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Don C. Bramlett, PE, SMIEEE
DTE Energy± Project Engineer
IEEE Region 4 ± Director-Elect
IEEE Southeastern Michigan Section
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  › 
rStuff You Don¶t Learn in
Engineering School´
By Carl Selinger
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
IEEE Press 2004
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h You are responsible for yourself
h What you don¶t know may hurt you, or hold
you back
h Don¶t be afraid of something. Learn about it!
h Build on your strengths; target weaknesses
h Develop important soft skills
h Technical competency is the core of your
career in engineering!
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Leadership is the ability to influence
others, with or without authority.
All successful endeavors are the result of
human effort; thus, the ability to
influence others is a derivation of
h Interpersonal Communications
h Conflict Management
h Problem Solving / Decision Making

  

  
Interpersonal effectiveness is the
capability of an individual to do this,
influence others, competently.
Leadership is a direct function of three
elements of interpersonal effectiveness
h Awareness
h Ability
h Commitment
þ   
  

h þnderstand yourself better and how to relate

to others:
j Take a Myers-Briggs Indicators test
j What do you like to do?
j What don¶t you like to do?
j What about others? (Ask them!)
h Be assertive; not passive or aggressive
h þpdated Golden Rule: rDo unto others as
they would have done unto themselves´
h Determine your mix among career objectives:
money, job security, challenging job,
recognition, etc.
 a

  

h Working through and with people

h Thinking rwe´, not rI´
h Getting the Team to work together by:
j Giving the team the big picture
j Dividing work fairly
j Assigning responsibility to achieve
accountability
j Giving recognition

  
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h þse clear, simple, direct language
h Minimize use of acronyms
h Read more, to see good writing and
improve vocabulary
h Ask peers to review your writing
h Mentally pretend you¶re talking to
someone, and write that!

  
 
  
h You can do it!
h Know your subject
h Know your audience ± expectations
h Practice, Practice, Practice
h Never just read
h Speak slowly, clearly and loud enough
h Be sincere and enthusiastic
h Keep to time

  
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h Listening is not just rhearing´ the other
h Avoid distractions & make eye contact
h Concentrate on the person¶s ideas &
thoughts, not just facts
h Reassure the person that you are
paying attention: ask questions
h Confirm that you¶ve understood
 
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h You negotiate everyday!
h Identify your needs & the other¶s needs
h Conflict Styles: Avoiding, Competing,
Accommodating, Compromising, and
Collaborating
h Aim for a rwin/win solution, if possible
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h Determine the root cause of a problem
h Determine what has to be decided
h Identify options, choices & alternatives
h What information is needed; what
criteria will be used to evaluate
h Make a decision; be decisive
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h Something that doesn¶t feel right, may be
unethical
h þnethical is not the same as illegal
h Values vary greatly by culture
h Speak up and follow your instincts
h Talk to peers and mentors
h Read ethics rcase studies´ and columns in
professional-society and other magazines
  
Œave FþN in
your Career !!!