IEEE-USA E-BOOKS

STAYING
SHARP

VOLUME 2
TIPS FOR STAYING SHARP
OUTSIDE YOUR COMPANY

BY HARRY T. ROMAN
PANTONE SOLID COATED:
RED 185C - BLUE 286C
Copyright 2015 by IEEE-USA and by Harry T. Roman
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Work in Your City or Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Be a Docent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Turn On Your Literary Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Get Involved with IEEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Keep a Living Resum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Do Some College Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Read, Read, Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Be a Ham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Write a Blog/Start a Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Stay Sharp about Your Career . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Leaders and Farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Conquering Change:
Cross-Discipline and the Need for a Fold-Out Business Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Getting To Know Your Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 1

Introduction

A
t this time of rapid change and shifting corporate strategies, complacency can easily
threaten an engineering career. Global competitiveness is unforgiving; and if not sharpened
regularly, an engineers skills can obsolesce quickly. A robust engineering career is all about
continuing education.
Two books comprise this series:
Volume 1: Tips for Staying Sharp Inside your Company; and,
Volume 2: Tips for Staying Sharp Outside your Company.
You are now reading Volume 2; and Volume 1 is already available. Both of these volumes, and the
items within them, contain many crossover opportunities. Keep an eye out for them. It would be
valuable to have both volumes, so you can refer back and forth. I am where I am today through the
decades of mentoring, and advice received from my IEEE big brothers and sisters. Never forget
that during your sharpening process, the soft skills are just as important as the hard skillsand
that includes the people you lead and manage.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 2

Work in Your City or Town

M
ayors, city councils, superintendents and municipal boards are always looking to appoint
residents to leadership positions on committees and special working groups. You would be
astounded at how much your business experience is valued, appreciated and applicable.
As an engineer, I worked for the local electric utility company, and the mayor of my city asked
me to consider an appointment to the water commissiona three-member commission that
oversaw a 10 million gallon-per-day water system; serving 75,000 residents and businesses; with
a pumping station, well field, storage and transmission, and a distribution network. What a learning
opportunity! My utility experience turned out to be very valuable.
I served for eight years, eventually becoming president of the commission, and leading the 70
employees working for the commission. And it wasnt a one-way street, either. I learned so many
new skills that I was able to bring back to my utility jobespecially managing unusual operating
situations, such as broken transmission and distribution piping, pumping station failures, well-pump
outages, and possible contamination from contaminants spilled or dumped on watershed property.
People in my company also took notice that I was managing and leading large numbers of profes-
sional and technical staff in my city. This municipal position helped corporate leaders understand
my potential as a future leader in my company. And this kind of experience can work for you, too.
Here is a quick list of different boards in your community, where you could make a difference:
Board of Education
Police Commission
Fire Commission
Shade Tree Commission
Historical Society/Commission
Parking Commission
Health and Safety
Recreation and Summer Programs
Other different appointed positions may also exist in your townlearning opportunities and ways
to boost your careerto help you grow professionally. Sure, it takes time out of your already busy
schedule; but you can bet your neighbors and friends in town will appreciate your help. Hosting a
public meeting, or convening one to discuss a special issue, can be very interestingespecially
when you are now trying to help people understand issues that may not only affect their pocket-
books, but also their health and safety. It is what community is all aboutstepping up and taking
responsibility.
There is another fun benefit, too. When I attend a public meeting and officials are there, they
always give a shout-out to former office/board holders in the town. I get tickled when a speaker
says, The Chair recognizes Commissioner Roman here in the audience, and thanks him for his

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 3

past work in town. Yes, serving your city or town can get political at times, but it does on the job,
too. Serving your community is an excellent way to keep you sharp. It will hone your skills as a fine
problem-solver. The networking opportunities are outstanding as well.
My good friend Wayne was a councilman, and then mayor of his town. And he always talks about
the fun times he had, and the incredible citizens he met during his time in office. Serving on the city
or town council is a great way to improve your social abilities, right there in your home town. Give
this opportunity some serious thought.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 4

