> A major, major problem are engineers that have zero vision of the big picture. I get a ticket, I work on it, I go home.
I don't disagree with you, and ... isn't that true for most employees, in whatever technical or non-technical role, in all industries?
In my experience, it is. Even if the rare rank-and-file employee wanted to think about the big picture, they are never rewarded for doing so, and would be smacked down for acting in support of the big picture if it involved disobeying their chain of command. After a few years of this, you can see why they prefer to stick to the assigned job description.
In your last line, "President" presumably refers to the head of your company. But think about US Federal employees today - should they act in service of the Constitution, or obey Trump's orders? (If they don't obey Trump's orders, they will be fired.)
It is leadership’s responsibility to make sure the labor they’re allocating is going towards the big picture. If it’s going straight into the trash, that’s not the labors fault - they do what they’re told.
You hit the nail on the head, it’s a problem of incentives. Software engineers don’t HAVE a career. There’s little to no mobility and they understand they will be struck down as soon as the company can. Often even if the company is pulling revenue.
Do that across the entire industry for two decades and the labor catches on. People job hop because every company ever has told them to job hop. Not explicitly told them, but told them via their actions.
This can be changed but the reality is the leadership doesn’t give two fucks about engineers. They don’t want their opinions, they want code monkeys. So, code monkeys they get.
I don't disagree with you, and ... isn't that true for most employees, in whatever technical or non-technical role, in all industries?
In my experience, it is. Even if the rare rank-and-file employee wanted to think about the big picture, they are never rewarded for doing so, and would be smacked down for acting in support of the big picture if it involved disobeying their chain of command. After a few years of this, you can see why they prefer to stick to the assigned job description.
In your last line, "President" presumably refers to the head of your company. But think about US Federal employees today - should they act in service of the Constitution, or obey Trump's orders? (If they don't obey Trump's orders, they will be fired.)