[SBE] Can Your Manager Tell Ysbeou What You Do For A living?

[dynotherm at earthlink.net]

-----Original Message-----

>From: Sam Garfield <Sgarfield at dilicast.com>

>

>I have ofter told my fellow Engineers, that the test of a good General 

>Manager is to ask him for directions to the transmitter site.

>

>As often said, being in the communications business, we don't communicate.

>

>The Station Engineer has enough on his mind, let alone doing Public 

>Relations with his Boss and Peers.

>

>May I suggest that SBE National assist us in promoting our profession to 

>Ownership & General Managers. 


-------------

One way of looking at the SBE is as an organization with a great
product, a better mousetrap, called CERTIFICATION. But, like any
good product, without advertising, the world will not beat a
path to its door. At present, only a fraction of GM's and managers
are aware of what the SBE is and what it does. Of those who are
aware of the society, you will find very few who can sort through
our alphabet soup of certifications or even differentiate or
appreciate the value of certification. Clearly, before we can
communicate upwardly effectively our image as certified engineers
and specialists needs appreciation. We need an advertising campaign
to "sell" our product.

Any good advertising campaign requires reinforcement. Regardless 
how well we educate our own in the fine art of upward communication, 
it will often fall on deaf ears unless there is reinforcement from 
another source. The SBE National Office is well positioned for
providing this reinforcement to those in management and ownership
in a bottom line language they understand, and one which is foreign
to many of our members. We should never forget that while engineers
operate in a universe of details and facts, managers deal in 
perceptions and generalized concepts.

It is not enough to reintroduce the SBE to State BA leaders and 
administrators, although that is good preparation for what is needed.

For useful, beneficial results, the owners and GM's must be introduced 
to the general ideas of the SBE and value of certification. Only then 
will opportunities develop for effective upward communication with 
non-technical managers and owners. Perhaps, during the introductory
process, it might also be possible to educate those managers and 
owners to the revised AAMCO principle of broadcast systems maintenance. 
(Spend the money now, or spend much more later **after** the failure.)

Our National Office is ideally situated to introduce the SBE to state
BA meetings at a time when the attending owners and managers are in
a receptive state of mind. 

An interesting introduction to certification might also stimulate
more demand for certification which IMHO would be a GOOD THING for
both our Society and our industry.

----------------------------------
Phil Alexander, CSRE, AMD
Chairman, Chapter 25, Indianapolis