Quote:
Originally Posted by Formerly Famous
Pride is a huge thing for engineers. They always want their idea chosen. It will never fail, this competition shows us this.
|
One of the things that has always, in my mind, separated a good team member from a great team member, or a good engineer from a great engineer, is the ability to defend and fight for a design choice without becoming attached to it. Those that can argue its merits, but then rest comfortably when it's taken off the table make some of the best collaborative partners for any team.
I had/have a teammate who shall remain nameless (he doesn't have a Chief Delphi account) who I'm certain will be a brilliant designer someday. He's a savant, I swear. But his one flaw, his one problem as an engineer-in-training, is that he becomes obsessed with his own ideas. When problems arise, he'll stack more and more mechanism onto the idea to "fix" them in a desperate attempt to save it, or he'll discount a problem he initially thought was important to solve as unimportant. It's a hurdle for him, but it's something he'll have to work past. He basically has too much pride.
Essentially, I agree, pride is something you must swallow in the design process. You need to finish the project first. At that point, if you meet your criteria, you can indulge. The project wouldn't have happened like it did without you, even if you don't think so. Inspiration comes from everywhere. Be proud of the result, not of the shape of the path.