In any industry, leadership is a real skill. That goes double for anyone in the engineering field. If you have recently moved to a management position, or have your eye on one in the future, you should check out these leadership books right now.
[Read more…] about The 8 Best Leadership Books You Need to Read
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In this episode, we talk to Joseph (Joe) Dardis, P.E., a Senior Structural Steel Specialist with the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) in Chicago, about what structural engineers should know about the evolving construction economy.
Here’s a data point that will NOT make your day if you are a leader in your firm.
“Seventy-four percent of employees feel they are missing out on company information and news.” It happens all the time.
Nadine, owner of a midsize professional services firm, describes her situation: “Every January, I give a state of the company address to the troops. The usual stuff: how we did last year, where we’re going this year, how excited/optimistic/cautious I am about the future, and so on. And for the next 12 months, every year, managers and staff ask me where we’re going, how we’re doing, etc.
“What am I doing wrong? I keep telling them what they want to know, but nobody seems to get it.”
Nadine’s story shows why communicating effectively is so tough. Consider the following.
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In this episode, we talk to Mary Ellen Bruce Large, P.E., D.GE, Regional Business Development and Client Care Program Manager at Nicholson Construction (formally the Director of Technical Activities for the Deep Foundations Institute) about the value of professional societies. She discuss five great benefits of joining professional societies and how engineers can get and stay involved.
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In this ‘episode, I talk to Gabe Lett, FSMPS, CPSM, LPC, author of THE AEC PROFESSIONAL’S GUIDEBOOK, and a marketing guru in the AEC industry that helps civil engineers find the right clients and projects for the maximum mutual benefit. In the episode, we talk about marketing and business development for civil engineers and why civil engineers should partner with their marketing professionals.
[Read more…] about TCEP 190: Marketing and Business Development Strategies for Civil Engineers
I’ve always been a pretty big fan of flexible work options and remote work. It’s been nice to have the ability to do it when I’ve been sick, traveling, or taking care of other business. While not possible for all job roles, remote work can have a lot of benefits.
With the coronavirus and its many effects on the working world, we will need to adapt to increased and accelerated remote work. Some people love it, others don’t.
No matter your personal feelings, embracing the advantages of remote work and learning how to effectively communicate in remote settings will become increasingly important for career success.
[Read more…] about Effective Strategies in a World of Remote Work
There’s no question that strategic planning is essential for individual, team, and organizational success. Yet despite this, the vast majority of strategic plans and major strategic initiatives fail or fail to be fully or successfully implemented.
Why is this the case and, more importantly, what can we do to ensure that we, our teams, and our organizations are on the winning side?
From my perspective as both a strategic planning participant at manager, principal, and firm owner levels and now as a strategic planning facilitator and execution consultant, here are the top 10 reasons most strategic plans and major strategic initiatives either languish or fail:
[Read more…] about How to Succeed with Your Strategic Plans and Initiatives
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In this episode, we talk to Megan Stringer, SE, LEED, AP, BD+C, Associate Principal at Holmes, about embodied carbon reduction and how engineers can help reduce embodied carbon in construction.
Many engineers are incredibly smart, skilled people who can figure out how things work and fix them when they break down. A well-spoken engineer can sell their products or services like nobody’s business. It doesn’t matter if they are pitching an idea or defending the work they’ve done on behalf of their company in front of clients and investors. Unfortunately, not all engineers know how to sell themselves or their ideas well enough for them to succeed in business today. I want to help change that with these three essential sales skills engineers should have if they want their product/idea/service bought by consumers today and to become proficient at selling.
[Read more…] about 3 Essential Skills for Engineers to Become Proficient at Selling
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In this episode, we talk to Erin Sibley, Ph.D., P.E., a Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineer from Mott MacDonald about the importance of cultivating curiosity and engineering judgment as a geo-professional. She also touches on earthquake and tunnel engineering and how it ties into non-technical elements such as the people-centric focus of engineering, building professional relationships, and life-long learning.
