ENGINEERING CHANGE® PODCAST

The Myth of Meritocracy in Engineering

Send us Fan MailIs engineering really a meritocracy?We’re taught that hard work, strong performance, and clear metrics determine who advances. But what if the system isn’t as objective as it seems?In this episode of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, I break down how “merit” is often interpreted, or even manufactured, not measured and how the systems we trust to evaluate performance can actully distort it.In this episode: Why performance without context is incomplete and often misinterpreted.How shifting standards and uneven scrutiny reshape who advances.What happens when metrics become targets and start driving behavior instead of reflecting impact.Through real-world examples - from internship decisions to NSF review panels - this episode reveals how evaluation systems can manufacture merit instead of measure it.If you’ve ever questioned how decisions really get made in academia, engineering, or leadership, this conversation will change how you see performance, potential, and fairness.Ask yourself: Are we rewarding true impact, or just what’s easiest to measure?Grab a latte and listen.If this conversation resonates with you, follow ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® and leave a five-star review to help more engineers and leaders join the conversation.Visit the ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® podcast website to learn more and to request a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society.Support the showENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

There's No Such Thing as "Soft Skills" in Engineering

Send us Fan MailEngineering outcomes don’t happen in isolation—and understanding how engineering systems and organizational systems shape those outcomes is critical for effective engineering leadership.In this episode of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, I challenge one of the most persistent, misleading and, quite frankly, aggravating phrases in engineering: “soft skills.”There is nothing soft about teamwork, communication, and other people-centered professional competencies that determine whether engineering work succeeds.Using a systems lens, this episode examines how engineering outcomes are produced through interactions among people, across roles, and between organizations and the communities they serve. It also explores how narrow definitions of merit obscure the very contributions that hold teams, projects, and systems together. (More to come on this in Episode 32).Through real-world examples and personal reflection, I make the case for eliminating the term “soft skills” altogether and replacing it with a more accurate understanding of what engineering work actually requires, and thus, what our organizations should recognize and value.In this episode: Why the term “soft skills” fails to describe critical engineering capabilities  How people, relationships, and context shape engineering outcomes  What traditional definitions of merit overlook  Why expanding what we value strengthens engineering systems If this conversation resonates with you, follow ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® and leave a five-star review to help more engineers and leaders join the conversation.Visit the ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® podcast website to learn more and to request a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society.Support the showENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

What Systems Lose When Fear Leads

Send us Fan MailWhat happens to engineering systems when fear shapes the conditions under which people work, or are allowed to work?In this episode of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, I examine how fear-driven decisions inside organizational systems can reshape their capacity to produce research, education, and societal outcomes, and not for the better.Drawing from lived experience and patterns emerging across institutions, this conversation explores how organizational systems lose capacity, expertise, and knowledge when silence replaces truth and optics replace accuracy. This episode invites listeners to reflect on the often invisible organizational inputs that shape engineering outcomes and what leaders must be willing to see if our systems are to serve society effectively.In this episode:How fear reshapes organizational decision-makingWhat happens when systems lose people, knowledge, and capacityWhy engineering outcomes depend on organizational conditionsA “System Check” reflection for leaders responsible for engineering and research outcomesIf this conversation resonates with you, follow ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® and leave a five-star review to help more engineers and leaders join the conversation.Visit the ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® podcast website to learn more and to request a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society.Support the showENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

REDEFINE Engineering

Send us Fan MailENGINEERING CH∆NGE® is Back!If you checked out the reboot trailer, you know this season is more focused, more structured, and more intentional.This episode is a reminder of the foundational framework for ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®...  REDEFINE.REDEFINE helps us examine the dimensions of engineering work that shape outcomes:RE-image who we see as engineers and what we see as engineering;DE-silo our approach to academic programs, research, and problem solving; FINE-tune organizational conditions so people with different backgrounds and perspectives can contribute fully to outcomes that serve all of society.Throughout this season, we’ll return to these three elements as we explore leadership, ethics, convergence, community engagement, and other aspects of our organizational systems. This episode lays the foundation and context for what's to come.The System CheckThis episode also introduces The System Check, a closing reflection you’ll hear each week.It’s a structured pause to help you look more clearly at the system you’re operating in. This episode asks:How is engineering defined in your context, by language, imagery, and context?What conditions shape who is able to contribute meaningfully, and when?How often do you step back to examine whether the system you’re part of is designed to support the outcomes it claims to value?Because change begins with how clearly we see.If You’re Glad ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® Is BackFollow the show so you don’t miss the rest of the season.Leave a 5-star rating and short written review; it helps other agents of change find the podcast.Share this episode with a colleague who cares about strengthening engineering from the inside out.Thanks for being part of this next chapter of ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®!Visit the ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® podcast website to learn more and to request a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society.Support the showENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.

ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® Season 5 Trailer: The Work Continues

Send us Fan MailWe're gearing up for the launch of Season 5 on Wednesday, February 25. We have a new format that builds more strongly than ever on our REDEFINE℠ framework and centers people-centered change in organizational systems. Check out this trailer to discover what we have in store!Visit the ENGINEERING CHΔNGE® podcast website to learn more and to download a free copy of my new brief, Engineering for Society.Support the showENGINEERING CHΔNGE® is a registered trademark held by Dr. Yvette E. Pearson for producing and providing podcasts.