Be a Docent

T
here is nothing to keep you sharp like giving regular lectures and tours to groups of folks. I
lecture and conduct tours a great deal now at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park
in West Orange N.J.the home of the legendary Edison West Orange Labsas well as
Thomas Edisons home and garage. He was my boyhood hero; and working here as a volunteer/
docent gives me great pleasure, as well as keeps me abreast of current research on the great
inventor. The Labs are part of the National Park Service Park Network.
You can volunteer your knowledge, motivation and corporate skills at many places, where they
would be delighted to have you on staff. In addition to the national parks, you can volunteer at:
Libraries
Museums
Theaters
Environmental Centers
Outdoor Tour Guide Attractions
Historic Homes
and many other places. All you have to do is inquire; and I am sure they will happily teach you the
basics. After you get some experience, you can develop your own programs. Lots of interesting
folks visit these places, giving you the opportunity to meet and chat with them, probably learning
all sorts of new and exciting things.
Speaking in public is a powerful tool for you to master. Lecturing outside of your company is an
excellent way to gain experience, without being embarrassed in front of the colleagues you work
with every day. Think about some interesting places in your community where you might want to
volunteer. Step up to the plate, and see if they need some help. Many organizations also recognize
their volunteers, and thank them for their services.
People you meet while lecturing will invariably strike up conversations afterward, discussions that
could turn out to be excellent networking opportunities for you later on.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 5

Turn On Your Literary Side

E
ngineers are not always known for their writing abilitya cross the profession bearsbut
doing something that involves writing for a hobby might be a superb way to become a better
writer. You can build better writing skills in a number of ways, such as:
Writing a blog for a website, or creating your own site
Joining a writers group, and composing poetry and prose
Writing a screenplay
Submitting your writing for publication in small press/regional forums
Writing some articles for your local newspaper
Doing a column in a professional organizations monthly newsletter to members
Writing humoran especially challenging writing forum
Here is a fun challengewrite for a childrens magazine. Its a lot tougher than you think, but incred-
ibly rewarding. Highlights for Children magazine, nationally known, with a circulation over five million,
is a great market to try. Its editors are always looking for new writers on a variety of topics. Write an
unusual article that makes kids think. Wow an editor with a special slant on an old topic. Explore the
childrens magazines out there. Many of them also pay nicely for your work.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 6

Get Involved with IEEE

Y
ou can learn a lot by getting involved in IEEE, (and other professional societies to which you
belong). Any society is only as good as the commitment of its members. Look at the wealth
of educational materials and activities that IEEE has to offer its worldwide members, and you
will conclude your organization is very much alive and vibrant. And by getting involved, you can
add even more good stuff to your professional experience/resum.
Here are some ways to participate based on my own experience, and what I did. You can become
involved in many different ways, including:
Supporting your local Section; and participating in its meetings, activities and awards celebra-
tions. All the folks you meet in your Section are potential additions to your network. You can call
on them for advice, assistance and professional consultation. Consider serving in a higher-level
volunteer office at the Section level, and perhaps moving up to regional/national representation.
Join one or more of the many IEEE Societies. Get involved in those Societies and their activi-
ties. You can use the Society to develop both your career and your knowledge.
Join or ask to be included in committees at the local, regional, or national levels, in areas
where you have an interest. I have been involved in:
Drafting white papers on timely technical issues
Leading a photovoltaics working group
Chairing annual Power Engineering Society meetings every year in New York City
Reviewing technical papers for publication/presentation
Sponsoring special programs for Section members
Giving presentations at Section meetings, or for other IEEE groups
For a number of years, I chaired the development of IEEE educational products for all IEEE
members worldwidechairing a working group that recommended and produced new books,
and electronic media. I worked my way up from a worker bee to committee chair. This work
resulted in publishing the very popular, Engineers Guides to Business book series (and it didnt
hurt to receive an IEEE meritorious achievement award for my efforts).
Write articles for a variety of IEEE forumswhere you can take on technical issues, provide
guidance to other members, and express your opinions on matters important to our profession.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 7

