Sometimes, it’s not what you say… it’s how you say it.

So, what would you do if your manager refused to approve system upgrades because they only focused on cutting costs, even after you explained the upgrades would actually reduce expenses in the long run? Would you just let it go? Or would you come up with a new approach?

In the following story, an IT employee opts for the latter and gets his way. Here’s what happened.

How to talk managers into upgrading

Manglement: Our competitors are beating us in pricing. We must do everything possible to lower our costs!

Me: Ok, with these upgrades to your IT system, you should increase efficiency and significantly reduce production costs.

Manglement: Upgrades? There will be no upgrades here! Upgrades cost money. I want to spend *less, not more. Make them spend less!

Me: But if you upgrade the system, they will spend less, and you will be able to compete with the competition.

The manager didn’t want to hear about spending money.

Manglement: I said I won’t be spending anything on IT! I want it to cost less, not more.

And so it went back and forth a bit until I gave up and left him to pretend to be working. However, in a few days, a devious idea sprang to mind. And so I went to Manglement’s office again.

Me: Manglement, I got news for you.

Manglement: What is it now?

Me: CompetitorX and CompetitorY have this new IT system they are using.

Frustrated, he changed his angle.

Manglement: And?

Me: We are using a much weaker IT system.

Manglement: So you’re telling me they got something better than us? I’ll have none of that! We must upgrade our systems! Order them now.

Me: I will.

And so, by shifting the tone, I have managed to make him upgrade his IT department by leveraging his hatred of competition and his broken logic of spending less without investing. May your Manglements be as easy to trick as mine.

Wow! It’s shocking that it was that easy.

Let’s see if the people at Reddit have ever done anything similar.

This reader thinks it’s ridiculous.

Here’s a good way to explain it.

According to this comment, that’s the top way to get your way.

This is going a little too far.

At least he got his way.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.