The Communicative Engineer

Stuart G. Walesh, PhD, PE, Dist.M.ASCE, F.NSPE, has six decades of experience in government, academic, and business sectors, during which he served as a project manager, department head, discipline manager, author, marketer, litigation consultant, sole proprietor, instructor through professor, and dean of an engineering college. As a member of various organizations, Stu coached junior professionals in areas such as communication, team essentials, project planning and management, and effecting change.

Preface xiii

Purpose xiii

Audiences: Students and Practitioners xiv

Organization and Content xv

Acknowledgments xvi

About the Author xix

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

1.1 Motivation for and Purpose of this Book 1

1.1.1 Hyatt Regency Hotel Tragedy 1

1.1.2 Boeing 737 MAX 8 Disasters 2

1.1.3 Undocumented Meeting Conflict 2

1.1.4 Book’s Purpose 3

1.1.5 Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire 3

1.2 Communication 4

1.2.1 Communication Defined and Its Importance in Engineering 4

1.2.2 Origin of the Five Modes 5

1.2.3 KSA Explained 6

1.3 Benefits of Effective Communication 7

1.3.1 Enhanced Public Protection 7

1.3.2 Improved Organizational Performance 8

1.3.3 Continued Learning and Self- Reflection 8

1.3.4 Affecting Change 8

1.3.5 Personal Success and Significance 10

1.4 Costs of Poor Communication 10

1.5 Principles of Effective Communication 11

1.5.1 Know Your Audience 11

1.5.2 State Your Purpose Clearly and Early 12

1.5.3 Accommodate Their Preferred Ways of Understanding 13

1.5.4 Recognize That What You Send Is Not Necessarily What They Receive 15

1.5.5 Realize That You Are Surrounded by Communication Opportunities 15

1.5.6 Practice Perfect Practice 18

1.6 Poised to Become Good to Great Communicators 19

1.7 Key Points 20

Chapter 2 Asking and Listening 25

2.1 Benefits of Questions 25

2.1.1 The Problem: Valuing Being Understood More than Understanding 25

2.1.2 The Solution: Asking and Listening 26

2.2 Question- Asking Obstacles 27

2.3 Question- Asking Methods 29

2.3.1 Closed- Ended and Open- Ended Questions 29

2.3.2 Kipling’s Six 30

2.3.3 The Five- Why Analysis 31

2.3.4 The Echo Technique 33

2.3.5 The What If? Method 34

2.4 Listening 35

2.4.1 Listening Is Much More Than Hearing 35

2.4.2 Listen and Look for Both Facts and Feelings 35

2.4.3 Body Language 37

2.5 Asking and Listening Advice 39

2.5.1 Prepare a List of Questions 39

2.5.2 Avoid Dumb Questions 41

2.5.3 Speak Their Language 41

2.5.4 Talk to Strangers 42

2.5.5 Focus on Individuals Who Have the Power to Say Yes 43

2.5.6 Verify Understanding 44

2.5.7 Trim Your Hedges 45

2.5.8 Avoid Hurtful Words 46

2.5.9 Document and Share 46

2.6 Tips for Specific Asking and Listening Situations 47

2.6.1 Question and Answer Session After a Presentation 47

2.6.2 Interviewing as Part of Applying for a Position 47

2.6.3 Taking an Oral Examination 49

2.7 Key Points 51

Chapter 3 Writing 55

3.1 Writing is an Essential Part of Engineering Work 55

3.2 Differences Between Writing and Speaking 56

3.2.1 Writing: Single Channel and One Direction 56

3.2.2 Speaking: Three Channels and Two Directions 57

3.2.3 Implications of the Differences Between Writing and Speaking 57

3.2.4 Whether Writing or Speaking, Do it Well 58

3.3 Learning to Write or Writing to Learn? 59

3.4 Writing Advice 60

3.4.1 Apply Existing Style Guide or Prepare and Use One 61

3.4.2 Generate Content Ideas to Get Started 61

3.4.3 Begin Writing Major Documents on Day 1 67

3.4.4 Structure Major Documents for Use by Varied Readers 69

3.4.5 Create Bulleted and Ordered Lists 73

