professional development | Human-Centered Change and Innovation

My Advice to Young Design Engineers

GUEST POST from Mike Shipulski

If your solution isn’t sold to a customer, you didn’t do your job. Find a friend in Marketing.

If your solution can’t be made by Manufacturing, you didn’t do your job. Find a friend in Manufacturing.

Reuse all you can, then be bold about trying one or two new things.

Broaden your horizons.

Before solving a problem, make sure you’re solving the right one.

Don’t add complexity. Instead, make it easy for your customers.

Learn the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources and learn how to design with the renewable ones.

Learn how to do a Life Cycle Assessment.

Learn to see functional coupling and design it out.

Be afraid but embrace uncertainty.

Learn how to communicate your ideas in simple ways. Jargon is a sign of weakness.

Before you can make sure you’re solving the right problem, you’ve got to know what problem you’re trying to solve.

Learn quickly by defining the tightest learning objective.

Don’t seek credit, seek solutions. Thrive, don’t strive.

Be afraid, and run toward the toughest problems.

Help people. That’s your job.

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Join me in London for a Two-Day Innovation Certification Course I’m excited about the launch of the first global innovation certification, with four full levels to choose from (two for innovation practitioners and two for innovation leaders), complete with many action learning components.

The certification is being offered by the Global Innovation Management Institute in cooperation with the IXL Center, the Hult International Business School, and Innovation Excellence.

In 2014 in addition to doing innovation keynotes, workshops and masterclasses, I am considering a world tour to bring in-person two-day GIMI Level 1 Innovation Certification courses and innovation eLearning to Seattle in Mar/Apr, followed by London in May.

The two full days of Level 1 Innovation Certification training in London will be priced per person or with a discount for a group of four (4) people (which will include materials, the cost of the certification exam, and some special bonuses), or if you’d like to organize a group session for your company while I’m there, we can discuss a price for that.

If someone is willing to donate a Central London location and attendee logistics, please contact me as I can offer a significant discount in exchange (at least 50%).

But I need your help to determine which dates the two-day Level 1 Innovation Certification Training should be held on.

Finally, In addition to London I hope to soon be announcing other cities where the two-day in-person GIMI Level Innovation Certification course will be offered, either before or after the London dates.

Should your city be at the top of the list?

Sound off in the comments!