Nuts & Volts - July 2005

In The Trenches

“nearly impossible.” The specifications requested may have been obtained before, but only under special conditions.

So, incorporating them in a mass-produced product will take significant effort. But it’s probably possible.

Suppose he answers with “Obtaining a proper frequency response is difficult.” This means that “I don’t know how to do that and I don’t know anyone who has. But, like flying a man to Mars, it should be theoretically possible.” Solving such a problem will take considerable research and development, as well as time and money. And even then, the results may not be practical.

As you can see, engineers have a hard time saying something can’t be done. So, when they actually say so, believe them. There is the old engineering saying that stands the test of time: “You can have it fast, cheap, or good. Pick any two.”

But they provide valuable new information about new products and techniques.

Additionally, they help the engineer network with other engineers. This cross-pollination is useful in generating new ideas and solving problems.

Some managers fear this. They’re afraid that if their engineers

see what other people are doing, they won’t be satisfied with their current job and leave. This is a silly attitude to take. Restricting the engineers’ learning is very short-sighted. You are hobbling your engineer. Keeping them ignorant may make you feel powerful, but it makes your department less effective. The investment in learning is always

Half-life

It’s generally considered that the half-life of any engineering specialty is about five years. This means that about half of the information in that specialty is obsolete in five years. This is by far the fastest changing profession that there is.

This means that a five-year old textbook contains only 50% useful information. A 10 year old textbook has only 25%.

So, in order for an engineer to stay on top of his profession, he has to constantly learn new things. Good engineers understand this and strive to maintain their level of expertise. It’s also important for you to recognize and foster their efforts.

It doesn’t really take too much time or money to facilitate engineers’ learning. Encourage them to go to manufacturer’s seminars. These aren’t very expensive — usually under $100.00 — and take about a day.