Engineering Quote by Robert Kroese
““That’s the problem with engineers: when they can’t get something working, they always blame the previous group of engineers, and you never know which ones aren’t idiots until they get whatever it is working. “Well,””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast on Engineering Culture, 2023
Engineers often blame predecessors when projects fail, making it hard to identify true competence until success is achieved.
In simple terms: Blaming past teams hides real skill until things work.
Key Takeaway
Assess performance based on outcomes, not excuses.
Themes
accountability
team dynamics
competence
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
advice
observational
When to use this quote
- project management
- team hiring
- postmortem analysis
Key Concepts
blame culture
performance evaluation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can teams foster constructive feedback without blame?
- What metrics reveal true competence?
A Different Perspective
Blame can demotivate and obscure learning opportunities.
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