Stuff you don't learn in engineering school

New engineers often leave school with technical know-how but without workplace savvy. Many if not most young engineers emerge from school with fabulous technical talent but little ability in the "soft" skills or even the realization of how important such skills are. They include making decisions, setting priorities, working in teams, running meetings, and negotiating. When students eventually hit the workplace, they may find their soft skills woefully undeveloped. Who will teach them then? That's the goal of this series of articles: to acquaint readers with the most important nontechnical skills that every engineer needs to be more effective in the workplace and happier in life. In this article the author gives advice on effective communication: writing, speaking and listening.