Keep a Living Resum

I
talk about this topic in another IEEE-USA E-Book Series: The Living Resum (available at http://
shop.ieeeusa.org/list/-/content-list/topic/73253), where I urge readers to constantly pay attention
to their resum, and any accomplishments they have achieved. In these books, I discuss how
keeping such a resum helped me fight back against a sudden and widespread downsizing at my
company, when our group was targeted for a 50% reduction in size. I was able to be successful in
re-interviewing for my old job, because I had carefully kept a large cache of detailed information
about the projects I worked on, and their value to the corporation.
In our sometimes chaotic workplace, the only one who is going to care about your personal growth
is you. It is your biggest investment and represents real wealth to you. The more vibrant and sharp
you keep your skills, the greater the probability you will remain employed. To stay sharp, you need
to pay regular attention to your accomplishments, and document them in the form of success
stories you can divulge, as needed, to demonstrate your value.
In my Living Resum e-book series, I tell readers that your sharpness or value also includes
things you are involved in off-the-job, which can make you very attractive to recruiters outside
your company and industry. You must be prepared, in case your company offers you a severance
package in the future. For me, I still keep a compendium of my greatest works, in case I ever need
it; and I am already retired eight years. I still do consulting work, and hold some part-time posi-
tions, but I always sell myself.
Keeping a Living Resum fresh has another benefit, too. It will tell you when you may have accu-
mulated enough accomplishments in an area to make you think about a job change, or a shift in
position at your company. My Living Resum told me eight years ago to retire early; work with the
schools; and do some writing and publishing in the education field. Keep a Living Resum, and
update it often. Document your professional life. It will pay off big time, and it will keep you sharp.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 8

Do Some College Teaching

S
ometimes opportunities come out of the blue, like the time a professor friend, from my alma
mater (NJIT), called one early spring eveningto ask if I wanted to teach a graduate-level
course in R&D project management for the fall semester. His reasoning was that I do this
stuff all day long; and they need someone to present real-world aspects of this important business
function. The sugar on top was, I would have complete control of course content. Like a shark, I bit
down on this opportunity. During the summer, I prepared the courseand come the fall semester, I
was off and running.
I had a blast teaching the course for about nine years, becoming very sharp in matters concerning
the R&D world. This ongoing experience made me very effective at work. I became someone who
could now see the subject matters depth and perspective. I went from someone who knew how
to do R&D, to someone who could speak expansively about its value and importance to global
competition.
The moral of the story is: Think about teaching what you know, and take it to the next level. Your
students will demand you answer their questions; and students get to rank their professors. [I am
proud to say I consistently scored about 3.8 out of a possible 4.0; and I still hear from some of my
students.]
Teaching is a powerful way to put an edge on your technological blade; it gets you noticed at the
college, and in your own company. It also improves your speaking, presentation and organizational
skills. Such an endeavor is very worthwhile, as well as enjoyable. I still teach in retirement, working
with graduate student teachers on matters concerning STEM, invention and creativity.
Dont underestimate the value of your work knowledge. You can certainly establish teaching and
consulting careers by virtue of your experience. I have many engineering friends who have become
teachers, because they know how to use math and science in real applications. And today, they
are valued teachers, in both middle and high schools.
Another interesting benefit of teaching graduate school is meeting so many foreign students;
seeing how they approach continuing education; and observing how they interact with you as their
teacher. Someday, your work travels may bring you overseasexposure to different cultures in
your classroom is beneficial experience for you.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 9

Read, Read, Read

R
ead widely from literature, if you want to stay sharp. It is no big mystery that good readers
become good writers, and anytime engineers can improve their writing skills, their value in
the business world increases.
I recommend making reading fun and varied. I have always liked science fiction, mostly the tradi-
tional, hard science fiction from the genre masters of the 1930s through the 1960s. Science fiction
is an intriguing literary form, showing how technological change rumbles through time and soci-
etiesalmost like the what if scenarios I spoke of earlier. It makes you think about impacts, and
gives you a look at how technology can change economies and cultures. Much of the technology
we use today was not so different from magic, 25 years ago.
Study the timelines of technological development, and you will be amazed at how much has
changed in your own lifetime. Study World War II, sometimes referred to as the Gizmo War, and
see what derived from that seven-year conflict. It is amazing to see how much that war affected
the second half of the 20th century. The American Civil War had similar impacts, especially on
industrialization.Thriller novels, spy adventures and detective mysteries also make you think about
how things can change quickly, by a simple series of eventsagain, reinforcing those what if
scenarios.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 10

Be a Ham

I
kid you not, theater is a marvelous way to keep yourself sharpto help you prepare and prac-
tice at being at ease in front of people.
I know a bunch of engineers and scientists who enjoy being involved in Gilbert & Sullivan
productionsnot only acting, but also playing instruments, in support of the productions. What a
great sense of humor these people have. And let me clue you in about humor. Its a most effective
way to spawn creativity and unusual perspectives on different topics.
Try your hand at staging a play, or storyboarding a show. Start small, and work your way up to
more complex productions. I have friends who do their own productions in off-Broadway theaters,
and have become well-respected, second tier playwrights. Some even handle the backstage oper-
ations, such as lighting and special effects.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 11

