WANTED: RENAISSANCE ENGINEERS

The days when one engineer designed a product are long gone. “Today we have teams of people in six locations around the world working on a single product,” says Ray Stata*. To communicate effectively across those divides, engineers must hone their “human skills”.
The requirement goes beyond communication skills. Engineers must be able to think about products more deeply, and better understand both the marketplace and their customers. In essence, an engineer has to become “more of a Renaissance man” (or woman), Stata said. Passion must drive our actions in the face of difficulties.

Regular self-evaluation, career assessment, and feedback help you to be more effective in your job. In their book "First, Break All The Rules: What The World's Greatest Managers Do Differently", authors Buckingham and Coffman summarize the twelve key factors in retaining star employees. If employees can answer the below questions affirmatively, you probably have a strong and productive workplace:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel like my work is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, have I talked with someone about my progress?
12. At work, have I had the opportunities to learn and grow?"

One of the areas that I think engineers need to develop more fully in their career is financial savvy. Every engineering decision can impact the profitability of the company like:
• A part that is scrapped without an analysis that might save it
• A less than optimal system proposed to a customer that loses the bid on price
• A poorly designed part that is unreliable, whose failure causes lost production
• Inattentive checking that produces unnecessary scrap and penalties for late delivery

When we begin to see our job as improving the “bottom line” through technological excellence, we become a more valuable employee and our contributions are recognized. Think and act as if this is your company and its survival depends on you. By doing so, you will stand out as a “Renaissance Engineer”.