The Business Climate for Engineering Communication

The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication

ENGINEERING SERIES

Introduction to Module One

This module explains what is distinctive about today’s work climate. Modules two and three describe communication in routine and non-routine situations.

Productivity is a measure of a professional’s value to a firm or organization.

To be productive, one must understand

• the situation the company faces,

• the appropriate way to apply one’s technical or engineering knowledge, and

• how to interact with others efficiently.

Today’s Business Climate

• Shrinking cycle time for– innovation– delivery

• Downsized workforce / clients• Shorter “value chains”

– Fewer people responsible for results

Business Climate Is Complex

• New, more, and different competitors

• Increasingly sophisticated clients

• Increasingly global scope of business

Intense Work Environment

“Get more stuff done, faster,

with fewer resources over

greater distances and

multiple time zones . . .

Yesterday!”

Engineering Manager

Must Create Value Faster

• Fewer human resources are available

• Teaming and collaboration are common

• Technology enables global teams, mobile

workforce, home offices

• Technologies are replacing physical interaction

Colleagues, Clients Are Diverse

• Factors converge in new ways

• Projects’ country of origin varies

• Multiple company histories collide

• Engineers’ educational backgrounds vary

• Personalities and cultural orientation affect relationships and processes

Impact on Communication

• “Net It Out!”

• Shorter documents - to the point

• More visuals used

• Data transformed to information

• Documents designed to promote action

What to Expect

• Responsible use of others’ time– You ask for only what you truly need

– Your communication supplies what enables others to act

• Collaborative composing

• Adaptation to diverse audiences

• Changing forms of communication

• Many technologies

Changing Forms of Communication

WRITTEN

• letters

• memos

• proposals

• e-mails

• post-its

• Team-Room (software)

HYBRID• multimedia• “white board”• facilitated planning meetings• Voice software

SPOKEN• conversations• conference calls• presentations• voice-mails• video• videoconferences

Delegating by Coaching

• Share expectations with colleagues• Offer information; allow observation• Create opportunities• Emphasize process feedback, not

ranking or summative feedback

Process : “I’d like more detail here”

Ranking: “This is the worst memo I’ve seen”

Draft Less; Delegate and Edit More

• Build a communication plan jointly

• Use story boards, mind maps, or other methods

• Authorize drafting

• Allow time for review and revision

• Give process feedback

In Conclusion

• Expect high demands for productivity

• Adapt to audiences to increase your value to company

• Distinguish between routine and non-routine situations

• Involve others in drafting so you can edit

More resources are available for you

• under “Engineering Communication” at Connexions at http://cnx.org

• at the Cain Project site at http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj

• in your course Communication Folder in OWLSPACE.

Lead through Excellence in Engineering Communication