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BozoBit

When you flip the Bozo Bit on someone, it means that you put them in the Bozo (the clown) category so you never take anything from them seriously again. This is a major step, not easily reversed.

So, what causes you to flip the Bozo Bit on someone, and what causes you to flip it back? - JerryWeinberg 2003.05.26

I flip the BozoBit when someone shows utter disregard for facts, and the logical consequences of positions they take. So I suppose people have thrown the bit on me on several occasions! -- CharlesAdams 2003.05.26

Various things cause me to flip the bozo bit. Flipping it back usually happens when someone hits me in the head with a baseball bat.

When I lived in Lagos, Nigeria (West Africa), there was a lady working in the embassy named Betty. She was a terror. She screamed (literally screaming - no exageration) at people all day long. She ran an efficient and effective department, but was not liked. I flipped the bozo bit on her.

Then one day, I learned how she spent her weekends. She would go to orphan homes and hold orphan babies to provide them some love all day Saturday. There are a lot of orphans and orphan homes in West Africa. These fit the description of "the worst place on earth." Yet, here was Betty, universally despised at work, holding babies giving them some love.

I flipped the bozo bit back off. One of those incidents in life that I hope I never forget. They make it much harder to flip the bozo bit on anyone else ever again. I see someone at work, I think I have them "figured out," then I learn something that changes my opinion.

DwaynePhillips 27 May 2003

I flip it when I think I've figured out that someone else is a zero while I'm still a one. I shamefacedly flip it back when I realize that I'm multidimensional, as are all of us, and not bipolar. "Bozo bit" is a most appropriate description.

MikeMelendez 2003.05.27

I've turned the bit off a few times and given the alleged bozo another chance. It's been successful for people that I have had only a few interactions. I just misread them and their intentions. With people who I have had years of interaction, I can't recall any that I haven't ended up setting the bozo bit back on. And, I can't recall giving anyone a third chance.

I feel horrible that I've flipped the bit on people. I feel okay about feeling that way. My feeling compels me to choose whether to flip the bit. It's self survival.

SteveSmith 2003.05.27

Since working with "emotionally challenged" children in special education, I've had to explore deeply past Bozo provocations to find something worthwhile inside. It can be extremely challenging to find that spark worthy of respect, but if you can find it, it pays off in spades.

I've come to appreciate dimensions that I never considered before encountering the special education scene. I now find it easier to find a positive aspect in people and avoid the Bozo-bit problem.

My advice: seek something you can respect in the person -- it may be fairly far afield, but you can bridge back to something positive with it. Cultivate the ability to see positive possibility in diversity.

--BobLee 2003.05.27

I never heard this term other than on this site. I actually find it a bit disturbing... to quote from Jerry's first remark: "...you never take anything from them seriously again. This is a major step, not easily reversed."

I don't remember times when I originally thought someone had a lot to offer, then decided they were totally useless. I can remember a few times when I determined someone I had previously trusted was not trustworthy, but the term 'bozo the clown' just doesn't seem to fit. It is more like -- I need to be careful of this person, because if I am not, there is a good chance they will do something to take advantage of me, hurt me, put me in a bad position, portray me in a bad light, etc., etc. And, if in fact I really did admire them, I usually am open to at least listening to alternative explanations of what was going on. Rebuilding trust may take more time, but that can also change.

Or, does one 'flip the bozo bit' on someone you don't know very well... therefore reducing the likelihood of ever knowing that person.

The third circumstance I can think of is where someone continually engages in offensive behavior. I don't know if I 'flip a bozo bit' in that circumstance, but I definately do make every effort to avoid that person. However, if by some chance they changed the behavior that was offending me, I might also change my reactions.

Am I off target?

DianeGibson 05-27-03

The first time I saw this term was in the book "Dynamics of Software Development" by Jim McCarthy (1995). There is a two page chaper in the book called "Don't Flip the Bozo Bit". According to McCarthy at MicroSoft the occasionally said "That dude is a Bozo". I occasionally hear it in conversation, but not often. Usually it is used in regards to a technical issue where one person is faking knowledge he does not have. I do not hear it used to discribe untrustworthy people.

I think it is used in technical situations because these often carry an asumption of intelligence while other situations may require other skills which are not so clear cut. There is an implicit "I am smarter then him, therfore he is dumb, therefore I do not need to listent to anything he has to say."

      --- KenEstes

Does it ever happen, for any of you, to have the bozo bit flipped on some person right from the start ?

Returning to the original question... I recall one specific instance, which however I'm not sure qualifies as "flipping the bozo bit". I have the same problem as Steve - my attempts to describe the situation all feel wrong. I'll toss one into the mix anyway in the hope of learning something.

So this is somebody I've been working with in a "selling" situation, making a joint pitch to a prospective client for consulting services. I'm in the lead, he's providing support. A decision point has come up - the client has asked for a proposal draft, the third such without committing to do business. The sales process I've decided to stick to tells me I should refuse. My model predicts they won't respond to a new proposal. My "pair" announces he is going to write a proposal anyway because it's the "professional" thing to do.

I "flipped the bozo bit" to the extent that I turned my attention and energy to other sales/marketing channels entirely, not making any attempt at further conversation with my former "partner". Initially I was waiting to see how the client would respond. After a few weeks of that, we still hadn't heard a peep out of them; the proposal's validity expired. He sent a message inquiring about their intentions; they replied that we might maybe hear from them in the quarter past next. I didn't reply, either to client or to "partner".

We live in different countries, so it's been rather easy to avoid restarting a conversation. We've had one brief chat over IM after about six months.

