Summary of The Unwritten LAWS OF ENGINEERING — James G. Skakoon
INTRODUCTION
The original book was written by W.J. King. He emphasized that the biggest obstacle to success in engineering is lack of skills in personal and administrative conduct rather than the technical skills. The author claims that the rules are more than theoretical and has been validated by King’s colleagues and experiences of experts. He claims that blindly adhering to rules and red tape is itself a breach of professional conduct. Laws are obvious but violation could cause frustration and embarrassment for engineers everywhere.
I have included main bullet points noted as they are in the book except the Conclusion where I wrote about questions that this book helped me answer.
Part I : WHAT THE BEGINNER NEEDS TO LEARN AT ONCE
In Relation To The Work
However menial and trivial your early assignments appear, give them your best efforts.
Demonstrate the ability to get things done.
In carrying out a project, do not wait passively for others to deliver on their promises; go after them and keep after them, relentlessly, if needed.
Confirm your instructions and the other person’s commitments in writing.
Return your messages.
Strive for conciseness and clarity in oral and written reports.
Be extremely careful that your statements are accurate.
Avoid the appearance of vacillating.
When sent on a business trip, prepare for it, execute the business to completion, and follow up when you return.
Develop a “Let’s go see!” attitude.
Don’t be timid-speak up-express yourself and promote your ideas.
Learn to breathe.
In Relation To Your Supervisor
Keep your supervisor or team leader informed of all significant developments.
Do not overlook the fact that your direct supervisor is your “boss”.
Be as particular as you can in the selection of your supervisor.
Whatever your supervisor wants done deserves top priority.
Whenever you are asked by your manager or team leader to do something, you are expected to do exactly that.
Do not be too eager to defer to or embrace your manager’s or team leader’s instructions.
Regarding Relations With Colleagues And Outsiders
Avoid overstepping the boundary between departments.
In all transactions be sure to “deal in” everyone who has a right to be in.
Cultivate the habit of seeking other people’s opinions and recommendations.
Learn to appreciate the shop machinists, lab techs, and administrative assistants.
Promises, schedules, and estimates are necessary and important instruments in a well-ordered business.
If you are dissatisfied with the support of another department, make your complaint directly to the individual responsible.
In dealing with customers and outsiders, remember that you represent the company with full responsibility and authority.
part II: RELATING CHIEFLY TO ENGINEERING MANAGERS
General Behavior And Technique.
Every manager must know what goes on his or her domain.
Do not try to do it all yourself.
Put first things first in applying yourself to your job.
Learn to use outside resources to the best advantage.
Cultivate the habit of boiling matters down to their simplest terms.
Do not get excited in engineering emergencies-keep your feet on the ground.
Engineering meetings should be neither too large nor too small.
Cultivate the habit of making brisk, clean-cut decisions.
Managing Design And Development Projects
Learn project management skills and techniques, then apply them to the activities that you manage.
Plan product development work far enough ahead of production to meet schedules without a wild, last-minute rush.
Beware of seeking too much comfort when planning engineering projects.
Be content to freeze a new design when the development has progressed far enough.
Constantly review projects to make certain their payback will be in line with the costs in money, time, and human resources,
Make it a rule to require periodic progress reports and final reports on completed projects.
On Organizational Structures
Clearly define your organization’s reporting structure.
Make sure that everyone has been given definite assignments and responsibilities within a department or team.
Make sure that all activities and all individuals are supervised by someone competent in the subject matter involved.
Make sure that everyone has the authority they need to execute their jobs and meet their responsibilities.
What All Managers Owe Their Staff
Never misrepresent a subordinate’s performance during performance appraisals.
Make it unquestionably clear what is expected of the subordinates and team members working for you.
Do not hang on to employees too selfishly when they are offered a better opportunity elsewhere.
Do not short-circuit or override your subordinates if you can possibly avoid it.
You owe it to your subordinates and team members to keep them properly informed.
Do not criticize a subordinate in front of others, especially his or her own subordinates.
Show an interest in what your staff is doing.
Never miss a chance to commend or reward subordinates for a job well done.
Always accept full responsibility for your group and the individuals in it.
Do everything you can that your subordinates get all of the salary to which they are entitled.
Protect the personal interests of your subordinates and their families.
Part III : PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Laws Of Character And Personality
One of the most valuable personal traits is the ability to get along with all kinds of people.
Do not be too affable.
Regard your personal integrity as one of your most important assets.
Never underestimate the extent of your professional responsibility and personal liability.
Let ethical behavior govern your actions and those of your company.
Regarding Behavior In The Workplace
Be aware of the effect that your personal appearance has on others-and on you.
Refrain from using profanity in the workplace.
Take it upon yourself to learn what comprises of harassment and discrimination-racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, religious-and tolerate it not at all in yourself, your colleagues, your subordinates, or your company.
Beware of what you commit to writing and of who will read it.
Beware of appropriating your employer’s resources for personal use.
Regarding Career And Personal Development
Maintain your employability throughout your career.
Analyze yourself and your staff.
CONCLUSION:
If you find the rules worthwhile, you could extract additional value by revising them every few years!
For me, this book briefly answered the questions below:
Who you should not take seriously ?
When will you loose confidence of your superiors and the associates ?
How to mind your own business ?
Is taking other person’s work or responsibility good ?
How fast does the decision need to be made ?
What happens when you misinterpret or are being misinterpreted ?
What happens if you do not create emergencies ?
What does a trap looks like ?
What can impact efficiency and morale ?
What kind of clarity are we seeking for ?
Why most engineers want to know the “whys” ?
When can you expect bitterness and resentment ?
What can you safely assume of others ?
When is it right to fire an employee ?
How to determine what is the top most priority ?
What questions to ask yourself when decision factors are unclear ?
What are the qualities exhibited by the most successful engineers ?
How does understanding personality types help the managers lead the team ?
Most importantly it answers the question: What does an ethical engineer looks like ?
On of my favorite part of the book is “Being an ethical engineer means not only being an ethical person, but also being competent to execute the technical assignments you accept(Florman) … If the reasons for your actions are sound, you needn’t be afraid to defend them to anyone; if not, you’d better correct them promptly”.
To see how the book answers these questions in details, you have to purchase the book 😁
And, hey don’t forget those claps if this post has helped you learn something that you did not know before or help you think differently!
