Joseph E. Greenawalt, PE
Ask me or tell me what needs to be accomplished and I will
find a way to get it done. I have acquired sufficient qualifications, skills
and experience to ensure success in almost any endeavor.
The World Book Dictionary primarily defines
qualification as "that which makes a person fit for a job, task, office
or function..." Most of us would become dissatisfied if our jobs were
restricted to what we are qualified to do. For most of us, we are driven
to acquire the qualifications in time to support what we would like to do. I
prefer to work with someone motivated to become qualified rather than with
someone who is fully qualified but unwilling to stretch.
My qualifications, as presented, are those I have acquired
through disciplined learning, formal certification processes and/or through
initiative and lessons learned. I have organized these qualifications into 9
areas (Licenses,
Technical,
Management,
Computer,
Leader/Coach,
Facilitator/Trainer,
Troubleshooter/Problem Solver,
Innovator and
Writer/Editor) that may be accessed by their
imbedded links. There is certainly overlap and many qualifications that are not
covered.
I began my formal engineering practice in Alaska in 1979
where I passed the 8-hour Fundamentals-of-Engineering Examination and registered
as an EIT or Engineer-in-Training. Over 4-years later when I had sufficient
qualifying experience, I passed the 8-hour Principles and Practices of
Engineering Examination in the State of Ohio and registered to become a licensed
Professional Engineer (PE). Over 10-years later, I registered as a Licensed
Professional Engineer in Texas where I now live.
I have always enjoyed the technical and analytical
applications of science and mathematics. I have always excelled in these areas
and enjoy the discovery learning processes. Most of the qualifications provided
under this link deal with effective application of technology.
An inherent discomfort in meeting and dealing with
strangers has always been a liability for me. I have actively pursued
activities and education to help me rationally face and overcome this
challenge. A cup of coffee too many is all that is necessary to help me to
easily slide from a borderline to a predominant INTJ (Myers-Briggs).
I do not have certifications in any software application.
Most of the software capabilities listed were learned as a consequence of the
availability of the hardware and software, and its helpfulness as a tool to do
my work. I can learn other systems and software applications as it becomes
necessary for success. I would be handicapped without my laptop and personal
data assistant (PDA)/cell phone.
I became a leader at a very early age as the catcher on a
baseball team. I helped pitchers throw great games by providing encouragement,
signs and well-placed targets. I became highly successful in throwing runners
out that attempted to steal. I enjoyed coming to bat with the bases loaded and
two outs. I learned from my dad (my coach) that leadership is turning mistakes
and shortfalls into valuable experience.
Effective leadership or coaching concentrates on what we
can do, now. It is usually not possible to undo damage and
blaming is counterproductive.
I strive to be the best employee, supervisor, manager and
colleague that each of my associates has ever worked with while pushing
performance and productivity to continuously higher levels.
I have a talent for getting things done, even when I am
not in charge (facilitating and coordinating). I have technical instructor
experience and training including instructional systems development and job task
analyses. I can and have provided training for employees and colleagues on
many subjects. I prefer to build on vendor provided materials and then augment
them to fit specific needs or applications.
I have training and a lot of experience in Problem
Solving. It helps to be able to draw a picture and explain what is supposed to
happen. The solution often lies in correcting the process or procedure. Root
cause analysis and proper problem definition can save wasted effort on fixing
symptoms rather than the actual problem.
It is always a challenge to find a better solution when
people opposed to change own the problems. I may have lost a client when I
stated that the definition of "insanity" was "doing the same things the same way
and expecting different results."
I have always liked to explore what makes things tick and
how to improve upon them. When I was a pre-teen (early '60s), I sought a patent
for the hand-held battery powered personal fan but was thwarted by parents who
thought it was a silly idea.
Innovation changes everything. We can talk to people on
the other side of the earth and we can freeze things using steam. It doesn't
take genius to innovate—I earned a cash award for formally suggesting
installation of storm windows on a facility near Fairbanks, Alaska.
The form and structure of written communications can
enhance or detract from the communication goal. Lotus, Corel, Novel and
Microsoft business software have eased my task of written communications. Early
in my career, I frustrated clerical staff with numerous changes to my work. Now
I can prepare nearly all of my documents to suit my needs for quality,
perfection and professional image without necessarily dragging unwilling
participants into the process. I am solely responsible for the content of
this website.
| 
