What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
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What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
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Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#2Really this needs a guide?
Anyone that has worked on big corp gets thrown into office politics since day one.
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#3During my first role at , I believe I accidentally made an enemy of a couple of directors due to ill-timed interpersonal awkwardness and unwillingness to suck up. What can I say - I thought tech was about meritocracy and cutting the BS. I was laid off in the next round despite doing good work. I learned my lesson and now I’m (I think) well-liked.
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#4It is funny. Well-socialized person doesn't need this kind of guide, as unwritten rules of social play are learned in the process of growing-up.
But it is clear for "nerds" and "hackers" social is impenetrable, thus preference for interacting with the machine and towards techno-solutionism. What, by the way, the main reason FOSS movement will never liberate anything.
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#5Really this needs a guide? Anyone that has worked on big corp gets thrown into office politics since day one.
Yes.
It sure would have helped with my learning curve. Coming from a home and a college where it was ok to criticize or examine ideas openly, it took me a while to figure out what was I doing wrong.
There is a big cultural aspects too. This was in India. Questioning seniors in group meetings is usually a big no no that I wasn't aware of.
Well, I was aware, but I thought that an international big corp would not have that problem. Was I wrong.
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#6It is funny. Well-socialized person doesn't need this kind of guide, as unwritten rules of social play are learned in the process of growing-up. But it is clear for "nerds" and "hackers" social is impenetrable, thus preference for interacting with the machine and towards techno-solutionism. What, by the way, the main reason FOSS movement will never liberate anything.
> unwritten rules of social play are learned in the process of growing-up.
Could you elaborate. Under which circumstances does one learn these things. Family, surely not. I hope so.
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#7During my first role at , I believe I accidentally made an enemy of a couple of directors due to ill-timed interpersonal awkwardness and unwillingness to suck up. What can I say - I thought tech was about meritocracy and cutting the BS. I was laid off in the next round despite doing good work. I learned my lesson and now I’m (I think) well-liked.
I am bent the other way.
I am very vigilant of whether I am sucking up to anyone.
So in one of my first grad school conferences I see this stalwart professor making his way through different poster presentations. I don't think he encourages it, but people fawn upon him in subtle and not so subtle ways to gain recognition. After all he is Michael Jordan.
As I saw him approach, I told myself that I will not send any signals that could plausible be mistaken for obsequiousness.
Turns out he was not the professor I thought he was and with a hindsight of few decades, I was just rude to him ... just because of mistaken identity.
Not overly rude, but not nice either. Wayward ways of the youth.
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#8It is funny. Well-socialized person doesn't need this kind of guide, as unwritten rules of social play are learned in the process of growing-up. But it is clear for "nerds" and "hackers" social is impenetrable, thus preference for interacting with the machine and towards techno-solutionism. What, by the way, the main reason FOSS movement will never liberate anything.
> unwritten rules of social play are learned in the process of growing-up. Could you elaborate. Under which circumstances does one learn these things. Family, surely not. I hope so.
I learned this best in university clubs that had elected positions
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
> unwritten rules of social play are learned in the process of growing-up. Could you elaborate. Under which circumstances does one learn these things. Family, surely not. I hope so.
I learned this best in university clubs that had elected positions
Ah ! Makes sense. Those places seemed quite toxic and I kept my distance from those.
Re: What does "playing politics" mean for software engineers?
#10It is funny. Well-socialized person doesn't need this kind of guide, as unwritten rules of social play are learned in the process of growing-up. But it is clear for "nerds" and "hackers" social is impenetrable, thus preference for interacting with the machine and towards techno-solutionism. What, by the way, the main reason FOSS movement will never liberate anything.
I recently had a conversation with some friends, and one mentioned that she hates office politics and tries to stay out of it. It clicked for me: people who hate/abstain from office “politics” are just clueless about the social/organizational hierarchy.
Absolutely there is some real political nastiness that can happen, but 98 3/4% of what’s described as office politics really just seems like a) make decisions that are aligned with the company and b) make someone up your management chain look good.