The colleagues you describe do not seem that "smart" to me. Smart in the workplace is not just about technical brilliance and complexity. It is at least as mu

The colleagues you describe do not seem that "smart" to me. Smart in the workplace is not just about technical brilliance and complexity. It is at least as much about: 1. Being able to work well with others 2. Being able to take into account all constraints (which includes simplicity) My recommendation would be to help these engineers get some coaching.