I agree. This an over-simplistic view of how companies function and, frankly, a bit immature. I started my career as an engineer and I felt at times many of the sentiments expressed in this post. However, since then I've launched my own start up and had to take on the CEO role, which required me to do sales, marketing and manage people. Having to shoulder those responsibilities has really changed my perception. Everybody is under different pressures and until you are in their shoes it is often hard to understand the decisions they're making. We've since been acquired and I'm an employee again. As a result of these experiences, I'm much more sympathetic to my bosses and people in non-technical roles.
I'm reminded of why McArthur was removed from the command of the UN forces in Korea. McArthur came out strongly against Truman in the press, because Truman refused to use nuclear weapons against the Chinese, who at the time were not a nuclear power but were successfully driving the UN forces out of the peninsula. Truman was forced to sack McArthur. McArthur then went on a national tour talking about how Truman was basically an idiot and losing the war. McArthur suggested that if he was elected president he could bring the war to a speedy conclusion. Truman started taking a real beating in the press as a result. Then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs came out and publicly said that while McArthur's strategy would drive the Chinese back, McArthur didn't appreciate the wider political implications of his strategy. China, at the time, was an ally of the Soviet Union. A strike against China could have forced the Soviets into the war or at a minimum destabilized other areas of the world, such as Eastern Europe. The Chairman's defense of Truman basically shutdown McArthur's political aspirations.
I don't mean to imply that the McArthur case is what is going on here. It's very possible that this person's managers are all just idiots. What I'm suggesting is that he take a breath and try to better understand the pressures and perspective of people he works with. I find that the majority of people I work, even those I'm not impressed by, mean well and cursing them out isn't moving the strategy, profits or even that particular conversation in a positive direction. (That doesn't mean I haven't gotten mad and lost it. I have. It's just those aren't my proudest moments.)
I couldn't agree more with this sentiment. In the early days, I remember being the "No" guy. I saw a million ways things were going to fall apart, but management would just keep pressing forwards. And often times it did fall apart, and sometimes it didn't. But then when you jump into the CEO role/building your own company/being the management, you realize that the world is very much not black and white, and sometimes you just have to push forwards and MAKE it work. Or at least give it a go.
And one big thing you have to understand is that often, the idea the management wants to create is abstracted out, and grows and changes as business needs change, networks are made, and ideas flow. And sometimes thats tough to put into concrete "requirements" for engineers to build. Give them some slack, quit bitching, and just BUILD. You'd be amazed how far that can get you. This is especially true for very large and very complicated systems that are damn near impossible to get right.
I'm reminded of why McArthur was removed from the command of the UN forces in Korea. McArthur came out strongly against Truman in the press, because Truman refused to use nuclear weapons against the Chinese, who at the time were not a nuclear power but were successfully driving the UN forces out of the peninsula. Truman was forced to sack McArthur. McArthur then went on a national tour talking about how Truman was basically an idiot and losing the war. McArthur suggested that if he was elected president he could bring the war to a speedy conclusion. Truman started taking a real beating in the press as a result. Then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs came out and publicly said that while McArthur's strategy would drive the Chinese back, McArthur didn't appreciate the wider political implications of his strategy. China, at the time, was an ally of the Soviet Union. A strike against China could have forced the Soviets into the war or at a minimum destabilized other areas of the world, such as Eastern Europe. The Chairman's defense of Truman basically shutdown McArthur's political aspirations.
I don't mean to imply that the McArthur case is what is going on here. It's very possible that this person's managers are all just idiots. What I'm suggesting is that he take a breath and try to better understand the pressures and perspective of people he works with. I find that the majority of people I work, even those I'm not impressed by, mean well and cursing them out isn't moving the strategy, profits or even that particular conversation in a positive direction. (That doesn't mean I haven't gotten mad and lost it. I have. It's just those aren't my proudest moments.)