Want a Successful Engineering Career? Work on Communication
Want a Successful Engineering Career? Work on Communication
Even extraordinary technical expertise will only take a mechanical engineer so far. Communication skills—both verbal and written—are also critical for a successful engineering career.
You’ve got the technical skills, and you’ve landed your first engineering job. But technical skills will only take you so far. Communication skills are also critical for a successful engineering career.
“Communication in all its forms helps engineers translate great engineering work into impact,” said Jeff Perry, leadership and career coach and author of the book, The Intentional Engineer.
Engineers need to be strong in both verbal and written communications, said Perry, who has a background in mechanical engineering. They’ll use these skills on the job in a variety of ways, including:
• Collaborating with other engineers on projects.
• Working with manufacturing and marketing colleagues to produce and promote their products.
• Presenting project updates to their leaders.
Farnoosh Brock, leadership coach and co-owner of Prolific Living, Inc., agreed. “To advocate for your ideas, to make sure you are well-understood, well-funded, and well-supported—all of which you need to succeed—you need to have mastery of communication,” Brock said on the Engineering Career Coach podcast, produced by the Engineering Management Institute and hosted by Perry.
“I find that engineers are extremely smart and hardworking. Those are the two skills and habits that we have naturally,” said Brock, who is an electrical engineer turned entrepreneur. Communication skills don’t always come naturally, she added, but there are steps engineers can take to become great communicators.
First, though, engineers have some challenges to overcome. For one, they have to break through the stereotype that engineers are not good communicators. This stereotype is false but, unfortunately, many engineers believe it’s a reality. “The things we believe drive how we act,” Perry said. “This is a belief we need to let go of.”
Another challenge is that communication skills aren’t generally taught in engineering programs, said Anthony Fasano, a licensed engineer and founder of the Engineering Management Institute.
“We are taught technical concepts. However, if we cannot communicate those technical concepts, we cannot be successful,” Fasano said. “And the biggest challenge for us as technical professionals is that we don’t have experience with communication. So, we have to challenge ourselves and push ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and practice.”
Practicing public speaking is one of the best things engineers can do to improve their communication skills. By doing this “you’ll get better at articulating your ideas and you’ll also build your confidence,” Fasano said.
Practice might mean speaking at conferences, meetings, or other events. Or you can develop sample presentations to give to friends and co-workers. You can also work with a coach or mentor, Perry said. After each presentation, be sure to ask for feedback, so you understand how others experience your communication. It will feel uncomfortable, but that discomfort will lead to growth.
And you want to give yourself as many opportunities for growth as possible. For example, you could volunteer to lead your project team or to present to one of your company’s clients. The more you step up for these growth opportunities, the easier it will get and the more comfortable and confident you will be.
Building confidence is key to developing stronger communication skills, Brock said. Even if you don’t feel totally confident, you need to project confidence when you’re having a one-on-one conversation, speaking in a meeting, or writing an email.
But how do you project that confidence? For speaking, you can develop a strong, commanding voice, Brock said. When you’re in a meeting where you need to present your idea, for example, “if you are not projecting your voice, if you are mumbling, if you are using acronyms that are not easily understood, if you are not clearly articulating your thoughts, then that is sabotaging your work,” she said.
Projecting confidence in your voice will help you be a better communicator, but you also want to be careful not to come across as arrogant or unfriendly, Brock added. In addition to a strong voice, you want to use a tone of compassion and kindness, which will make your audience more receptive to your message.
Another way to build your confidence is to be well prepared. Make sure to organize your thoughts with the audience in mind. “It’s very common for engineers to think the audience has all the background information, and they just dive deep into this complex subject, and they lose people right away,” Brock said.
Instead, start with a high-level summary that provides all the background and details the audience needs to get up to speed on your topic. Then tell them, for example, the three points you are going to discuss, and next, explain what you’re going to conclude with (such as a finding or a request). This kind of organization will make your message easy to digest and help your audience to follow along.
In addition to speaking in meetings and making presentations, engineers need to be able to communicate effectively one-on-one. A key element of this type of communication is active listening, Perry said.
“This is more than just listening, so you have something to say in response,” he explained. “An even higher form of listening is called empathetic listening, where we can listen to what the other person is saying and what they are feeling. When we then ask clarifying questions and repeat that back to them, it deepens the connection with the other person and forges deeper relationships, which is what communication is really about in many ways.”
Immediately before going into a communication challenge, whether it’s a job interview, presentation, or difficult one-on-one conversation, Perry recommends employing the following tips, which he calls “The Five Ps”:
1. Prepare. Preparation meets the moment. If you’re doing all the things you need to do, you’re going to feel confident and ready.
2. Pee. This may be a funny way to say it, Perry says laughing, but it’s important to go to the bathroom and address anything else that could be a distraction. For example, make sure your hair is combed and there’s no food in your teeth.
3. Physical Activity. This could be taking a walk or doing push-ups. Nothing too strenuous, just something to get your blood pumping. This will release stress and help calm your nerves.
4. Power Pose. It sounds silly, but research shows that getting into a powerful position for two minutes lowers your stress and raises your confidence. This includes positions like the Superman pose or raising your arms like you just won a race.
5. Be Present. Don’t think about a problem that happened yesterday or something you have to do later today. Be as present as possible in the moment, and that will improve your confidence and your communication.
If you’re looking for more resources to help build your skills, Perry and Brock both recommend enrolling in workshops, continuing education classes, or online learning courses that focus on communication for engineers. Check with your company first, as they may offer this type of professional development for their employees.
Claudia Hoffacker is an independent writer from Minneapolis.
