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Lessons in engineering problem solving
October 4, 2007

In an article on msnbc, NBC News space analyst James Oberg discussed how engineers need to be smart enough to ask the right questions. He's referring to questions beyond technical questions to those that take a higher-level approach to problem solving. In "Lessons from the Sputnik generation," Oberg argues that engineers must mentally prepare themselves for unkown challenges.

Oberg stresses that the most valuable asset you have is your engineering judgement. Ask as many questions as possible and have an many options for solutions to technical problems as possible. This applies not only to junior engineers, but to senior engineers and engineering managers as well.

Oberg's article focuses on space exploration, but engineers in any field can apply the same concepts. Remeber that engineers solve problems. It's easy to get lost in the technical details of a project, but before you embark on an engineering assignment, you should question the possible solutions and assess how the results of your work will affect others.

Posted by Martin Rowe on October 4, 2007 | Comments (0)