This is a terrific piece. Section 2, is especially valuable in correcting a common misunderstanding about engineering — common within and and outside of the profession — that engineers deal with *things* — systems, designs, problems__not with *persons*. Clearly engineers and other technical personnel are not expected to be social workers, but if they don’t have a keen interest in and ability to handle the personal and interpersonal aspects of work, then they had better work for someone who is great at this stuff and can direct him or her closely.
A chef who makes beautiful food, nutritious and otherwise superb who does not keep in mind the eventual eater, will fail — he or she will throw bacon (what could be better?) in the pink sauce headed for the vegan table, or will not wash his hands early and often and will sicken dozens of diners. The ultimate end must be kept in mind with every engineering (or most other) work issues, or why bother? and this ultimate end is virtually always a question of personal (or group)need or preference, personal satisfaction, relief of personal discomfort, or other human end. And the process of defining that end goal, and the process of reaching it, are almost always social or interpersonal in essence.
I suspect this should not need saying, but the memo that got his dood fired implies that it does indeed need repetition. Zuner’s article here is a gret contribution to that conversation.
