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Business Development

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old; One Is Silver and the Other Gold

February 27, 2023 By EMI

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old is a blog post by Pamela A. Scott

New FriendsIf you were, are, or knew a Girl Scout, you’ve heard this tune. It is a classic in Girl Scouts. And it fits with today’s blog.

When I work with younger engineers, we invariably talk about business development and networking. And we should. Business development and networking are critical to a company’s success. And to your career path.

Senior engineers know this. They know they have to develop conversational skills, scope out prospects at networking events, and build relationships that bring in business.

Younger engineers know they have to develop those skills, but they have a vague notion of how or why to do that.

Before I give you ideas to work with, check out this true example of how networking today can lead to business now and years down the road.

Networking pays off long-term

I spent years as an associate member of the ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies). I served on committees, presented workshops at conferences and PDH days, and got to meet lots of people.

At a monthly ACEC luncheon, Noah Smith, an exec with an AEC company, sat down next to me. “Pam, I know who you are,” Noah said. “We’ve talked here and there, but I don’t know what you do. Would you enlighten me?”

“Sure, Noah. Let me tell you how I helped a client this morning.” I took a few minutes to do that. (Emphasis on a “few minutes,” not an elevator pitch.)

Noah handed me two business cards and said, “Call me in the morning. I’ve got someone for you to work with.”

I followed up the next day. That luncheon led to me coaching a director for three years. And that led to me working with that director when he went off to start his own business as a CEO years later. So far, that simple conversation with Noah has led to other contacts and thousands of dollars in work with awesome people.

Networking is more important than you think. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

What I hear from younger engineers

This is what I’m told: “I don’t really have a role at our project meetings. Our senior engineer is going to talk with their senior architect and other senior people involved in the job. There’s no way for me to add something to the discussion.”

  1. Be a sponge. Watch, listen, and learn. Watch how the senior professionals are interacting. Notice their body language. Listen to what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Are they treating each other with respect or is there some friction, even hostility in the room? Be a sponge and soak up as much info as you can get simply by being in the room. It’s called on-the-job training. It involves skills in listening, note-taking, and reading body language.
  2. Who are the other younger staff in the room? Do you know them? Should you? Networking is about building relationships. Is there a benefit to you getting to know your peers? You bet. Like you, those younger staff members will one day be senior projects managers or principals. Ten years from now you will no longer be the young kid in the room. You’ll have a role to play in projects meetings. People will want to talk with you because you have the experience and knowledge needed for the meeting.
  3. “Who do you know who needs to know me?” I asked an ACEC exec that question. She introduced me to the woman who became my very first coaching client and life-long friend.
  4. Who do you know that you can introduce others to? As humans we naturally reciprocate when somebody does or says something nice to us. Build your network of contacts so that you can respond when somebody asks, “Who do you know who could help me with this?”
  5. People don’t forget you if you’re interesting. When you go to a networking event, look for ways to meet people, especially if the event has interesting activities off-site. Get to know your peers and potential clients as people.

I recently heard from a CEO I met on a deep-sea fishing trip sponsored by the Georgia chapter of ACEC 20 years ago. I remember watching his little kids having fun on the boat. Anytime he and I have talked since then, I ask about his kids. Twenty years later.

Then there’s my buddy David. We became friends through ACEC. He invited me to be the opening speaker on communications for the chapter’s Future Leaders program. I did that for seven years and met wonderful people. And David also introduced me to his boss, who brought me in for workshops with her executive team.

I hope you get my point in this blog. “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.”

Listen to the Girl Scout song: Make New Friends
Be a Pro at Networking Activities
Mind Your Manners at Networking Events
Communicate Effectively While Networking

About the Author

give feedbackPamela A. Scott is an executive coach and founder of MentorLoft, a coaching firm that works with CEOs and execs to prepare their Next Gen leaders to run their company. Pamela specializes in coaching engineers and CEOs of professional service firms. For more information, visit www.mentorloft.com.

We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on your networking strategies and the things you do to make new friends.

Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.

  • If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

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To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development, Networking/Client Relations Tagged With: Make New Friends but Keep the Old, Networking pays off long-term, Networking today can lead to business, Pamela A. Scott

The Power of Culture: Why It Trumps Strategy Every Day

February 21, 2023 By EMI

power of culture

In this article, I’d like to discuss the importance of building and maintaining the right culture in your firm. It’s the most important thing you can do.

This is a column I send to engineering executives, learning, and HR professionals, on or about the first day of each month, to help them best develop their most important resource: their people. If you’d like to receive a copy, please message me.

culture

How Bill Walsh transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the laughingstock of the NFL to a powerhouse in less than 1,000 days.

