Engineering Creativity and Addressing Women in Engineering

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Don’t limit your creativity!

Engineers are creative, not just computers hacking out analysis and calculations.

Especially these days with the increased adoption of new technologies, we need to embrace what makes us uniquely human, and creativity is part of that.

It’s important to round out your skills and how you view the value you give as an engineer so you can be your best. 

As you do so, you’ll grow personally and professionally and deliver greater impact!

In today’s newsletter:

• Why engineers are creative and ought to embrace that side of work

• A book just for female engineers and those who support them

• Hot jobs
  

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CAREER TIPS

Engineers: Embrace Your Creativity

Are engineers creative?

Absolutely!

Wait just a second - if engineers were creative, wouldn’t they have decided to be artists, writers, or some other “Fine Arts” profession? Wrong! The key word in being creative is right there – to create!

Engineers create products, services, and processes that influence people every single day. Whether your work goes into consumer applications, devices, or machines, the end product of engineering work is used by other people. As they create and utilize new ideas every day, engineers can't help but be creative!

Engineers need to constantly find new ways to think outside the box, reframe problems, and tackle new challenges. They have the fabulous opportunity and responsibility of imagining ways in which the world could be different and then creating ways to make that happen.

That is at the heart of what creativity is all about and it should be inspiring and exciting for engineers. For example, engineering innovations have been a big part of healthcare improvement over the years. From data analysis to efficient software systems to surgery machines, to providing treatment tracking and recommendations, engineering truly saves lives daily.

As you work to embrace more creativity in your work, let me share a few ideas and actions you can take:

Be More Curious

When we suppress creativity it’s often because we feel like we already have all the right answers. Do we actually? Rarely. Different people with different perspectives can see things in completely new ways than perhaps we would. This is good!

One way to start considering creative ideas and not getting set in our ways is to be more curious. If someone disagrees with you, get curious about why and ask more questions about how they are feeling about the issue. If someone comes to you with a problem, spend a bit more time considering the issue before you rush into providing a solution. Curiosity can open our minds to new ideas while continuing to embrace the rational thinking that engineers value so much.

Curiosity Activity

Utilize the power of “Yes, and…”

The next time you have a brainstorming session with a team, I want you to do everything in your power to promote ideas and open-minded thinking. Eliminate from your vocabulary responses such as “no,” “I don’t think that will work,” or “yes, but…” 

Rather, when someone suggests an idea, remain open to it by responding with “yes, and… [expand upon the idea].” This principle comes from the world of improv comedy and is taught heavily in the world of design thinking, and has the ability to keep teams positive and supportive to promote collaboration.

Embrace Failure and Try Again

The struggle with creation is that we often “fail,” and this fear of failure can keep us from exploring different approaches or possibilities. Consider this quote:

“Failure is central to engineering. Every single calculation that an engineer makes is a failure calculation.” —Henry Petroski

Instead of being afraid of failing with our solutions and ideas, we should look at each failure as an opportunity to learn something new. It’s a new data point. It’s a new experience. And if we are good learners, we won’t make the same mistake again. Indeed, failing fast is often the best way to succeed if we stick with it and treat each failure as a learning experience.

Overcoming Fear Activity

Create something you´ve always wanted to do but is outside of your comfort zone. 

Just try it. If it means writing code in a different programming language, do that. It may mean that you want to create something physical using your hands, such as a drawing, painting, or a small construction project. The point here is to do something that you haven’t done before and to realize that at your core, you truly are a creator. 

Personally, I have been creating more videos for my own marketing efforts. I’m learning how to do it and it’s very uncomfortable, but I’ve received helpful feedback and learned a lot through the process.

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📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION

She Engineers: Outsmart Bias, Unlock your Potential, and Create the Engineering Career of your Dreams by Stephanie Slocum

This is a fabulous book by my friend Stephanie for women engineers or those who support them.

Are you a woman engineer or a manager of woman engineers?

Are you working hard but not getting ahead? Do you feel you aren’t getting the recognition you deserve? Are you frustrated that you can’t seem to penetrate the “boys network” at work?

Are you searching for a practical career guide that goes beyond social commentary on gender issues in engineering? One written by a female engineer that has been in the trenches just like you? A guide with tactics that actually work if you aren’t the boss? One that will give you immediate results?

Then She Engineers was written for you.

Imagine a life where YOU choose your own career path. You love what you do. You are an influencer, a go-to person at your company and in your field. You aren’t working ridiculous hours. You have a life outside of work. You may even have a couple of young children if you so choose, while still enjoying a well-paying, impactful career in engineering.

Sound like a pipe dream?

It’s not. This book will show you how.

As a fifteen-year engineering industry veteran and mom of three, Stephanie Slocum uses a conversational and down-to-earth approach to teach you how to succeed as a woman in the profession:

• How to determine your strengths and use them for maximum influence.

• How to find your expert niche and use it to create the career (and life!) you deserve.

• Why the well-meaning career advice given to male engineers backfires for women, and how you can avoid those traps.

• How to have a career you love without sacrificing all your waking hours.

• How to neutralize gender bias while maximizing your earning potential.

• The one thing you must do to elevate your career to the next level.

Each chapter concludes with actions you can do in 30 minutes or less for immediate results. As an engineer herself, she knows first-hand the value of your time and has packed her years of experience, stories, and lessons learned into one concise, easy-to-read resource for other women engineers.