1- The introduction of this video was a topic that certainly did catch my attention when the chief engineer stated how to use “abstract tools” on the field that would make a Systems Engineer stand out and apart from what is considered the norm. The final touch of a successful SE is what he is referring to in these “tools” on being a Systems Engineer. For example the use of the artist’s mechanisms such as , painting strategies, canvas material, and choosing the right brush to perfect the art of painting and construct a true masterpiece, but in his case successfully managing and completing a complex project. Before this video honestly I had never put thought into the exact meaning of what a Systems Engineer would be, and what the task of a person in such a profession would entail in the field. 

The first attribute that I found more relation to was the overall big picture view. Or in other words always being versatile and thinking outside the box, as an electrician working on big projects, I experienced firsthand the incompetence of managers who couldn’t see the big picture. A Systems Engineer was described clearly to me when the chief engineer drew a sketch of certain tasks, how each engineer is assigned to their respective task, also by what means an SE applies the business and technical needs for the client. Now I know that an SE truly holds a lot of responsibility and dedication to their job, they have to be on their toes from start to finish, having everything planned accordingly through documentation, meeting status quos, and the right analysis.

The second characteristic that I found I needed to further develop is the sense of accepting proper paranoia, which I think deals with the idea of cautious pragmatism in the systems engineering atmosphere. To learn to be cautious about the possibility of a task not being done 100% as required goes back to the idea that requirements change, so we have to have that concept in the back of our minds when we do our work. I believe that this characteristic is difficult to accept and develop as a quality and not consider it as a defect in our emotional stability, and that is mostly due to the negative connotation of the word. However, in the case of systems engineering and in fact engineering as a whole, to be “paranoid” about the work we do helps us to double-check our work and to make certain that we are being accurate in our tasks. It also helps us consider the overall requirements surrounding our tasks so we can conduct our work in a focused manner that meets those requirements.
I was drawn into the video and Mr. Lee’s presentation profoundly because he made his case for each characteristic of systems engineers in terms that the audience could relate to and compare against their own experience. He also helped the viewers reassess our own personality traits and ask ourselves how well we would fit into a systems engineering role given the set of qualities presented. It was an inspirational account from a source that is clearly respectable, experienced, and seems to have a legitimate interest in helping interested engineers understand the concept of systems engineering better. I think that those of us still at a beginner to mid-level engineering career can really benefit from this seminar because we are at a stage where we can consciously form a foundation in our career path where we can grow to be real systems engineers.