What does it take to be a successful engineer?

1. Creativity 2. Motivation/curiosity/attitude3. Persistence/effort4. Knowledge 5. Teamwork/communication6. Other (e.g., snacks)

Questions:

Are you creative?(1 = not very, 5 = very)

How do you know?

Give an example of creativity.

Reporting out What was your “strategy”? How many ideas did you have? Were your ideas very “creative”? What were your greatest barriers?

Time pressure? Sharing them in public? Social appropriateness Uncertainty about directions? “Blank-Page” effect? Lack of concentration

Questions…

How many ideas did you have? What was your “strategy”? Were your ideas very “creative”? Why isn’t your list longer? What were your greatest barriers?

Time pressure? Sharing them in public? Social appropriateness Uncertainty about directions? “Blank-Page” effect? Lack of concentration?

Did you think of things that others thought of, but fail to write them down?

Your Creative StyleAn Un-scientific (but

Fast) Self-Assessment

Personal Style Part 1

Please answer the following 10 questions

about your working habits

1. When I am working on a task, I tend to…A) Go along with a consistent level of work

R) Work with high energy at times and low energy other times

2. If there is a problem, I usually am the one who thinks of…R) Many solutions, some of which are unusual

A) One or two solutions that that other people will generally accept

3. When Keeping records, I tend to…A) Be very careful about documentation

R) Be more haphazard about documentation

4. In meetings, I am often seen as the one who…

A) Keeps the group functioning well and maintains order

R) Challenges ideas or authority

5. My thinking style could most accurately be described as… A) Linear thinker, going from A to B to CR) Thinking like a grasshopper, jumping

from one idea to another

6. If I have to run a project or group, I…R) Have the general idea and let people

figure out how to do the tasksA) Try to figure out goals, time lines, and

expected outcomes

7. If there are rules to follow, I tend to…A) Generally follow themR) Question whether those rules are

meaningful or not

8. I like to be around people who are…A) Smart, stable and solid

R) Clever, stimulating, and change frequently

9. In my office or home, things are…R) Here and there in various pilesA) Laid out neatly or at least in a reasonable

order

10. I usually feel the way people have done things in the past…

A) Must have some merit and comes from accumulated wisdom

R) Can always be improved upon

Scoring I

Count the number of A’s and R’s

If R is higher, you are “Type R” If A is higher, you are “Type A”

Write this down

Subtract R from A Write down the absolute value

Style Assessment

Type R with dif. 8-10 : Strong RType R with dif. 5-7 : Mid-Level RType R with dif. 2-4 : Moderate RDifference of 1 or less : MID R/AType A with dif. 2-4 : Moderate AType A with dif. 5-7 : Mid-Level AType A with dif. 8-10 : Strong A

Personal Style Part 2

Please take out a piece of lined

paper to make a list

EXERCISE

Spend ten (10) minutes making a list as long as you can of uses for yellow wooden pencils.

Minutes Remaining…

Let’s Share Them…

Styles Unveiled

Radical Innovators

less disciplined

manipulate problems

work in short bursts

take control

challenge rules

seek radical change

Adaptive Innovators

prefer precision

resolve problems

work steadily

act as authority

work within rules

seek implementation.

What are the implications of these differences?

Differences in Process Communication Style Creative Approach Level of “Innovation” Solution Practicality

Paper Clip Innovation

Paper Clip: Type RI

Gem Clip Machine ca. 1899

Paper Clip Type: AI

Adaptive Innovations

How would you assess…

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Edison Ben Franklin

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