> What does loyalty have to do with the quality of your work?
For me? Everything
Maybe this won't be the case anymore when I get assigned to the severed floor, but until then...
> but my “best” work tends to come out unpredictably when the conditions are right
I get this, but the moment this "feeling" comes up during my 9-5 I nip it in the bud
> but the flip side of this attitude is it disqualifies you from the best, most satisfying teams to work on
Speaking for myself, I'm just not interested in this anymore - work is just a single (and not even particularly important) part of a much more vast and rich life I have now
There will also never be anything the best and brightest teams will be working on that will be even half as interesting, engaging or satisfying as the projects I work on in my own time
> I get this, but the moment this "feeling" comes up during my 9-5 I nip it in the bud
I hear this sentiment a lot, and after 25 years in the software industry I have a visceral understanding of why it is the appropriate response in certain environments/situations. On the other hand, I've been in situations where going above and beyond has been well rewarded (both monetarily and in terms of work satisfaction).
To me this has to be contextual to a specific job/team/project or you risk cutting off your nose to spite your face. Doing the bare minimum is a necessary defense mechanism in a toxic environment—and no judgement on anyone doing what they have to do to survive—but the flip side of this attitude is it disqualifies you from the best, most satisfying teams to work on.