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TECC 162: Making Engineering Mistakes and Learning from them.

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Making Engineering Mistakes and Learning from them

Engineering MistakesIn this episode, I talk Stuart G. Walesh, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE, D.WRE about making engineering mistakes and learning from them as an engineering professional.  Actually, we talk about mistakes in general, but then discuss how the consequences of making engineering mistakes can be much larger than others, and how to deal with this in our day-to-day approach as engineers.

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Engineering Mistakes

Here are the key points discussed on making engineering mistakes and learning from them:

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When Accountability Is Not The Best Strategy To Achieve Your Goals

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This is a guest blog post by Daniel Hayes, PE, PMP

goals

Accountability is all the rage.  Goal setting literature is full of articles, features and columns, touting the benefits of finding an accountabilibuddy, one whose job it is to keep you on track, moving forward on your goals, performing what you planned and promised.  While I agree that having someone hold me accountable makes perfect sense, the idea has never worked well for me.  I have always struggled being on the hook to someone else; so much that resistance to accountability often pushes me off course.  I find myself pushing back on accountability because of this.


I’ve always wondered if there was something wrong with me.  Why do I push back on those trying to support me?  Why does my work suffer when I am held externally accountable?  Does this inclination and behavior of mine have to sabotage my career and personal development?

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Vision, Vista, and Volume: A Better Approach to Thinking About Success

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Discussions about achieving success are typically approached in one dimension.  We talk about vision, breadth of experience and work/life balance in stovepipe segments as if one doesn’t influence the other.  Much of the blogging and books on success I’ve read follow this track.  They touch on the three dimensions, but only on that dimension.   The truth is, however, that success we realize in any undertaking comes about only through our actions in three dimensions.  A better approach to thinking about success takes into account our own vision, our vista (breadth of experience) and volume (depth we give to each undertaking).

Working on any one dimension is good but it leaves value on the table.  We don’t get the benefit of identifying the interrelations, or lack of them, between, the dimensions.  For example, let’s say your vision for success in life includes ‘providing guidance to others and using my engineering skills to help my community’.  If your breadth of experience includes prior leadership roles and the knowledge of the engineering challenges and opportunities at the community level, then your vision and vista align.  On the other hand, if you’ve never been in a leadership role and therefore lack experience on how to guide others, then your vision and vista are out of alignment.  You’ll need to identify an opportunity where you can fill the gap on leadership to develop your skill in guiding others. [Read more…] about Vision, Vista, and Volume: A Better Approach to Thinking About Success

Ambition is Good

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Lay to rest the debate on whether ambition is good or bad.  It’s good.  If it take’s a motive force such as ambition to develop new technologies, advance science, or explore new forms of art or music then I say “bring it”.

It’s very possible you were raised in an environment that shunned ambition or viewed it as an evil virtue. If for you it entails subjugating others and acting without high moral standard in a greedy manner then, yes, it is evil.  For others, like I, it stands for achieving one’s highest potential with the highest moral standard.

If you’re reading this blog, then you already have high moral standards and you’re interested in achieving your highest potential.

Reaching your highest potential requires ambition.  Otherwise your journey will be short lived and your highest potential a mere desire.

Long live ambition.

“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.”  Salvador Dali

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Onward,

Christian J. Knutson, P.E., PMP
Engineering Management Institute

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