Article By the Past President
By Jeremy Achter, SEAU Past President
“You don’t know what you don’t know.” My dad used to say this to me all the time, and as a result, I’ve thought it to myself many times over my 50 years. There is obviously some validity to the statement in everyday life. When I was a much younger engineer (and even occasionally now that I’m not so young), I would often wonder if this phrase might sneak up on me. Whether it was how I was responding to a client’s difficult question, applying a seemingly obscure code provision, or waiting for the ever-dreaded plan review to pop through on the fax machine (yes, I’m old enough to have received them via fax). The fact is, we are responsible for knowing lots of information.
I often wondered if I would miss something simply because I didn’t know. While ignorance isn’t a valid argument for errors, and certainly not for failing to comply with the building code, it can be used as a catalyst to prevent them. Sort of like “scaring us straight”. As engineers, we rely on rigorous study, mentors, co-workers, and even competitors to learn and to reduce the number of “if I had only known…” situations.
Now that I have the opportunity to spend more time mentoring younger and newer engineers, I try to keep this adage in mind and to take the opportunity to teach whenever possible. I feel a bit like I failed when a mentee argues that they “didn’t know”. Perhaps I didn’t do a good job explaining the why, where, and how, “to know”. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that I was in the same position.
As I reflect on my third and final year on the SEAU Board after having also served as secretary-treasurer from 2013-2015, the old adage has snuck up on me again, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
Involvement in SEAU isn’t just service to the profession, it’s much more than that. It’s service to ourselves and critically important to the success of our firms and the practice of structural engineering.
Structural Engineering is hard, as I alluded to earlier. It’s mentally demanding and can be emotionally taxing. I guess that’s one of the draws that attracts many of us. But the fact is, we don’t practice in a bubble. From code interpretations to client relations to business management, what every firm believes and practices affects all of us. And there’s no better venue than SEAU to learn the nuances.
The SEAU Board (and every committee) takes the responsibility very seriously. Although it is a volunteer position, hours and hours are donated every month on behalf of Utah structural engineers. It should be obvious that we are better for it. Service on a committee or the Board leads to relationships that will make you a better engineer, and dare I say, a better person, maybe you’ll even make a friend. I guarantee that you’ll learn something along the way. All of this leads to a better profession. So, when you are wandering around the exhibit hall at the upcoming SEAU Education Conference and see the table advertising committee involvement, ask yourself if you know everything you think you know.
