Re:IBM executives called older workers 'dinobabies'
by hinkley on Monday February 14, 2022 @12:04PM
(#30334424)
It is a matter of kind though. One kind is realism, the other is cynicism. Optimists often lump the two together but they are different things.
If the laws of physics or information theory prevent something, by all means be a wet blanket. Loudly and often
If cultural turf wars in the company prevent something, often the New Guy can succeed where others have failed. If they fall flat enough they can join the Cynics Club with the rest of you, but telling them they will fail just cements your notion of what can and can't be done. Being repeatedly asked the same question by different people at different times and using different phrasing does occasionally get people to reflect on their assumptions. It is in my experience worth letting them invest the time and energy into the attempt. They're new, what's really the opportunity cost of letting them 'waste time on a lost cause'?
If the laws of physics or information theory prevent something, by all means be a wet blanket. Loudly and often
If cultural turf wars in the company prevent something, often the New Guy can succeed where others have failed. If they fall flat enough they can join the Cynics Club with the rest of you, but telling them they will fail just cements your notion of what can and can't be done. Being repeatedly asked the same question by different people at different times and using different phrasing does occasionally get people to reflect on their assumptions. It is in my experience worth letting them invest the time and energy into the attempt. They're new, what's really the opportunity cost of letting them 'waste time on a lost cause'?