TASK 3: THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR ENGINEERS

-
“I contend that we (engineers) are undervalued because of our widespread inability to explain what we do to the general public (and why it is so important). It is one of the hardest goals to accomplish, to be able to boil down difficult concepts into a short and easily understood presentation or elevator pitch.”
Marybeth Miceli, President, Miceli Infrastructure Consulting, USA (2011)

According to Marybeth Miceli, the work of engineers is often unappreciated, and deemed insignificant, as engineers themselves struggles to bring across their scope of work and ideas clearly to the general masses. This is compounded when such condense, complex descriptions are not properly translated into simple, brief and understandable presentation or persuasive speeches that can spark the interest of listeners.

In my opinion, I agree with Marybeth Miceli to a major extent that the engineers' work is often unrecognized among the general masses. This is exacerbated with the lack of understanding, discussions, and awareness on our works as communication of such works usually manifests in a more professional and technical setting. When being among peers, engineers are inclined to communicate using technical languages. However, when communicating and explaining such ideas to the general population, it is an uphill task to turn technical jargons into layman terms, creating an impression that engineering is a difficult language. Thus, for engineers to be given credits for their work, it is essential to improve on our communication skills and knowing how to equate engineering processes with daily occurrences.

Comments

  1. Brad Blackstone4 January 2023 at 20:03

    Thank you, Yen Jee, for being the first to post a reaction to the quote.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yen Jee26 January 2023 at 21:12

      Dear Professor Brad, thank you for the feedback! I look forward to learning more from you !!

      Delete
  2. Timothy Sim9 January 2023 at 17:00

    Thank you Yen Jee for sharing as I am able to gain a deeper understanding about the quote

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yen Jee26 January 2023 at 21:14

      Hello Timothy, thank you for your feedback. I look forward to learning more about you throughout this module!

      Delete
  3. Kiran9 January 2023 at 17:56

    Thank you Yen Jee for sharing your insight on this topic! The organisation of your reaction is clear and coherent. You have a good use of language, which makes your content easy to understand. I definitely agree with your point that engineers are used to speaking more technically, and I appreciate the solutions you provided!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yen Jee26 January 2023 at 21:15

      Hello Kiran, thank you for the feedback! I appreciate your kind words! I look forward to getting to know you more !

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WEEK 2: FORMAL INTRODUCTORY LETTER

-
Dear Professor Brad, My name is Moong Yen Jee and I am writing to introduce myself to you. I am currently pursuing a degree in civil engineering at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). I earned a diploma in civil engineering with business from Singapore Polytechnic (SP). The fact that I can speak Cantonese well is an intriguing truth about me. Since young, mathematics has been my favourite subject as I have always found the calculation of numbers, logical equations, and solving mathematical problems to be fascinating. My interest in finding creative answers to issues stems from the idea of merging math and logic, is what inspired me to pursue engineering. I made the decision to continue my engineering studies because I was interested in the structural side of engineering and was motivated by my father, who has been employed in the field for a long time, after observing the positive effects he had on those around him. One of my communication strengths is the ability to rea
Read more

Summary Reader Response Draft #4

-
Tunnels in the past were utilized for purposes such as irrigation, drainage, and water transportation system as well as communication routes to improve the underground habitats to improve the standards of living. The Leonard (2022) webpage titled, “Innovation at the end of the tunnel”, informs readers about the rising need for underground infrastructures brought on by population pressure and urbanization. This underground infrastructure includes functions such as sanitation, logistics, and transportation. To meet these demands, modern tunnel-boring machines were introduced to meet these needs. As mentioned in another webpage by Trenchlesspedia, (2020, para. 2), tunnel-boring machines are referred to as “mole(s)” and are designed to bore circular tunnels through all types of earth, from sandy soil to hard rocks. The recently completed construction of the Thomson - East Coast Line (TEL) in Singapore is an excellent example of how this technology is being extensively utilized (Wong, 2019)
Read more