Write a Blog/Start a Website

A
n interesting way to keep sharp is to devote time to a blog or website about a topic of
interest, a place where you can express your thoughts and keep track of activities in your
chosen topic. Many friends follow technical areas, while others write in nontechnical areas
whatever you might prefer, but these activities can keep you sharp by:
Improving your written skills
Forcing you to maintain and expand your knowledge in your chosen topic
Opening up your contact network
Taking what might be a hobby, and creating something elsemaybe a future new career move
Improving your knowledge and application of the Internethelping you to find information faster
Showing you how to link your blog/website with others, and greatly expand your knowledge
and impact
Making you into a kind of electronic mentor to readers visiting your blog and website
Opening up your creative and site layout skills, teaching you about personal marketing
With these kinds of activities, you can start small, gain confidence, and grow and evolve, as you
see fit. Be bold and innovative in presenting information and stimulating discussion. Since there
arent any hard and fast rules for governing your own personal blogs and websitesin this setting,
you are master of your own domain!
I have found great personal satisfaction in participating in these activities, and I have populated
several websites. If you have something interesting to say, people will want to be part of the discus-
sions and follow you. If your company agrees, you can also do a company-sponsored website;
here, you can learn a great deal about how customers view your products and services. Websites
can be more than mindless chatter and he said-she said pot boilers. You can learn a great deal
from topics that interest you, gaining unique insight, knowledge and perspective. Explore blogs
and websites as legitimate ways to keep yourself sharp.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 12

Stay Sharp about Your Career

B
etween my 25th and 29th years of employment, all sorts of crazy things started happening,
including a massive downsizing to our R&D groupin fact, my employer cut the positions
available in half, with everyone having to interview for jobs. I came through this high stress
re-interview activity all right, but it put me on a path to start planning for my life after retirement.
Frankly, I did not like the direction the industry was headed, and the significant changes I saw
coming for the R&D function. I needed an escape outlet. I wanted to leave the company; and just a
few years later, in my 36th year, I retired earlyand began the second-half of my life.
It pays to stay sharp about what you will be doing after you leave your current job, or after you
reach retirement age, if you want to continue working in some capacity. There is life after you
retire; early, or in a regular fashion, but it takes time and careful planning. I chronicle some very
good information regarding how to go about such planning, in my three-volume IEEE-USA E-Book
series, A Living Resum. The key premise is to keep a very detailed record of your accomplish-
ments and skills. As I began to think about what I might do after leaving my company, this cache of
detailed information held many secrets for me to scan and ponder.
It took me two years to noodle-out what I wanted to do in the second-half of life; spending many
evening hours analyzing where my strengths and interests intersected, and how I might make
use of it to produce a modest income to supplement my pension. I knew I wanted to work and be
productive, as long as I could. The game was afoot to find some possible paths to success.
I cannot emphasize enough that you must know what your skills and interest are, and where you
can put them to use. For some, life after retirement may be as simple as contacting some folks you
know in a related industry, and working out a part-time agreement for you to work at a particular
job. Others may wish to do something different, and spread their wings in a completely different
direction. I was clearly in the second category, as I felt my previous industry was losing interest for
me. This path change made my career-long cache of accomplishments very important.
Mining my personal data revealed that in addition to my engineering skills, I had strong prefer-
ences for activities that involved education, writing, consulting and teaching. Over the years, I
had done a great deal in these four preference areas; and I had also developed some interesting
and long-time contacts. My new outlook on life came to be in 2008, when I retired early to start a
consulting and writing business from home. I work for a large client as their educational advisor
and author, and also write and publish articles and books. I have also had another happy surprise.
Back in my youth, I used to develop games; and now Ive discovered I have quite a knack for
making math games. It probably stems from my college days, where I earned some extra bucks
tutoring high school students in algebra, geometry and trigonometry. My books and math card
games are sold all over the country, and I could not be happier.
The key is: I stayed sharp regarding my career, and I used the data from my accomplishments to show
me where my skills and preferences intersected. You need to make sure you document what you have
done, and spend time looking this information over to see the things that interested you, while you were
engaged in those accomplishments. I had done a great deal with the educational community, and
wrote and presented a large number of technical papers. Both activities sent me a powerful message.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 13

