I have seen brown nosing and being a squeaky wheel serve effectively for the practitioner. However, it has a deleterious effect on the peripherally involved parties. I have seen it have a lasting effect throughout a small office and set directions that take a while to recover from.

On the other hand, I wonder what would happen if I was being played. Would I recognize it or would my blind spot be just as big as others. Maybe my blind spot would be even bigger.

As to the experience factor, I wonder what affect the apparent demand for engineers in developing areas of practice will have. As I understand, the growing demand for engineers is further exacerbated by the onset of baby boomers exiting from the workforce. How much risk is industry willing to take to try to adapt engineers from other areas of practice to fill their needs? It is ironic that we claim we are taught how to think and solve problems, but after we work for awhile we are defined and limited by what we have done. Admittedly, someone with experience in the area of interest can hit the ground running. But at some point, even standing and walking is some progress versus none at all.

Here is the real content, sans tags:

OK I’ll bite. I cant believe I am doing this…

John McCain Is Too Old To Be President
When someone has 30-40+ years of experience they expect to be paid for it. At that level of compensation, they are a strategic hire and the hiring company only needs to be assured that the individual’s “horizon” can meet their strategic needs. As for “Acts of God” which may truncate that horizon, well, that can happen to *anyone.* If they are a good cultural fit for the role, they are a contender. (And the primary reason McCain’s age is an issue is b/c Palin is his #2)

Sarah Palin Does Not Have The Experience
You’ve got to be able to do the job for which you’re hired. Personality, charm and good looks will not seal any plans I know about. If you can do the job, the charisma will help you in the job in other ways.

The $700B Dollar Bailout
I applaud your bringing up this hot potato, but I don’t really like the analogy. When I see this issue in the headlines, I think “corporate profits, socialized losses” (not original – stole that from some NPR commentator). Perhaps the corollary is driving your employees hard because you are short staffed, and then forgetting to compensate them for their sacrifices. Actually, I cant think of a good corollary because engineering and planning firms seem to have significantly more compunction than Wall Street.

Lobbyists & Pork Barrel Spending
Building relationships is not only a goal in your client space, but in your own office. Alliances are human nature and those who make the bosses’ jobs easier will be rewarded for doing so. They are your leadership, and you have to adopt their plan — it’s part of your job (which is where the congressional comparison ends, as elected officials are working for *us* not vice versa).