… Recap
The best engineers do not have the best careers. They do not get the best opportunities, promotions or assignments.
While they might be the horsepower behind an engine, they remain under-appreciated. Instead the tier-2 and tier-3 players are the ones who win. This happens often.
We attempt to understand the reasons underlying such results.
Addition vs Multiplication
To begin this discussion, first let us understand the concept of “total value” of an engineer.
Total value = Collection of all skills of an engineer
( this is an abstract concept. I’ve introduced it here to help people understand an idea. Please don’t use it practically, or use it at your own peril 😇😇 )
Formula:
Total value = Tech skills * Communication skills * People skills * Awareness * Risk appetite * etc.
As an example, from our previous blog Tripti’s total value might be calculated as :
3 ( tech ) * 7 ( communication ) * 7 ( people ) * 8 ( awareness ) * 3 ( risk ) = 3528
Individual skills themselves might be a collection of other skills. e.g.
The sub skills have an additive effect on each other. Extrapolating our example, we will find that Tripti’s skills:
Tech = 2 ( database ) + 3 ( backend ) + 1 ( frontend ) = 6
Comm. = 1 ( english ) + 3 ( verbal ) + 3 ( written ) = 7
People = 1 ( politeness ) + 3 ( listening ) + 3 ( awareness ) = 7
Risk = 1 ( english ) + 3 ( verbal ) + 3 ( written ) = 3
Think : Skills within the same domain have an additive effect and across domains have a multiplying effect on total engineer value.
Visual depiction…
Tripti has low ratings in some areas viz. Technology, Risk etc. Even so the ratings are enough for her to be able to manage. (passing marks)
But, what if any one skill had the value of 0 ? Lets calculate again:
3 ( tech ) * 7 ( comm. ) * 0 ( people ) * 8 ( awareness ) * 3 ( risk ) = ZERO
With the multiplying effect, Tripti’s total value comes down to Zero. This is what happened with Ravi !
Ravi’s ego made his people skills ZERO. The multiplying effect, in turn, made his total value ZERO.
Since, any big number multiplied by zero equals zero. So, regardless of Ravi’s tech skills, his final value to the company was 0.
This is what happens with many engineers. One missing skill reduces their total value to the marketplace.
500 * 0 = zero and 500,000 * 0 = zero. Regardless of what effort is put towards technical improvement, the end result is always zero. ( folks would be better off focussing on the ‘zero level’ skills ).
We’ve understood – some skills have an additive effect, while others have a multiplying effect on the value of an engineer. Let’s take some examples to understand.
Real World Movies
More examples are discussed in the next blog. Details changed to hide identities ( lest some of these guys find me and beat me up 😶😶😶 )
Almost Famous
We talked about Ravi.
He was a good engineer, but had an ego problem. His ego brought his people skills to 0. All the technical competence multiplied by 0 resulted in Zero.
His value was zero, to the organization. Ravi being fired was only a matter of time.
Revenge of the Nerds
Pradeep was a simple guy; a fair techie. Not very bright but not too dull either. He did his work.
If you’d meet Pradeep, you might notice …
He had poor confidence and it showed in the way he spoke.
He gave the impression that he had been hired out of pity, instead of competence. Despite almost 10 years of experience, he was still at the lowest designation.
Pradeep’s personality was level 0. All his knowledge, his hard work, sincerity multiplied with a 0, made his final value zero.
One day a new manager took over. Pity factor did not work anymore. He was fired.
The English Patient
Ramesh is a veteran techie at his organization. He understands both the domain and technology; something few are able to do. He is the “go to” guy.
But, his english skills are 0.
He is scared of English. ( once he declined a meeting just because his manager could not attend the meeting. He was afraid of talking to someone in English without someone beside him )
Once leadership changed, Ramesh was too scared to talk to them (in English). He neither introduced himself, nor shared his value addition. No one in the new leadership knows him.
He works as an unknown worker in a silent corner. ( and comfortably so )
Angry Birds
Rahul is a Lead.
He is the foundation of the application his organization built.
But Rahul has a temper problem. If you joined his team, and asked him a question, then you would get a 30 mins angry lecture on –
Everyone in the team is hesitant to talk to Rahul; courtesy his short-temper.
Of course, the HR and management team know about the issue. But Rahul is too valuable to let go. While he hasn’t been fired, he hasn’t received any promotion either. Who knows what will happen in the future.
Rahul’s temper brings his people skills to 0.
Did you notice : All engineers discussed were great at tech work. This was intentional.
I intend to highlight that most techies are good at tech work. Their blindspots are outside technology.