Engineers are not normally known for being writers and verbal communicators; but I had abundant
oral and written communication skillshence my path in retirement was becoming quite clear. I
spoke to a number of people before I retired, and I was able to step easily from my industry world
to my new position.
Many friends and colleagues have asked me how I retired early and made the transition. To answer
this question, I tell them what I have told you above; but with an added twist, which goes some-
thing like this: Suppose Numero Uno appears before you one morning and says, I have good
news and bad news for you today. The good news is you will live another 35-40 years. The bad
news is you cannot do what you have been doing any longer. So, what will you do with the extra
time I am giving you? It never fails to stop people cold in their tracks. We just dont think enough
about the possibility of such a major change to our lives. We tend to see such discontinuities as
disasters, rather than opportunities to grow in other directions. The world, my friends, has changed
radically, and everything is different. Understand your strengths and skills, and take some serious
time to look at your options. Ask others, especially your family, about where they could see you
fitting inand having some fun with a change in your life. As I write this, a close friend of mine is
getting ready to make the transition. Yes, he is a bit scared and uncertain, but he analyzed his life
data, and kept himself sharp about his approach to retirement. He is going to be fine. And so can
you, if you stay sharp.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 14

Appendices
I have included these three appendices. I hope they will add to your sharpening process. I derived
all three from past articles I have written for IEEE-USA. Enjoy!

Appendix A
[Published in IEEE-USA Todays Engineer Online, March 2003]

Leaders and Farmers

by Harry T. Roman

B
usiness leaders are a lot like farmers. Both are future-oriented, working and preparing their
soil, and strategizing plans for next years harvest. Leaders and farmers function effectively
in both the tactical and strategic worlds, and appreciate the value of investing knowledge
now for anticipated future gains. They know that human intelligence is fundamentally the most
important unit of productivity; and with proper guidance and mentoring, it is endlessly renewable.
Heres a way to consider the responsibilities of the leader, as seen through the eyes of a F-A-R-
M-E-R.
FERTILIZE your employee plants and their surrounding soil. Good seeds planted in bad soil
will not yield, but good seeds in good soil will bring forth their promise. Provide them with the nutri-
ents essential to growth and development. Do this regularly and take pleasure in watching your
employees grow and bloom.
ATTACH your employee garden to the larger corporate farm, making its acreage an integral part
of the larger harvest. Show its relevance to corporate missions and goals; place economic value
on its contributions; and show your employees how their work benefits the whole farm. Also, dont
forget to connect your employees to each other. Teach them to build synergies and symbiotic rela-
tionships that leverage their common interests, goals and resources.
REMIND everyone often about their crop growth targets; measure individual and team perfor-
mance; and provide timely feedback. Review progress in your garden regularly, and aerate the soil
as needed, keeping in mind that honest and frank discussion is as important as nutrients. Keep
communication channels open, make sure they are used, and urge employees to articulate their
work across and up the corporate pathways.
MANAGE your crops judiciously, always remembering that management and leadership are situ-
ational, and reflect the local existing conditions, and the level of employee maturity. You wouldnt
fertilize or prune a large plant in the same way you would a small one; just the same, you shouldnt
manage and lead different employees all in the same way. Learn to distinguish between situations
and individuals accurately, and then act (or dont), accordingly.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 15

ENCOURAGE employees to branch out and extend their roots, expecting them to grow as much
horizontally as vertically. Let their roots intermingle and gain perspective; and let them get nourish-
ment from different parts of the garden. Occasionally, you may want to transplant or rotate them
into other parts of the garden, to create interesting new clusters and arrangements of flowers and
fruits.
REMOVE obstacles that can impede progress, growth and development in your garden. Nip the
weeds of conflict and rumor quickly, before they sap off nourishment and retard the growth of the
entire plot. Solve small problems, before they endanger the whole crop, like a damaging insect
infestation.
When you think leadership, think F-A-R-M-E-R.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 16

Appendix B
[Published in IEEE-USA Todays Engineer Online, January 2005]

Conquering Change:
Cross-Discipline and the Need
for a Fold-Out Business Card
by Harry T. Roman

