WHAT DOES AN ENGINEER LOOK LIKE IN FIRST GRADE?
Anderson’s friends were little girls with physical and
background differences, but they eventually shared the goal of, perseverance
for, and accomplishment of becoming engineers. Also, these friends are in
different engineering disciplines.
HATING MATH
In elementary school Gutierrez-Anderson hated math and
science. In middle school, however, a fantastic science and math teacher helped
her discover and love algebra.
Thelma had earned all A’s through seventh grade. Her male high school counselor, while
enrolling her in eighth grade, said she needed to have all honors classes.
Thelma admitted that she was incredibly shy, didn’t talk, and didn’t raise her
hand. Still she enrolled in those honors classes.
WHAT AN ENGINEER LOOKS LIKE
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| Then and now |
Thelma is a first-generations American. Her parents spoke
little English, but they hammered education. Barely above the poverty line, her
parents stressed, “You are going to college,” although they didn’t know how to
pay for it.
Her counselor pitched Thelma’s attending the Science Academy
of South Texas, established in 1989 as a regional, public tuition-free magnet
school focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math. She seized the
opportunity, although it meant that she had to ride a bus to the school and
catch a second bus from there for a thirty-minute ride one way. Each year she
had STEM classes. During her freshman year, she built a robot out of Popsicle
sticks, a syringe, and water for fluid, and the bot actually picked up a ball.
Thelma was in the academy’s first graduating class.
Her college advisor encouraged her to apply for an internship with
Eaton, but she was too tired, only a freshman—she could intern later, and she
did not have enough time with the challenging courses. In fact, her advisor made her go
to his office, sit down right there, and apply. Awarded the scholarship, she
interned at Eaton each summer, Eaton gave her a scholarship, and when she
graduated from college, she worked and still works for Eaton.
Last September, she moved to Oklahoma. Prior to that, she
worked in Minnesota for twelve years. Gladly, she traded snow for tornadoes.
Eaton manages power for other companies. At Shawnee, she manages the supply
chain for motors that go into harvesters, construction and other equipment.
ENGINEERING SKILL SET
Once you can problem-solve, you can apply the techniques to
other aspects of life or jobs. For example, Thelma earned her degree in
electrical engineering. At Eaton, she has become a design engineer, a
manufacturing engineer, a marketing manager (five years with four rotations in
three years), and a supply chain manager (her third role in supply chain). While
in manufacturing, Eaton placed her in its Leadership Development Program.
[Eaton’s corporate leadership development program with five
separate areas prepares participants for future functional and/or technological
leadership positions by offering added rotational assignments, experience with
Eaton’s new products and technologies, high- level interaction, networking, and
formal training in technical skills and leadership. In short, LDP participants
are trained, and mentored for larger responsibilities at higher management
levels.]
A strong advocate for women in leadership, Thelma added that
at Eaton management analyzes how to get more women into senior management positions.
THELMA's 10 RULES OF THUMB
- Mentors—Formal or Informal
- Candid Conversations
- Ambiguity
- Continuous Improvement
- Business Acumen
[“Business acumen is keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.” Components are “an acute perception of the dimensions of business issues,” making “sense out of complexity and an uncertain future,” being “mindful of the implications of a choice for all the affected parties,” being “decisive” and “flexible” if warranted. Reilly & Reilly]
- Business Strategy
Know how to develop business strategy. For
example, Thelma managed a $45 million product line and grew it to $85 million
in five years. No one told her how. She had to figure it out. Seasoned
professionals around her were not her teachers. Learning opportunities and
risks, she created, or engineered, a path to growth.
- Business Financials
Opportunity and pitches fall flat without
numbers. Although Thelma hates accounting, she had to overcome her gap and is
now comfortable with financial numbers.
Don’t downplay your efforts. Sometimes frustrated, Thelma couldn’t see where she was going. When people ask her how she did or accomplished something, she tells them.
Don’t downplay your efforts. Sometimes frustrated, Thelma couldn’t see where she was going. When people ask her how she did or accomplished something, she tells them.
- Mistakes
Acknowledge your mistakes. Thelma said that
she made many, many of which she had the opportunity to fix. She always learned
from her mistakes.
- Stretch
Stretch yourself. For Thelma, stretching
herself was not comfortable. She—you—must be willing to adapt. Change is hard
for many. If Thelma needs to change because the customer is changing, the
global economy is changing, or other factors change, she changes. You must change when necessary.
- Inspire
Inspire others. Thelma may not be the youngest
person in a room. Still sometimes she is the only woman present. She as well as
Eaton wants other women in manufacturing and in leadership positions.
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| Gutierrez-Anderson talking with FIRST competitors/mentees |
What does a supply chain manager do?
A manufacturing company cannot build a product without
components from other companies. Getting and producing products involves time,
transportation, the right supplies, material flow, risk, alignment with the
company’s or the business world’s growth plan, and more. For example, Gutierrez-Anderson
said that a motor might take four weeks of lead time whereas the materials to
make it make take 20 weeks. She defined lead
time as “the amount of time to get your product.”
Supply chain managers guess or forecast, order, and plan. As
an example, supply chain risks are a company’s going out of business,
anticipating financials, noncompliance with laws or regulations, and supplier
capacity. A supply chain manager must keep tabs on the markets. For instance,
she predicts a spike in demand for equipment in Brazil because of the Olympics.
Also, although Eaton does not make robots, robots are used in manufacturing.
What impacts robots or robotics is noteworthy.
[For one supply chain job description, read or Google the topic.
ABOUT EATON
Eaton manages helps other companies manage power. Eaton’s
three areas are fluid, hydraulic, and mechanical power.
Gutierrez-Anderson has worked for Eaton so long—about 20
years—because its values closely align with her own. Eaton
- Does business right
- Promotes safety
- Promotes environmental sustainability
- Promotes more inclusivity
Eaton helps other businesses such as Boeing, John Deere,
Airbus, Ford, and Chrysler do more with less by managing power in more
effective ways. Eaton designs ways for client companies to have sustainability,
reduce cost, reduce energy, and more. Eaton’s power management assistance
extends into electrical, aerospace, hydraulic, LEED, liquid energy, food
production, hydraulics, and vehicles among other business areas. In short,
indirectly Eaton touches all of our lives.
When Gutierrez-Anderson began at Eaton, the company was at
$4 ½ billion and now it is a $21 billion company with a diverse culture. Eaton
has research and development (R&D), strong leadership, many other strong
areas, and an international presence. When she began, Eaton had only one
innovation center. Now it has five with over 10,000 patents. Gutierrez-Anderson
said that attendees should explore future career opportunities at Eaton.
