Blog #7

Effective Communication: Good Listening Skills

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”

Good listening skills are essential to be effective at communication. I believe that acquiring this skill requires great practice. Sharp listening skills enable us to work better in teams and increase productivity. So to improve upon my listening skills, I decided to listen to my friend from high school who is also a sophomore here at the U of I.

About the speaker-

‘Aman Kapur’ is a sophomore ECE major. He was a part of the very first iEFX class (he was in the EI team) and is now an iSA. In fact, he was the one who convinced me to join iEFX. I decided to hear him speak because he has some very fascinating and absorbing knowledge which most people reading this blog would find interesting. He talked about his passion for ‘User Oriented Collaborative Design’ which he came across in ENG298. A part of UOCD is studying and understanding ‘people systems’; everyone in this world is intertwined in a complex social web which is called a people system. Aman talked about how we design the system of developing as mere people in a large system.

The listening techniques that I used –

I equipped myself with a pencil and paper and tried not to concentrate on anything else. I even turned my cell phone to silent mode to focus on the speaker. Also, I planned to ask good, meaningful questions.

I became absolutely engrossed listening to Aman talking about ‘The Design’ (That’s what he calls it) because I found the topic to be very interesting. Here’s a brief summary of what he told me and what I learnt –

We engineers live in a realm of binary where there are only facts and no opinions. Unlike this, people systems are subjective and have opinions. People are ‘messy’, and in fact “people’s Brownian motion is definitive of their existence”. At the heart if this people system is irrationality. There is a constant battle between our hearts and minds. This explains why entrepreneurs make that leap or why we joined iEFX, etc. This irrationality leads to a constant frenzy and throwing of ideas and makes this system constantly interactive and dynamic. Another key characteristic of this system is intrinsic motivation (This is mentioned in Dan Pink’s book ‘Drive’). All of us have this drive to do something constantly and feel this need to go beyond what we have been confined to. Equality too plays an important role here. For example, an international student in a university has little understanding of foreign culture. Both the international and local students have to ignore their inhibitions to come to the same level and truly understand each other. Once this happens, there is this open fluent communication line that opens up between the people and system. Basically, people are quanta’s of energy in a sea of irrationality, motivation, dynamism and equality which leads to this constant interplay of overflowing energy. This gives rise to the growth and development of the people and the system as a whole. His advice to me was to try to engage in people systems more because it would help me grow, develop and question better and that’s when I would be able to stretch my boundaries.

I feel that I did pretty well listening to him but I could have asked better questions. I did not ask many questions mainly because I got really engaged in the subject. Also, noting down some key points also helped me to remember most of what he talked about. From this experience I learnt that listening well helps you to understand people better. Listening carefully to someone brings them closer to you. Also, people love to have their thoughts and ideas heard. Listening well enables you to learn a lot more than you usually would. I tried to be a better listener and it has also helped me do better in my ECE class. Moreover, I decided to take ENG 298 next semester because I found it to be very fascinating.

[PS: I decided I’d share this interesting info that I came across with everyone –

On author Dan Pink’s website, he says that an MBA degree is all about these four words: “Talk less, listen more”. Makes complete sense to me!

http://www.danpink.com/archives/2010/10/the-four-word-mba

]

Engineering Design - Toyota's Driving Simulator

Toyota’s driving simulator is one of the most ingenious engineering designs that I have come across lately. According to Toyota, this is the most advanced driving simulator in the world and after watching the video, I wouldn’t doubt this fact at all. It looks like straight out of science fiction and actually, I cannot wait to graduate and work on building machines like this one. 

Here’s the video of how it works –

(I would really recommend watching it, but if you really don’t have the time, there is a description of how it works after the video)

 

The simulator houses an actual car on a platform inside of a 4.5 meters-tall and7.1 meter-wide dome. When the simulator is being operated, a 360 degree concave video screen projects computer-generated images of roads, landscape, street signs, and pedestrians (down to fine details!). The dome can tilt itself up to 25 degrees (and is also fitted with a vibrating system) and the whole platform moves itself in an x-y plane system.  The combined motion of the dome and its platform lets the driver experience the real word effects of acceleration, speed, road vibrations, riding comfort and sound effects. For example, when a driver pushes on the brakes, the dome tilts forward to give the effect of stopping; when the driver turns the steering wheel to the right, the dome cocks to the right to give the feeling of turning. Toyota’s website says that the experience is so lifelike that users often need to be reminded that it is just a simulation.

