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I'd rather work with a slightly less qualified person who has a positive attitude than an overqualified person with a terrible attitude. The second type might w

I'd rather work with a slightly less qualified person who has a positive attitude than an overqualified person with a terrible attitude. The second type might write great code, but is energy draining for the whole team.

pphysch 3y ago
That's a false dichotomy. There are plenty of people who are emotionally-developed professionals.
- bequanna 3y ago
  I never said it was either-or. Some people are super competent and have a great attitude while others can be below average and make everyone around them miserable. I’ve seen every combination.
slily 3y ago
You sound like a manager. As an IC I'd much rather work with someone who's a little difficult but actually contributes, and the fake positivity that I often see from people in HR-adjacent roles/glorified paper pushers who don't have much actual work to do is really annoying.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- bequanna 3y ago
  Well, of course some minimal technical competence is a requirement. I’m just saying that an unnecessarily negative attitude is more damaging to a group than one below average contributor.
  - skellington 3y ago
    that's hilarious...a grumpy senior engineer who has been in the trenches and is usually the kind of person that gets hard problems out the door is "damaging" but toxic managers who screw their team with a smile is normal or expected. I realize you didn't say that exactly, but this is what the tone of OPs article is. IF you are a lowly IC, no matter how skilled, you must be the good subservient. The King demands a cheery disposition. But the King is allowed to behave in any way he chooses. Capriciously firing people. Yelling, demanding, berating, snap judgements, etc...
    - bequanna 3y ago
      > But the King is allowed to behave in any way he chooses. Capriciously firing people. Yelling, demanding, berating, snap judgements, etc... I don't think anyone said that. Bad attitudes are damaging regardless of which team member acts that way. Manager, Project Manager, Jr. Engineer, etc. An anxious/spazzy Project Manager can unnecessarily put everyone on edge. Shitty people make other people miserable, period.
- drewcoo 3y ago
  > You sound like a manager [not wanting an "overqualified person with a terrible attitude"] They sound like a bad/lazy manager. If their report is overqualified, they need to be fed better, harder, larger work. If their report has a bad attitude, a decent manager would figure out what's misaligned and fix it.

pphysch 3y ago

That's a false dichotomy. There are plenty of people who are emotionally-developed professionals.

bequanna 3y ago
I never said it was either-or. Some people are super competent and have a great attitude while others can be below average and make everyone around them miserable. I’ve seen every combination.

slily 3y ago

You sound like a manager. As an IC I'd much rather work with someone who's a little difficult but actually contributes, and the fake positivity that I often see from people in HR-adjacent roles/glorified paper pushers who don't have much actual work to do is really annoying.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
bequanna 3y ago
Well, of course some minimal technical competence is a requirement. I’m just saying that an unnecessarily negative attitude is more damaging to a group than one below average contributor.
- skellington 3y ago
  that's hilarious...a grumpy senior engineer who has been in the trenches and is usually the kind of person that gets hard problems out the door is "damaging" but toxic managers who screw their team with a smile is normal or expected. I realize you didn't say that exactly, but this is what the tone of OPs article is. IF you are a lowly IC, no matter how skilled, you must be the good subservient. The King demands a cheery disposition. But the King is allowed to behave in any way he chooses. Capriciously firing people. Yelling, demanding, berating, snap judgements, etc...
  - bequanna 3y ago
    > But the King is allowed to behave in any way he chooses. Capriciously firing people. Yelling, demanding, berating, snap judgements, etc... I don't think anyone said that. Bad attitudes are damaging regardless of which team member acts that way. Manager, Project Manager, Jr. Engineer, etc. An anxious/spazzy Project Manager can unnecessarily put everyone on edge. Shitty people make other people miserable, period.
drewcoo 3y ago
> You sound like a manager [not wanting an "overqualified person with a terrible attitude"] They sound like a bad/lazy manager. If their report is overqualified, they need to be fed better, harder, larger work. If their report has a bad attitude, a decent manager would figure out what's misaligned and fix it.