Interpersonal Communication Skills in the Engineering Field - Coursework Example

Interpersonal communication skills in engineering field Name Institution Instructor Date Contents Summary 2 1.0Introduction 3 2.0 Explanation 3 2.1 Listening 3 2.2 Feedback 4 2.3 Questioning 4 3.0 Critical examination of the benefits of these in relation to the field of engineering 4 4.0 Potential challenges to incorporating these skills within the field of engineering 6 5.0 Conclusion 7 6.0 Recommendations 8 References List 9 Summary This report contains information regarding the incorporation of interpersonal communication skills in engineering field. It is mainly concerned with three aspects of communication skills, which are listening, feedback and questioning in detail. This report begins by giving an overview of the importance and the relationship that exists between communication and the engineering field. It then offers a detailed explanation of the three aspects of communication considered while presenting a critical examination of their benefits. The report goes on to identify the potential challenges associated with the incorporation of these skills in the engineering field. Finally, it concludes by providing recommendations from the entire analysis. 1.0 Introduction The incorporation of interpersonal communication skills in the field of engineering is a crucial requirement for engineering development. The interpersonal communication involves the understanding and use of skills in listening, questioning and feedback. Listening skill entails possession of the art of attentive hearing. Research indicates that humans spend 45 % of their time on listening (Bolton et al., 2015). Further, studies have shown that humans listen more than they speak. The appropriate use of listening skill is critical in mastering the tools in communicative skills used in various fields including engineering (Whitcomb, 2012). If one is able to control his or her listening skills effectively, then he or she can be in a better position to acquire a variety of other skills including feedback and questioning. 2.0 Explanation 2.1 Listening Listening skill is an important requirement for successful performance at workplace in any field or specialization. Good skills in listening are mandatory in most professions since they are interrelated with other effective requirements. In the field of engineering, just like in other fields, listening skills entail a distinguished collection of etiquettes, seeking for explanation, demonstrating empathy and presenting a suitability of response. The concept of listening skills is largely concerned with the ability to understand coupled with effectiveness in interpreting body language, good gestures and maintaining a good eye contact with the speaker (Poe, Lerner and Craig, 2010; Ann, 2015). 2.2 Feedback The skill of feedback in the field of engineering entails a system that facilitates the retuning of the output to the input. This may take place in a process, system or a machine. The changes produced through feedback are used in the improvement of the performance of a process, system or a machine. This skill involves the ability to understand the theoretical and practical aspects of the reverse effects of a system (Crawle, 2014). 2.3 Questioning The skill in questioning as applicable in the field of engineering entails the techniques and approaches employed in the evocation of particular responses. Further, it involves investigative operations into some problem or situation to ascertain the state of a system or a process and gather useful information. This skill is a necessity in the field of professional engineering especially with regard to consultancy services (Stark and Lattuca, 2013; Whitcomb, 2012). 3.0 Critical examination of the benefits of these in relation to the field of engineering The skills of listening, feedback and questioning have various benefits in the broad field of engineering. This is because they form an essential part of the trainings undertaken in the engineering field as well as in the provision of engineering professional services (Bolton et al., 2015). The incorporation of these interpersonal communications into engineering field plays an important role in facilitating engineering education as well as preparation of engineering students in facing future careers. Listening skills in communication within the engineering profession enhances the competence of the professionals in handling their duties and responsibilities. Listening skills are very critical in the work field for an engineering professional. As such, its significance extends across other professional linked to the field of engineering (Whitcomb, 2012; Crawle, 2014; Ann, 2015). Work-based operations offer a direct context to the training of an engineer. The integration of such skills in the engineering work environment assists the engineering trainees and professional engineers to work on their assignments and tasks in a manner that demonstrates competence. Crawle (2014) indicates that listening, feedback and questioning skills are important pillars when it comes to the incorporation of communication in the engineering specialization. This is because such skills involve more active participation than passive participation. The other benefits associated with the incorporation of these skills among other interpersonal communication skills in the field of engineering include the enhancement problem-solving as well as critical thinking skills (Stark and Lattuca, 2013; Whitcomb, 2012). These are achieved especially through active participation in questioning and feedback concepts of engineering communication. It is using such skills in the field of engineering that the participants are in better position to confront certain personal misconceptions through accurate and appropriate identification (Poe, Lerner and Craig, 2010; Ann, 2015). The typical scientists including engineers sometimes overlook accurate and clear communication. This is because they spend most of their time learning complex scientific principles, theorems, mathematics and techniques of analysis. The three skills highlighted in this section with regard to interpersonal communication in engineering field are also beneficial in the sense that they contribute to the active involvement of the trainee engineers (Ann, 2015). Where interpersonal communication skills are integrated into the systems of performance in the engineering field with regard to training and professional activities, these skills facilitate the stimulation of purposeful and effective training (Patil, Eijkman and Bhattacharyya, 2012; Crawle, 2014). 