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 xiiiPurpose xiiiAudiences: Students and Practitioners xivOrganization and Content xvAcknowledgments xviAbout the Author xixChapter 1 Introduction 11.1 Motivation for and Purpose of this Book 11.1.1 Hyatt Regency Hotel Tragedy 11.1.2 Boeing 737 MAX 8 Disasters 21.1.3 Undocumented Meeting Conflict 21.1.4 Book’s Purpose 31.1.5 Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire 31.2 Communication 41.2.1 Communication Defined and Its Importance in Engineering 41.2.2 Origin of the Five Modes 51.2.3 KSA Explained 61.3 Benefits of Effective Communication 71.3.1 Enhanced Public Protection 71.3.2 Improved Organizational Performance 81.3.3 Continued Learning and Self- Reflection 81.3.4 Affecting Change 81.3.5 Personal Success and Significance 101.4 Costs of Poor Communication 101.5 Principles of Effective Communication 111.5.1 Know Your Audience 111.5.2 State Your Purpose Clearly and Early 121.5.3 Accommodate Their Preferred Ways of Understanding 131.5.4 Recognize That What You Send Is Not Necessarily What They Receive 151.5.5 Realize That You Are Surrounded by Communication Opportunities 151.5.6 Practice Perfect Practice 181.6 Poised to Become Good to Great Communicators 191.7 Key Points 20Chapter 2 Asking and Listening 252.1 Benefits of Questions 252.1.1 The Problem: Valuing Being Understood More than Understanding 252.1.2 The Solution: Asking and Listening 262.2 Question- Asking Obstacles 272.3 Question- Asking Methods 292.3.1 Closed- Ended and Open- Ended Questions 292.3.2 Kipling’s Six 302.3.3 The Five- Why Analysis 312.3.4 The Echo Technique 332.3.5 The What If? Method 342.4 Listening 352.4.1 Listening Is Much More Than Hearing 352.4.2 Listen and Look for Both Facts and Feelings 352.4.3 Body Language 372.5 Asking and Listening Advice 392.5.1 Prepare a List of Questions 392.5.2 Avoid Dumb Questions 412.5.3 Speak Their Language 412.5.4 Talk to Strangers 422.5.5 Focus on Individuals Who Have the Power to Say Yes 432.5.6 Verify Understanding 442.5.7 Trim Your Hedges 452.5.8 Avoid Hurtful Words 462.5.9 Document and Share 462.6 Tips for Specific Asking and Listening Situations 472.6.1 Question and Answer Session After a Presentation 472.6.2 Interviewing as Part of Applying for a Position 472.6.3 Taking an Oral Examination 492.7 Key Points 51Chapter 3 Writing 553.1 Writing is an Essential Part of Engineering Work 553.2 Differences Between Writing and Speaking 563.2.1 Writing: Single Channel and One Direction 563.2.2 Speaking: Three Channels and Two Directions 573.2.3 Implications of the Differences Between Writing and Speaking 573.2.4 Whether Writing or Speaking, Do it Well 583.3 Learning to Write or Writing to Learn? 593.4 Writing Advice 603.4.1 Apply Existing Style Guide or Prepare and Use One 613.4.2 Generate Content Ideas to Get Started 613.4.3 Begin Writing Major Documents on Day 1 673.4.4 Structure Major Documents for Use by Varied Readers 693.4.5 Create Bulleted and Ordered Lists 733.4.6 Provide Reader- Friendly Features 733.4.7 Write in Mostly Active, Rather Than Passive, Voice 753.4.8 Pick Your Person 773.4.9 Write Critical or Easy Parts First 783.4.10 Use Metaphors and Similes 793.4.11 Retain Readers with Transitions 803.4.12 