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Inside the Barrel

The Importance of Establishing Commonality in Communication

The Importance of Establishing Commonality in Communication

In 1995, the English band "Led Zeppelin" was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One of the songs on side two of Led Zeppelin's debut album was "Communication Breakdown".Whether it is this classic song, the band Genesis' "No Reply At All", lack of communication is a recurring theme among songwriters. Lack of communication is also a recurring theme in the failure of teams and projects. One way to help ensure effective communication in your workforce is to ensure everyone on your team has a common starting point.If your team uses common language, terminology, and methodologies, the team is more likely to have a smoother and more consistent flow of ideas, and in the end, achieve more.A good starting point in establishing commonality among team members is to have all members possess a common certification.This will help to ensure a common language and methodology. Effective communication and transfer of ideas will increase, producing a better product than would otherwise result if poor communication continued. Many industries are characterized by certifications. Attorneys pass the bar exam and realtors obtain their real estate license.The Systems Engineering field also benefits from having a members achieve commonality.The International Council of Systems Engineers (INCOSE) lays out the history of commonality for Engineers in their training course, noting that back in 1962, "A Methodology of Systems Engineering" was authored by Arthur David Hall III.Still available for sale, the book is one of the earliest significant texts written about Systems Engineering. The year 1969 saw the introduction of MILSTD 499A, which established standards so that engineering planning and the subsequent output could be judged.Other Systems Engineering texts followed, including EIA 632 in 1998 followed by IEEE 1220 in 1999.Finally, in 2008, the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission released the ISO/IEC 15288:2008. This document currently serves an effective publication to lend standardization of Systems Engineering. Knowledge of the ISO/IEC 15288:2008 is a great starting document to establish commonality with your Systems Engineering team.The next step is to have your team certified.This would validate your team's understanding of Systems Engineering knowledge. Two organizations offer two common certifications in Systems Engineering.The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) offers the Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering (SPRDE) certification, and the aforementioned INCOSE offers the ASEP certification.Both these certifications trace back to the ISO/IEC 15288:2008. In order to help minimize "Communication Breakdown" within your Systems Engineering team, a good starting point is having team members who are certified in Systems Engineering, either from DAU or INCOSE.