BE Radio January 1996 Contract Engineering The engineering professional By William Fawcett You probably have read or heard numerous references to "professionalism" that emphasize the importance of personal appearance, business structures, communication skills or membership in professional organizations. While all these are important, they may have little to do with true professionalism. The dictionary defines professionalism as "professional character, spirit or methods." This implies that professionalism actually runs much deeper than organizational skills or depth of knowledge. It concerns character. Consider the following issues: Confidentiality The broadcast engineer will often be privy to critical business information well before most other staff at a station. For example, format changes may require new studios, or changes in ownership may require facility appraisals. The contract engineer who serves multiple stations in a single market is in an even more precarious situation. Your professional reputation (i.e., "success") depends on how you handle the confidentiality issue. When a client goes on a fishing expedition to squeeze you for such information about a competitor, a good first response is to say "Oh, I don't know," or, "Hard to say," with a blank look on your face. Your body language will usually throw the client off, and hopefully the topic will turn elsewhere. Outright lying doesn't work well for many folks, and a stern rebuke might make things uncomfortable. If the client knows better than to believe your "I don't know," and therefore persists, then a matter-of-fact, "Well, I don't tell WXYZ about your business, so you can't expect me to talk about theirs," will usually diffuse the situation without offending. On the other hand, if the topic is a matter of public record, such as an FCC filing that has been formally processed by the Commission, or is available for public inspection, it may be acceptable to divulge information, to the extent that it is indeed public. To make sure your client knows you understand what confidentiality is, preface your reply like this: "Yes, this is a matter of public record: WXYZ has filed an application for voluntary assignment of license." Having a subcontractor copy and supply that application from the FCC files for your client is another "firewall" technique. You generally shouldn't have to supply your complete client list to any new client for their review -- it's probably none of their business. However, in a situation where you could be working for two fierce competitors, being up front with both of them could save a lot of trouble down the road. You might even want to avoid such problems entirely by looking elsewhere for business when you already have one of these competing stations as a client. The worst-case scenario occurs when you are privy to confidential information from one client that might drastically impact another one of your client's plans. Ethically, you must mentally divide the two clients' projects. Nobody said this was going to be easy. Purchasing If you are a broadcast engineer with extensive purchasing duties, consider taking a purchasing seminar oriented toward Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) certification. Not only will it make you a better buyer, but it will open your eyes to the ethical issues at stake. Volumes have been written on purchasing ethics. The following are a few highlights: 1) Don't buy from "friends" because they are friendly. Buy for price and service. Many contract engineers may count broadcast vendors as "friends," and speak to them frequently. But to deviate from effective purchasing techniques for the sake of such "friendship" not only affects the client's bottom line, it is also a set-up for corruption and embezzlement. 2) When you solicit bids, make the vendors understand that they should give it their best shot the first time. It is counterproductive to allow them to play the game of undercutting your best bid by three dollars (and "throw in the freight"). But worse yet, you betray the trust of the other vendors who made a good-faith effort. 3) Everyone loves a good horse-trade, and the used broadcast equipment market lends itself to that pursuit. The contract engineer will often become an agent in the middle of a haggling session between two clients over used equipment, or perhaps a tower lease. Strive to ensure that both parties get a good deal, and then make sure they both understand that they both got a good deal. Speak well of others (or not at all) This may seem out of place, but I believe it is very important. You've probably seen this principle at work among doctors or lawyers: In most cases, no matter what your doctor/attorney thinks of another doctor's/attorney's performance, your doctor/attorney won't badmouth the other. It's often tough to swallow in contract engineering, such as when your competition runs a jack-leg outfit billing at half your rate, and when it seems you spend half your time cleaning up his messes. And then a prospective client ask you what you think of Johnny Electron, Contract Engineer. Best response: "Yeah, I know him, and he seems like a nice fellow, but let me tell you what I have to offer." As a consultant, you may be called in to evaluate the installation, upkeep and maintenance of a broadcast facility. In such a case you may have to "tell it like it is," but remember that a shoddy facility is often more a reflection of the station's budget than the engineer's competence. Confine your assessment to the current conditions, and avoid speculating about who's to blame for them or why. Your resolve to speak well of others will be sorely tested when you lose a client to Johnny Electron and you see the facility go downhill. You have every right to be upset, but at that point you have nothing to gain by speaking out. No compromise Do you do your client a favor by letting him or her take a few shortcuts? Why buy a distribution amp when you can twist a few wires together? (I think the record for stacked spade lugs on a barrier strip is 12.) Used equipment (i.e., "someone else's problem") or really cheap new equipment may seem like a bargain, but is it always? As a professional, you know what the long-term results of such decisions are, and you must forcefully convey those to your client. Be realistic, and avoid being a prima-donna, but don't let stupidity reign. For example, one engineer's client wanted him to install a transmitter in a garden shed. While the engineer wasn't crazy about having to squat on a dirt floor full of mouse droppings, in a shack that was either ice-cold or oven-hot, his real concern was for the rapid deterioration of the equipment in such an environment. As Kenny Rogers says, "You got to know when to walk away..." Accountability You probably have the keys to your clients' facilities. You certainly have access to remote sites. And undoubtedly, no one else at any of your stations knows what all that stuff is. It's easy to "borrow" a part, or a spool of wire, but make sure there is a formal accounting for all such transactions. More importantly, your hours are such that perhaps no one really knows when you come and go. Make sure your billing accurately reflects the time you spend on the job. Detailed invoices are a help. Some engineers will knock a half-hour off their bills here and there for time spent chatting with the receptionist. Perhaps a better solution is to avoid the chat in the first place. It makes a better impression with the GM who has no way of knowing if your are billing for that "consultation." Remember, you're a professional, and you've got work to do. Get a life One of broadcasting's great mentors was the late entrepreneur/engineer/attorney John Mullaney. John was best known as the "Father of the Folder Unipole," but what really stood out in his life was his devotion to coaching boy's basketball. You will be a better person, and a better professional if your life includes more than broadcast engineering. Furthermore, you have a better chance of being treated by your clients like a real person if you act like a real person. Maintaining a balance between work, family and community will permit you to better serve your client when you are on the job. Short-term business gains can be made with investments in new technology, or aggressive promotion. But in the long run, clients that will stick with you will do so because they trust you, and they feel good about working with you. Character counts in other professions besides politics. As you begin a new year, these are some issues to consider and to emplace, if you aspire to be a true professional. copyright 1996 Intertec Publishing Corporation