E
ngineers change the world by applying technology judiciously. And like everything and
everyone else in the world, engineers are affected by change.
At various stages of your career, you will almost certainly find yourself on the bottom of one
learning curve or another, challenged to climb it quickly. The good news is that as problem-solvers,
engineersprobably more than any other professionalsare ideal candidates to deal with change.
I began my career working as a utility power engineer, designing distribution networks and plan-
ning substation expansions. I exercised my new EE degree thoroughly during my first three years
on the job. One morning, I was named project manager for the first truly graphical computer
system for load flow and power system analysis. Knowing lots about power system analysis, but
absolutely nothing about graphics systems, I started up a very steep learning curve. No such
system had been built before, so I had no textbooks to consult.
Looking back, I enjoyed working on a project where we were breaking new ground, and on which I
had to design and apply simultaneously. I actually got quite a rush, flying by the seat of my pants.
Hooked, I transferred to my companys newly formed R&D group, where I got involved in a variety
of emerging technologies, and switched trains of thought constantly. The ambiguity factor was
exponentially increasing. I quickly learned the fine art of sanity checking, and my share of back-of-
the-envelope calculations.
It wasnt long before I faced my second big learning curve. Again, it came as a total surprise. My
departing R&D group leader recommended that I take on her major projectassess the potential
for solar energy applications in the state of New Jersey. I had a $1 million budget, three years to
complete the project, and a 10-member task force to help put demonstration units in the field.
What does an EE know about heat transfer, solar energy system design, and integration with HVAC
systems? Back to my old college I went, to take courses in solar energy. Books? What books? My
courses were professor notes and some makeshift handbooks, tempered by what I was learning
every day in the field. I became a hybrid EE/ME.
Our team did the job in two years instead of three, and my company began offering solar water
heating systems for sale to customers. Guess who put the marketing plan together and trained the
installers? Thats right; now I was talking to customers, visiting homes to look at installation poten-

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 17

tial, and doing the marketing thing. Talk about learning! I was now an EE/ME/IE hybrid. What would
I put on my business card?
A few years later, I fashioned my own learning curve, this time with mobile robotics. The devices
could be applied in our nuclear plants. I went back to school to learn about mobile robots, but
again, no textbooks. Ten years later, robots became commonplace in many nuclear power plants,
as did some early work we did in artificial intelligence and knowledge-based systems. The effort
now made me an EE/ME/IE/Nuclear/Robotics/Knowledge Capture engineer. I was certainly going
to need larger business cards.
Today, I make my living developing and introducing the concept of the smart utility that uses
massive amounts of intelligence to achieve integrated decision-making on the distribution grid. I
am back at my old college again, this time designing state-of-the-art, intelligent micro-sensors to
gather data and information.

The Moral of the Story

Here I stand, with a gaggle of skills and techniques learned over almost 35 years. I still enjoy
flying by the seat of my pants. I am comfortable with ambiguity. And I still look for learning curves
to create. I tried to make the most of the increasing and accelerating change that I believe will
characterize the life of young engineers.
How will you handle change in your career? My advice to you:
Embrace change at the very least. Dont let it get out in front of you.
When change is inevitable, use it to question old paradigms, and create new opportunities for
yourself and your company.
Become comfortable with uncertainty, ambiguity and some seat-of-the-pants flying. It will
happen anyway, so get used to it.
Return to school often to learn new things. Never stop growing.
Its perfectly OK to be empirical, until you get smarter and further along in those first-of-a-kind
projects. Trust your judgment, and seek the wisdom of team members.
The only thing as inevitable as change will be the intermixing and blurring of disciplines. Always
seek opportunities to cross-discipline yourself. It builds quite an interesting and unique resum.
Strive to be both broad and deep.
No, I never did get an MBA, but I did get an MS in environmental engineering. What can I say?
I should have patented the fold-out business card.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 18

Appendix C
[Published in IEEE-USA Todays Engineer Online, March 2004]

Getting To Know Your Customers

by Harry T. Roman

E
ngineers dont necessarily make things because they can, but rather because they generally
have clients who can pay for them. How can you ensure that the things you make, and the
services you provide, will be successful?
For starters, begin with a real, well-defined problem. Its always easier to attempt a market-pull,
rather than a technology-push, situation. If youre just beginning your career, leave the tech-
nology-push efforts to the more experienced missionaries. Finesse is not the province of the
inexperienced. This un-refinement is a tough fact of life that most young, technology-smitten,
engineers learnsometimes the hard way.
Instead, good nuts-and-bolts, down-and-dirty, in-the-trenches, everyday problem-solving strat-
egies will go a long way toward growing the companyand your experience. You can still have
long-range plans, dreams and home-run ideas, just choose your battles carefully. Shoot for getting
some singles and runs batted in first to gain perspective; and earn the respect of your superiors,
colleagues, and most importantly, your customers.
For the short term, concentrate on getting to know your customers. Get out in the field and expand
your understanding of the company, its products and services, and how their customers use those
products and services. Walk in your customers shoes; work at their sites; and see what they deal
with on a daily basis.

