with other things (send him an e-mail and ask him for a meeting when he's got a few minutes if that's what it takes) and then try to present your argument in a way that is more like: "This program is not ideal for what we want to be doing. It can probably save us a lot of time and energy if we can swap to this other program, which has gotten good reviews and is a much better fit."

If he's smart he will listen and applaud (or at least accept) your initiative. He might not be able to affect a change, if there are other regulation or limitations in place that you don't (currently) know about, in which case you would have to either request he take it up with the rest of the chain or command, or accept it and do the best you can.

[Balain]

From my experience I would talk to him directly. Tell him you think program Y is better than program X because of Z. If he insists on using program X do best you can, get as far as you can with program X. If and when you run into problems ask for input/help from someone.

There maybe reasons he wants you to use program X that you don't know about.

[valadil]

Ok, I could see using puppet for that. I think it's suboptimal but it could be made to work. LDAP would be better though.

Anyway, here's my advice. Don't tell your boss he's wrong. Instead tell him you're right. Tell him you were banging your head against puppet and took the initiative (always a good thing in management's eyes) to take a look at another piece of software. Tell him you're really excited because will do the job for user password synchronization, but it will also do function x, y, and z, thus increasing shareholder value (an even better thing in management's eyes).

[erikun]

I would recommend against saying it would "increase shareholder value" because not every manager is a CEO. Most managers are going to be managers, in other words the people who manage other people. They'll mostly be concerned with how well everybody can work with said software.

As others have recommended, I would also suggest that you take it up with your Head of Operations and give your reasons as to why you think LDAP would be a better fit. Note that your boss (if they are any good) will want some concrete reasons for the change, preferably in lines of ease of use for other employees. Simply saying "I've heard it works better over the internet" will probably not impress them enough to make a switch.

[leafman]

Phrase it something like this: "Hey *insert name* I've been having trouble getting Puppet to work properly. I did some research and found that using LDAP would be more efficient. What do you think?"

[Killer Angel]

Basically, you make a proposal, asking your boss if it's right.
"I know we should use X, but wouldn't it be better to use Y? I know it does this and this"

[Manga Shoggoth]

...And above all, remember that there may be an existing reason that you are asked to use "X" instead of "Y", so it is important to ask why "Y" is being used.

It is not that unusual to be dealing with a sub-optimal solution because the software is already there and available, or the client does not want to use (or pay for) a new/different service.

There may also be a whole range of overheads in bringing (for example) LDAP in if the company is not already using it - like security; cost; maintainence...

[AttilaTheGeek]

Update: I asked a friendly coworker why I was asked to use the suboptimal program (Puppet) instead of the one the internet strongly suggested (LDAP), and he pointed out that it would take the better part of a year to set up an LDAP infrastructure because we don't use windows and the ops team is five people.

So that means my boss wasn't wrong!

On the downside, it means I do have to suffer through Puppet. :smallsigh: If anyone knows their way around the program, please send me a PM.

[Erloas]

At my job we had someone come in recently that complained to no end about the software we were using. Then he would go on and on about all the better software he used at another company. He did get permission from our boss to look into it. It has now been about a year and he found the software he wants to use but it is still probably going to be another 6 months before it can be put into place, along with the huge amount of work to get it set up through several different departments and a cost of about $60k. Granted some of that is new hardware, but the point is sometimes the "best" option has a lot of work required to get it working. Migrating large amounts of data and integrating into a new piece of software is *never* as quick and easy as it seems like it should be.