What intrigued me most about this driving simulator was that it can actually replicate driving tests which are too difficult to conduct in the real world such as the effects of drowsiness, fatigue, inebriation, illness, and inattentiveness.

Because the conditions are simulated in a closely controlled environment, engineers can actually see what a driver is seeing by using technologies like ‘eye gaze measuring devices’. They can also measure maneuvers performed on the steering wheel, accelerator and brake in fine detail. In fact, the testing facility is so advanced it allows the collection of brain wave and heart rate data that can analyze a driver’s psychological and physiological state. 

It’s quite surprising to know that so much is done just to ensure our safety. Apart from keeping our roads safe, I think this machine can have plenty of other uses. When I first saw this video, I was very tempted to drive in this simulator. This made me think that such machines could be used in amusement parks and gaming arcades. Apart from driving cars, this could be well modified to play other games (like the ones involving running around or flying planes). Even roller coasters could be replaced by this machine. This would provide the added advantage of being able to experience different roller coaster rides while sitting in the same place and would also make it a lot safer. Our experience of 3D movies could also be greatly enhanced using this kind of a machine (4D movies? sounds awesome to me!). I wonder if this is what the worlds future amusement parks would actually look like.

Using The Toulmin Model

TIME MANAGEMENT – I’m sure a lot of us dread hearing these words. The biggest problem that I have been facing as a college freshman is effectively managing time. I believe that my inability to manage time efficiently is directly affecting my academic performance. Just to show you how I mismanage my time, here is my schedule-

My average weekday schedule:

 wake up -> facebook -> class -> facebook -> class + facebook -> facebook -> sleep (for like 10 hours!)

My average weekend schedule:

Sleep -> party -> sleep -> party

Even though I hate to admit it, I am a bit of a procrastinator as well. I will try to get started on improving my time management skills ( as soon as I get time xD). 

 

 

 Here is my argument in Tolumin’s model –

(use the scroll bar to navigate)

"Just as you began to feel that you could make good use of time, there was no time left to you."
-Lisa Alther
(This is so true!)

Communicating With my TA

Since my previous blog post was very long, I decided to keep it short and simple this time (Actually it's because I procrastinated too much and ran out of time) and pick topic #3 which requires me to communicate clearly with my TA.

So I decided to email my physics discussion TA 'Mark Schubel' simply because I think he's a very good and fun loving teacher.

Here is the email which I sent him (at the last moment) :

(use the scroll bar to navigate)

I tried to make the email as concise and meaningful as possible. I am still waiting for his reply.
 

Networking: Taking Initiative & Communicating Effectively

"The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work."-- Robert T. Kiyosaki, Entrepreneur and Author

The above quote is probably enough for anyone to understand how indispensable social networking is for any good entrepreneur. It is a great way for anyone to expand their horizons and look out for new opportunities.

I personally enjoy meeting new people, making connections and exchanging experiences. Over the past two weeks, I tried to take some initiative and interact with as many people as I could. Many of these interactions have been very delightful and I have learnt things that I may not have known about without meeting those people. I would like to share the following interesting and meaningful interactions that I have had in the past two weeks -

1.    1. Magnus Andersson – UofI Researcher and Entrepreneur

On September 9^th, I visited the research park on the south side of the University of Illinois campus along with my iTeam (EI-2) and. Our iFA, Scott Pickard had organized a field trip to the ‘Enterprise Works’ building. Enterprise Works was this place in the research park that helped entrepreneurs to start up companies. They provided state of the art labs and equipments and also a place to interact with other like minded entrepreneurs. From my perspective, the concept behind enterprise works seemed to be remarkable. We visited the offices of two start ups – Merge.fm and Autonomic Materials. 

