Comments on: A Better Team: Arrogance And Accepting Your Own Strengths http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/ Better Than Yesterday Fri, 24 May 2013 06:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Viceroy http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1707 Viceroy Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:26:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1707 Thank you share, the article will make people good progress soon, I will share my article to you, because only together can share the progress. Thank you share, the article will make people good progress soon, I will share my article to you, because only together can share the progress.

]]> By: Derick Bailey http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1669 Derick Bailey Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:49:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1669 i've noticed the tendency for some of my coworkers to not be able to make that jump from one scenario to another, as well. i had never connected the two like your suggesting, though. it makes sense now that i see you saying it. ... will have to think about this some more i’ve noticed the tendency for some of my coworkers to not be able to make that jump from one scenario to another, as well. i had never connected the two like your suggesting, though. it makes sense now that i see you saying it. … will have to think about this some more

]]> By: Derick Bailey http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1668 Derick Bailey Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:47:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1668 yeah - the anonymous troll comment was deleted. i'm all for criticism, and i can handle name calling and outrage being thrown in my general direction, if the person is willing to stand up and be recognized for who they are. this person decided to hide behind an anonymous email service with a fake name. that's not allowed. you have a good point about not remembering things you don't like. like you said, though, the burger joint was only the catalyst for the realization.  yeah – the anonymous troll comment was deleted. i’m all for criticism, and i can handle name calling and outrage being thrown in my general direction, if the person is willing to stand up and be recognized for who they are. this person decided to hide behind an anonymous email service with a fake name. that’s not allowed.

you have a good point about not remembering things you don’t like. like you said, though, the burger joint was only the catalyst for the realization. 

]]> By: JohnV http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1667 JohnV Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:42:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1667 I think I have a better memory then my wife also, .... about certain things. She amazes me sometimes with her memory of situations that I recall only when she reminds me. I think we all have strengths and weaknesses, and when they complement each other it makes a better relationship. But most of us are just average, weakness in other areas pull down our strengths. You talk about arrogance, and I think we need to look at the opposite, humility. Some of need more humility, but others are so humble they have a very low self-worth. We ALL need to find that balance point between the extremes. Looking at our selves and doing a self retrospective is important way to find that balance point. I think I have a better memory then my wife also, …. about certain things. She amazes me sometimes with her memory of situations that I recall only when she reminds me. I think we all have strengths and weaknesses, and when they complement each other it makes a better relationship. But most of us are just average, weakness in other areas pull down our strengths. You talk about arrogance, and I think we need to look at the opposite, humility. Some of need more humility, but others are so humble they have a very low self-worth. We ALL need to find that balance point between the extremes. Looking at our selves and doing a self retrospective is important way to find that balance point.

]]> By: Mike Murray http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1665 Mike Murray Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:40:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1665 There was a comment criticizing Derick for his example at the restaurant with his wife. It was an immature, insulting comment, but did make an interesting point that it was a restaurant that Derick likes and his wife doesn't. How can you expect your wife to remember anything about food at a restaurant she doesn't even like or frequent that often? My response is that sometimes the situation that brings you to a realization may not be the best example of it; it just happened to be the catalyst that sparked the new chain of thought. Derick explicitly mentions the trend he saw happening throughout his career as evidence, not solely the cheese sandwich event. I for one appreciate this post very much. When I reflect on times that I've teased coworkers or given them a hard time, it seems to frequently be a case of me unconsciously holding them to an unfair set of standards, my own. I mean seriously, how can they not have sufficient attention to detail?! I agree it is not necessarily arrogant to recognize your own strengths, especially if for the single purpose of consciously not expecting the same strength from others. Instead realize their strengths and learn from them in order to improve your own weaknesses. That is how we will form stronger teams of professional software craftsmen. Thanks for posting, Derick! There was a comment criticizing Derick for his example at the restaurant with his wife. It was an immature, insulting comment, but did make an interesting point that it was a restaurant that Derick likes and his wife doesn’t. How can you expect your wife to remember anything about food at a restaurant she doesn’t even like or frequent that often?

My response is that sometimes the situation that brings you to a realization may not be the best example of it; it just happened to be the catalyst that sparked the new chain of thought. Derick explicitly mentions the trend he saw happening throughout his career as evidence, not solely the cheese sandwich event.

I for one appreciate this post very much. When I reflect on times that I’ve teased coworkers or given them a hard time, it seems to frequently be a case of me unconsciously holding them to an unfair set of standards, my own. I mean seriously, how can they not have sufficient attention to detail?! I agree it is not necessarily arrogant to recognize your own strengths, especially if for the single purpose of consciously not expecting the same strength from others. Instead realize their strengths and learn from them in order to improve your own weaknesses. That is how we will form stronger teams of professional software craftsmen.

Thanks for posting, Derick!