Think of someone with 5 hands but no eyes. Would such a person be valuable to you ?
Objections
But there are exceptions … some might say. Eccentric people succeed professionally. Maybe you’ve read about one or have met one.
Steve Jobs was infamous for his rude behaviour. Yet he is considered a genius in the industry. He did not even care to wear formals. In fact his black T-shirt and blue jeans were a signature.
But, most people are not exceptions. Folks I talked about – Ravi, Rahul, Ramesh are not exceptions; whether they like it or not.
So, yes exceptions exist. But 99.99% of us do not fit into the exception category. Wake up and smell the coffee.
Another brick in the wall ?
Another objection to my explanation is – If all engineers have exactly the same skills-set, then they become xerox copies of one another. They lose their uniqueness.
Essentially they become replaceable bricks in industrial walls.
To that I say – nothing could be farther from the truth. Let’s take some engineers working at the same organization:
The introvert :
9 ( Tech ) * 7 ( Comm. ) * 2 ( people skills ) * 4 ( presentation ) * 2 ( risk appetite ) = 1008
The popular :
2 ( Tech ) * 8 ( Comm. ) * 7 ( people skills ) * 8 ( presentation ) * 2 ( risk appetite ) = 1792
The entrepreneurial :
4 ( Tech ) * 4 ( Comm. ) * 4 ( people skills ) * 5 ( presentation ) * 8 ( risk appetite ) = 2560
Notice that all 3 have different graphs. Each brings a unique value to the team. They are like the five fingers. Each with a different size, shape and strength. But all coming together to make a strong palm.
People should be different. I submit that they should not have any 0 level skill.
Having the skill level of 1, and NOT 0 … makes a world of difference.
How engineers think about new skills
It is fashionable to be part of the latest technology trends.
5-6 years ago, this was around Android and iOS. I write this blog in early 2021. Craze is around: Artificial Intelligence, Data science, Neural networks, Artificial Reality etc. Every time a new one comes up, the craze of associating with it begins.
It is good to learn new technologies. But many have an incorrect idea about how their tech skills add value. ( I was part of this misguided group for a long time 😀😀. Plz don’t feel left out ).
This is how engineers think …
Database * Backend * Frontend * Version Control * IDEs * DevOps Tools = Total value
Meaning, each new technology has a multiplying effect on the value of an engineer. More the number of technologies, more the value.
If you’ve been into technology hiring, then you’ve already seen the tech overloaded resumes. But is this true ?
How new skills really map out
I explain the same idea with a different perspective.
Tech skills have an additive effect. Think …
Then the domains have a multiplying effect. Think …
This mental model should help you understand which skill to work first.
Let’s take an example – Pradeep wants to learn Data science. Following is his skill graph.
What do you think ?
Pradeep might be better off investing into – joining Toastmasters club, some volunteering team etc. Maybe he can dress better and look smarter.
Once Pradeep’s new avatar is presentable, then he can choose to focus on either …
This model should help techies understand what skill ought to be at the top of their stack or queue ( the techie inside wakes ! )
First things first… alright ! Which is supposed to be first, is often not well understood.
Why Some have advantage
People from certain sections in society tend to have more success, compared to ones from outside those communities. If you were brought up in India, then chances are you have observed the following:
Equally bright students from government or other private schools did not achieve equally good growth.
( from what I have seen, not all IITans are bright )
Before I share my inputs … Why would you think that is ?
PAUSE reading for a second and think about it !
My understanding … These communities value holistic skills more than others do.
Good opportunities needed English. So, convent educated kids automatically had an advantage.
A broad exposure helps grow into diverse careers.
Tier 1 colleges expose graduates to both theoretical and real-world knowledge.
I was educated in a convent school, and brought up in a small town. I always had good english. But, I dressed like a fool.
My English would’ve helped me in countless ways. Similarly, my poor dressing would’ve hurt me in mysterious ways.( after some feedback, I realized and corrected my error )
Point is – certain people have advantage because they are groomed with holistic skills. Holistic skills have a multiplying effect on their total value. A higher total value helps them succeed more than others.
Conclusion
We discussed the mental model of how skills map out for engineers.
While some have an additive effect others have a multiplicative one. Also, how the lack of certain skills has a Zero-ing effect on the total value of an engineer.
Missing skills impact a techie’s career in different ways. We’ve briefly discussed a few examples, but these do not even scratch the surface of the disadvantages. We discuss this in detail next.
In the next blog we discuss the different flavours, of benefits and downsides, skills have on a techie’s career.
Write back, in case you have an opinion. Like what you read – do like, comment and share.