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I've written about this here: http://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/2014/07/13/how-the-other....

That was awesome. I think I'll start reading your blog from the beginning now ...

I remember having quite a long argument with a non-technical manager who insisted on hiring developers who “Who can hit the ground running.” who always also severely puzzled as to why the developers on the team (who were all pretty good*) were completely reluctant to work on any technology that wasn't easy transferable (i.e. so that they could "hit the ground running" somewhere else).

[UK - "pretty good" is high praise]

"A big part of the problem is that programmers are constantly trying to one-up each other (see: feigned surprise) and prove their superior knowledge, drive, and intelligence. From the outside (that is, from the vantage point of the business operators we work for) these pissing contests make all sides look stupid and deficient. By lowering each others’ status so reliably, and when little to nothing is at stake, programmers lower their status as a group."

This is gold.

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