How do you deal with Weaponized Incompetence within a firm? More importantly, from a partner? I work at a CPA firm. I have been with this firm for 5 years, so I am aware of the demands of tax season but this tax season has been horrendous. We have a newly promoted partner who is also the team lead who exhibits weaponized incompetence on a daily basis and it is really affecting the atmosphere. Everyone in the office is on the same page, though I was curious to get some outside perspective.

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I think that’s pretty common within PA, especially from Partners. It’s not that they are pretending not to be able to do something or trying to manipulate. It’s that they view the task that they are asking you to do to not be worth their time. Instead, they focus their time on what they perceive to be higher value like chasing their next win. You and your peers are just another tool in their tool chest to accomplish their goal. If you get overworked and quit, they view that as your weakness instead of their bad leadership.

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It sounds like the partner is delegating trivial tasks, like basic research. That's what they are supposed to do. A partner won't remain a partner long if they spend their time doing staff level work.

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You are probably starting to get a real taste of the firm. It’s probably been there all along but you are now rising up in rank and see it. Stay positive and solution oriented. If you can do that long enough, they’ll work for you one day. Easier said than done, hence why not everyone makes it to partner / senior mgmt roles

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That’s just partners being partners.

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When did pushing work down or delegating become something stupid and “weaponized”?

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What is weaponized incompetence?

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I am looking for a firm to give me a chance I don’t know if it’s my age and starting over or what but I live in the Danville Va area if anyone needs someone that is coach able I already have my Masters Degree just need the year experience and of course to pass the exam.

Sounds like you're getting a taste of a Partner delegating work, which is what you were hired to do, not them. They've got much more important things to allocate their time towards.

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With the number of complaints I hear of people having against higher-ups, it’s becoming harder for me to distinguish what is legitimate versus some sort of envy or displacement of a person’s own unhappiness with what they do. Maybe just focus on what you can control and adjust accordingly. If someone crosses a line that you can point to in a policy handbook then raise alarms. As you move up it’s likely you’ll deal with a similar frustration but it’ll be a client rather than a partner.

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I have coined it “strategic incompetence“. I am a partner and have a partner who is somewhat similar to what you describe. Now don’t get me wrong. Partners don’t need to know everything and shouldn’t . They delegate…but my partner does it so much that frankly I think he actually brings very little / almost nothing of value to the table as a partner. He is the PIC of his speciality area and I rarely go to him with questions on the area because I know he won’t know the answer. Overall I agree there should be a level of delegation by partners but you can’t be ignorant.

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In what ways are they using weaponized incompetence?

It sounds like they are training. How will you ever learn to handle those situations if you don’t learn while supervised.
I once asked the CFO a question that I’d asked a few months prior but I’d forgotten the answer or how to do the task. His reply was “you already asked me that” and he turned and walked away. I figured out the answer on my own and I never repeated that mistake

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To take on the partner role demands true leadership of a team not just chasing book of business and making client relationships. It’s a very big task and I’ve seen so many new partners really struggle with this.

Walk around all day with your laptop rushing around with little time to talk and your capacity is completely full.. tell them to take a number and get in line.. TCB!!

If they cannot perform they need to step down or be transitioned to another area. Be an asset in any position otherwise they need to be removed.

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