How to be perfect 15

[frusso110]

Hopefully this subject caught your attention. Yes it is a loaded topic.

I'm a mechanical engineer doing mechanical design of electronics equipment. Mostly fitting PC boards into machined aluminum enclosures. I started working in 2008 for a different company and have been with this one for a little over a year.

We have no mechanical design reviews.

We have no checkers.

We have nobody reviewing my drawings.

My question to you all:

I need to be perfect. How am I supposed to accomplish this task?

Thanks,
FR

 

[Kwan]

Exactly Dave! But it's not perfect and I'd bet that the company doesn't have a clue.
I almost added the following to my last post, "HAHAHA, right!".

 

[johnchrc]

Watch Friday Night Lights, the Movie - The coach, plyed by Bille Bob Thorton, gave the best explanation of perfection ever uttered. I was tearing up. Based on true story. Writer was genious - or Coach.

Not exactly whay you need but if you think deep, it actually is. Do the best you can and give in=t 100% and if that isn't enough to look to yout=r employer in the eye and tell him to find someoe perfrct.

I would write up a ist of requirements in order to to th ejob as close to perforct as humand=na are capable of and set up a meting and explian yoor position. There are plenty of jobs out there. I would find another.[ignore][/ignore]

- CJ

 

[TheBlacksmith]

I'm retired Navy. My mantra is "I spent my first career wondering what idiot designed this. Now I'm the idiot." Point being, I place a lot of value on the input of the users. You'd be amazed how quick the people on the shop floor can point out some areas for improvement that you just can't see from your side. P.S. - donuts are to shop workers like pizza is to engineers.

 

[bridgebuster]

Mike McCann hit the nail right on the head.

You can't be perfect and you need to realize it but you still have to think you can achieve perfection. Otherwise, everything you do will go to $#!+.

Life is paradox.

 

[stanweld]

When you realize a blunder, immediately correct it.

 

[moltenmetal]

Practice can reinforce bad behaviour or it can lead to improvement.

The difference between bad practice and good practice is proper FEEDBACK.

The best kind of feed back is not from other designers, but from people who implement and use your designs. TheBlacksmith has it nailed as far as I'm concerned. You wouldn't believe just how much people who implement and use your designs are willing to help you do your job better if you only have the humility to ask, listen and learn- and of course the wisdom to discern the good advice/feedback from the bad.

Input/review from other designers is helpful too- particularly the checking part, as they'll help you find errors that your brain can gloss right over after you've seen a drawing too many times. But as far as improving your design goes, review by other designers is only truly helpful if they too have received the sort of useful feedback noted above. Otherwise, they may transmit absolute bullsh*t to you with absolute authority, and some of that may stick.

 

[1gibson]

Being perfect and never making any "show stopper" mistakes are different things, and I think we are really talking about the latter. If your components fit in the enclosure every time, then you have "perfect results."

You may have been able to reduce cost by 0.1% if you spent another 10 hours on the design, but if that is not asked of you then it is not required. There is a balance between perfect RESULTS, and efficiency.

The time required to literally achieve perfection has such diminishing returns, if you tried then your efficiency would plummet and your performance would not be acceptable. Nobody, in any market or business relationship, is ever prepared to pay for perfection.

 

[johnchrc]

In the movie, perfect was being able to look you fellow players in the eye and tell them you did everything possible within your abilities with love in you heart. As far as an employer goes, you give them you best, as if it was your company and if that isn't sufficient and they aren't willing to train you then start looking for other jobs. Continue to work hard. A professional compnay would never treat you this way. Don't settle for misery. Prepare you resume like it isd the most improtant document you ever wrote and continue to improve it. Also work on list of references. These will serve you will in you job search.

Go to LinkedIn and you can bypass recruiters which makes you a less expensive hire. Also contact recruiters who can help you find exactly what you are looking for. They don't get paid unless they find you an employer and the employer pays. You aren't out anything.

CJ

- CJ