People who work in the field of engineering are bound to think critically and be analytical with matters on the job. The thought process of engineers and technicians is almost always systematic or step by step – bound to follow protocols, standards, codes, and scientific principles. For this, one can say that engineers and technicians operate by the textbooks.
But it does not have to be all the time. While engineering is such a technical field, there is also a need for creativity and crazy ideas to make things happen. The solutions to engineering problems do not have to follow checklists and operational methods – sometimes they lie in the wild imagination.
Also, it might be that what you believe as a stupid idea might be part of the conventional solutions, and it was only you who ruled it out to be out of the box. Your own bias could be the one disabling you to share what is inside your mind.
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When asked in a meeting about possible solutions to a certain problem, one word which can be considered crazy might help lead other people to have more realistic but great answers. You will never know how that crazy idea will spark ideas from your colleagues and let the conversation reach to a conclusion.
Of course it is a hit or miss. If it is the former, then good; you have a valuable input. If the latter, just do not be so hard on yourself and keep those crazy ideas coming. It is a risk worth taking anyway.
Indeed, it feels terrible to be judged after the meeting as the one who shared his or her stupid idea, but hey, at least you tried to contribute.
Just always think that your ideas, which might be crazy, will yield to the required solutions. That way you are not holding back on the “what ifs” and not regret about keeping your suggestions to yourself.
Source: TIME