4.0 Potential challenges to incorporating these skills within the field of engineering There are challenges facing this aspect of communication in as far as the incorporation of interpersonal communication into the field of engineering is concerned. These include distortions in verbal messages, which may lead to failure in the communication process. Some of the potential challenges associated with these communication skills also involve difficulties in oral communication, which have an adverse effect on the listening skills (Whitcomb, 2012). Engineering professionals face various communication challenges while making presentations in engineering projects. Incorporating interpersonal communication skills in the field of engineering faces the potential challenges of lack of proper structures during presentation of engineering reports (Stark and Lattuca, 2013; Whitcomb, 2012). Poor and ineffective interpersonal communication could result in time wastage, inefficiency and misinterpretation thus presenting adverse effects to the overall performance of the professionals in an engineering discipline. Other potential challenges are those concerning miscommunication, which has the potential to result in mistrust, unproductive and unprofessional performance. All these are indicators of potential failure associated with incorporating interpersonal communication skills in the engineering profession. Bolton et al. (2015) have shown that some potential challenges that could be associated with this incorporation include lack of an appropriate environment for engineering learning and communication as well as lack of an appropriate structures and systems in the place that could be used in offering the required engineering training. The presentation of various subjects in the engineering discipline clearly demonstrates the benefits of learning, understanding and using interpersonal communication skills in this discipline (Crawle, 2014; Bolton et al., 2015). These benefits indicate the relevance of utilisation of the techniques learnt in communication skills as a subject and its relationship with engineering subjects. Failure of systems and facilities used in service delivery and operation in various engineering disciplines has the potential to bring about challenges when it comes to incorporating interpersonal communication skills. Patil, Eijkman and Bhattacharyya (2012) explain that this is because these engineering systems and facilities play an important role in assisting the execution of the skills in communication such as listening and feedback aspects of communication. Inadequate or lack of training could also contribute to potential challenges in the incorporation of listening, feedback and questioning skills into the field of engineering. Training is ideally expected to enhance such interpersonal communication skills and make them applicable in specific disciplines in the engineering field (Patil, Eijkman and Bhattacharyya, 2012; Crawle, 2014). 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that communication skills in the field of engineering are essential for any meaningful operation or service delivery. It is thus important to identify the manner in which communication skills could be integrated into the engineering curriculum and engineering subjects. In addition, there should be identification of the courses and subjects where such integration is easy to make. There should also be allocation of discerning components to interpersonal communication skills in the field of engineering such as reports and presentations among others. It is also important for there to be collaboration with other specialities whose operations and services are related to engineering in incorporating communication skills (Crawle, 2014; Ann, 2015). 6.0 Recommendations As part of the recommendations from this analysis, it is important for those involved in the engineering discipline in one way or another to make the incorporation of engineering skills as one of their priorities. This is because it is crucial to their success in many areas. Listening, questioning and feedback skills within the engineering discipline are daily activities (Crawle, 2014). However, several professional engineers underestimate the significance of these skills. Engineers have the tendency to make technical skills as their priority over communication skills but they fail to realize that their operations and services cannot be fully effective without the incorporation of these skills. It is recommended that further research be carried out in the area of incorporating and integrating more aspects of communications skills in the engineering field (Crawle, 2014; Bolton et al., 2015). References List Ann Vrchota, D 2015, 'A View of Oral Communication Activities in Food Science From the Perspective of a Communication Researcher', Journal Of Food Science Education, 14, 2, pp. 36-47, Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 April 2015. Bolton, S, Duncan, D, Fuhrman, N, & Flanders, F 2015, 'Self-Perceived Career and Interpersonal Skills Gained from Participation on a Collegiate Livestock Judging Team', Journal Of Leadership Education, 14, 1, pp. 160-173, Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 April 2015. CrawleY, E. F. (2014). Rethinking engineering education: the CDIO approach. Farn-Shing, C, Yi-Chia, C, & Mu-Chu, C 2012, 'Study on Required Verbal and Communication Capabilities for Electrical Engineering Technology Students in Higher TVE System in Taiwan', International Journal Of Learning, 18, 7, pp. 419-432, Education Research Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 April 2015. Patil, A. S., Eijkman, H., & Bhattacharyya, E. (2012). New media communication skills for engineers and IT professionals: trans-national and trans-cultural demands. Hershey, PA, Information Science Reference. Poe, M., Lerner, N., & Craig, J. (2010). Learning to communicate in science and engineering: case studies from MIT. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press. Stark, J. S., & Lattuca, L. R. (2013). Shaping the college curriculum academic plans in context. San Francisco, Calif, Jossey-Bass. Whitcomb, C. (2012). Effective Interpersonal and Team Communication Skills for Engineers. New York, Wiley. Read More