When Bill Walsh was hired as the 49ers head football coach in 1979, he knew that there was only one way to turn that franchise around, and it wasn’t about finding the best football players in the world. He needed to instill a culture and attitude of winning in every member of the 49ers organization.

So, Walsh spent many hours creating a Standard of Performance that consisted of 17 principles that he honed over the years. This Standard of Performance was to be followed by EVERY person in the organization, from the receptionist to the now hall-of-fame quarterback Joe Montana.

[Read more…] about The Power of Culture: Why It Trumps Strategy Every Day

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: Anthony Fasano, Creating a Standard of Performance, Culture Eats Strategy, The Power of Culture

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Civil Engineering Asset Management

February 6, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

artificial intelligenceCivil engineers are designers and builders of everything related to infrastructure: roads, bridges, dams, ports, and many others.

While construction and maintenance of any asset happens in the physical world, there is a lot of work in the digital world that accompanies it.

One emerging trend we are seeing in the industry is applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the maintenance of assets that civil engineers support.

artificial intelligence

Note: For more information and insights related to this blog post, please refer to Episode #009 of the AEC Engineering and Technology (AECTECH) Podcast.

1. What is artificial intelligence (AI)?

Dictionary definitions as follows:

  • Artificial: “Made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.”
  • Intelligence: “The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.”
  • Artificial Intelligence: “The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.” (Bolded emphasis is mine.)

Simply stated, artificial intelligence is the application of human intelligence, but through an artificial “brain” (computer).

[Read more…] about The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Civil Engineering Asset Management

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: Artificial intelligence (AI) in the maintenance of assets, Artificial Intelligence in Civil Engineering, Nick Heim, use cases for artificial intelligence, What is artificial intelligence

Tips to Run a Successful Software Pilot Project at Your Firm

December 19, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

Software Pilot ProjectCivil engineers are designers and builders of everything related to infrastructure: roads, bridges, dams, ports, and many others.

While construction and maintenance of any asset happens in the physical world, there is a lot of work in the digital world that accompanies it.

In my last blog post, we talked about a few tips to discover and ultimately implement technology in your civil engineering firm.

Today, I would like to go into more detail about running a software pilot in your civil engineering firm.

Note: For more information and insights related to this blog post, please refer to Episode 6 of the AEC Engineering and Technology (AECTECH) Podcast.

1. Understand What a Software Pilot Is

In the context of civil engineering firms, a software pilot is a type of software testing where a user group trials the software prior to it being deployed firm-wide.

Software Pilot Project

Due to the nature of our field (project work, field conditions, etc.), a software pilot is more involved than testing the technology 100% from the comfort of your desk.

This means that the software will need to be tested under a variety of conditions and may be more resource-intensive than a typical office-based pilot.

That being said, let’s talk about a few tips that can help your firm run a successful software pilot project!

[Read more…] about Tips to Run a Successful Software Pilot Project at Your Firm

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: How to evaluate if a software pilot is successful, Nick Heim, Run a Successful Software Pilot, Software Pilot Project at Your Firm

3 Ways Engineers Can Use Their Skills to Sell Anything

December 5, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest post by Tiffani Teachey

sell anything

“The customer doesn’t care about features – they care about solving their problems”
~ Trish Bertuzzi.

As an engineer, you are likely used to a logical and systematic way of thinking. You may be wondering how you can use these skills to sell anything. There are three ways you can use your engineering skills to sell effectively. We will explore each of these ways and give tips on how to use them in your sales process. Whether you are just starting in sales or have been selling for years, read on for some helpful advice!

Engineers can use their engineering skills to sell anything through the following tips:

  1. Utilize specific skills that engineers have that can be useful in sales
  2. Engineers can overcome sales objections
  3. Common sales strategies that engineers can use

Utilize Specific Skills That Engineers Have That Can Be Useful in Sales

[Read more…] about 3 Ways Engineers Can Use Their Skills to Sell Anything

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: Common sales strategies that engineers can use, How Engineers Can Use Their Skills to Sell Anything, Tiffani Teachey, use your engineering skills to sell effectively

5 Things We’ve Learned from the Civil Engineering CEO Show

May 16, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Leanna Michniuk from BigTime Software

Civil Engineering CEO ShowGood advice is invaluable. And for engineers, hearing advice from leaders in their industry can provide new ways of thinking and even a boost of confidence and reassurance in their work. BigTime Software recently partnered with the Engineering Management Institute as a founding sponsor of the show, The Civil Engineering CEO show, that features interviews with CEOs of leading civil engineering firms on important industry topics. The goal of the show has been to connect engineers with industry leaders to hear their firsthand advice on important topics. The CEOs who have appeared on the show have done just that by sharing with us how they are approaching some of today’s challenges and opportunities including the talent shortage, the abundance of infrastructure work, the hybrid work environment, and more.