Magnus Andersson was one of the entrepreneurs at enterprise works. He is a Swedish researcher at the University of Illinois researching at the Beckman Institute. Magnus and his team invented ‘autonomic materials’ which are simply self healing polymers. Magnus wanted to commercialize the idea and hence started up a company called Autonomic Materials at enterprise works along with his colleagues.

Magnus took us all to his lab and explained to us the amazingly simple concept of how ‘micro capsules’ work to repair almost any material. He highlighted the irony of selling his product to paint companies rather than using it for planes, space ships, etc.

He talked about the entrepreneurial aspect of his work and the problems faced by startups.  He pointed out that his company had only three main employees (Magnus was the technical marketing manager). They hired a CEO (who was previously the head of a paint company in Boston) to expand their network in the industry. Magnus said that the biggest challenge that startups face is marketing their products and that the only solution was to have a good network. The other problems he pointed out were lack of initial funding, lack of manpower, research constraints, etc.

I really liked Magnus’s insights on entrepreneurship. He handed each one of us his business card and told us that we could apply for an internship at his company (This I realized was one of the benefits of networking with him). Without visiting enterprise works and interacting with people like Magnus, I probably would have not known the possibilities of growth that existed for budding entrepreneurs.

2.    2. Cory Levy – UofI freshman and Young Entrepreneur

Since a part of this blog assignment was to take initiative and reach out to people, I decided to email Cory Levy. I came across Cory’s name in my Engineering 198 lecture. Cory is a tennis loving entrepreneur who is a freshman at the University of Illinois (and is also a part of the iEFX’s iCommunity).  Cory started to network with several tennis stars from quite a young age. One of his creations was a web-based sports memorabilia store, which successfully marketed autographed tennis sports paraphernalia resulting from his relationships with many of the world’s leading tennis players.

 I read Cory's blog (www.corylevy.com) and was amazed to see how much he had achieved in just a short span of time.  It was almost impossible for me to believe that Cory was a freshman and not some influential business magnate. I decided Cory would be the best person to reach out to because he was of my age and could give me some valuable advice. The picture below is of the email that I sent to Cory. I spent some time on making it as concise as possible.

 Cory’s responses were:

1.      Q. In what way did your network and communication skills help you out in your endeavors?

->My networking and communication skills really helped me out.  My network gave me confidence and provided me with valuable advice whenever needed.  My network motivates me.   

2.      Q. How did the ideas for your start ups come about?

->Most of my ideas are simply everyday problems that I encounter.  Someone smart once coined the phrase, "Every problem is an opportunity."  That phrase is true.  Write down the problems that you have everyday and pick one to fix! 

3.      Q. What do you think are the skills required to be a successful entrepreneur?

->Skills include (but are not limited to): ability to strategize, communicate, raise money, hire, and say NO.  

4.      Q. What are your career plans after you graduate from college?

->Either continue working for myself, join a small startup company, or work for a small venture capital firm.

Not surprisingly, Cory pointed out that network and communication skills are essential for any entrepreneur. I really liked how Cory gave very concise, meaningful and simple answers.

3.    3.Ben Sander – AMD Employee and UofI Alumni

Michael VanBlaricum – Defense Researcher and UofI Alumni

I would say that one of the most interesting things that I have done lately is to have lunch with these two University of Illinois Alumni.  They shared some very interesting information about the types of jobs and internships available at companies. We also talked about how different the University was twenty years or so back. I was totally engrossed in the conversation.

Ben was researching on how to combine the GPU( Graphics Processing Unit) and CPU (Central Processing Unit) for laptops to get better a graphics quality. Michael told me about how he went to office in Hawaiian shirts and had a surf club in his office (His office is in California).

Both of them also told me that it is absolutely essential to network with professors and get to know them better. Michael mentioned that he used to have dinner with Chancellor John Bardeen!

It was an absolutely terrific experience to talk to both of them. I will probably email them and ask them to visit my iTeam in their free time.

