Episode 469: Passed over for lead role and perhaps I'm the jerk

In this episode of Soft Skills Engineering, hosts Dave Smith and Jamison Dance tackle listener questions related to software engineering. The first question addresses a QA engineer feeling sidelined after a less experienced new hire is promoted to lead QA, and they offer advice on managing the situation by highlighting the engineer's value and tactfully influencing the company's QA practices. The second question comes from a data engineer struggling with a team using hacky coding practices and a disinterested manager. The hosts suggest taking initiative to implement better processes, focusing on incremental improvements, and framing changes in terms of business benefits rather than personal preferences. They also emphasize the importance of documenting intentions and establishing clear tenets to guide technical decisions and foster agreement within the team.