Blog

An Engineering Growth Framework for Engineers and Engineering Managers

March 30, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Amanda Jerelyn

Without a proper career path in front of you, chances for further progress seem diluted at best. An engineering growth framework addresses such concerns expediently by providing ground rules and a wide-ranging action plan for those who wish to move ahead in their careers.

The growth framework offers tremendous insights; it focuses on how current jobs and operations can be improved, opens new doors for future opportunities, and accomplishes organizational goals, missions, and objectives.

An all-inclusive engineering growth framework also makes the entire process extremely fair and transparent so that there aren’t any blind corners or discrepancies for those who wish to evaluate their own performance. Both employees and employers can be on the same page, as well as know precisely what the next step should be.

It also acts as a definite tool to keep engineers aware of where they stand and what they need to do in order to move up the ladder. It therefore becomes quite a dominant motivational factor for those who identify themselves as a “go-getter”!

How to Utilize an Engineering Growth Framework

Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset: Risk Is Opportunity

March 23, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Michael Burns, PE, PgMP, DBIA

In previous EMI blogs, we discussed Thinking Big and Being Mindful as We Set Goals and Building Confidence Through Empathetic Stakeholder Engagement. I fully respect that managing these objectives with a myriad of associated voices can be distracting as we attempt to sustain growth. Sustaining growth, for our businesses and talent, is particularly difficult in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry, as we constantly regroup to provide service on projects that marry significant technical challenges with dynamic client expectations. So, the intent of this month’s discussion is to explore a Risk Intelligent approach, creating a consistent basis for our teams to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and explore entrepreneurial solutions.

Creating Recurring Revenue for Increased Stability of a Small Firm

March 16, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Sam Lytle, PE

In the world of engineering, owning a business or even being self-employed often requires stepping outside of technical design and into new territories of bookkeeping, marketing, web design, payroll, invoicing, and a bevy of other tasks not normally taken on by engineers.

In 2011, I realized I belonged to the former — the drive to leave the engineering design path hit hard and fast. This drive was the motivating force that helped me make the jump in 2014 to start Civil FX, and it is still with me today. With that career change has also come those many other tasks that a business owner inevitably faces, including financial duties, hiring decisions and — my personal favorite — marketing and branding. As I’m not incredibly technically minded and engineering was never a satisfying fit, this transition has been mostly comfortable for me. The constant barrage of challenges has been steadied by the freedom of being on my own and the feeling of knowing I’m where I need to be in my career.

Building A(n) (Un)Sustainable Business

Work From Home Productivity Tips for Engineers

March 13, 2020 By EMI

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, many engineering companies across the United States and beyond are implementing travel restrictions and work from home directives.

I have had the opportunity to work from home, on and off, over the last ten years, and as nice as it sounds, one of the biggest challenges with doing it effectively is staying focused and productive. I’ve accumulated some of my own work from home productivity tips over the years and thought this would be a good time to share them.

Please leave comments or questions below and I will respond to them.

COVID-19 Coronavirus News and Information Related to Engineering

March 13, 2020 By EMI

Updated: April 2, 2020 at 10:20 a.m. EDT

Below is a list that we are updating daily related to the effects of the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak on the engineering industry including projects, conferences, events, company announcements, etc. To submit news, leave a comment at the bottom of this page or email us by clicking here.

Articles Related to COVID-19 Impacts on Engineering

Engineering Company COVID-19 Statements and News

Engineering Conference and Event Updates Related to COVID-19

We will continue to update this list as information comes in.

Stay safe!

The Engineering Management Institute Team

EMI to Serve as COVID19 News Outlet for Engineering Related News

March 12, 2020 By EMI

Like most people, the team here at the Engineering Management Institute is concerned about the COVID 19 coronavirus.

While there are many reputable news and medical sources out there to help you stay informed, here at EMI we’d like to use our platform to keep you up to date on any news related to engineering projects, conferences, events, and so on.

If you have any information related to these items that you would like to broadcast to a wider audience, please let us know. You can email our content manager here with information you’d like to share, or leave comments below this post. [Read more…] about EMI to Serve as COVID19 News Outlet for Engineering Related News

What Construction Contractors and Owners Should Do, Today, to Prepare for the Possible Effects of Coronavirus on Projects

March 12, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest post written by Diana Parks (partner at Dorsey & Whitney) and Ross Eberlein (an associate at Dorsey & Whitney) and was previously published here of the Dorsey website.

As novel coronavirus has spread from China to Europe, the United States and around the globe, it has begun to have a debilitating impact on world markets, manufacturing, distribution, supply chains, and the workforce in general. It seems only a matter of time before COVID 19 directly affects U.S. construction projects. What can we, in the U.S. construction industry, do to prepare for its effects and mitigate the potential harm to our people and our projects? The ultimate solutions may be complex, but there are some simple, initial steps, that construction contractors and owners should take to assess and bolster their ability to deal with the potential impact of an outbreak.

Revisiting Your 2020 Resolutions: 3-Month Check

March 9, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Manny De La Cruz

If you take the time to look at the calendar, you will notice that it is already March. At the time of this writing, several significant events had already occurred in 2020. The mere mention of the following words will conjure up the high-pitched, almost childlike delivery of the phrase “Oh, yeah!” Australia, Mr. Peanut, Kobe, Coronavirus, and Megxit — just to name a few. Was I right?

Unfortunately, another significant event is occurring in 2020. That’s right — the general abandonment of New Year’s resolutions. In December 2019, I did a latinXfactor series webinar for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, where I highlighted that 46% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions and only 8% of that population will see them realized. In that webinar, I proposed that students pursuing STEM degrees should not only commit to personal resolutions but also to resolutions that would aid their professional development. This same concept should also be applied to professionals in STEM. 

What Does Transformational Leadership Mean for Engineers?

March 2, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Holly Welles

Transformational leadership is a model of leadership that involves a leader who inspires his or her followers to work together toward a common goal and focus on the greater good. The best transformational leaders can enter a stagnant organization, identify its issues, and begin making improvements almost immediately.

While this type of leadership may come naturally to some people, most must learn how to develop these skills before they can apply them. As future engineers, this means developing yourself, practicing these newly learned skills, and working towards a common goal with an organization in which you’re already involved.

The Engineering Management Institute to Launch This Week in Civil Engineering

February 26, 2020 By EMI

Ridgewood, NJ – The civil engineering industry is busier than ever, and with the failing infrastructure, climate change, and other world challenges, it will only get busier.

While it’s important for civil engineering professionals to stay up to date with industry news – who has the time? Between project meetings, conference calls and site visits, civil engineers can’t afford to lose any of their billable time.