Innovation Requires Multiple Perspectives

When leading business transformation projects over the last several years, I’ve learned that understanding a variety of perspectives has always been a key to success. Bringing a diverse group together to work the problem and innovate solutions has proven many times over to produce more effective and lasting results. In my line of work, this belief that breadth beats depth informs the decisions I make around project and change management, job candidate selection, and my own personal development. It also drives me to seek out and connect with those with deep subject matter expertise to tackle the biggest challenges that can’t be solved by working in one domain alone. To me, that is the essence of what engineering is in a broad sense.

Regardless of your preference for breadth or depth, there are many ways to engage in learning while an engineering student at OU or event as an alumnus. One upcoming opportunity is the Jerry Holmes Leadership Symposium held in Norman on March 8, 2018.

This biennial meeting is the premier event hosted by the Jerry Holmes Leadership Program for Engineers and Scientists whose mission is “to help Gallogly & Mewbourne students learn and practice the skills they will need to be effective and ethical leaders now and throughout their careers.” The symposium will feature opening remarks from Dean Tom Landers and Major General (Ret.) Jerry Holmes, inspirational speeches from industry leaders and entrepreneurs, and two opportunities to hear multiple perspectives from panel discussions featuring innovators and young alumni.

As an alumnus, I am personally honored to moderate the afternoon panel organized by OU Young Engineering Alumni (OUYEA). This panel will feature conversations between three OU engineering graduates with diverse backgrounds.

The four of us will discuss the importance of innovation as engineers and share personal stories about each of our careers. We will also look to the audience to shape the conversation by soliciting your own stories and perspectives on the topic.

Have a question or an idea for a conversation topic during our panel? Post it here in the comments or tweet it out to @drewharnish using the hashtag #JHLP2018. I hope to chat with you at the symposium on March 8.

To register for the Jerry Holmes Leadership Symposium, click here:

Drew Harnish thrives on implementing change in complex business environments. Currently, an internal consultant and project engineer with Lockheed Martin, Drew applies innovative thinking to lead transformational initiatives primarily in production and supply chain environments. His projects range from coaching senior production leaders in a "back-to-basics" approach for managing assembly operations to designing a new process to create alignment between company strategy, operational plans, and discretionary resource spending.

Harnish received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Oklahoma before beginning his career as a management consultant in Washington, D.C. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. Harnish also serves as mentorship chair for the OU Young Engineering Alumni Advisory Board and is a frequent columnist for Industrial and Systems Engineer Magazine. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife, son and dog.