That's the way to work in my opinion. I worked at a place where just because I had an engineering degree I was around 25 years old managing a manufacturing plant full of 40+ year olds that have been working the lines since they graduated high school. It makes absolutely no sense. The best I could do was just make sure they had all the supplies and everything they needed because they knew every machines and issue inside and out and there was absolutely nothing I could help them with in that regard. Would have made 100x more sense having one of our maintenance guys or line workers promoted into a managerial position.
My first job out of college was as a mechanical engineer. I joined a big company and later found out is was just as a lone engineer in the technician team. I felt a little left out from the R&D action. But it turned out to be the best thing for me. The techs were thrilled to have an engineer to design around issues pestering them for ages. I in turn got lots of hands on experience working in the factory and labs and realizing what makes a good design. I really learned the ins and outs of what we were building. A few years later the company reorganized and I was pulled into the core R&D team but I was better prepared for it.
This is the thing that encourages so much adolescent angst. They've a sense that they know as much as most of the adults they interact with. And a realization everyone just makes it up as they go. And somehow we don't share with each other the value of experience and no one shares failure is the currency of experience and young people should be almost failing a lot.
