2. Reference Resource
“Stuff You Don’t Learn in
Engineering School”
By Carl Selinger
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
IEEE Press 2004
3. Good Basic Life Lessons
You are responsible for yourself
What you don’t know may hurt you, or hold you
back
Don’t be afraid of something. Learn about it!
Build on your strengths; target weaknesses
Develop important soft skills
Technical competency is the core of your career
in engineering!
4. Definition of Leadership
Leadership is the ability to influence others,
with or without authority.
All successful endeavors are the result of
human effort; thus, the ability to influence
others is a derivation of
Interpersonal Communications
Conflict Management
Problem Solving / Decision Making
5. Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness is the capability
of an individual to do this, influence others,
competently.
Leadership is a direct function of three
elements of interpersonal effectiveness
Awareness
Ability
Commitment
6. Understanding Yourself and
Others
Understand yourself better and how to
relate to others:
◦ Take a Myers-Briggs Indicators test
◦ What do you like to do?
◦ What don’t you like to do?
◦ What about others? (Ask them!)
Be assertive; not passive or aggressive
Updated Golden Rule: “Do unto others as
they would have done unto themselves”
Determine your mix among career
objectives: money, job security, challenging
job, recognition, etc.
7. Working Effectively as a Team
Working through and with people
Thinking “we”, not “I”
Getting the Team to work together by:
◦ Giving the team the big picture
◦ Dividing work fairly
◦ Assigning responsibility to achieve
accountability
◦ Giving recognition
8. Interpersonal Communications
How to Write Better
Use clear, simple, direct language
Minimize use of acronyms
Read more, to see good writing and
improve vocabulary
Ask peers to review your writing
Mentally pretend you’re talking to
someone, and write that!
9. Interpersonal Communications
Essentials of Public Speaking
You can do it!
Know your subject
Know your audience – expectations
Practice, Practice, Practice
Never just read
Speak slowly, clearly and loud enough
Be sincere and enthusiastic
Keep to time
10. Interpersonal Communications
Keys to Listening
Listening is not just “hearing” the other
Avoid distractions & make eye contact
Concentrate on the person’s ideas &
thoughts, not just facts
Reassure the person that you are paying
attention: ask questions
Confirm that you’ve understood
11. Conflict Management
Tips to Negotiating
You negotiate everyday!
Identify your needs & the other’s needs
Conflict Styles: Avoiding, Competing,
Accommodating, Compromising, and
Collaborating
Aim for a “win/win solution, if possible
12. Keys to Problem Solving and
Decision Making
Determine the root cause of a problem
Determine what has to be decided
Identify options, choices & alternatives
What information is needed; what criteria
will be used to evaluate
Make a decision; be decisive
13. Dealing with Ethical Issues
Something that doesn’t feel right, may be
unethical
Unethical is not the same as illegal
Values vary greatly by culture
Speak up and follow your instincts
Talk to peers and mentors
Read ethics “case studies” and columns in
professional-society and other magazines