Like Diane, I'm more comfortable with viewing the situation under the lens of the "Trust as a piggy bank" metaphor. It takes one careless act to destroy trust, whereas rebuilding trust is done bit by bit over a long period of time, one trust penny after another. (I tend to trust people initially, without their needing to have built it up. So perhaps "piggy bank" isn't a good metaphor. Or perhaps I'm too trusting !)

-- LaurentBossavit 2003.05.27

Certain flamboyant CEOs, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates come to mind, were known for making a snap judgement of an employee (or candidate), sometimes calling him or her a "bozo" to his or her face. A few years ago I read something written up first-person about her experience being interviewed by Steve Jobs (I think she was in marketing, and was currently employed at Sun, interviewing for a VP-level position at Apple.)

I am, of course, a much more highly evolved human being, above such things as insulting employees and getting filthy rich, but I can "give up" on a person when I accumulate a lot of experience getting excuses, or lots of talk-but-no-action, or breaches of trust. I also avoid some people who rub me the wrong way (lame, repetitive attempts at humor) or whom I rub the wrong way (no matter what I say, it gets construed as insulting, while I find half of what that person says to be insulting to me and others.)

KeithRay 2003.05.27

I think the Firesign Theatre said it best back in 1971, "I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus". I can't count the number of times I've tripped over my own clown feet.

MikeMelendez 2003.05.28

DaveSmith 2003.05.28

You're not the only heretic here. I think there's a bit more leverage in thinking of a "bozo bit" as applied to a relationship and a context, vs. a person. So for example: "I can't seem to make value out of the technical posturing you offer, when we're trying to make a project decision here." Bozo bit flipped. No labeling going on here, really. More like a declaration of incompetence. "I am incompetent to find value in this interation."

Working with a context & relationship bozo bit makes it easy (but not common) to flip it back. Have I changed, learned something maybe? Have they changed, different behavior maybe? Has the relationship changed? How about the context? If nothing's changed, it's unlikely the results will be different. If something's changed, it's worth another look.

-- JimBullock, 2003.05.28

I see Bozo bit as having given up on the whole person. That may just be my take, but in that context, not flipping it is good advice.

--BobLee 2003.05.29

I think there's a difference between realistically determining how to get the current job done and deciding that a particular person is not worth any more effort. I also think there's a great danger is thinking that the two are the same. I've seen the later lead to tunnel vision as those who don't agree with the current vision have the temerity to speak up. There does come a time to go with a decision and have discussion focus on the next thing. Finding good ways to include the "dissidents" is important.

On the other hand, if a person is just not up to the job, I believe it is a major responsibility of management to deal with the issue openly and honestly with the individual. I have yet to work for any company that has dealt well with this kind of issue.

On the gripping hand, we each have to be in control of our own time. The "self" must be included to be congruent.

Good solutions proliferate. Unfortunately, so do bad ones.

Which returns me to the original Bozo Bit comment. I agree that if co-workers in general have begun to filter out each other, then it is time to leave.

So how do we deal with those, we would otherwise flip the bit on? Maybe that's an issue we should also discuss.

MikeMelendez 2003.5.29

KeithRay 2003.05.29

I do like what Mike Melendez said above.... determining that someone is not a good fit for a particular job, and then doing something Productive about it, is a MUCH more difficult proposition than just writing them off.

Doesn't that take us back to the Personal Skills discussion? How many of us have found a way to be competent and/or comfortable in telling someone else news they most likely really don't want to hear.... news which, at best, may make them feel bad; or may make them react to you in a negative or difficult way, or may even lead to them losing a job.

I do know that there are books on which address these issues... I know that I, for one, could probably benefit from some practice / role play / discussion on how to do this Well.

So, I guess what I'm saying in response to the original proposal is that "Flipping the bozo bit" is an easier out than dealing with the person and the issues.

DianeGibson 04-30-03

PS. Whoever decided that CLOWN = INCOMPETENCE. I think we need MORE REAL clowns in this world.... to help us take ourselves less seriously.

"Flipping the bozo bit" is an easier out than dealing with the person and the issues.

That's pure gold there.

I am a little concerned that "dealing with" can become an infinite sink of energy and time. Some folks just don't ever seem to get it (whatever "it" is.) That can be big, as in "Don't seem to get anything." or little as in "Don't seem to be sane about testing data right now." Along with sticking with it when you've got a move to make, there is also real value in noticing when something isn't working and you're out of things to try.

So, I think maybe a useful approach is to take your best shot at dealing with a person or an issue, but also knowing when you've taken your best shot. Trying too hard, or not enough are both errors, I think.

Bob's take (of 05.29) on my reframe (of 05.28) shows me I missed the mark in what I said. Since I've run into a lot of folks who either get perfect alignment from someone else, or flip the "bozo bit" hard - the big one on the whole person - I'm suggesting a "middle way." It is entirely possible that two people can do many things well together, without being able to do one or a few things well together.

In the case of me relating to Bob, I haven't flipped the Bozo bit on him yet - not dismissed him entirely, leaving him deprecated as a human being in my mind. I haven't flipped the little, situational one either. Bob's "bozo bit" status on me (or yours for that matter) isn't up to me.

-- JimBullock, 2003.05.30

I have a limited amount of energy and I've gotten caught in the past in relationships where I exhausted myself for years and nothing changed. I've learned that I can't do that anymore, not and preserve anything for the rest of my life and for the people who rely on me.

--Sue Petersen 2003.06.01

I do recall ealrier jobs, particularly those in New York City, where competition reigns. Posturing seemed to rely on tactics like declaring someone to be a "Bozo" and then jockeying to ensure you never get that tag! (See also Esther's book review where the managing the boss recommendation was to mask, lie and pretend whatever you wanted projected).

I wonder if the Bozo Bit is simply a form of blaming stance.?

BeckyWinant 2003.06.01