“So, what do you do for work?”
It’s pretty common to hear this question come up during small talk situations, and most people are able to rattle off a canned answer about their job title, company and a description.
Yet when we asked our team of engineers about their jobs, here are some of the responses we received:
- “…no two days are the same…”
- “I don’t know. People always ask me this question and I never have a good answer.”
- “Um…I don’t know how to answer this question…”
And then there’s our team’s favorite response:
…crickets…
<Grin>
I think it’s safe to say that engineers are in a category of their own, and for good reason. A conversation with an engineer is often filled with dead air, but certainly not for lack of intelligence. Rather, an engineer tends to be efficient in spoken language, only speaking when sure of what to say. How do you talk to an engineer? How do you ask the right questions and effectively communicate?
L-Tron’s CEO, for example, is a man of few words. But, when he does have something to say, RAD communicates his thoughts deliberately and clearly. His words and actions demonstrate that he is a critical thinker, strong leader and effective problem solver.
In fact, our entire team of engineers at L-Tron brings a plethora of talent to the table, specializing in manufacturing, warehousing, OEM, and more. For 4 decades, our engineering team has been right in the middle of the action…in the warehouse…on the manufacturing floor…or wherever the problem area has been. They know the pain points that occur in these industries because they have been there, right beside their clients. They’re here to solve unique challenges, and do so in the most creative ways.
Just a couple months ago I was on a call with one of our engineers who was in the middle of a project that involved a treadmill and a barcode scanner. He had been tasked with solving a barcoding issue for a manufacturing client and there he was, in his home, Scotch-taping barcodes to his treadmill to check for speed. If that isn’t ingenuity, I don’t know what is!
So…how DO you talk to an engineer?
- Ask a question and continue to ask questions. When you ask the RIGHT question, you will get the answer.
- Expect lulls in the conversation. Lulls indicate there is critical thinking happening- let it! Don’t force it. Silence doesn’t make an engineer uncomfortable so it shouldn’t make you uncomfortable either!
- Appreciate the words that an engineer does say. It’s no doubt that they’ve pondered their answer thoroughly and mean what they say. Their response will l be logical and pragmatic.
- Don’t be too serious. Although an engineer may initially come across as solemn or guarded, they are more often easygoing and have a fun sense of humor behind the solemn and private façade. {that’s our engineering team for sure!]
- Don’t adhere to the “rules” of this blog too closely. It’s intentionally meant to be fun and stereotypical! We fully recognize that engineers a) come from all different backgrounds, b) work all sorts of different jobs, c) possess a variety of different personality traits, and most importantly, d) are as wonderfully unique as the engineering problems and solutions they love to solve!
Meet L-Tron’s Engineers
