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Managing Your Workload Archive
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Stay Late or Go Home: Do Engineers Have a Choice?
Posted on March 7, 2012 | 2 CommentsI make an effort to read up on what’s going on the engineering world. Obviously, it’s relevant to what I write here at this blog. It helps me gauge what’s... -
Research on CEO’s Priorities: What it Means for Engineering
Posted on January 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsEver wanted to know what exactly was running through your CEO's head? Well, you're not alone. Sometimes, it can be a little difficult to discern exactly what you can do best to help the company. And gaining insight into what your CEO is really concerned about sheds some light on that. -
The Engineering Minefield and Unplanned Work
Posted on September 15, 2010 | No CommentsRegardless of what word you use to describe it, engineering a new product often involves the development of new systems, materials, components or any number of other new items. Any new item will have a number of issues that, if left unresolved, will cause product level issues. And despite analysis, testing, qualification or any other type of procedure, some amount of product issues will be unresolved beyond design release. From there, they proceed downstream in the product development process. -
Doomed from the Start: Dilbert’s Knack for Engineering at an Early Age on Youtube
Posted on September 10, 2010 | 2 CommentsDo you remember when you were first diagnosed with the knack? The knack for all things mechanical and electrical? This condition can turn serious if not caught early. Watch the video below in a case study on the early signs. -
Is the Relationship between Engineers and Their Companies Degrading?
Posted on September 9, 2010 | No CommentsMy friend was finishing up his week of work in the middle of a Friday afternoon when he got the call. There's a project in dire straits. They needed him to whip up a procedure for a particular product. Could it wait until Monday? Nope, they said they needed it by end of day. They were going to pass the procedure along to one of their technical centers overseas so they could actually utilize the procedure over the weekend. No waiting until Monday. -
The End of Engineering’s ‘Black Box’ Operations?
Posted on September 7, 2010 | 4 CommentsThe issues around designing and engineering a product are often so complex, it can be difficult to relate that to other stakeholders in the development process, including those in the c-suite. That's why these other stakeholders have traditionally seen design and engineering activities as far more of an art and than science. To them, engineering has been like a black box. Market needs and requirements went in the front. Product designs popped out the back. And for the most part, engineering was left alone... -
The CEO’s Recovery Directive to Engineering
Posted on September 2, 2010 | No CommentsThe recession for most manufacturers caused a serious trainwreck in engineering organizations. You took your fair share of the layoffs when the CEO and CFO needed to get costs in line with revenues. But it went further than giving low performers the pink slip. It took away some of your mid-level performers too. Now might seem the most appropriate time to trot out the age-old adage do more with less...
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The Hero Work of an Engineer is Knowing Where to Put the X
Posted on August 31, 2010 | No CommentsNow, I like this story. I like it for its happy ending, but I like more because the engineer comes out ahead. One day. $50,000. Ride off into the sunset. Wouldn't that be nice. However, for many engineers, this sort of story isn't some exception with a big payoff. It's just modus operandi: it's just the way things are done on a day to day basis.