When Smart People are Bad Employees • Hacker News Board

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#41

Post by lwhi » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 10:05 AM UTC

BigZaphod wrote: post #20

This is probably OT and maybe even rude... but that lead-in with the Kanye lyrics is just strange. My reading of the lyrics snippet (and I'm certainly no expert in these things) suggests that the character is telling a girl to run away from him because he knows he's a dick. Specifically, he's a dick that's especially good at criticism and spreading negativity and of the list of targets, one group happens to be people…

Well, I've not heard the song - but I think main voice is making a comparison between being an anally-retentive, controlling jerk and being a successful achiever.

The main point being; if you like the latter - you put up with (or celebrate) the former.

I can't see any reference to underachieving in the lyrics - I think you might be projecting some personal assumptions.

The main speaker is most definitely talking about being a high-achiever.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#42

Post by motters » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 10:45 AM UTC

There is also the vaultingly ambitious employee. Someone who is both clever and also prepared to do anything to get a promotion or pay rise - even if that means causing chaos, using other employees as collateral damage, etc.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#43

Post by cmanfu » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 10:51 AM UTC

I recognize that this author's proactive use of sex-neutral (or more like sex-diverse?) pronouns comes from a good place. But intermixing he's with she's, him's and her's the way he is is sometimes just confusing.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#44

Post by rbanffy » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 11:10 AM UTC

naner wrote: post #26

BigZaphod wrote: post #20

This is probably OT and maybe even rude... but that lead-in with the Kanye lyrics is just strange. My reading of the lyrics snippet (and I'm certainly no expert in these things) suggests that the character is telling a girl to run away from him because he knows he's a dick. Specifically, he's a dick that's especially good at criticism and spreading negativity and of the list of targets, one group happens to be people…

It comes across inappropriate and immature. Regardless of the content, a VC in his mid forties shouldn't be quoting rap lyrics at the head of business articles. I can't imagine having a conversation with this guy about business where he casually offers a quote about douchebags and assholes from Kanye West to explain something. Kanye belongs on your iPod, not in your Forbes opinion piece.

> Kanye belongs on your iPod

Certainly not mine. ;-)

> not in your Forbes opinion piece

It's an opinion. His opinion. And he's free to use whatever quotes he wants. The worst that can happen is that it shoos away those who cannot deal with something they don't like and cannot read the article past the part they don't like.

The rest of the article is pretty interesting (and I have met people who fit in all 3 examples).

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#45

Post by wccrawford » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 11:32 AM UTC

Evgeny wrote: post #25

As a side note: why is the he/she used this way? He is disempowered - She feels etc. Wouldn't it be correct to use "she" everywhere?

Technically, it would be correct to use 'he' everywhere, since in English that is what is considered the neutral gender. Second best is using He/She to satisfy the PC folks.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#46

Post by dools » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 11:48 AM UTC

tom_ilsinszki wrote: post #8

"[...] if you’re an entrepreneur, generally you don’t like working with a lot of people. That’s what an entrepreneur is." - Robert Greene on Mixergy

An entrepreneur is someone who starts a business and assumes the risk associated with it. That is all.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#47

Post by dools » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 11:51 AM UTC

This is about as original and interesting as a Cosmo sex quiz.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#48

Post by Mz » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 11:54 AM UTC

As for the remarks about the he/she pronoun thing in the article, I think the last sentence would have been much, much stronger if they had used "one" instead of "her" and it simultaneously would have side-stepped some of this issue:

That’s fine, but remember: you can only hold the bus for one.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#49

Post by DuncanIdaho » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 12:15 PM UTC

j_baker wrote: post #17

alex_c wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obliquely appropriate username? :) Just curious, is your boss aware of your cycles, and does he/she plan for them? If not, what effect do you think trying to explain would have?

I don't know about bipolar disorder or the grandparent's boss specifically, but I've learned never to discuss mental disorders with bosses or coworkers. There simply is no upside and every imaginable downside. Best case: you get labeled as someone who uses a mental disorder as an excuse for not doing your job. Worst case: you become "that crazy person" that nobody wants to associate with.

I'm currently supervising an 37year old rookie. He had some absence issues, so I confronted him.

Tuns out he is an ex-addict (that's why he's rookie at 37). I don't have a problem with people trying to straighten themselves out. He doesn't get any preferential treatment from me - because it won't do him any good. As long as he does the expected work of expected quality he is fine with me.

Knowing that he is an ex addict is valuable to me so I can put our relationship in right context.

Re: When Smart People are Bad Employees

#50

Post by igravious » Tue, Jan 04, 2011, 1:32 PM UTC

wccrawford wrote: post #45

Evgeny wrote: post #25

As a side note: why is the he/she used this way? He is disempowered - She feels etc. Wouldn't it be correct to use "she" everywhere?

Technically, it would be correct to use 'he' everywhere, since in English that is what is considered the neutral gender. Second best is using He/She to satisfy the PC folks.

"Is considered". Considered by who exactly? How subtle of you to use the passive voice to plaster over the cracks in your argument :) There is no best, just norms surely.

That being said, there are ways to be gender neutral without dropping the clangers that this author does. Be gender neutral by all means but for the love of the children don't switch back and forth like an eager yo-yo.

edit: remove snark :)