In the past two weeks, I have met an enormous number of people and have made many new friends. I realized that I can learn a great deal from each and every person I meet. This undoubtedly has been one of the most fun assignments that I have ever done. I have always loved meeting new people, even random strangers (many of them are now my close friends) .I plan to keep on meeting new people and expanding my network.

[PS: Sorry for the long post guys, I know you’re wishing it was shorter!]

'The Missing Basics' By Professor Goldberg

Click here for the video


My reaction to the concept of the Missing Basics:

In ‘The Missing Basics’ video, Professor Goldberg analyzes the inability of engineers to solve ‘real world’ problems.  The video starts with Professor Goldberg criticizing engineers for not possessing several essential ‘skills’ that are required in modern day workspaces. He says that engineers are not ‘people persons’ and lack communications and conceptual skills. At first these remarks seemed a bit crude to me but after a significant amount of thinking, I realised that most engineers definitely lacked knowledge of the ‘missing basics’. Professor Goldberg explained the importance of an interdisciplinary engineering education which requires certain skills which he refers to as the missing basics. The basics of engineering are conventionally thought to be just mathematics and science but I liked the idea of developing critical, communication and creative thinking skills. From my perspective, these skills would definitely enable engineers to broaden their horizons. Being innovative and expressive is definitely as important as knowing calculus and mechanics. The cold war system of engineering education is unquestionably obsolete and needs to be replaced with a more appropriate modern system that teaches engineers to be more than just specialists in a particular field. An all round holistic development is required to live up to the expectations of the modern world.  I unfeignedly believe that the engineering curricula require more of hands on approach rather than more of science and math classes. To prepare for a real world job, engineers need to be trained and given some hands on experience. The video also mentions the fact that most engineers don’t experience the ‘joy of engineering’ and that these two words are rarely used in a sentence together. I totally agree with Professor Goldberg and this was one of the reasons in originally wanted to join the iEFX program. The iEFX’s version of the cold war cliché also caught my attention. Instead of taking pride in student’s failures, the concept of students helping out each other seems to be much more suitable for learning.  This is also a good opportunity for students to learn how to work in teams and develop some leadership skills. Moreover, this way we can experience the joy of being in a community and improve our questioning and problem solving skills by working together as a team. Professor Goldberg also made a compelling point about social connectedness and being category creators rather than category enhancers. His advice to always keep learning also appealed to me. After watching the video (several times), I realised that the knowledge of the missing basics is vital for students to become broad and deep learners with the essential balance of qualitative and quantitative skills that are required for being good engineers. The concept of the ‘missing basics’ would definitely help every engineer to experience the joy of engineering.


In order to be a better engineer, I feel that I need to develop the following three skills during this semester:

1.    Creativity:
“The scientist merely explores that which exists, while the engineer creates what has never existed before” – Theodore Von Karman (Taken from the missing basics video)

Engineering is an intellectual challenge that requires a great amount of vision and application of knowledge. It is a creative and challenging profession. For these reasons, i believe that i should work towards being a more creative person. It would help me in any challenging circumstances. The ability to visualize and draw is certainly important for any good engineer.

2.    Communication Skills:
As Professor Goldberg said, engineering is a ‘people profession’. It is a team sport performed by and for the people. Having good communication skills would enable me to work efficiently in a team. The iLaunch taught me several important things about communication and teamwork. Better people skills would also boost my entrepreneurial abilities and help me become a ‘team player’.

3.    Questioning Skills:
Better questioning skills would help me become more confident and would make me more aware of my coursework. It is also a key element for better communication skills.

I don’t exactly have a concrete action plan for developing the above skills, but from my perspective all of the three skills are closely knitted together. I believe that making small changes in my everyday life would greatly help me in attaining and sharpening these skills. Small things like meeting and interacting with new people, being more inquisitive about my surroundings and passionately doing my coursework would greatly influence my personality. The iEFX program would definitely also be beneficial for developing these skills.
It is tough to set a due date but all I can say is that I would certainly have all of these skills (and hopefully several more) by the end of this semester.