Work Would Be So Much Easier without People

Our training as engineers focuses on the physical sciences, and the relationships we learn about are generally mathematical ones. However, the day-to-day work of engineering requires constant interactions with people, and our career success depends as much on how we handle those interactions as it does on our technical abilities. Of particular importance is the way we manage interpersonal conflict at work.

In this fascinating and practical talk Dr Alan Rossiter, 2010 Chair of the South Texas Local Section, contends that conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. Rather, if we learn to handle conflict situations with respect and consideration, and look beyond the short-term discomfort they bring, they can be turned into growth experiences both for us individually and for our organizations.

The "soft" skills discussed in this presentation are themes in Dr. Rossiter’s new book titled "Professional Excellence, Beyond Technical Competence".  Young Professionals that attend this presentation will have a chance to receive a free copy of Alan's book, compliments of AIChE's McKetta Grant.  Amazon, among other booksellers, offers the book at the link above.

Alan is president of Rossiter & Associates (http://www.rossiters.org/associates/), an industrial process improvement consulting company working primarily in the field of energy efficiency. Dr. Rossiter gained his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (England) in process integration and systematic design procedures, and his work in this field has been widely published and internationally recognized. He worked for nearly ten years in a variety of process engineering and management roles with ICI, and then for nearly eight years with Linnhoff March as a process integration consultant and manager. He founded the parent organization of Rossiter & Associates in 1997.

In addition to carrying out consulting work for companies such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and Sasol, Dr. Rossiter provides training courses in pinch analysis and energy management, as well as communication skills, engineering ethics and professional excellence.