第三课阅读材料

Before passing your work on to the boss, try to make the work as complete as you can. That means not only writing the report, but also the cover letter and any transmittal notes it will need to flow smoothly through channels. Think through any political ramifications and make appropriate contacts to preclude problems. Anticipate questions and prepare for them. If your boss looks good, you look good.
2.Hone interpersonal skills
Not all the development opportunities relate to technical matters. Successful engineering practice is strongly dependent on interpersonal and communications skills. It’s important to learn about people, motivation, organizational behavior, written and oral communication and visual aids. With these skills as with any others, practice makes perfect (or at least very proficient).
For example, it’s easy to get into leadership positions in volunteer organizations. All you have to do is attend some meetings and show that you’re willing to help out, and soon you’ll move right into whatever you want to do.
Excel in Your Engineering
When I reflect on my 20-plus years of experience as a chemical engineer, I realize how wonderful my profession is. As engineers, we provide the essential link between technology and humanity. Our job is to make the world better for its human inhabitants while protecting the environment. And we fulfill our mission amongst the demands and guidelines of the business world.
In addition, remember that we are also “business people” and, as such, should keep up on trends in the business world, particularly in our industry. These communications skills can help develop relations both within and outside the company.
3.Do the whole job
You’re probably familiar with the concept of“completed staff work”(CSW). According to this concept, a subordinate presents his or her boss with solutions, or at least options, rather than problems. The reasoning is that the person closes to the problem is better prepared than anyone-even the boss-to make a decision and to implement it. Decisionsare best made at the lowest practical level.
But the “big picture” is not just the concern of higher-level people. Everything that happens in the company affects all of its employees. In turn, each employee can contribute to the well being of the company.
By maximizing the quality and quantity of your work, you maximize your value to your employer. Learn to do many things well. Be the engineer who can write a project proposal, plan and perform experiments, design equipment, analyze data, develop a mathematical model, write and present results, and bring in thenext job. If you do it yourself-or lead others in doing it-or you will be indispensable.
But sometimes we get saspects of our jobs that we lose sight of the big picture. We forget to appreciate engineering—though it is challenging, creative, interesting, significant, and even fun.
You can get involved in long-range planning, business development, and diversification into new products or services. The people who are already involved in these matters will welcome your help. Although you might start out with a small role, you will soon be contributing more and more. Such efforts often begin by demanding a little more of your personal time, but are later sanctioned by your supervisors as you prove your capability.
For example, there’s nothing like getting engrossed in a tough technical problem and coming up with a neat solution. Do you find yourself hurrying to the office because you look forward to working? Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a problem and lie there working out the details of a brilliant solution? Do you get up to write notes so you won’t forget your breakthrough in the morning?
Engineering can be that wonderful. And being involved in your work doesn’t mean you’re a nut or a workaholic. We should like what we do: Enjoying something and doing it well is a “chicken-and-egg” situation. We tend to like activities we perform well, and to be good at things we enjoy. So here’s some advice for both enjoying and improving your engineering work.
1.Enhance technical skills
Engineering provides many opportunities to develop existing skills and to learn new ones. In fact, we have to keep learning or we atrophy—that’s the nature of any profession. The ability to growis one reward of a good job. As your interests and involvements change, and as technology changes, you need to keep learning.