“Communication in all its forms helps engineers translate great engineering work into impact,” said Jeff Perry, leadership and career coach and author of the book, The Intentional Engineer.
Engineers need to be strong in both verbal and written communications, said Perry, who has a background in mechanical engineering. They’ll use these skills on the job in a variety of ways, including:
• Collaborating with other engineers on projects.
• Working with manufacturing and marketing colleagues to produce and promote their products.
• Presenting project updates to their leaders.
Farnoosh Brock, leadership coach and co-owner of Prolific Living, Inc., agreed. “To advocate for your ideas, to make sure you are well-understood, well-funded, and well-supported—all of which you need to succeed—you need to have mastery of communication,” Brock said on the Engineering Career Coach podcast, produced by the Engineering Management Institute and hosted by Perry.
“I find that engineers are extremely smart and hardworking. Those are the two skills and habits that we have naturally,” said Brock, who is an electrical engineer turned entrepreneur. Communication skills don’t always come naturally, she added, but there are steps engineers can take to become great communicators.
Overcoming challenges specific to engineers
First, though, engineers have some challenges to overcome. For one, they have to break through the stereotype that engineers are not good communicators. This stereotype is false but, unfortunately, many engineers believe it’s a reality. “The things we believe drive how we act,” Perry said. “This is a belief we need to let go of.”
Another challenge is that communication skills aren’t generally taught in engineering programs, said Anthony Fasano, a licensed engineer and founder of the Engineering Management Institute.
“We are taught technical concepts. However, if we cannot communicate those technical concepts, we cannot be successful,” Fasano said. “And the biggest challenge for us as technical professionals is that we don’t have experience with communication. So, we have to challenge ourselves and push ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and practice.”
Practice leads to improvement
Practicing public speaking is one of the best things engineers can do to improve their communication skills. By doing this “you’ll get better at articulating your ideas and you’ll also build your confidence,” Fasano said.
Practice might mean speaking at conferences, meetings, or other events. Or you can develop sample presentations to give to friends and co-workers. You can also work with a coach or mentor, Perry said. After each presentation, be sure to ask for feedback, so you understand how others experience your communication. It will feel uncomfortable, but that discomfort will lead to growth.
And you want to give yourself as many opportunities for growth as possible. For example, you could volunteer to lead your project team or to present to one of your company’s clients. The more you step up for these growth opportunities, the easier it will get and the more comfortable and confident you will be.
Build your confidence
Building confidence is key to developing stronger communication skills, Brock said. Even if you don’t feel totally confident, you need to project confidence when you’re having a one-on-one conversation, speaking in a meeting, or writing an email.
But how do you project that confidence? For speaking, you can develop a strong, commanding voice, Brock said. When you’re in a meeting where you need to present your idea, for example, “if you are not projecting your voice, if you are mumbling, if you are using acronyms that are not easily understood, if you are not clearly articulating your thoughts, then that is sabotaging your work,” she said.
Projecting confidence in your voice will help you be a better communicator, but you also want to be careful not to come across as arrogant or unfriendly, Brock added. In addition to a strong voice, you want to use a tone of compassion and kindness, which will make your audience more receptive to your message.
Prepare and organize your communication
Another way to build your confidence is to be well prepared. Make sure to organize your thoughts with the audience in mind. “It’s very common for engineers to think the audience has all the background information, and they just dive deep into this complex subject, and they lose people right away,” Brock said.
Instead, start with a high-level summary that provides all the background and details the audience needs to get up to speed on your topic. Then tell them, for example, the three points you are going to discuss, and next, explain what you’re going to conclude with (such as a finding or a request). This kind of organization will make your message easy to digest and help your audience to follow along.
Listening is part of communicating
In addition to speaking in meetings and making presentations, engineers need to be able to communicate effectively one-on-one. A key element of this type of communication is active listening, Perry said.
“This is more than just listening, so you have something to say in response,” he explained. “An even higher form of listening is called empathetic listening, where we can listen to what the other person is saying and what they are feeling. When we then ask clarifying questions and repeat that back to them, it deepens the connection with the other person and forges deeper relationships, which is what communication is really about in many ways.”
Five to-dos before communicating
Immediately before going into a communication challenge, whether it’s a job interview, presentation, or difficult one-on-one conversation, Perry recommends employing the following tips, which he calls “The Five Ps”:
1. Prepare. Preparation meets the moment. If you’re doing all the things you need to do, you’re going to feel confident and ready.
2. Pee. This may be a funny way to say it, Perry says laughing, but it’s important to go to the bathroom and address anything else that could be a distraction. For example, make sure your hair is combed and there’s no food in your teeth.
3. Physical Activity. This could be taking a walk or doing push-ups. Nothing too strenuous, just something to get your blood pumping. This will release stress and help calm your nerves.
4. Power Pose. It sounds silly, but research shows that getting into a powerful position for two minutes lowers your stress and raises your confidence. This includes positions like the Superman pose or raising your arms like you just won a race.
5. Be Present. Don’t think about a problem that happened yesterday or something you have to do later today. Be as present as possible in the moment, and that will improve your confidence and your communication.
Consider formal training
If you’re looking for more resources to help build your skills, Perry and Brock both recommend enrolling in workshops, continuing education classes, or online learning courses that focus on communication for engineers. Check with your company first, as they may offer this type of professional development for their employees.
Strategic Communications for Engineers (Virtual Classroom)
Develop a strategic mindset, approach challenges with innovation and employ strategic thinking and communication to add value to your organization.
Claudia Hoffacker is an independent writer from Minneapolis.
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