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> I can not really square that circle. I have similar experience. When I was in the military I was very "Sir, yes sir". Nowadays, I need to understand what / w

> I can not really square that circle. I have similar experience. When I was in the military I was very "Sir, yes sir". Nowadays, I need to understand what / why I am doing what I am doing. It's worked well for me in hyper growth environments and not so well in established companies where people don't question the status quo. I could be wrong here, but generally I see two types of people. People who care about what they're doing and people who don't (missionaries vs. mercenaries). The trick is to not come off combative or argumentative. Tricking people into thinking something was their idea has worked well for my personal journey.

Ma8ee 6y ago
Yes, you are absolutely right, we should absolutely do the thing that I manage to on the surface make sound very similar to what you just said but is actually the opposite. :)
Uhhrrr 6y ago
Reminds me of: https://dnipogo.org/john-r-boyd/to-be-or-to-do/ https://dnipogo.org/john-r-boyd/to-be-or-to-do/
constantine42 6y ago
100% "The trick is to not come off combative or argumentative". But I've never had to worry about "Tricking people into thinking something was their idea". It is always their idea, I just refine it. I'm 15 years in and my PM puts me on special high profile cases, be it a new project or a failing one. She will literally tell the customer "We've got 'insert name' on this. He will ask a lot of questions and it may take him some time to complete, but rest assured that when he's done, it will be exactly what you need." No pressure, right? I need to communicate very clearly about everything. If I feel there's a risk, I call it out EARLY. My PM wants to get out ahead of any issues and have all the resources that I need ready to go when I need them. The upside of all of this is I have a "get out of jail" card. Because my PM and leadership know that it's actually done when I say it's done, they encourage me to take my time and do it right. Overtime, what's that? They know the mind fogs when someone works too much. I'll get scolded if I work too much. Even when only working 30 hours a week, I find myself quite spent. I have no idea how people work 40-60 hours a week and still have the energy to go out and do anything.
petra 6y ago
What's the point of tricking someone "it was all their idea" , if they get the credit, and with it, the promotion ? Sure the work will get done better, but it's not like we're saving lives or doing something important, so what's in it for me ?

Ma8ee 6y ago

Yes, you are absolutely right, we should absolutely do the thing that I manage to on the surface make sound very similar to what you just said but is actually the opposite. :)

Uhhrrr 6y ago

Reminds me of: https://dnipogo.org/john-r-boyd/to-be-or-to-do/ https://dnipogo.org/john-r-boyd/to-be-or-to-do/

constantine42 6y ago

100% "The trick is to not come off combative or argumentative". But I've never had to worry about "Tricking people into thinking something was their idea". It is always their idea, I just refine it. I'm 15 years in and my PM puts me on special high profile cases, be it a new project or a failing one. She will literally tell the customer "We've got 'insert name' on this. He will ask a lot of questions and it may take him some time to complete, but rest assured that when he's done, it will be exactly what you need." No pressure, right? I need to communicate very clearly about everything. If I feel there's a risk, I call it out EARLY. My PM wants to get out ahead of any issues and have all the resources that I need ready to go when I need them. The upside of all of this is I have a "get out of jail" card. Because my PM and leadership know that it's actually done when I say it's done, they encourage me to take my time and do it right. Overtime, what's that? They know the mind fogs when someone works too much. I'll get scolded if I work too much. Even when only working 30 hours a week, I find myself quite spent. I have no idea how people work 40-60 hours a week and still have the energy to go out and do anything.

petra 6y ago

What's the point of tricking someone "it was all their idea" , if they get the credit, and with it, the promotion ? Sure the work will get done better, but it's not like we're saving lives or doing something important, so what's in it for me ?