3.4.6 Provide Reader- Friendly Features 73

3.4.7 Write in Mostly Active, Rather Than Passive, Voice 75

3.4.8 Pick Your Person 77

3.4.9 Write Critical or Easy Parts First 78

3.4.10 Use Metaphors and Similes 79

3.4.11 Retain Readers with Transitions 80

3.4.12 Punctuate Purposefully 81

3.4.13 Tell True Personal Stories 82

3.4.14 Craft Informative Titles for Figures and Tables 83

3.4.15 Avoid Liability 84

3.4.16 Give Credit 85

3.4.17 Minimize Euphemisms 86

3.4.18 Strive for Specificity 87

3.4.19 Use History to Support Your Purpose 87

3.4.20 Title to Attract Attention 88

3.4.21 Prune the Text 90

3.4.22 Read Your Writing Out Loud 92

3.4.23 Arrange for Editing 93

3.5 Tips About Specific Forms of Writing 96

3.5.1 Emails 96

3.5.2 Memoranda 97

3.5.3 Meeting Agendas 97

3.5.4 Letters 98

3.5.5 Letters to the Editor 98

3.5.6 Opinion Articles 99

3.5.7 Peer- Reviewed Presentations and Papers 100

3.5.8 Resumes 101

3.6 Key Points 102

Chapter 4 Speaking 107

4.1 Speaking’s Role in Engineering 107

4.1.1 Speaking Defined 107

4.1.2 Required and Optional Speaking 108

4.1.3 Commit Now and Avoid Regret Later 109

4.2 Learning to Speak and Speaking to Learn 109

4.3 Speaking Advice: Introduction 110

4.4 Speaking Advice: Preparing 111

4.4.1 Get on the Program 111

4.4.2 Tell–Tell–Tell 112

4.4.3 Generate Content 112

4.4.4 Begin to Think about Visuals 113

4.4.5 Use Metaphors and Similes 113

4.4.6 Tell True Personal Stories 114

4.4.7 Provide a Handout 114

4.4.8 Apply Advice Previously Offered for Writing 115

4.4.9 Note This About Notes 115

4.4.10 Practice Out Loud 116

4.4.11 Arrange On- Site Logistics 118

4.5 Speaking Advice: Presenting 120

4.5.1 Foil Fear 120

4.5.2 Verify Logistics 121

4.5.3 Connect with Audience Members 122

4.5.4 Avoid the Need to Apologize 123

4.5.5 Conclude Definitively 124

4.5.6 Prompt Post- Presentation Question and Answer Session 124

4.5.7 Getting the Question and Answer Session Started 125

4.5.8 Responding to Different Kinds of Questions 125

4.6 Speaking Advice: Following Up 126

4.6.1 Say Thank You 126

4.6.2 Commit to Improving 127

4.6.3 Keep Promises 128

4.6.4 Leverage Your Presentation 128

4.7 Examples of Excellent Speaking 129

4.8 Key Points 130

Chapter 5 Using Visuals 133

5.1 Visuals Defined 133

5.2 Vision: The Most Powerful Sense 134

5.3 Examples of Visuals 135

5.4 Engineering’s Edge in Using Visuals 136

5.5 Suggestions for Using Visuals, Excluding Props 136

5.5.1 Consider PowerPoint and Beyond 136

5.5.2 Use the Most Effective Image Format 137

5.5.3 Favor San- Serif Fonts 140

5.5.4 Apply the 1/30 Rule 140

5.5.5 Choose Meaningful Colors 140

5.5.6 Create Visual Analogies 142

5.5.7 Transition From One Slide to the Next 142

5.5.8 Provide Your Contact Information 143

5.6 Suggestions for Using Props 144

5.6.1 Explaining Differences in Types of Pipes 144

5.6.2 Illustrating the Cause of a Disaster 145

5.6.3 Describing the Human Brain and How to Use It Wisely 146

5.6.4 More Examples of Props 146

5.7 You are the Most Important Visual 148

5.8 Doing Visual Arts 148

5.8.1 Change of Emphasis 148

5.8.2 More Seeing, Less Just Looking 150

5.8.3 Composing More Effectively 153

5.8.4 Concluding Thoughts About Doing Visual Arts 157

5.9 Key Points 159

Appendix A: Abbreviations 165

Appendix B: Examples of Communicative Engineers 167

Appendix C: Examples of Questions and What Can be Learned from Asking Them 173

Appendix D: Excerpts From a Project- Specific Style Guide 181

Appendix E: Punctuation Guidelines 183

Appendix F: Examples of Specific Forms of Writing 187

Appendix G: Case Study of Speaker Liabilities—Easy to Fix if Speakers Knew About Them 193

Index 195