Generally, it seems that more time and effort is applied toward identifying and avoiding problems than on analysis or design. This, of course, has never seemed unreasonable to me since this it is all part and parcel of the engineering process. It seemed reasonable-until this summer.
Project management, as a practice, has parallels to engineering. Projects ought to simply complete on time, within budget, and to specification. Almost any deviation from plan will increase cost, delay progress, and possibly threaten performance of the final product. Thus, much emphasis is placed on what might go wrong so that potential conundrums can be discussed and worked around.
For example, Jane, my wife, asked me to work with her on several projects around the house. In discussing how we might put in a new brick walkway, my inclination was to identify difficulties that might arise for each idea. In hindsight, this is a rather foolhardy way to proceed with family and friends; after all, it is only a brick walkway. Yet, my disinclination was seconded by a friend, also an accomplished project manager and engineer, who volunteered that brick walkways ought to have only straight lines and right angles. Jane, an artist, has her own disinclinations - straight lines and right angles are among them. Thus, the completed walkway has only curves and circles, and it undulates with the topography of the front yard. I must admit, as does my engineer/project manager's wife, it is a thing to behold. In the final analysis, Jane had the right vision, and it reminded me of so many projects she and I have experienced before. Almost uniformly, she knew what ought to be done and her thinking remained intact. Her emphasis is that once the vision is in place, we ought to get on with it; mine, to proceed carefully, is a good compliment when not overdone.
This experience is reminiscent of many occasions I have witnessed in industry where the engineer or the project manager, as a conditioned problem solver and problem avoider, projected pessimism or negativity that exceeded the needs of the project. Yes, I know that we have to keep the sales force and proposal engineers honest and see to it that all of their promises to customers and management can be met, but our concerns can be overstated and counterproductive.
There is one more point: people would rather work with optimists than pessimists. That is why optimistic/pro-active individuals are very much more frequently promoted. Of course, most engineers do not suffer such pessimism, but for some who might wonder if their career is going neither far nor fast enough, perhaps an attitude check is in order. Is it possible that for some, their good engineering education and conditioning has turned against them? The real gift of our profession is a constructive one - getting the job done without problems.