Be a Problem-Solver
In addition, make yourself ready and willing to help them solve their problems. If you do, they will
help your company grow by purchasing your products or services. Its a simple, balanced equa-
tion. One hand washes the other. No magic, just shoe leather, commitment and teamwork equal
the basics.

Be the Go-To Person

Be the go-to person for your customers. A sure-fire way to gain their respect is to make yourself
so visible that people might actually mistake you for one of their co-workers. From this commit-
ment comes the highest form of flattery any engineer can receive from a customer: trust. And when
you earn your customers trust, youll be able to propose new ideas and suggest things that might
really change the way they do business.
While youre solving their short-term problems, they may tell you about other products or services
they might like to have. Tuck this raw material away for your long-range dreams. Because it comes
directly from your customer, its virtually already pre-packaged, with a high probability of future
sales. The missionary work is already accomplished!

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 19

Turning customers ideas into useable products or services will often take you further than trying to
dream up ideas, then springing them on unsuspecting or unprepared customers.

Longer-Range Products
When you become able to implement a customers input about future products and begin
exploring a demonstration or prototype phase, involve your customertheir input will be invalu-
able. In fact, they may even want to invest in the development, if it represents a solution to a
problem theyre having.
My best successes have always come as a result of receiving extensive customer input. Many
times, while I was on-site helping a customer solve one problem, I would take time out from a
lunch break, and talk informally about some new technology I was looking at. I listened to them,
sounding out their thoughts. I often brought a demo of the new product along, and asked for their
thoughts, ideas and opinions. The show-and-tell format I learned in first grade paid off.
Switching gears gave everyone a chance to get away from the nagging problem at hand and relax.
Plus, lunch is always a nice time to chat, commiserate and brainstorm, without feeling pressured to
produce results. These sessions never failed to give me instant feedback.
If my customers showed good initial interest, I would come back later with a full-blown demo and
let the group play with it. Sometimes, I left an open microphone out on the table to capture all their
ideas and comments.
The folks in the trenches- the first-line supervisors and workers- always gave me golden-nugget
comments that focused my direction and future selling pitches clearly. Simply put, if you make
these groups happy, they will become champions for your cause. They will push for their company
to buy your product or service. You couldnt ask for a better cheering section.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 20

About the Author

H
arry T. Roman holds 12 U.S. Patents, has received numerous engineering, invention and
teaching awards, and has published more than 550 scientific papers, articles, monographs
and books. In 1999, the New Jersey Technology Education and Engineering Association
named him a Distinguished Technology Educator. In 2005, the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame
honored Roman with an Inventor of the Year award for his application of mobile robots in hazardous
work environments. In 1996, IEEE honored him with a Meritorious Achievement award for devel-
oping continuing education products for IEEE members. Again in 2006, IEEE honored Roman
with an Outstanding Engineer award. Every month, more than 65,000 educators read his feature
articles appearing in various national publications. In PSE&Gs R&D group, where he worked for
36 years, he directed and consulted on over $100 million worth of projects/programs, and taught
graduate-level R&D project management courses at the New Jersey Institute of Technology [NJIT].
Throughout his engineering career, Roman has worked with schools around the state, bringing the
excitement of real-world problem-solving into the classroom. Retired since 2006, he has published
more than 70 resource books, math card games and science kits for teachersproducts valued
for their head and hands approach to teaching creativity, invention, STEM, engineering, and alter-
nate energy topics in the classroom. Roman now spends many hours in the classroom working
with teachers and students in West Orange, Montclair, and Livingston, conducting special student
project team challenges. He is an advisor/author to the Edison Innovation Foundation and docent/
special lecturer at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange. Roman also admits
to writing and publishing poetry and short stories.

STAYING SHARP VOLUME 2 21

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