]]> By: Marcus Swope http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1664 Marcus Swope Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:34:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1664 Great post, and I agree with what you are saying. I have had the same feelings, however I don't necessarily think (at least for me) that it is a matter of "having a good memory", rather it is being taught to think like an engineer or mathematician throughout our formative years.  I think it was very telling when you said:"I simply couldn’t understand why they had to ask the same question again (even if they thought it was a different question)"Maybe it IS a completely different question, but most people haven't been taught that the answer to one question can also be the answer to another. Or at least the answer can help you determine the answer to another. Most people that I know (coworkers, family, friends) are unable to make that jump. So to them, they are asking a completely different question, but to someone who has been trained to think like we have is just confused and we feel like they are asking the exact same question over and over. The key, as you said, is patience, and understanding that they bring something to the table that we don't, and they seem to be pretty patient with us :) Great post, and I agree with what you are saying. I have had the same feelings, however I don’t necessarily think (at least for me) that it is a matter of “having a good memory”, rather it is being taught to think like an engineer or mathematician throughout our formative years. 

I think it was very telling when you said:”I simply couldn’t understand why they had to ask the same question again (even if they thought it was a different question)”Maybe it IS a completely different question, but most people haven’t been taught that the answer to one question can also be the answer to another. Or at least the answer can help you determine the answer to another. Most people that I know (coworkers, family, friends) are unable to make that jump. So to them, they are asking a completely different question, but to someone who has been trained to think like we have is just confused and we feel like they are asking the exact same question over and over.

The key, as you said, is patience, and understanding that they bring something to the table that we don’t, and they seem to be pretty patient with us :)

]]> By: Anonymous http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1663 Anonymous Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:25:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1663 Arrogance in the software world is prolific. We are tasked, daily with incredibly complex problems and logic and we, by the nature of our industry, have to become experts in whichever field we encounter.  This results in us knowing a great deal about a lot of different things.  Unsurprisingly this leads some people to take a rather dim view of other people's intelligence.  Most of us come to a sharp realisation that this is NOT the case when someone who SHOULD be much less intelligent than ourselves can do something we simply cannot; or which we struggle with.I can design and develop the most complex of systems with reasonable ease...my wife is incredibly organised.  She would, by her own admission, say I am significantly more intelligent than her but would she let me organise our wedding?  Damn right she wouldn't.This is teamwork.  When you realise that you are a PART of the process and you NEED to rely on the strengths of others to achieve a common goal you become truly valuable.   Sadly,...I think it's something that comes with age but kudos to you for outing yourself. Arrogance in the software world is prolific. We are tasked, daily with incredibly complex problems and logic and we, by the nature of our industry, have to become experts in whichever field we encounter.  This results in us knowing a great deal about a lot of different things.  Unsurprisingly this leads some people to take a rather dim view of other people’s intelligence. 

Most of us come to a sharp realisation that this is NOT the case when someone who SHOULD be much less intelligent than ourselves can do something we simply cannot; or which we struggle with.I can design and develop the most complex of systems with reasonable ease…my wife is incredibly organised.  She would, by her own admission, say I am significantly more intelligent than her but would she let me organise our wedding?  Damn right she wouldn’t.This is teamwork.  When you realise that you are a PART of the process and you NEED to rely on the strengths of others to achieve a common goal you become truly valuable.   Sadly,…I think it’s something that comes with age but kudos to you for outing yourself.

]]> By: JakM http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1662 JakM Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:08:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1662 What, you're a memory genius because you can remember what a cheese sandwich at the restaurant YOU like tastes like, while your vegetarian wife whoo has been dragged to the meatfest can't tell the difference between the 3 equally bland options she has to had to sample again and again are?  Next I'm going to claim I've got a better memory that my doctor wife because I can remember every part of Star Wars where they say "I'm getting bad feelings about now". What, you’re a memory genius because you can remember what a cheese sandwich at the restaurant YOU like tastes like, while your vegetarian wife whoo has been dragged to the meatfest can’t tell the difference between the 3 equally bland options she has to had to sample again and again are? 

Next I’m going to claim I’ve got a better memory that my doctor wife because I can remember every part of Star Wars where they say “I’m getting bad feelings about now”.

]]> By: Marko http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1661 Marko Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:40:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1661 Indeed, very good article. I had a similar thinking no more than a week (or 2) ago. And I completly agreed with what you say. We must play on our strenghts and try to improve our weaknesses. Indeed, very good article. I had a similar thinking no more than a week (or 2) ago. And I completly agreed with what you say. We must play on our strenghts and try to improve our weaknesses.

]]> By: Kerry http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/2011/07/21/a-better-team-arrogance-and-accepting-your-own-strengths/#comment-1660 Kerry Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:31:00 +0000 http://lostechies.com/derickbailey/?p=474#comment-1660 Good call, good article.  It's interesting that we tend to think that our strengths somehow make us better than others.  How is that? Good call, good article.  It’s interesting that we tend to think that our strengths somehow make us better than others.  How is that?

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