Why are communication skills more important than ever for engineers? First, in today's workplace, engineers increasingly interact with non-engineers such as marketing and call center personnel, their CTOs and their CEOs. Second, technological communication tools have become central to engineering work. The new tools, which recent graduates are often assumed to know, include various e-mail systems, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project and Access. Third, practicing engineers are increasingly responsible for their own communication, including wordsmithing and proofreading that was once done by secretaries. Fourth, practicing engineers interact with others person-to-person in meetings. The advent of office technology has not erased the need for personal communication as some once predicted. If anything, office technology has increased the need and opportunities for personal communication.

Appearing in Georgia Tech's News & Information website online.

By Judith Shaul Norback, Donna C. Llewellyn and Jill R. Hardin.
Read the full article at the ORMS Today website.

Originally published in the August 2001 issue of ORMS Today. Copyright