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Comment by ryandrake | Hacker News Reader

I'm actually shocked that Tim, himself, knowing the metric exists and was going to be used in firing decisions, did not attach himself to all these tickets in the first place. Talk about a lack of self-preservation. Everywhere I've seen that measures performance by some metric, everyone instinctively tries to pump that metric all by themselves. No other motivation required.

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Not everyone will play the metrics games.

Some people will just find the metrics dumb and depressing, and avoid them. (As might've happened in the article.)

Some assume it will go away in time, or that their manager will cover for them. (As eventually happened in the article.)

Some have behind-the-scenes talks with managers+execs+HR, to end bad metrics.

Some will melt the metrics with the intensity of their look of disapproval. (Management ProTip: this level of will is better harnessed to solve business and engineering problems.)

Yup, I didn't play the metrics game, and I got burned because my metrics don't look as good against the co-worker who plays the game. The cost is having to remind everyone how much work you actually get done and how much you actually support the team when those "your metrics tell us you're not doing enough" talks come up.

I've resigned myself to the reality that every employer is basically the same in this regard. You need to be spending 25-50% of your time doing your actual work and 50-75% of the time doing all that political and self-promotion and metrics-chasing work so that you can "show your impact" or whatever the hell your company calls it. This has been the case at literally every job I've ever had. If you just go in as an expert and do the technical work you were hired to do 100%, you're going to have a bad time career-wise.

> every employer is basically the same in this regard.

This really isn't true. At least it's not true of companies I have worked for in Europe.

That's a very personality and culture related phenomenon. A lot of folks will, but also a lot of folks won't.

Pointedly not playing the game when you have the political power to do so is often the most effective way to point out issues in the system that folks are being evaluated under. It can be a very wise move in some cases, as well.

Tim probably realizes that if he tries to get on tickets he’s helped with, he’ll probably end up on maybe 30-50%. If he never asks for credit, and yet is seen constantly working, people will inflate the zero to hallucinatory levels of productivity.

I consider myself a Tim here. My value is not primarily in my individual contributions, but how I eleveate the rest of the team.

If my manager demanded this type of bean counting, I'd just take my talents elsewhere. I'm not interested in that kind of game. I'd take the severance and go find a new team to make better.

Sounds like Tim's in a position where he knows he's appreciated by his team and enjoys his work, and is more than skilled enough to jump ship the second upper management decides to upend that. He has no reason to play the silly metrics games

Yeah, Tim would be poached in days if he leaves for whatever reason. People with that kind of genuine talent or passion to just help make everyone around them be a better version of themselves don't worry about being out of work long.

Play the game and any number of management fuckends will prop themselves upon your shoulder. Unless youre into that sort of thing.. no judgment..

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