Engineers are artists, even if they don’t fit the popular notion of the term. It’s just that their medium is mathematics, rather than paint or words. Because they go to school to develop their creative genius to design the things that people need, they devote their time studying the necessary math and science. In fact, many try their best to get through their universities with as few “distractions” as possible and may graduate with only one course in writing. So, it’s not surprising that a challenge to a guest lecturer on good writing would become one of my foremost memories of engineering school at Cleveland State University back in the early ’80s.

The challenge came from a student during a projects class as the lecturer was briefly reviewing some grammar and offering the usual advice that just about everyone hears from English teachers. The faculty of the chemical engineering department had asked an editor from a locally based plastics magazine to give us seniors some pointers on assembling the required technical reports and to critique our writing afterward. Because engineers have a reputation of being weak writers, our professors did not want to neglect this important life skill and have us enter the workforce at a disadvantage.

My dissenting classmate, however, objected not only to the lesson but also to the whole premise of the exercise. After all, we were engineers, not English majors. We were about data and delivering results. No one in industry was going to make us write elaborate technical reports and critique the writing afterward. Consequently, teaching us about the art of writing was a waste of time.

In a way that he might not have intended, the student made an important point, observes Alan Rossiter, Ph.D., a chemical engineer and president of Rossiter and Associates, a consulting firm based in Bellaire, Texas. “It depends on what you want to do with your career,” he says. “If you get your satisfaction from doing calculations and want simply to do just that the rest of your life, then you don’t need writing skills.”

He hastens to add, however, that not investing the time and effort to develop good communication skills can be a self-limiting decision. “A lot of good ideas never see the light of day because the engineers who have them are unable to communicate their ideas,” he says. “So, if you want to advance beyond just being a number cruncher, then you need to be able to communicate effectively.” And that includes acquiring a minimal proficiency in writing.

Key to a career

In fact, lacking adequate communications skills can inhibit an engineer’s ability to get a job at some of the larger technology companies. For example, Rockwell Automation, the Milwaukee-based automation vendor, regularly screens engineering applicants for those skills. Although the screening is usually weighted toward verbal skills, “some business units do specifically evaluate candidates’ writing ability,” reports Susan Schmitt, senior vice president of human resources.

Even though Rockwell Automation places great value on the core technical competencies, its management feels that technical skills are not enough for bringing ideas from concept to reality on the factory floor. “Our engineers must communicate clearly—and often simply—with other employees, suppliers, distributors and customers,” explains Schmitt. “To that end, we continually encourage our engineers to develop and maintain effective communications skills, including the strong writing capabilities that facilitate many of the proposals, contracts, manuals and business writings their jobs require.”

Writing, moreover, is often the key into the internal communications networks that most companies, especially the large ones, have developed for disseminating technical information throughout the organization efficiently. Engineers are often expected to report on their work, not only to share with their colleagues but also to add to the corporate memory.

Such was the case when Michelle Bryner worked as chemical engineer at the fabrics division of W.L. Gore and Associates Inc., a Newark, Del.-based manufacturer of products derived from fluoropolymers. “If I was working with a coating or mixing with surfactants, for example, I would have to write a report so others could use my findings,” she says. Many of those same skills also helped her to prepare oral presentations both to her immediate team and before larger groups.

A leadership skill

Bryner also found writing to be an important leadership skill when she had been asked to lead a global team investing in a coating. Because walking down the hall to chat with a colleague was impossible, written communication by e-mail was essential for describing ...