This discussion is locked.

You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

Calvin Asks: Do you ever feel like you're out of your depth?

I currently work for a medium sized M&E contractor involved in large commercial and residential projects.

Having worked there for several years and despite considering myself to be a competent and knowledgeable engineer, I can’t help shake the feeling that I am out of my depth.

Whilst I understand a great deal across many different areas, there is still so much technically I am unsure of. Jack of all trades, master of none springs to mind.

My main concern is that this gap in knowledge will inevitably cause a serious issue somewhere down the line and put someone’s life, or a building at risk (for instance incorrectly sizing life-safety systems).

I suspect it is just a case of grinding it out and eventually things will start clicking into place. I am always expanding my knowledge both in and out of work so feel I will get there soon enough.

Does anyone else get this feeling?

Despite the stresses I enjoy building services engineering so don’t want to call it a day just yet.

Stressed out in Salford

Need advice but too shy to ask? Have a question of a ‘sensitive’ nature and would prefer to remain anonymous? Need to get something off your chest but worried about the boss (or your colleagues) finding out? Then ‘Ask Calvin’ !

Submit your questions confidentially to AskCalvin@theiet.org and Calvin will ask the community on your behalf to give you the anonymity you want to find the advice you need.

Parents

0 Roy Bowdler over 4 years ago

Nearly twenty years ago I was introduced to concept called “Career Path Appreciation” based on the work of Elliott Jaques. It was being sold to me as a consultancy intervention to aid succession planning and management development. I liked the basic concept, which a colleague from another company had used, so I worked up a proposal and pitched it to my Board of Directors as an option. They didn’t buy it, but they strongly supported my proposed “Degree Apprenticeship” for Engineers and Quantity Surveyors , which was much more important (as a major M&E Contractor).

I had been aware of Jaques from academic studies, but hadn’t picket up on the linked work of Gillian Stamp and the concept of “flow” which addresses your issue. This article explains it well http://bioss.com/gillian-stamp/the-individual-the-organisation-and-the-path-to-mutual-appreciation/ . If you are short of time skip down to the diagrams. There is an element of a sales pitch for the method, but the concept is easy to grasp.

Anyone who has grown very far has found themselves “out of their depth” or “stretched” at times. If this doesn’t harm yourself through excessive stress or an accident, or others through your degree of incompetence, then just try hard to catch up and then push a bit more. Many people find themselves satisfied either with the level they have achieved or like their work-life balance and prioritise other issues like family or hobby interests.

Obviously many engineers carry a heavy burden of responsibility for safety critical issues, where risk cannot be eliminated only managed. In these circumstances, the question becomes the exercise of due diligence often by researching (which includes talking to people) and trying to distil sometimes conflicting information into the basis for a course of action. Everyone who has ever done something like this will tell you that with the benefit of hindsight, how they missed something and perhaps didn’t make the most optimal choice. Where working “out of your depth” becomes a serious problem is when the important attribute of self-confidence, “brass neck”, chutzpah or whatever you want to call it, blinds you to your own weaknesses, or your belief in the infallibility of others leads you to ignore theirs , a collective version of this being “group think”.

Sorry to seem a bit academic this afternoon?, but if that issue interests you then this may be of interest https://www.jstor.org/stable/30162615?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents . Dean Tsovold’s original 1991 book influenced my MSc research. We love the mythology of great or evil leaders (a form of celebrity culture) it makes good headlines. Arguably some of the best encourage conflicting ideas, but don’t allow those different ideas to dominate, or degenerate into competing politics. Senior management in particular is always a form of politics.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel

Reply

0 Roy Bowdler over 4 years ago

Nearly twenty years ago I was introduced to concept called “Career Path Appreciation” based on the work of Elliott Jaques. It was being sold to me as a consultancy intervention to aid succession planning and management development. I liked the basic concept, which a colleague from another company had used, so I worked up a proposal and pitched it to my Board of Directors as an option. They didn’t buy it, but they strongly supported my proposed “Degree Apprenticeship” for Engineers and Quantity Surveyors , which was much more important (as a major M&E Contractor).

I had been aware of Jaques from academic studies, but hadn’t picket up on the linked work of Gillian Stamp and the concept of “flow” which addresses your issue. This article explains it well http://bioss.com/gillian-stamp/the-individual-the-organisation-and-the-path-to-mutual-appreciation/ . If you are short of time skip down to the diagrams. There is an element of a sales pitch for the method, but the concept is easy to grasp.

Anyone who has grown very far has found themselves “out of their depth” or “stretched” at times. If this doesn’t harm yourself through excessive stress or an accident, or others through your degree of incompetence, then just try hard to catch up and then push a bit more. Many people find themselves satisfied either with the level they have achieved or like their work-life balance and prioritise other issues like family or hobby interests.

Obviously many engineers carry a heavy burden of responsibility for safety critical issues, where risk cannot be eliminated only managed. In these circumstances, the question becomes the exercise of due diligence often by researching (which includes talking to people) and trying to distil sometimes conflicting information into the basis for a course of action. Everyone who has ever done something like this will tell you that with the benefit of hindsight, how they missed something and perhaps didn’t make the most optimal choice. Where working “out of your depth” becomes a serious problem is when the important attribute of self-confidence, “brass neck”, chutzpah or whatever you want to call it, blinds you to your own weaknesses, or your belief in the infallibility of others leads you to ignore theirs , a collective version of this being “group think”.

Sorry to seem a bit academic this afternoon?, but if that issue interests you then this may be of interest https://www.jstor.org/stable/30162615?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents . Dean Tsovold’s original 1991 book influenced my MSc research. We love the mythology of great or evil leaders (a form of celebrity culture) it makes good headlines. Arguably some of the best encourage conflicting ideas, but don’t allow those different ideas to dominate, or degenerate into competing politics. Senior management in particular is always a form of politics.
Cancel
Vote Up 0 Vote Down

Cancel

Children

No Data

Calvin Asks: Do you ever feel like you're out of your depth?

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Community Rules & Guidelines