The making of an expert engineer : how to have a wonderful career creating a better world and spending lots of money belonging to other people

This book sets out the principles of engineering practice, knowledge that has come to light through more than a decade of research by the author and his students studying engineers at work. Until now, this knowledge has been almost entirely unwritten, passed on invisibly from one generation of engineers to the next, what engineers refer to as “experience”. This is a book for all engineers. It distils the knowledge of many experts in one volume. The book will help engineers enjoy a more satisfying and rewarding career and provide more valuable results for their employers and clients. The book focuses on issues often seen as “non-technical” in the world of engineering, yet it shows how these issues are thoroughly technical. Engineering firms traditionally have sought expert advice on these aspects from management schools, often regarding these aspects of engineering practice as something to do with psychology or organisational behaviour. The results are normally disappointing because management schools and psychologists have limited insight and understanding of the technical dimensions in engineering work. Little if any of the material in this book can be obtained from management texts or courses. Management schools have avoided the technical dimension of workplace practices and that is precisely what characterises engineering practice. The technical dimension infuses almost every aspect of an engineer’s working day and cannot be avoided. That’s why this book is so necessary: there has not yet been any authoritative source or guidance to bridge the gap between inanimate technical issues and organisational behaviour. This book fills this gap in our knowledge, is based on rigorous research, and yet is written in a style which is accessible for a wide audience. AcknowledgementsList of tables List of figuresPreface: Engineering practice has been invisible1 Why engineer? Technical expertiseAn indicator of engineering practice Discovering expert engineers Prior learning Ideas from economics 2 What type of engineer? Choosing a discipline 3 Flying start, no wings, wrong direction Avoiding a hard landing Reworking our notions of engineering Reworking notions of design Engineering - a wonderful career 4 Becoming an expert What we know about expertise Becoming an expert engineer Role model: C.Y. O'Connor 5 What engineers know Definitions Technical knowledge in the workplace 6 Three neglected skills: Listening, seeing and reading Prior knowledge and perception Perception skill 1: Listening Perception skill 2: Reading Perception skill 3: Seeing and creativity 7 Collaboration in engineering Collaboration genres Combined performances Some necessary communication concepts Collaboration - summary 8 Informal teaching: More than an interpreter Theory and concepts Discovery and teaching Collaborative discovery performances Teaching performances Mastery Summary 9 Technical coordination: Informal leadership Willing and conscientious collaboration Technical coordination performance attributes Self-assessment 10 Managing a project Working with uncertainty Planning, organising and approval Monitoring progress Completing the project 11 Understanding investment decisions Finance Costs and expenses 12 Negotiating sustainability Sustainability issues are difficult for engineersPredicting the futurePreparing to negotiateWorking face to face towards an agreementFraming the agreementSummary13 Great expectations Development and the third world Dimensions of difference in engineering practice Discovering expert engineers Mobile telecommunications - a new start? Engineering opportunities Lessons for engineers Low-income country .. This book sets out the principles of engineering practice, knowledge that has come to light through more than a decade of research by the author and his students studying engineers at work. Until now, this knowledge has been almost entirely unwritten, passed on invisibly from one generation of engineers to the next, what engineers refer to as “experience”. This is a book for all engineers and engineering managers. It distils the knowledge of many experts in one volume.