Why I Love Working with Engineers

Odd One Out, Right Where I Belong

Working as a communication professional in an organization largely made up of engineers, I’ve always known I think differently than most of my colleagues. But that has never been clearer than during a leadership training for wastewater professionals a few years ago. As part of the program, each participant took a personality test that plotted how they think on a chart. The assessment taught you not only how you think, but also how your way of thinking relates to and differs from others.

When we plotted our results, nearly all of my colleagues were clustered around the lower-lefthand quadrant. A few drifted a little higher or a little more to the right, but there was a clear gravity toward that corner.  And then there was me. The lone dot in the upper-righthand quadrant, sitting on what felt like my own planet.

It was a clear indication that I think very differently than most of my colleagues. But that’s part of why I love them.

We think differently, and that’s the best part of my job

We think differently, and that’s the best part of my job

Engineers and communicators think very differently. They tend to focus on how systems work. We tend to focus on how systems are experienced. They zero in on mechanisms. I zoom out to see the meaning. They tend to seek certainty before they act. I’m comfortable making decisions with ambiguity. At times, it could feel like we’re speaking different languages. And honestly, it would be easy to find that frustrating. But I don’t. I celebrate it.

One of the best parts of my job is getting to be the bridge between the people who design the world around us and the people who live in it. I get to turn blueprints into meaningful stories. I get to help our community understand that a tunnel isn’t just six miles of concrete underground; it’s fewer basement backups and a cleaner river.

And it’s not just the work I get to translate. It’s the people.

Engineers often move quietly through this world. They’re not in it for recognition. But I get a front-row seat to their brilliance, their persistence, and their pride. I’ve seen what it looks like to spend years on a project most people will never see - and still light up when you talk about what it will make possible.

That’s the best part of my job: sharing their brilliance with the people they serve.

You Don’t Have to Take My Word for It

My team recently produced a video to help recruit the next generation of engineers at MSD. It’s just a few minutes long, but it says more than I ever could. You’ll hear them talk about what drives them: protecting public health, solving problems people don’t even realize exist, and serving their community.

We may approach the work differently, but we’re in it for the same reasons. We care about the same things. And that, more than anything, is why I love working with engineers.