We have said it before: anything that is too much is toxic. This is why when good engineers are too good at their jobs, it might no longer be, well, a good thing.
Which attitudes and areas of good engineers should be always be kept in check? Here are seven:
Blind loyalty
To be loyal is one thing, but to be blindly loyal is another. It is okay to put all your faith in another person but this should have certain spots – especially when the shortcoming or fault is too big to ignore. Engineers who have this kind of attitude only serves the interest of others and not of the company. It is also necessary to question leaders and manager at times when needed.
Commitment to meeting deadlines
Again, being encouraged to meet deadlines is a good thing because it drives productivity and efficiency. But at times, it could lead to disaster. When the deadline is the only why engineers work, then there is a tendency to ignore quality checks that is necessary in outputs.
Excessive optimism
We once shared about why engineering teams need pessimists. They keep help make sound decisions, balance out arguments, and prepare the team for the downsides. This is essentially what optimists need: a little negativity. Because too much positivity can be toxic for engineers.
Staying focused on a goal
Keeping an eye on the prize is good until it neglects the underlying values and principles. For engineers, this could mean breaking protocols and disregarding standards. That’s not how it should be.
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Having a competitive mindset
Too much competitiveness could lead to dishonesty and violations. Because engineers want to get ahead, they always make sure that they do and have the best even if it means doing illegal or unethical activities.
Sticking to a budget
One of the biggest mistakes that engineers make is when they let themselves be controlled by a budget. This could when financial performance becomes the only metric that matters.
Wanting to please higher-ups
Not all the time that good engineers to please their bosses because it could imply deception and manipulation. Good engineers are only good if they stick to their values and maintain their work ethics even to the expense of a bad boss’ critical evaluation.
Source: Big Think
