3306. Mass Properties and Management

Paper

Abstract

This paper is the unintended result of a collaborative presentation developed for the 2001 Southwest Regional Conference. The topics addressed in this paper are not technical in nature, but are intended to provide the foundation for better communication between the mass properties engineering community and their upper management. The thoughts here are the collective wisdom from at least four (4) SAWE Fellows and several functional managers. However, all mistakes and misattributions are solely the fault of the principle author. If you are a mass properties engineer or in any other functional or analytical engineering discipline ? then this paper is for you.
While engineers are generally regarded by non-technical individuals as brilliant or at a minimum very capable at understanding math, science, or technology, they are just as often caricatured as being helpless when dealing with office politics. Just think of how they are portrayed in the popular media or even in Dilbert cartoons. Too often technologists and their management communicate poorly and at cross?purposes at best. Let us face it, very few of us go to work thinking, ?Gee just how badly can I screw-up this latest project/proposal/program.? All of us want what we see is best. The trick is how do we get others to buy into and accept our role as being a benefit to the program. This paper attempts to address this very serious issue at a high level and with some dubious humor, which is again the responsibility and/or fault of the author.