3 Steps to Talk Confidently about Industrial Automation 😏

Summary: You may be new to industrial controls and automation, but don't let that diminish you participation and ability to be confident.  By setting the right expectations and building a technical resource network, you have all you need to speak confidently about industrial controls.

Introduction

Are you a recent graduate about to start a new job? Or possibly you are changing industries and are new to industrial automation.  It can be very intimidating venturing into a new space where we don't have experience.  We have all been there.

A lack of confidence shows up in your actions.  Humans seem to subconsciously detect when others lack confidence, which may result in some doubt in your response.  Confidence has a big impact on whether or not we perceive someone as trustworthy or an authority.

You don't have to enter into a new job or a new industry as an expert before you can talk with others.  The good news is that you can speak confidently, despite having much still to learn.  Below is what I have learned from my 20+ years of experience.  I am not an expert but hopefully you will find it useful.  Here are my 3 tips for speaking confidently about industrial controls.

1. Set the right expectation... FOR YOURSELF

• You are not an expert, and that is OK.  
• Don't debate with yourself if you have what it takes.
• Don't pretend you are an expert.

If you are just starting out, be honest with yourself.  You don't know everything.  How could you?  And guess what... No one expects someone that is new to a role to be an instant expert.  

You should have confidence in your ability to learn and do the job well... after all, you were offered the job.  The hiring manager likely felt you have the right background, education and/or experience to learn and to do what is needed in the job to be a success.  An independent third party has confidence in you, so stop debating if you have what it takes. Go do it!

And finally, don't feel like you have to portray that you are an expert.  Don't put undue pressure on yourself.  Pretending will likely manifest as being unsure or possibly ignorant, which is counterproductive.  It's somewhat freeing to know you don't have to be something you are not... just be honest from the start, and confident that you can get there.

2. Set the right expectation... FOR OTHERS

• Be upfront about your experience.
• Preface your response with an appropriate qualifier.

Honesty again is the best policy.  If you are interacting with someone for the first time, let them know a little bit about yourself, such as your background and that you are new to the role/industry.  How do you do this without coming across as a newbie that lacks confidence?  It's simple.  State factual information, and nothing more.  Don't embellish... again, your body language likely will be a tell if you are embellishing.  

Be ready for introductions with well-prepared sentence or two that quickly highlights your background and sets the proper expectation.  Imagine an introduction goes something like this.

"Hi, I am new to this industry. I recently graduated with an electrical engineering degree.  I have completed our product training and look forward to learning more about your applications."

Boom! Now you have set the proper expectation with the other person.  A reasonable person wouldn't expect someone new to the industry to be an instant expert, and you can speak confidently knowing you and they are on the same page.

Let's suppose you are asked a question for which you are not sure the answer.  That's ok, just be sure to qualify your response.  This is key in maintaining the proper expectation.  Let's imagine you are asked a product application question for which you are not sure the answer.  You could respond something like this...

"I am not certain, but it is my understanding that [your understanding]. However, I have an application resource that can verify.  I will contact them and get back to you."

Not only does this qualify the veracity of your response, but it also buys you some cover in case you are wrong (which will happen on occasion).  If it turns out your interpretation was incorrect, you likely didn't damage the fragile relationship trust because you didn't mislead the customer into thinking you know the answer.  In fact, when you follow up with the correct answer, you likely will build on that relationship trust. 

3. Build on your technical knowledge

• If unsure, ASK
• Learn by DOING where possible.
• Build a technical resource NETWORK

Use day-to-day activities to learn.  If something isn't clear, ASK!  Learn from your coworkers, customers, suppliers, not just the technical experts.  Likely you will find that others will recognize your interest in learning, which builds on their perception of you as being knowledgeable.

Learn by DOING, not just reading or discussing.  Of course, you shouldn't do this on your own.  Work with others that know how to do the work.  Learn how they do it and get feedback on your work.  Practice installing a product.  Try to do a calculation yourself.  Practice doing by designing a control scheme. Create a PLC program on a particular job.  You will likely find that you learn more by doing that anything else.

Finally, build a network of experts that you can lean on.  Make a plan that will help you pick up the knowledge that will help you in your role.  Have resources with whom you can bounce off ideas and hear their thoughts on your interpretations.  Not only does this help you gain knowledge, but you also build credibility with your customer base.  By mentioning your access to expertise in your network, likely your customer will feel more confident when you deliver your response.

BONUS Tip

Be careful about using definitive terms like "always" and "never".  Use terms like "likely", "rarely", "sometimes", "possibly" and others where appropriate and where their use will increase the accuracy of your statement.

Other Resources:

• More on industrial control topics

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Let us know in the comments.  What did I miss?  What would you add?  Help others build proper confidence and expertise in the industrial controls industry.