Think You're "All That?" If So, You Aren't

Something to think about before opening your big fat mouth:

People who boast of being "the best" typically score lower than average in objective tests of the superior competence they claim.

On the other hand, people who score well in competence tests tend to underrate their competence relative to others.

In other words, those who brag often do so without basis, while those with authentic professional lights to shine often hide them under a barrel.

IT managers would do well to remember that the illusion of superiority is a well-researched cognitive bias called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. When taking their people at their word, they should take this psychological factor into consideration as well.

IT practitioners: next time you loudly proclaim yourself to be the best and brightest Cisco/Microsoft/Visual Basic/Unix/Whatever genius on your block, keep in mind that you may be revealing more of your true self than you'd like.

Does Ego Drive Information System Design?

What role does human ego play in the design and implementation of Enterprise IT solutions?

Are IT systems as over-complicated (and over-budget and over-due and...) as they often are because their designers seek self-glorification in them? Or perhaps because their implementers are so threatened by the risks they represent that they insert an overabundance of redundant and superfluous "t's" and "i's" just so they can cross and dot them in the name of (perpetual) due diligence?"

You'll find a complete description of the problem, its many hidden costs, some hints at its cause, and some suggestion for dealing with it, in the article Radically Simple IT, from the Harvard Business Review:

http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2008/03/radically-simple-it/ar/1

                   

The psychological and behavioral causes of IT problems often escape IT managers and leaders, who are "wired" to look only for rational explanations and solutions.