Class activity to “discover” myself – a collage of my core values, where I come from, and what influences me.
When we aspire to become a professional engineer, we often rely on a set of goals and a mindset of how we will get there. However, we often don’t take the time to learn more about ourselves, or become aware of our own surroundings with what is happening in our local and global communities. This is where stories come into play. They shape our life, our values, habits and emotions, both now and the years to come. If you want to learn in an experiential environment where you can learn more about yourself as an engineer through storytelling, read on.
APS445: The Power of Story – Discovering Your Leadership Narrative is a new and unique course taught by Annie Simpson and Dr. Penny Kinnear. Narrative is all around us. Through the things we read and the people we listen to, narrative is used to convey messages and lessons important to them. I wanted to take this course because I want to learn more about myself through the stories that influenced my life.
On the fifth week of class, I had the opportunity to share a childhood story with a small group of people as part of class. I chose to share the story about my time in the United States going to a public school during my grade four year, particularly as a Catholic kid. I had to find the courage to share it because it was emotional and personal because it was then that I learned how to stay strong in the face of adversity. I also listened to other people’s childhood stories, and they gave me an understanding of how their lives were shaped, allowing me to put myself in their shoes. This activity made me think deeper about myself because I had to reflect about difficult times that would be uncomfortable to share with others, and say them in a compelling and inspiring manner.
One takeaway I learned from the storytelling activity is that communication and listening skills are essential for engineers to learn. Communication skills are important because engineers always interact with others to get something done, especially with non-engineers. For example, pitching an idea to potential clients using the power of story is crucial for negotiating business with them. Your pitch has to be concise, but also convincing. Delivering a pitch is just like sharing a story with someone. On the other hand, listening skills are important because engineers need to be aware of their surroundings and respond to them appropriately through effective listening. This is important, for example, in job interviews because you need to listen carefully to what employers ask of you, and misinterpreting a critical question can be the difference between getting a job offer and not getting one. When you go out there in the real world, these two skills are vital to have.
In a nutshell, APS445 is a course about understanding your individual story and how to connect with other people using your story. The hidden power of storytelling in engineering is all about influencing positive change in the world, which is the ultimate goal of leadership.
-Kevin Saludares