Connecting Engineers with Skills for Effective Technical Leadership
Engineers with effective communication skills become more satisfied and successful in their careers. The most underrated skill that engineers should cultivate—listening. You do not know everything and listening to your peers and management team can provide guidance. Listening to your customer/client enables you to craft the solution they truly need. The ability to effectively present your engineering work and ideas results leads to improved acceptance. A thoughtfully worded email will more likely garner a response than a quickly typed retort. A PowerPoint presentation using best known practices can make the difference in reaching your audience. The most underutilized communication device- the human voice; pick up the phone and call someone.
A few years ago, at an engineering conference, we sat round a table drinking beers and swapping stories. Mike Bourland mentioned a common question people had after he got up on a huge stage for a company presentation to a large audience. “Mike, how could you do that so well, weren’t you nervous?” His response “Well, I’ve been playing music …
