Why do engineers need technical communication?
The importance of communication in any discipline, and particularly in STEM, can never be overstated.
When I was in the engineering college, we had to present our final year project — all that we’d done and achieved in the last two semesters — in front of a committee. Despite a whole year to work on the project and a lot to talk about, we were all panicking at the end. The mere idea of speaking in front of an audience was enough to make us sweat — at least, that’s how it was for me. Fortunately, though, the committee consisted mostly of our own teachers who indeed knew a lot about engineering. So we could throw as much of jargon as possible without even pausing to think whether a layperson would understand it all.
I wonder, how difficult the situation would be if we were asked to defend the same project in front of a non-engineering audience? And it’s not just about speaking, what if our final thesis had to be accompanied with a brief summary which every layperson could read, understand, and benefit from? How difficult would things be then?
It was not like we hadn’t had any courses on communication. Two mandatory courses — titled ‘Communication Skills’ and ‘Technical Writing’ — were a part of the curriculum. But then, 4 credits in the entire engineering degree can teach you only so much. Particularly, when the rest of the credits (over 100) do not even talk about the importance of communication.
Every year, universities spit out thousands of engineers into the ruthless and unforgiving world without imparting adequate communication skills to them.
The situation in most of the engineering institutes, and not just in Pakistan, is still the same. Students, at the time of graduation, are excellent engineers but, in most cases, they hardly know how to sell themselves or their ideas. Every year, universities spit out thousands of electrical, civil, mechanical, and software engineers into the ruthless and unforgiving world without imparting adequate communication skills to them. Their ideas and expertise might never see the light of the day, primarily because they cannot present — and defend — what they’re offering to a non-technical audience.
Enter Technical Communication
The importance of communication in any discipline, and particularly in STEM, can never be overstated. And it’s not just about a single course. It is a practice, a habit, that needs to be made an essential part of every course, every project, and every technical degree. I realized this in my graduate school and I always thought how different, and indeed rewarding, my engineering courses would’ve been if I had known at least a little more about the importance of communication.
I do not, and cannot, blame engineering professionals and recent graduates for lacking these essential skills. It is not their fault that they talk to and interact with engineers for a big part of their day. This practice, however, develops a myopic attitude, distancing the technical people from the general public. One of the best things that technical communication equips you with is a different perspective, a way to look at your end product from the users’ end. It serves as a bridge between the experts of a field — who can understand all the technical details — and the laypeople — who are interested in the utility of a product or service.
In the end, your audience goes way beyond your professional academic circle.
One might ask, how can the universities and colleges ensure that engineers are more than just that, that they are better communicators as well. Some such recommendations follow, and the list, indeed, is not rigid and exhaustive in any way.
- The importance of the audience, in every project, must be made clear. The students should know who their target audience is and how can they meet their needs in a better way.
- Every course must include at least some practices targeting at enhancing better communication in the real world. This can include presentations for the general (non-technical) audience and brief write-ups accompanying technical reports.
- In universities where engineering degrees are not the only ones being offered, students should be encouraged to take courses from other departments. This will help them look beyond the engineering world and increase their interaction with professionals from other fields.
- The defense presentations and theses, particularly of final year projects, should not just be intended for a STEM audience. A brief such session can be scheduled for people from different backgrounds. The committee can have one or two communication specialists to help the students get ready for a diverse audience in the world.
The aforementioned suggestions are not just for engineering programs. In my opinion, every program should include communication as an essential aspect. If the output of research is not understandable to a majority of the population, is it even doing any good?
In today’s rapidly advancing world, you need much more than technical expertise. For, in the end, your audience goes way beyond your professional academic circle.
