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Podcast Episode

Episode 85 — Unwritten Rules

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unwrittenAdam, Brian, Carmen, and Jeff discuss the values and ideals that often guide engineering decision making, even if these policies are rarely written down or mentioned in academic settings.

  • Brian finds that Dilbert cartoons help him develop a “befuddlement with life and others.”
  • Scott Adam’s book, Dogbert’s Top Secret Management Handbook, provides guidance on how to appear technically proficient, even when one is not.
  • W.J. King wrote the original version of “The Unwritten Laws of Engineering” back in 1944.
  • King’s Rule #1: However menial and trivial your early assignments may appear, give them your best efforts.
  • King’s Rule #3: In carrying out a project do not wait for foremen, vendors, and others to deliver the goods; go after them and keep everlastingly after them.
  • Adam makes reference to the “rule of pi,” which was introduced in Episode 1. This maxim suggests new projects will take about pi times longer to complete than first anticipated.
  • King’s Rule #6: Avoid the very appearance of vacillation. (Is this still valid in 2015?)
  • King’s Rule #15: Whatever the boss wants done takes top priority.
  • “The Unwritten Laws of Systems Engineering” was authored by David F. McClinton half a century later, in 1994.
  • McClinton’s Rule #1: Everything interacts with everything else.
  • McClinton’s Rule #2: Everything goes somewhere.
  • Brian makes a joke about “chazzwazzas” that confuses his co-hosts.
  • McClinton’s Rule #3: There is no such thing as a free lunch.
  • McClinton’s Rule #4: Never confuse change with progress.
  • Carmen has fond memories of his JNCO jeans.
  • McClinton’s Rule #10: There is no shelf.
  • Brian wondered if the prior rule had some connection to the Matrix movie line, “There is no spoon.”
  • McClinton’s Rule #14: Nothing is impossible to the man who doesn’t have to do it.
  • McClinton’s Rule #16: Any analysis will be believed by no one but the analyst who conducted it. Any test will be believed by every one but the person who conducted it.
  • McClinton’s Rule #21: Never use a word chart when a picture chart will do.
  • McClinton’s Rule #22: Never go in with the first wave.
  • McClinton’s Rule #23: Never go in with the second wave either.
  • McClinton’s Rule #24: Have the heart of a child but keep it in a jar on your
    desk.
  • Jeff references the book, “Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life.”

Thanks to Kate Hiscock for use of the image titled “an open book.” Podcast theme music by Paul Stevenson.