In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I interview a rocket scientist, Brett Hoffstadt who provides five strategies for building an innovative engineering career, which is one where you continuously implement innovative ideas and actions in your career.
“Think safe to fail not fail-safe.” – Brett Hoffstadt
In the Take Action Today segment at the end of the show, I challenge you to immediately implement innovation into your career.
Brett Hoffstadt is an aerospace engineer (aka rocket scientist), project manager, inventor, music composer, innovation catalyst and author of How to Be a Rocket Scientist. When he thought about what career he wanted to pursue, he thought about the hobbies that he loved most: radio controlled-airplanes and playing piano. Being practical, airplanes won.
Innovation is defined as creating a new product or service that has value in the marketplace. The marketplace can be within your company or within yourself, through personal development and improvements. Most importantly, understand that innovation involves failure and continuous learning.
Listen to this session and learn how to build an innovative engineering career through the following 5 strategies:
- Know yourself – Let your passion and goal shine through, know your SWOT.
- Read, listen to, and watch innovative thinkers and doers on a regular basis – Make it a constant habit of improvement in an innovative way.
- Find at least one innovation ‘wingman’ or ‘swim buddy’ – Find someone who can give you emotional support and accountability.
- Figure out what experiments you can do without any need for permission or authority – Try new things and take on the mindset that it is safe to fail and not fail-safe.
- Think like a lean start up entrepreneur –Think as an entrepreneur and follow the process: Build-Measure-Learn-Repeat, do something see what happens and then adjust.
Brett discusses these strategies in details during this episode, and gives examples of how he has implemented them.
Books mentioned in this session include:
Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea from Getting Shot Down
Resources and links mentioned in this session include:
How to Work Smarter as an Engineer by Utilizing Both Sides of Your Brain
How to Be a Rocket Scientist Website
Engineer Your Innovation Website
Engineering Career Success Summit
TECC Episode 19: How to Work Smarter as an Engineer by Utilizing Both Sides of Your Brain
Seth Godin
Click Here for Session #48 Transcription
How do you think can you be innovative in your engineering career?
Please leave any questions you might have or stories you might share on how these strategies or your own have helped you to build an innovative engineering career.
Please leave your comments or questions in the section below.
2 Responses
Hi Anthony. Thanks again for having me as a guest on your show! I love listening to your podcasts, so it was an honor to join you for this one. I hope we see some engineers step forward here with an idea or project to be more innovative. One paradox of success with innovation is that staying comfortable feels safe, but isn’t. The safest thing is actually to step outside of your comfort zone. The more you do that, the more comfortable it feels. Eventually you’ll embrace the paradox and be a master of innovation. It starts with one step, and even a little one makes a difference. Thanks again for the opportunity to share some strategies with your audience. If there’s more I can do or say to help, please let me know. Take care, and take charge!
Thanks Brett, you are on your way to creating more Linchpins!