2.3 Questioning The skill in questioning as applicable in the field of engineering entails the techniques and approaches employed in the evocation of particular responses. Further, it involves investigative operations into some problem or situation to ascertain the state of a system or a process and gather useful information. This skill is a necessity in the field of professional engineering especially with regard to consultancy services (Stark and Lattuca, 2013; Whitcomb, 2012). 3.0 Critical examination of the benefits of these in relation to the field of engineering The skills of listening, feedback and questioning have various benefits in the broad field of engineering.

This is because they form an essential part of the trainings undertaken in the engineering field as well as in the provision of engineering professional services (Bolton et al., 2015). The incorporation of these interpersonal communications into engineering field plays an important role in facilitating engineering education as well as preparation of engineering students in facing future careers. Listening skills in communication within the engineering profession enhances the competence of the professionals in handling their duties and responsibilities.

Listening skills are very critical in the work field for an engineering professional. As such, its significance extends across other professional linked to the field of engineering (Whitcomb, 2012; Crawle, 2014; Ann, 2015). Work-based operations offer a direct context to the training of an engineer. The integration of such skills in the engineering work environment assists the engineering trainees and professional engineers to work on their assignments and tasks in a manner that demonstrates competence.

Crawle (2014) indicates that listening, feedback and questioning skills are important pillars when it comes to the incorporation of communication in the engineering specialization. This is because such skills involve more active participation than passive participation. The other benefits associated with the incorporation of these skills among other interpersonal communication skills in the field of engineering include the enhancement problem-solving as well as critical thinking skills (Stark and Lattuca, 2013; Whitcomb, 2012).

These are achieved especially through active participation in questioning and feedback concepts of engineering communication. It is using such skills in the field of engineering that the participants are in better position to confront certain personal misconceptions through accurate and appropriate identification (Poe, Lerner and Craig, 2010; Ann, 2015). The typical scientists including engineers sometimes overlook accurate and clear communication. This is because they spend most of their time learning complex scientific principles, theorems, mathematics and techniques of analysis.

The three skills highlighted in this section with regard to interpersonal communication in engineering field are also beneficial in the sense that they contribute to the active involvement of the trainee engineers (Ann, 2015). Where interpersonal communication skills are integrated into the systems of performance in the engineering field with regard to training and professional activities, these skills facilitate the stimulation of purposeful and effective training (Patil, Eijkman and Bhattacharyya, 2012; Crawle, 2014). 4.0 Potential challenges to incorporating these skills within the field of engineering There are challenges facing this aspect of communication in as far as the incorporation of interpersonal communication into the field of engineering is concerned.

These include distortions in verbal messages, which may lead to failure in the communication process. Some of the potential challenges associated with these communication skills also involve difficulties in oral communication, which have an adverse effect on the listening skills (Whitcomb, 2012). Engineering professionals face various communication challenges while making presentations in engineering projects.

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