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Or: What’s the biggest cause of major engineering mistakes?

The importance of politeness for a global engineer might seem apparent. In different cultures there are different types of etiquette and thus different definitions of being polite. However, you might be surprised by its importance in engineering in general and how it can be a double-edged sword.
In this edition, I am going to explain first of all why politeness is important for all engineers, how it can also be problematic, and how to manage both extremes within a global engineering context.

First the good: So why is politeness important for engineering?
When we are polite, we ensure we act in a manner that keeps others engaged. Think about times when someone has been impolite to you. Even if they did not mean it. You felt less inclined to engage with that person. That in turn means you are less likely to share your ideas with them to gain input (preventing the identification of issues or the generation of new ideas). You are also less likely to contribute to anything they are working on (meaning they could encounter issues that would otherwise be noted earlier, or they will miss out on other ideas that could have been generated).
In short, politeness allows you to engage better with others so that you can improve your broader understanding of the engineering challenges you face. This is very important for concurrent engineering and shared situational awareness – both of which are related to systemic thinking. But it can also help with leveraging other people’s understanding of first principles and considering new frames.

Now the bad: And how can politeness be a problem in engineering?
As important as politeness is to good engineering practice, the success of any engineering system depends upon the fundamentals of reality.
The general goal of politeness and manners is to help us get along with each other so that everything is better ordered and more effective. That’s why we can feel that raising issues will disrupt the order of things.
But if you do not call out every issue you can, then there is a greater chance of an engineering system failure. Sometimes our politeness (sometimes in the guise of etiquette) will dissuade us from saying anything. It does not feel right to point out an issue in something with which everyone seems happy, or at least not too unhappy; even though we know the implications.

So what do we do about this in the global engineering context?
The most impolite thing you can do to someone is to not involve them. So get into the habit of thinking about who should be involved in the development and implementation of whatever engineering system upon which you are working. And then, of course, involve them.
How you involve them, however, can be very culturally dependent. Some cultures prefer you talk to the person’s manager to gain permission first. Some cultures have very clear “rules” on when you should and should not talk to someone – maybe you can talk to them during lunch or maybe you can’t. These are nuances you will need to manage on a case-by-case basis. However, it helps to err on the side of caution – you do not upset people by being too polite.
The next most impolite thing you can do is involve people who do not need to be involved. So also ask yourself if someone really needs to be involved or if you are insulting them because they have bigger issues to deal with. The CEO wants to know that welds are being properly checked, but they likely don’t want to spend their time reviewing the top 5 non-destructive testing machine technologies you have selected.
A system that can help with this is RACI. You might have heard of this – it is fairly common – but don’t worry if you have not – it is a simple system that is ideal for formalising this type of politeness. RACI is where you determine and document: who should be Responsible, who should be Accountable, who should be Consulted, and who should be Informed. Once you take this step, this system will compel you to think more deeply about how to best work with your colleagues and compel you to keep everyone informed. No-one feels left out, and no-one is bogged down in insulting minutiae.
Also, if you do this right (so take your time with it), then those who might otherwise feel they can’t speak out will be actively consulted. By having the RACI documented and shared, people know that they are expected to give their thoughts – and maybe even be accountable if they do not. This helps give them the confidence to speak up without feeling impolite.