Latest Water Technologies of Abengoa Water - GineersNow GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 022, Abe | Page 27

arrogant, because what they show is not what
real confidence looks like. For example, they
will raise their voice in a meeting, because that’s
what they think confident people do. Or they will
want to push their opinions and choices despite
contrary empirical data, because they think
confident people ought to make a grand stand.
As engineers, you no longer need to fake
confidence to impress people at work. You
already have it. It will come out in the way you
think, express your thoughts, or present your
designs or engineering solutions. You do not
have to fit the mold of whatever you imagine
confident people to be, because as an engineer
you have an air of confidence that is uniquely,
naturally yours.
Recognize that you are not
the best in everything
Engineers, with their natural talents and
educational formation, have the ability to invent
or derive solutions to many challenges. They
have the facility to come up with innovative
methods of doing things faster and better.
To say that engineers are important members of
any company”s workforce is the understatement
of the century. Hell, they oftentimes hold the
most crucial position in any company! For
example, in a manufacturing firm, product
development engineers play the biggest role
in turning concepts into products that people
actually buy and use. Electrical engineers, on
the other hand, make sure that facilities have
enough electricity to continue manufacturing
and achieving production and delivery targets.
But sometimes, no matter how good engineers
are, they have to take a step back and let their
colleagues shine in certain situations. Some
engineers have to learn to recognize their
limitations and acknowledge the capability of
others.
Engineers have to understand that conceding
the stage to other employees does not, in any
way, diminish his experience, value or talents.
Confident engineers see their colleagues as
collaborators and, as such, are always ready to
see the best in them. Confident engineers do
not regard their co-employees as competitors
in a race but as teammates in a relay towards
achieving their company”s goals.
Embrace vulnerability
Confident engineers do not resist vulnerability.
Engineers who are truly confident in themselves
admit to their mistakes, acknowledge their
accountability and welcome responsibility.
Being confident is not tantamount to being
perfect. In fact, confidence is the foundation
that makes it okay for engineers to drop the
ball a few times and still know that they will be
fine. Confident engineers do not put the blame
on others or on the system to save themselves
from a predicament. Confident engineers trust
themselves that no matter how challenging a
situation is, they can resolve it and emerge as
better, stronger people.
Water Leaders • June 2017
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