To the Editor:
I recently returned from a trip to Austin, Texas, for NI Week 2006. Held by National Investments, the world’s largest engineering virtual instrumentation and control company, the conference brings together people from around the world. The RPI students who accompanied me and presented their work electrified the audience, which consisted of about 2000 engineers. I spent quite a bit of time with two of the three co-founders of NI: Jeff Kodosky, an RPI alumnus and presently an NI Fellow, and James Truchard, the CEO of NI. The feeling that I have had working with NI is that the company culture is one of mutual respect and focus on solving the problem for the customer. As I learned from Jeff K. and Dr T., as they are affectionately called, this culture was ingrained 30 years ago when they created the company. It has never been about them; it has always been instead about the NI employees and their customers. As Jeff K. said to me in passing, if the CEO comes late to work, he parks the farthest away from the building, and the desk he goes to is no bigger than that of an intern. This fact exemplifies a culture that breeds success, personal satisfaction, and mutual growth. Why is this culture such an anomaly?
Lou Gerstner, IBM CEO from 1993-2002, said in his book Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance that in turning IBM around “culture isn’t just one aspect of the game—it is the game.” Harvard’s former president, Lawrence Summers, has said: “In the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rented car.” This quotation, often used by editorial writer Thomas Friedman, suggests that without real ownership, there is no responsibility felt for solving problems—they are always someone else’s responsibility. Changing culture—attitude and behavior —and instilling ownership is what is desperately needed in corporations, schools and universities, and government.
As each of us gets older, as our children grow up and we have more free time, we often look for ways to serve others. While I was taking Hospice volunteer training this past year, a trainee asked what the volunteer should be feeling when visiting a patient. One of the trainees responded with the words—“It’s not about me.” One could not find a better summary for the attitude one should have in dealing with others—family, co-workers, friends, and strangers.
Our nation is presently facing many crises—energy, deficit, health care, environment, security, and education. Only action solves problems; where is the problem-solving action in this country? There is a creeping apathy in this country—a lack of enthusiasm and interest in addressing and solving our problems. Only an “it’s not about me” attitude gets problems solved. As an engineer, I feel we strive to exemplify that attitude as well as anyone. The story of engineering is inspirational. Engineers solve problems to help people. Engineers are independent thinkers who work in teams with people of all backgrounds and ideologies to develop the optimal solution for the problem at hand. Engineers focus on solving problems and welcome any and all suggestions. This should happen in all walks of life. It happens at NI and at the best companies and universities in the world—but it is the exception, however, not the norm. It all comes down to respect. My friend Peter van Breemen, a senior Jesuit priest, says: “Respect is to acknowledge the worth of others as they are—not as we would like them to be.” The culture of mutual respect and focus on serving our fellow man will change the world—nothing else will. I like to think that the engineering profession understands this; NI certainly understands this and puts it into practice. Whenever “it becomes about me,” I don’t listen, I don’t serve, I don’t focus on solving the problem. Each one of us should remind ourselves several times a day that “it’s not about me!” and see the wonderful changes that result in ourselves and the people around us. Try it!
Kevin Craig
Professor
Mechanical Engineering
