The need for willpower

Or, Why it’s hard when you’re good
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I have mentioned in a prior post about the need for willpower (and how you need fuel) when you are working on improving your engineering skill.
In that case, I was talking about how people find it easier to resist change. And how that in turn can make them feel like weights dragging you down or holding you back.
This metaphorical drag on your progress would sap your energy – and you would seriously need to fuel yourself with quality food so you could push on.
But it can sometimes be even worse than that.
Not only will people resist the change. They will sometimes tell you that you are wrong, that their way is better.
In cases like this, you sometimes need to endure working in a manner that you know is suboptimal until your time comes.
But this has likely raised questions like:

• But how does this come about?
• How is it that people can think they have a better way?
• Do they know something more?
• Should they too have learned about the importance of things like framing, systemic thinking and first principles?

The answers to these questions are:

• Luck
• Unfounded confidence
• No
• Yes

Let’s start with the first aspect, Luck – because it explains the next and so on.
I have also noted in a prior post – on starting your own engineering business – the two important elements of business success: the business model and location. These were noted by the demographer Bernard Salt. He also went on to claim that intelligence and hard work were something the laws of business did not care for – they could never overcome a bad business model or poor location. The reason why I agree with this is not only because it aligns with personal experience, but, because, being a demographer, Bernard Salt bases this assertion on the data on all businesses – not his personal experience with a handful of businesses. Thus, his assertion is objective and universal.
Those engineers who think they know the real core of engineering have been lucky enough to have worked for companies that have been successful. They assume their engineering excellence played a major role – thinking it’s all about intelligence and hard work; having no idea about the importance of the business model and location.
Being so certain company success was a result of their excellence, they can’t help but be confident.
The kind of confidence that means they have not bothered learning more – so they do not know something more.
Even though they should take the time to learn more.
It’s near impossible to argue with such people. They will have stories of how their way saved the company and how that proves they know what’s best.
As you become more informed and a global engineer, you will start to see how it was external factors that allowed for these engineers’ success.
But you will not be believed if you try to explain it. And then the frustration can set in. And all you can do is endure.
This sounds rather bleak – I know. And it is – I have lived it before.
But I have always been glad to know what I know. And I have learned to choose my battles.
And you should too. Value your knowledge and pace yourself as you apply it so you do not fatigue or become bitter. Sometimes the only thing worse than someone with unfounded confidence is a cynic who is always annoyingly right about what’s going wrong.
So next time, let’s talk about how your global engineering skills can get you a better job.