Punctuate Purposefully 813.4.13 Tell True Personal Stories 823.4.14 Craft Informative Titles for Figures and Tables 833.4.15 Avoid Liability 843.4.16 Give Credit 853.4.17 Minimize Euphemisms 863.4.18 Strive for Specificity 873.4.19 Use History to Support Your Purpose 873.4.20 Title to Attract Attention 883.4.21 Prune the Text 903.4.22 Read Your Writing Out Loud 923.4.23 Arrange for Editing 933.5 Tips About Specific Forms of Writing 963.5.1 Emails 963.5.2 Memoranda 973.5.3 Meeting Agendas 973.5.4 Letters 983.5.5 Letters to the Editor 983.5.6 Opinion Articles 993.5.7 Peer- Reviewed Presentations and Papers 1003.5.8 Resumes 1013.6 Key Points 102Chapter 4 Speaking 1074.1 Speaking’s Role in Engineering 1074.1.1 Speaking Defined 1074.1.2 Required and Optional Speaking 1084.1.3 Commit Now and Avoid Regret Later 1094.2 Learning to Speak and Speaking to Learn 1094.3 Speaking Advice: Introduction 1104.4 Speaking Advice: Preparing 1114.4.1 Get on the Program 1114.4.2 Tell–Tell–Tell 1124.4.3 Generate Content 1124.4.4 Begin to Think about Visuals 1134.4.5 Use Metaphors and Similes 1134.4.6 Tell True Personal Stories 1144.4.7 Provide a Handout 1144.4.8 Apply Advice Previously Offered for Writing 1154.4.9 Note This About Notes 1154.4.10 Practice Out Loud 1164.4.11 Arrange On- Site Logistics 1184.5 Speaking Advice: Presenting 1204.5.1 Foil Fear 1204.5.2 Verify Logistics 1214.5.3 Connect with Audience Members 1224.5.4 Avoid the Need to Apologize 1234.5.5 Conclude Definitively 1244.5.6 Prompt Post- Presentation Question and Answer Session 1244.5.7 Getting the Question and Answer Session Started 1254.5.8 Responding to Different Kinds of Questions 1254.6 Speaking Advice: Following Up 1264.6.1 Say Thank You 1264.6.2 Commit to Improving 1274.6.3 Keep Promises 1284.6.4 Leverage Your Presentation 1284.7 Examples of Excellent Speaking 1294.8 Key Points 130Chapter 5 Using Visuals 1335.1 Visuals Defined 1335.2 Vision: The Most Powerful Sense 1345.3 Examples of Visuals 1355.4 Engineering’s Edge in Using Visuals 1365.5 Suggestions for Using Visuals, Excluding Props 1365.5.1 Consider PowerPoint and Beyond 1365.5.2 Use the Most Effective Image Format 1375.5.3 Favor San- Serif Fonts 1405.5.4 Apply the 1/30 Rule 1405.5.5 Choose Meaningful Colors 1405.5.6 Create Visual Analogies 1425.5.7 Transition From One Slide to the Next 1425.5.8 Provide Your Contact Information 1435.6 Suggestions for Using Props 1445.6.1 Explaining Differences in Types of Pipes 1445.6.2 Illustrating the Cause of a Disaster 1455.6.3 Describing the Human Brain and How to Use It Wisely 1465.6.4 More Examples of Props 1465.7 You are the Most Important Visual 1485.8 Doing Visual Arts 1485.8.1 Change of Emphasis 1485.8.2 More Seeing, Less Just Looking 1505.8.3 Composing More Effectively 1535.8.4 Concluding Thoughts About Doing Visual Arts 1575.9 Key Points 159Appendix A: Abbreviations 165Appendix B: Examples of Communicative Engineers 167Appendix C: Examples of Questions and What Can be Learned from Asking Them 173Appendix D: Excerpts From a Project- Specific Style Guide 181Appendix E: Punctuation Guidelines 183Appendix F: Examples of Specific Forms of Writing 187Appendix G: Case Study of Speaker Liabilities—Easy to Fix if Speakers Knew About Them 193Index 195