DEVELOPING HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ENGINEERS: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TRIZ

Engineers are generally effective at problem solving but often do not look for the most highly effective and creative solutions. This paper explores ways in which the constraining mindsets can be unlocked for breakthrough solutions, both at the personal, professional and organisational level, to enable ‘development ’ of highly effective engineers. This paper begins by looking at the habits of highly effective people and then asks ‘what is a highly effective engineer’? The paper concentrates on the areas associated with systematic problem solving and creativity i.e., producing breakthrough solutions. Fundamental to this area is the concept that most problems are not problems as such but only limitations brought on by the practitioner’s mindset. If one can ‘break ’ the mindset then there is often ‘no problem ’ as the answer or path to the answer is ‘obvious’. This paper establishes links to show that TRIZ has the capability of an extremely effective set of tools/approach to help break mindsets, and thus to solving problems effectively. The approach taken is by relating the TRIZ tools to the attributes that other authors have suggested as being associated with highly effective engineers. It is thus found that the TRIZ tools have a significant place in the skills base of the highly effective engineer