Friday, February 01, 2013

Why I Want My Son To Be An Engineer

I enjoy my career. I find it challenging, though-provoking, fun and interesting. For the most part, I love the people I work with. Like-minded, smart, witty people. But there is always the exception. In my line of work, there's a lot of ambiguity. You see, I work in Communications and to do business, people need to communicate.

Unfortunately, some people think that Communications and communicating are synonymous. Need a note-taker and you have someone from Communications in the meeting ... naturally, it should be them. For the most part, people get it. They understand that Communications isn't about note-taking, writing memos, etc. It's about driving change, engaging employees, making a difference, telling stories in a compelling way, ensuring employees understand how they play a role in driving company strategy and making people feel connected. And in today's environment, most importantly, it's about engaging and enabling others to communicate and provide context. But frankly ... a lot is left up for interpretation and I spend way too much time clarifying roles and responsibilities.

So, I'm glad that K has an affinity toward science and engineering. Nice straight-forward problem-solving, mathematical equations and experimentation. I want him to have a career where he doesn't have to deal with the politics and ridiculousness I deal with on a daily basis. It's too soon to tell what is in O's future. If I went based on what I see today, he's going to be an entertainer ... or a stand-up comic. Fortunately, he's only three so things could change!

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