Make Others Look Incompetent

This is different from MakeOthersBecomeIncompetent.

When somebody wants to look competent, but there is somebody who is more competent in the room, he can do 2 things:

Make the other look incompetent by ChestThumping.
Make himself look more competent by not arguing with the other, but developing the other's idea further.

The first is an AntiPattern called MakeOthersLookIncompetent, while the second is a technique called GoWithTheFlow in which no one gets incompetent.

There are some who use a more subtle method which could be described as down talking than chest thumping. This is to deliver an unnecessary lecture in front of a manager on a technology that the target already is very familiar with, to create the impression in the manager that the target is ignorant or incompetent. The intended target needs to find a way to try to explain his or her knowledge and competence diplomatically yet assertively; success in this will make the lecture backfire.