Have courage. Think like an Engineer.

Most people see things as a shell. An Engineer doesn’t. Engineers dissect. They look inside and ask how something is made, how it works.

Professional Engineer Magazine

To improve something, you need to know this.

It informs everything.

It defines everything.

It ensures you’ll (all) succeed.

Become a detective.

Don’t assume anything.

Question everything.

Ask why.

If they don’t know, ask why don’t they know.

Come up with your own ideas.

Put them to people.

Check your understanding.

Don’t be proud about this.

It’s not an intellectual contest.

Your are data gathering.

You need to know.

You need to be clear.

Remind them this is in their interests.

Ask “intelligent naïve” questions.

These start:

What / Why / When / Where / Who / How

Aim to clarify.

Don’t be satisfied.

Consider that what you’ve been asked to produce or build or create is often someone’s solution to a problem - what they believe will work - but what else?

Know what are they trying to solve first.

Then decide if their idea for a solution is appropriate - can you justify it yourself?

What other ways are there of solving the problem?

It’s not going to make you popular sometimes.

It’s not personal.

Remind people that.

You’re actually on their side.

You need to get to the root understanding before you can start putting everything back together again.

Many start assuming they know.

Don’t be like that.

Be like an Engineer.

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Follow on read: Project success guaranteed. The tail of 3 knows.

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