In electrical engineering, different outcome scenarios are often told as stories to motivate and even persuade team members who are working on a project together. Often one engineer foresees a problem that no one else does, yet no one else is willing to adapt because they can't validate the issue. By personalizing the issue as a story, either by email, in a conference, or even over water-cooler-talk, team members can gain more perspective and avoid future problems. Engineers tend to be skeptical, so plausibility and length are huge factors. If a story is too long, too absurd, or too abstract, it loses credibility.
The recent Volkswagen scandal is a perfect example. Upper level management assigned a team of embedded systems electrical engineers to rig environmental tests to improve ratings. This unethical project naturally pricked the conscious of several engineers, and many of them tried to escape.
Example Story
Let's remind ourselves of another scandal:Richard Nixon and his administration assigned several people to thwart their opponents. They bugged offices, infiltrated meetings, harassed opponents, and misused government resources. While Nixon himself escaped through resignation, several of those directly involved who were simply "doing their job" were arrested and lost everything.
Analysis
The watergate scandal is a well known cause/effect story that triggers a strong emotional response. Everyone knows that it was ethically wrong. By comparing the Volkswagen project to the watergate scandal, engineers can help their colleagues realize the danger of their predicament.
Retelling the Story
John will write an email to his colleagues, drawing connections with the watergate scandal in hopes that they will rise with him against their leaders.
"I lost everything".
"I was only doing what I was told".
"They threatened my career and family".
"I wish I had acted before".
Many everyday government workers found themselves suffering the consequences for their loyalty. Fathers disappointed their kids. Wives felt betrayed by their husbands. Had these men exercised courage by standing up to Nixon and his administration, watergate would have never happened, and many families would still be intact.
However Nixon and his administration deceived his followers into justifying crime. They used job status and pay to motivate them into doing things they otherwise never would do. They proved more loyal to their superiors than to their own moral values and families. Worst of all, for them, there is no going back.
Instead of focusing on the actual sequence of events, I emphasized the consequences of the original story. I changed the order so that the government workers were the subject, and not Nixon. By doing so, John's colleagues become the intended audience and can now resonate more with the story.
It's interesting how you related the Watergate Scandal to Electrical Engineering. At first I didn't understand the connection, but then I reread it and realized that this is so true. Stories and communication are vital to every field in order to make sure that things are done correctly and ethically. As in your example, telling a story can warn people of the potential consequences that they could face for being unethical.
ReplyDeleteI like how your second story was a lot easier to connect with than the first. By making the workers the subject it made the story seem a lot more close to home.
ReplyDeleteI like how you tied the Volkswagen scandal with Watergate. It really helps underscore how dependent your field is on persuasion. It shows how one engineer must show others where the problem is even if they can't see it, just like how Nixon persuaded others to do the dirty work for him, even if their sense of right and wrong blocks them from doing so. It's an interesting way of looking at it.
ReplyDeleteI loved the connection you made between Watergate and Volkswagen. What I thought was even more interesting was the link between electrical engineering and scandals in general. Perhaps you could elaborate on this point for your project. Data doesn´t lie, but people do.
ReplyDelete