In The Trenches
by Gerard Fonte
The Business of Electronics Through Practical Design and Lessons Learned
In The Trenches
Managing Engineers
This article is going to be
somewhat different from the
past ones. Instead of addressing a topic that is directly applicable
to engineers, I will look an important
indirect topic.
This is the management of
engineers by someone who does
not have a technical background.
It is often the case that manage-ment-trained people are asked to
direct a technical group. But, without an understanding of the needs
and expectations of engineers,
the non-technical manager can be
at risk from considerable culture
shock.
The Engineering
Profile
As a group, engineers are different from most other groups. (Please
note that this is a general discussion.
Individual engineers vary a great
deal.) Engineers take an idea and
make it real. Artists and musicians
do the same except that engineers
create practical devices. This means
that engineers are both creative and
pragmatic.
This is a very unusual combination of traits. It is also a powerful
combination. Just look around.
Virtually everything you see was
designed and realized by an engineer. Your chair was designed by an
engineer. Your clothing was made by
machines designed by engineers.
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NUTS & VOLTS
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78
JULY 2005
