The Surprising Benefits of Low Expectations in Your Career
The path to success is right in front of you. You just need to approach things in the right manner.
Today I’m going to talk about the benefit of having low expectations, and why you should seek out a position well within your abilities and not push for more from yourself. Try to coast along and do the least possible and see how you’ll benefit!
This article is inspired by my colleagues at work, so if you recognize yourself 👋 in Slack or in the comments here!
Low-expectations behavior and outcomes
Responsibility
Many developers avoid accountability and responsibility at work. After all, why do any more work than you need to?
Meetings
Set the pace by making it difficult to speak to you in meetings. Our developers make sure that they are the last to attend virtual meetings. This helps:
delay the start of meetings
make sure less work can be done in any given meeting, which itself generates more meetings
Once in a meeting, you can be
slow to answer queries
speak over other members of staff wherever possible
Is this hitting a little close to home my colleagues?
Result in a low expectations environment: You’ll be able to avoid responsibility as the team will look towards more reliable members.
Result in a high-expectations environment: As you keep saying that you don’t know every request people start to get frustrated with you. Eventually, you’ll be managed out of the organization.
Promotions
When a promotion opportunity comes up assume that you will get it and shout loudly about what a great coder you are, so you have a right to move up the hierarchy.
Result in a low-expectations environment: If you’re lucky the Peter Principle will kick in and actually give you a promotion.
Result in a high-expectations environment: In order to get a promotion, you will need to do more than the minimum expected in your current position, and with this behavior, you’ll be lucky to hold onto your current job.
Code speed
Always make sure to blame the previous developer for any issues with the code. After all, they aren’t here to contradict you!
Use this excuse to deliver features as slowly as possible. Put obstacles in the way of both your and your colleague's development tasks.
Result in a low-expectations environment: Work will be pushed into the next sprint, meaning you’ll have less work to do in the current sprint.
Result in a high-expectations environment: You’ll be managed out of the organization.
Code quality
Who cares about quality as long as the code works, after all, that is what testers are for. If you’re asked to make changes to code, just say you’ll do it in your next PR (whether you do it or not is a mute point).
Result in a low-expectations environment: lgtm
Result in a high-expectations environment: Your work will never be merged.
Maximizing opportunities in a low-expectations environment
Underemployed to Overemployed
It’s really common to be underemployed in a low-expectations environment. Managers are not particularly observant in such work environments and let developers run riot.
Use time constructively
If you’re an underemployed developer use that time well! Learn some new skills? Want to pick up a new language? This is the time to do that!
It would be better to have the support of an employer to do that, but let’s not expect miracles
You can choose to leave work on time, but if you’re not chained to the office (home working rules again) you can really make use of the time on their dime.
That’s such a good idea it even rhymes
Making the best of a bad job
If you’re going to turn your unproductive job into something productive, you’re flipping the script.
Your low-expectations job will soon become a high-expectations job if you work hard to learn more in the time you have.
So, if you really have low expectations, I really don’t know what to say to you.
Except I do. At work, I say this:
No blockers
Conclusion
Attitude is everything in life. If you truly expect to get little out of life and expect to make little progress, I guess you’re not even working as a software developer.
That’s because most people with an attitude like that get found out and are forced to leave.
Actually, they seem to be working where I am. Oh well.