Because there have been so many great words of wisdom and amazing guests on the show, we thought we would share the top five things we’ve learned from The Civil Engineering CEO show so far. Keep on reading to hear some sage advice from pros who have lived it themselves.
[Read more…] about 5 Things We’ve Learned from the Civil Engineering CEO Show

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: Add Value to Your Organization, CEOs of leading civil engineering firms, Civil Engineering CEO Show, Dealing With Workplace Stressors, Diversity and Inclusion, engineering industry, engineers, infrastructure, Leanna Michniuk, Stay Optimistic, Trust People, Trust the Process

How “Grow” Became a Four-Letter Word

March 22, 2021 By Angelique Burns

This is a guest blog by Peter C. Atherton, P.E.

Grow“Grow just means more work for me and more rewards for you.”

That’s an increasing lament from practitioners to principals across our industry.

What went wrong and, more importantly, how can we fix this?

There are many great reasons to grow as an organization.

Here Are Four Reasons I Think Most People Can Get Behind on Our Teams and in Our Firms:

[Read more…] about How “Grow” Became a Four-Letter Word

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: Capacity Building, create advancement opportunities, create jobs, Four-Letter Word, leave a legacy, make a difference, Peter C. Atherton, practitioners to principals, reasons to grow, stay in business, Strategic Focus, Unity, welcomed and sustainable growth

5 Ways to Convince Your Team to Implement New Technology

July 14, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Holly Welles

new technologyAdopting new technology into your workflow can have many benefits. With the right tech, you’ll find that you save money, increase efficiency, and improve performance. Despite these advantages, it can sometimes be challenging to get your team to accept new processes.

If you’re going to move forward with new technology, you’ll need your team’s support. Here are five ways you can help them realize the value of implementing new tech.

1. Keep Your Team’s Needs in Mind

[Read more…] about 5 Ways to Convince Your Team to Implement New Technology

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: accept new processes, Adopt New Tech, Adopting new technology, Convince Your Team, Holly Welles, Implement New Technology, implementing new tech, improve performance, increase efficiency, New Technology, Personalized Training, save money, The Estate Update, your team's support

How to Navigate the Challenges of Managing Remote Work

June 30, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Trilby Lawless, BigTime Software

Remote Work

Over the last 10 years, remote work has grown in popularity by 91%. Even though the current pandemic has given businesses no other option but to move to remote work, many have seen it as a silver lining. The benefits for employees are clear: flexible work structures, improvement to work-life balance, job satisfaction, and productivity.   

But as leaders and managers, you may think: It’s great for individuals, but how do I make it great for the business? 

After all, you need to keep goals and projects moving forward, but managing teams and your firm’s operations simply looks different outside of the office. A new set of challenges can arise.  

The good news is that with the right tools in place, it is now easier than ever to make this happen and to make it happen efficiently. In this post, we’ll explore the three most common challenges of managing a remote or hybrid office for engineering firms, and the strategies you need to navigate them successfully.  

The goal is to have a new management outlook for remote work, so your firm can find its groove outside of the office and empower your team to be productive and grow.  

Let’s get into it.  

Challenge 1: Lacking an Operational Process That Fosters Communication and Insight Into Progress and Staff Utilization

[Read more…] about How to Navigate the Challenges of Managing Remote Work

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: communication, company culture, flexible work structures, job satisfaction, Payments, Productivity, remote management style, remote work, Staff Utilization, work-life balance

Factors Affecting Growth in the AEC Industry

December 30, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by John Beck, MBA

AEC IndustryIt’s no secret that organic growth in any business follows a natural S-curve, with a period of infancy, followed by aggressive expansion, and ultimately maturity. Inherently, achieving exponential growth later in the business cycle is more challenging than achieving exponential growth at the outset.   

A vast majority of revenue at an established engineering firm often comes from existing clients, which makes scaling difficult and puts more pressure on relationship building and maintaining. There are a number of factors specific to the engineering industry that can affect growth. I’d like to highlight three factors that affects growth in the AEC Industry. 

[Read more…] about Factors Affecting Growth in the AEC Industry

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development Tagged With: Acquisition, AEC Advisors, AEC Industry, clients, Compliance Requirements, customers, Expertise, John Beck, Labor Availability

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