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The Business Climate for Engineering Communication

This module explores the unique challenges of communication in the current business environment and provides strategies for effective engineering communication. Topics include productivity, adapting to diverse audiences, and changing forms of communication.

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The Business Climate for Engineering Communication

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  1. The Business Climate for Engineering Communication The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication ENGINEERING SERIES

  2. 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.

  3. Today’s Business Climate • Shrinking cycle time for • innovation • delivery • Downsized workforce / clients • Shorter “value chains” • Fewer people responsible for results

  4. Business Climate Is Complex • New, more, and different competitors • Increasingly sophisticated clients • Increasingly global scope of business

  5. Engineering Manager Intense Work Environment “Get more stuff done, faster, with fewer resources over greater distances and multiple time zones . . . Yesterday!”

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. Impact on Communication • “Net It Out!” • Shorter documents - to the point • More visuals used • Data transformed to information • Documents designed to promote action

  9. 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

  10. Changing Forms of Communication • SPOKEN • conversations • conference calls • presentations • voice-mails • video • videoconferences • HYBRID • multimedia • “white board” • facilitated • planning • meetings • Voice software WRITTEN • letters • memos • proposals • e-mails • post-its • Team-Room (software)

  11. 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”

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. Lead through Excellence in Engineering Communication • More resources are available for you • under “Engineering Communication” at Connexions at http://cnx.org • at the Cain Project site athttp://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj • in your course Communication Folder in OWLSPACE.

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