Magnific

Workplace decisions can sometimes clash with practical reality.

The following story involves an employee who had to follow his boss’s idea for a project that didn’t align with his engineering expertise.

Even though the concept sounded good for promotion, it turned into a costly and impractical challenge during development.

Eventually, several unexpected challenges began to surface.

Read the full story below for all the details.

Engineers here, have you ever just go along with your boss’ impractical idea because you’re tired of arguing and wants to actually prove how impractical it is ?

In my current job, I have this boss who is actually a nice person. Sometimes, his ego takes over his mind.

That is not that surprising considering his alma mater is the highest-ranked university in our country.

He also had a bright engineering career prior to starting his own company where I am working. It was in a different engineering field from mine.

I cannot really explain it with too much detail for anonymity.

This engineer got tired of arguing with his boss.

There is this project which matches more with my engineering field than his.

Because of his ego, he wants me to implement this impractical idea.

The idea sounds good as promotional material. It is a costly manufacturing nightmare if it ever reaches the mass-production stage.

Tired of arguing, I just went along with his impractical idea.

As he expected, the project did not get completed.

Guess what happened.

The project got stuck at the prototype stage.

There was an endless loop of cost reduction attempts.

It got to the point where I am being assigned to prioritize other projects. I also have to postpone that one project.

Engineers, and non-engineers also feel free to answer, have you ever encountered similar situations? What did you do in those situations?

Some people can be so proud that they forget to listen to other people’s opinions.

OP did what he could by raising concerns and explaining what possibly could happen.

But he was also right to let his boss’s idea fail naturally so that he could prove his point and be understood.

At least now, there’s clear proof of what works and what doesn’t, right?

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Let’s find out what others have to say about this on Reddit.

This person shares what they do.

Here’s a valid point.

Another person chimes in.

This user had a similar experience,

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a customer who tried to skip the checkout line but didn’t get their way.

Finally, this situation didn’t end well.

Just because you are the boss doesn’t mean your idea is good.

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Author

Heide Lazaro

Heide Lazaro is a veteran human-interest writer and digital culture expert with over a decade of experience in editorial strategy. Specializing in lifestyle, social dynamics, and the internet's most compelling stories, Heide has authored and published more than 10 books online. Beyond her daily reporting, she is a dedicated motivational speaker who helps audiences connect through the power of storytelling. When she isn't sifting through the web's wildest real-life drama, Heide is an avid runner, painter, and novel-enthusiast fueled by a truly excellent cup of coffee.