Have you ever interviewed tech candidates? I did. Sometimes your initial impression is wrong and you have to fix stuff when time passes. We're humans, we make mistakes all the friggin' time.
Oh, and one more thing: there's a difference between "smart" and "gets things done". I'm smart but I have hard time getting stuff done due to my utter inability to estimate ETAs*. It's possible she's "amazeballs" but so are people at ND so it's not enough to just be smart, you've got to deliver tangible things. "Incompetent" in the initial rumor is about a product of both qualities in my book.
*it took me 5 years to get from "a level of magnitude off the mark" to "took twice longer than expected"; now I just multiply by 3/2 and I'm usually OK.
I remember years ago an interview about a
very smart German general, called Kurt von Hammerstein, on how to use people in the military and how he did classified his men.
Some of his theories always resound in my head. According to him your profile would be good to work as general staff.
He mentioned that the smart people who are hard working make excellent staff, because they consider every detail. He also said that those who are hard working and stupid are the most dangerous people, a menace. Hence, they should be fired --'cos they create irrelevant work for everyone.
So THIS, I certainly know what he is talking about, some people just create work to others 'cos they think high of themselves for being hard workers -which I agree they are-, but many many times the work they want others to do is as fruitless as an oakwood in the desert. It's just like "do this because there has to be something to do".
Additionally, his theory says that the stupid lazy ones must be left alone, they don't do any harm.
Finally, my favourite of his theories. He said that there is another lot. The intelligent lazy ones, and those are the best people at logistics.
This always always resounded in my head!! It's so, so very true. Why? Because they are intelligent, and since they are lazy they always manage to find a way to get things done.
By getting things done I mean that they manage to get things done with the less work for everyone involved and distribute the work in a very intelligent way, when time is at a prime.
Do I know what he is talking about...! I've worked with lazy but charming, intelligent people and they know their stuff.
Sure they aren't without criticism because of their laziness -perhaps deservedly so at times-, but those are generally the people who look for the others the most in complicated situations and when pressured get things done like anyone else in the world.
I knew a guy who was certainly that kind of person and he was appointed as Team Manager. He was so lazy sometimes he didn't even go to work, just attended his mobile phone and he'd appear at work if need be.
He was very charming and smart, and amusing at times. Thing is, he knew A LOT! When there was a big problem, there he was, and he fixed it -he was an Electromechanic- with flying colours, then he left and nobody knew of him for some time afterwards.
The company's staff knew him well and they certainly made the right decision, knowing the "risks", despite some criticism he received for being happy-go-lucky at times, when problems arose there he was. He certainly was a better worker than many others. Not to mention that he had a lot of charisma.
I remember this one time he had to make something work and he was tired and holding a heavy tool, he said; "I lack Newtons"
DDDD -'cos of his lack of strength at the time (he was of a strong build though)
That sentence kinda became famous in the company.