I am not an Interior Designer

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Gale Haut

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I've been working for a company as a Graphic Designer to help them with branding and various media identity thingies.

It seems like, now that my boss has determined my sexuality, she and the CEO keep asking me for interior design and fashion tips. They seem to be doing this for professional advice rather than personal advice. And when the advice isn't sound or I appear less confident in my opinion, they are obviously applying that to their overall opinion of my work.

I find it unnerving, and am reaching a breaking point. Any advice for dealing with HR or whatnot?
 

Raventongue

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Where do you live? Different places have different rules that can make getting any HR complaint taken seriously easier or harder.
 

Gale Haut

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I'm in Texas, but I don't think I can "complain" with good results. My direct boss is the CEO and the CEO's wife, so I don't want to become an HR problem employee. :-/
 

mirandashell

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Is there any way you can gently point out to the CEO that you're not there for that kind of advice? It's not your job so....
 

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"I'm terribly flattered that you're asking me for interior design advice, but honestly, I'm not an interior designer. Graphic design is a very specialized field and my training is in graphic design."
 

Gale Haut

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"I'm terribly flattered that you're asking me for interior design advice, but honestly, I'm not an interior designer. Graphic design is a very specialized field and my training is in graphic design."

Almost verbatim, and it hasn't sunken in. They get irritated when I repeat things they've chosen not to remember, so I feel like this option is all but exhausted.
 

Raventongue

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Oh gods. You're in a tight spot. Not sure what else to say, other than your boss and CEO are absolute buttheads.
 

Anna L.

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That's absurd. I don't know what would help.:/ Well, I suppose you could pretend you're Lady Gaga and give them fashion advice based on that. Either they'll start believing that they should wear nothing but hot pink see-through pants or they'll grow half a brain.
 

randi.lee

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I am in a position similar to yours. I work for an architectural firm, so people (including the big-wigs) constantly come to me with desingy-type questions. My position is in Marketing, Graphics and Communications.

My new response? "Huh?"

Try the "I see you, I hear you." Technique. Don't make it about you and your disinclination to do something. Make it about them and how you can't meet their needs.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trained in that field. I really don't know how to answer that question. I understand that you need someone to help you, but I won't be able to do a good job and I know you want quality."

Very passive way of saying no that works with my big guys. As long as they believe you don't know, then you don't know.
 

Rhoda Nightingale

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What if you make yourself a fancy name-plate that says simply "I AM NOT AN INTERIOR DESIGNER" and put it on your desk?

Snark aside, that sucks. :( I have nothing to offer but my sympathy.
 

JohnnyGottaKeyboard

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Well, thanks for trying. I'll just take it as a learning experience I guess.
Or...Take it as a LEARNING EXPERIENCE! Next time say something like: "That's a very good question, and I do have lots of ideas. However, I'm really not sure what the top-tier designers are currently recommending. There is a class at (insert name of nearby and expensive top-tier school or university here) I could take that I'm sure would help immensely. Can I be reimbursed for that?"

I actually talked an employer into getting me certified to adjust insurance with a line very similar to that. And I had no desire to adjust insurance...
 

Gale Haut

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I am in a position similar to yours. I work for an architectural firm, so people (including the big-wigs) constantly come to me with desingy-type questions. My position is in Marketing, Graphics and Communications.

My new response? "Huh?"

Try the "I see you, I hear you." Technique. Don't make it about you and your disinclination to do something. Make it about them and how you can't meet their needs.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trained in that field. I really don't know how to answer that question. I understand that you need someone to help you, but I won't be able to do a good job and I know you want quality."

Very passive way of saying no that works with my big guys. As long as they believe you don't know, then you don't know.

Ooooh, I think maybe I'll try rewording to something like that. Next time she asks me I'll probably say, "I really like that color. *le sigh* I kind of wish I had interior designer experience, so that my opinion would mean something."

Or...Take it as a LEARNING EXPERIENCE! Next time say something like: "That's a very good question, and I do have lots of ideas. However, I'm really not sure what the top-tier designers are currently recommending. There is a class at (insert name of nearby and expensive top-tier school or university here) I could take that I'm sure would help immensely. Can I be reimbursed for that?"

I actually talked an employer into getting me certified to adjust insurance with a line very similar to that. And I had no desire to adjust insurance...

Fun idea. I don't want to be an interior designer, so I probably won't use that for this particular issue. But this could maybe work the next I'm asked to program an app for an iPhone. Our Tech looked kind of hurt when I had to take that info to him.

Did I mention I'm not a computer programmer either?
 

Lydia Sharp

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your boss and CEO are absolute buttheads.

This. It's one thing to make an idiotic assumption, then never again after being corrected. It's quite another to continue idiotic behavior after being corrected repeatedly.

I can't even wrap my head around this. Are you sure they're human? Because real humans don't have butts where their heads should be.
 

Raventongue

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real humans don't have butts where their heads should be.

Lol!

I suppose you could pretend you're Lady Gaga and give them fashion advice based on that. Either they'll start believing that they should wear nothing but hot pink see-through pants or they'll grow half a brain.

This... Might actually be an option, provided that when they eventually start to get skeptical you openly explain why you chose this route. It may not be a good option, but barring being fired, it's not like things can get that much worse.
 

mirandashell

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Or...Take it as a LEARNING EXPERIENCE! Next time say something like: "That's a very good question, and I do have lots of ideas. However, I'm really not sure what the top-tier designers are currently recommending. There is a class at (insert name of nearby and expensive top-tier school or university here) I could take that I'm sure would help immensely. Can I be reimbursed for that?"

I actually talked an employer into getting me certified to adjust insurance with a line very similar to that. And I had no desire to adjust insurance...

I had that work for me as well. As soon as the employer realises behaving that way will cost them money, they tend to stop it.
 
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