History PlayingWith / PointyHairedBoss

* '''Zig-Zagged''': Peter is competent in some functions of his job, exceptional in a few, and abysmal in others.

-->'''Kate''': I don't even think it's that. I think he just got put in [[MortonsFork a no-win situation]], and he's afraid that if he admits it, we'll be on him like a bunch of sharks that just smelled blood. I'm not saying that I really feel that sorry for him, mind you; he's a dick and I'm sick of his shit, but the deck was hopelessly stacked against him from the minute he got shuffled into this role.

----
%%Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%* '''Plotted a Good Waste''': ???

** Peter got the job through {{Nepotism}} or similar. Just because [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections you know the right people]], or are related to them, or whatever the case may be, doesn't mean you're ''actually'' suited to the position.
* '''Inverted''': [[AlmightyJanitor Peter is way too competent for his low-ranking job.]]

** Peter is expected based on his past incompetence to fail at a task, but it happens to fall within his [[GeniusDitz single area of capability]] and he succeeds.

** Peter used to be fairly competent at his job, but he was unable to handle the strains of managerial duties.

** Peter wants to be competent but is so heavily bound by bureaucratic red tape that he simply just gave up trying to do more than the bare minimum so as to spare himself the frustration.

** Peter got the job through {{Nepotism}} or similar. Just because you know the right people, or are related to them, or whatever the case may be, doesn't mean you're ''actually'' suited to the position.

* '''Zig-Zagged''': Peter is competent in some functions of his job and abysmal in others.

* '''Exploited''': All of Peter's underlings [[TheSlacker ignore their own jobs]], knowing he won't do anything to correct them.
** Peter absolutely ''hates'' his new position. He really wants to go back to the cube farm, where he was before he got KickedUpstairs for reasons that made no sense to him. So he figures that if he does this job so badly, they'll either demote him or fire him.

* '''Discussed''': "The management staff need better training, and not just copies of ''Literature/WhoMovedMyCheese''. They need to be either promoted from the floor and taking a few calls themselves so they know their employees' jobs as well as their own."

* '''Reconstructed''': While there are some heavy losses on his end, Peter's office manages to weather the storm, but he's exposed as an incompetent. He's demoted back to Sales, which is where he wanted to be in the first place.

** Peter was an incompetent from the start -- however, the company couldn't really get rid of him for whatever reason, so he was KickedUpstairs to do as little damage as possible.

* '''Downplayed''': Peter isn't as good at his new job as his superiors had hoped, but he can still get it done.

* '''Inverted''': [[AlmightyJanitor Peter is way too competent for his low-ranking job]].

** Bob only scratched the surface; he's way less competent than even his worst enemy thought.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Peter is competent in some functions of his job and abysmal in others.

* '''Exploited''': All of Peter's underlings ignore their own jobs, knowing he won't do anything to correct them.

* '''Discussed''': "The management staff need better training, and not just copies of ''Literature/WhoMovedMyCheese''. They need to be either promoted from the floor and taking a few calls themselves so they know their employee's jobs as well as their own."
* '''Conversed''': "Peter should have resigned a long time ago. He's not at all cut out to manage this project and he knows it, but he just won't admit it and I'm sick of his ridiculous displays of dominance because he conflates being an iron-fisted asshole with being a strong leader." "I don't even think it's that. I think he just got put in a no-win situation, and he's afraid that if he admits it, we're going to be on him like a bunch of sharks that just smelled blood. I'm not saying that I really feel that sorry for him, mind you; he's a dick and I'm sick of his shit, but the deck really was hopelessly stacked against him from the minute that he got shuffled into this role."

* '''Played For Laughs''': Peter at least has a great sense of humour and tends to appear with someone else goofing around.
* '''Played For Drama''': Many good employees are fired due Peter's inability to lead the office, and [[KarmaHoudini he ends getting away scot-free]] because of [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections his connections]].

%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
%%
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???

'''Basic Trope''': A character in a managerial position simply cannot do the job.

* '''Conversed''': See any bar at happy hour.

* '''Played For Drama''': Many employees are DrivenToSuicide by Peter's inability to lead the office well.

'''Basic Trope''': A character who's in a managerial position is completely incompetent at their job.
* '''Straight''': [[ThePeterPrinciple Peter Harrison]] is a manager at IncompetenceInc. He's a total buffoon who has no idea what he's doing.

* '''Justified''':

** Peter was an incompetent from the start - however, the company couldn't really get rid of him for whatever reason, so he was KickedUpstairs to do as little damage as possible.
** Everyone else is even worse

* '''Subverted''':

** Peter is expected based on his past incompetence to fail at a task, but it happens to fall within his single area of specialty and he succeeds.
* '''Double Subverted''':

** Peter's surprise success was entirely an accident.
* '''Parodied''':
** Peter is so incompetent at management that, in a completely mundane office environment, his employees start dying off in various absurd[=/=]tragic ways.

* '''Exploited''': ???

%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???
%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???
%%* '''Played For Drama''': ???

* '''Discussed''': "The management staff need better training, and not just copies of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Moved_My_Cheese Who Moved My Cheese]]''. They need to be either promoted from the floor and taking a few calls themselves so they know their employee's jobs as well as their own."

* '''Discussed''': "The management staff need better training, and not just copies of ''Literature/WhoMovedMyCheese''. They need to be either promoted from the floor and taking a few calls themselves so they know their employee's jobs as well as their own."

* '''Discussed''': "The management staff need better training, and not just copies of ''Who Moved My Cheese.'' They need to be either promoted from the floor and taking a few calls themselves so they know their employee's jobs as well as their own."

* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Justified''': Peter used to be fairly competent at his job, but he was unable to handle the strains of managerial duties.

* '''Subverted''': At first Peter seems to have all the hallmarks of the PointyHairedBoss, but it turns out that was just a lie spread by Bob, who hates him.

* '''Double Subverted''': Bob only scratched the surface; he's way less competent than even his worst enemy thought.

* '''Parodied''': Peter is so incompetent at management that, in a completely mundane office environment, his employees start dying off in various absurd/tragic ways.

* '''Deconstructed''': Peter's incompetence comes back to bite him in the butt when the newest IncompetenceInc product fails due to him. His entire office is shut down, costing all the employees there their jobs.
* '''Reconstructed''': While there are some heavy losses on his end, Peter's office manages to weather the storm, but he's exposed as an incompetent. He's demoted back to Sales, which is where he wanted to be in the first place.

* '''Conversed''': See any bar at happy hour.

[-Back to PointyHairedBoss.-]

<<|PlayingWith|>>

* '''Parodied''': Bob is so incompetent at management that, in a completely mundane office environment, his employees start dying off in various absurd/tragic ways.
** IncompetenceInc's main competitor declares Bob to be ''their'' Employee of the Month.

** Phil is expected based on his past incompetence to fail at a task, but it happens to fall within his single area of specialty and he succeeds.

** Phil's surprise success was entirely an accident.

* '''Zig Zagged''': ???

* '''Straight''': Peter Harrison is a manager at IncompetenceInc. He's a total buffoon who has no idea what he's doing.

Back to PointyHairedBoss.

* '''Parodied''': ???

* '''Deconstructed''': Peter's incompetence comes back to bite him in the butt when the newest TropeCo product fails due to him. His entire office is shut down, costing all the employees there their jobs.

* '''Straight''': Peter Harrison is a manager at TropeCo. He's a total buffoon who has no idea what he's doing.

* '''Discussed''': ???
* '''Conversed''': ???