Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Strategies for Delivering a Presentation to a Hostile Audience

By

Strategies for Delivering a Presentation to a Hostile Audience is a guest post by Shoots Veis, P.E.
hostile audience

As engineers we often get the opportunity to work on great projects. We often transform the landscape through construction and make life safer and more efficient for the people using our infrastructure. However, not everyone is going to see it that way. Many of us have had to deliver a presentation to a hostile audience that does not think a certain project is the best idea. They come to the meeting with a preconceived notion of the project, not happy at the thought of what is proposed to be built.

If you are already a less than confident public speaker, speaking to this type of audience can be one of the hardest things to accomplish. They tend not to share your viewpoint, may have a dislike for technical answers, and may not value engineering expertise. Speaking to this type of crowd is never going to be easy, but there are a few things you can do to get ready.

[Read more…]

Why Engineers Make Great CEOs

By

Why Engineers Make Great CEOs is a guest blog by Thomas Anderson, P.E.

CEOsEngineering is the most common undergraduate degree of the Fortune 500 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). It has been for some time. Approximately one third of CEOs majored in engineering and only 11% graduated from business school. The Harvard Business Review has a list of the 100 best-performing CEOs on the planet.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos topped the list. Bezos earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science and electrical engineering from Princeton University. Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella is an engineer. General Motors’ Mary Barra as well. Carlos Ghosn of Nissan and Dennis Muilenburg of Boeing also have engineering backgrounds. Ursula Burns, the CEO and chairman of Xerox Corporation started her career as an engineering intern. In fact, 24 of the top 100 CEO’s have a Bachelors or Master’s degree in engineering.

Engineers are a little bit different. Sometimes introverted and always good at the math, they build and fix things; complex things. They have a unique ways of looking at the world. The qualities below make engineers exceptionally good at leading companies.

CEOs

[Read more…]

4 Opportunities to Grow Your Leadership Skills

By

4 Opportunities to Grow Your Leadership Skills is a blog post by guest author
Patrick Sweet, P.Eng., MBA, ASEP
Leadership Skills

Leadership skills are crucial for engineers looking to take on more responsibility, and move into management. If you’ve ever read this blog, or anything I’ve written on leadership in the past, you’ll already know that.

What you might not know is how to develop your leadership skills. This is a constant struggle for engineers looking to break into leadership roles – how can you grow to become a leader if nobody gives you the chance to develop those skills in the first place? How you can get leadership experience if all leadership roles require previous leadership experience?

Today, I’m going to share five ways that you can grow your leadership skills, regardless of whether you already have a formal leadership role at work or not. Pursuing just one of these ideas over the next year can do amazing things for you personally  and your ability to lead others.

[Read more…]

How to Handle Conflict Resolution Questions During Engineering Job Interviews

By

How to Handle Conflict Resolution Questions During Engineering Job Interviews is a blog post by Nader Mowlaee

Engineering Job Interviews

In any type of interview, but especially in engineering job interviews, hiring managers ask questions about how you would deal with technical conflict. They want to know about your interpersonal skills and how you would deal with a problem in the office if it should arise, especially if the conflict is of a technical nature.

This is where you must utilize your interpersonal (soft) skills alongside of your technical (hard) skills to find a resolution. What’s also very important is how fast you can come up with a solution, even if it’s a temporary fix, because in many technology-oriented or industrial environments, having a technical problem or conflict could potentially lead to severe damages.

Why Hiring Managers Ask About Conflict

[Read more…]

Developing a Plan B When Giving Engineering Presentations

By

Developing a Plan B When Giving Engineering Presentations is a guest post by Shoots Veis, P.E.

The mutter of the crowd begins to subdue as the moderator asks people to settle into their seats for the next engineering presentation.  After a brief intro, the presenter steps to the front of the room.  After a smooth speech introduction, the speaker is just going to his first slide when the projector light goes out.  While the projector’s light is now dim, the look on the speaker’s face resembles that of a deer in the headlights.

We have all seen something like this happen.  If you are unlucky, it has happened to you.  What happens next depends on your speech preparation.  If you included a Plan B as part of your speech preparation, then you can move on from the mishap with little disruption.  Most likely, you will impress the audience with your grasp of the subject matter and your ability to carry on without the projector.

[Read more…]

5 Key Skills You Can Build to Manage Conflict in the Workplace

By

5 Key Skills You Can Build to Manage Conflict in the Workplace
is a guest blog by Walter Bodell

Manage Conflict

Conflict is an inevitable part of life. People with the healthiest relationships, both personally and professionally, understand and recognize this fact. Rather than trying to simply avoid conflict, they learn to manage conflict and work through it. Developing good conflict resolution skills for the workplace is possibly one of the most important things you can do to create a healthy working environment both for yourself and for others. By learning to manage and resolve conflict in the workplace, you can make yourself an invaluable part of almost any team. Here are 5 critical elements to you can use to manage conflict in the workplace.

[Read more…]

3 Things You Need to Know to Engineer Resolution

By

Engineer ResolutionOne thing that is certain to happen in your engineering career is conflict.  This isn’t because the engineering profession is more prone to conflict than accounting or that engineers tend to be a contentious lot.  It’s because, as in any profession, you’ll find people.  Wherever there are people you will find conflict.  Because of this, it’s important to develop a basic understanding of the three things you need to know to engineer resolution.

[Read more…]

What Engineers Should Look for When Choosing Career Mentors

By

This is a guest post by Carol Evenson
Career Mentors

If you are one of almost 2 million engineers in the United States looking for a mentor, then you have made a smart career decision. Studies show receiving mentoring from the right career mentor can make a measurable difference. So, what should you look for in career mentors? Here’s some suggestions.

[Read more…]

Why Communication for Engineers Is so Important

By

 

Why Communication for Engineers Is so Important is a
guest blog by Thomas A. Anderson, P.E:

Communication for Engineers

Do you remember the telephone game?

In school, you and your classmates tried to pick a phrase and “pass it on” by whispering it to the person next to you. Then the phrase was passed from person to person until the last person announced the phrase. How much did the phrase change during the game? As people relay message from one person to the other, the message will often be distorted.

While the game is a lot of fun. It also teaches us important lessons.

  • If you do not receive information from a reliable source, you may not get the correct information. It turns into gossip.
  • If you do not produce information properly, it will not be received as planned

Communication skills are vital to success in your personal life and your engineering career. Poorly delivered messages can turn into misunderstanding, frustration, or even a disaster.

By practicing communication, you will understand more of what people say. Your family, friends, and co-workers will have the confidence to come to you when they find themselves in need.

What are the keys to clear communication?

[Read more…]

Three Salary Negotiation Tips for a Better Engineering Job Offer

By

This is a blog post by Nader Mowlaee

Salary NegotiationRegardless of your job title, or what kind of engineer you are, at some point in your career, you will likely engage in a salary negotiation. Asking for more money or a better job is a daunting prospect. What if your employer says no? What if you lose your job?

Calm down and don’t panic — salary negotiations happen all the time.

Before you ask for a pay increase or talk about your salary expectations in a new job interview, follow these 3 steps. I promise they will significantly boost your chances of success.

1. Timing is Everything

[Read more…]