Productivity: Clarify onboarding stigma

[amyjko]

After reading Chapter 4 “Productivity” I was confused about one of the statements made in the chapter. It was talking about how productivity is also about learning. It was this statement: “New engineers must be even more resourceful, even though their instincts are often to hide their lack of expertise from exactly the people they need help from.” I was wondering why they would have to hide their expertise from the people that they are learning from? Wouldn’t it be better for them to show what they know so far so that their mentor can better understand what they should teach? What would be the point in them hiding their expertise??