I couldn't agree with your comment more! This is the same situation I am in with my job. I know I have to play these stupid and pointless mind games/tricks to get the right thing to happen, but I wish I didn't have to. It's a lose-lose situation, and this is definitely not the first job I have had that had this problem. I don't get what it is with people in upper management having to be right all the time. The reason you hire people in certain specialties is to trust them with the issues, just like I trust upper management to handle upper management issues. It's a very frustrating (and never-ending, it feels like) cycle.