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Communication/Public Speaking

Three Steps to Make the Most of Your Decisions

June 6, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Gina Covarrubias

DecisionsWhen it comes to decision-time, do you go all in, or do you spend time waffling and floundering? Learn what you can do to make the most of any decision you make!

1. Commitment vs. Giving Up

Sadly, we sit all too often in a state of doubt, self-defeat, or regret after making a decision. It is so tempting to think, “Oh no, was that the right decision? What if I made the wrong choice, etc.?” The agonies that come along with a what-if mentality can leave your self-esteem lacking and your energy depleted. 

I’d like to offer a more useful three-step approach you can apply when it comes to your decision-making skills. 

[Read more…] about Three Steps to Make the Most of Your Decisions

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: commitment, decisions, Gina Covarrubias, ownership, Transformation

Great Managers Ask Powerful Questions

April 11, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

Good QuestionsJoin me as we discuss a group of managers whose task was to share information with staff on how a company decision was made. Their conversation had gone around in circles.

Then one brave soul spoke up. “Do you think it’s likely that we can develop any sort of communication plan by continuing to pool our ignorance about how this decision was made?”

Chris Clarke-Epstein shares that story in her book “78 Important Questions Every Leaders Should Ask and Answer.”

What a great question! I particularly like “continuing to pool our ignorance. . .”

If only all questions were so wonderfully worded.

This blog focuses on asking good questions, a subject near and dear to my heart. And a challenge to just about every one of us. The blog also provides links to good questions already written for you to ask.

Your Prerequisite for This Blog

Before you dig in on how to ask questions, develop your curiosity. Curiosity is the basis for all questions. Young children torture us with their questions of “Why, Mommy?” “Why does it hurt when I fall off my bike, Daddy?” “Why is she looking at me like that?”

[Read more…] about Great Managers Ask Powerful Questions

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: Ask Effective Questions, Asking good questions, connecting with others, creativity, decision making, develop your curiosity, English as a second language, ESL sites, Gallup organization, Get the Answers You Need, grow yourself, links to good questions, Pamela A. Scott, questioning is the skill of management, Questions are powerful, shorter is better

3 Tips for Selling Yourself So You Can Sell Anything Well

November 29, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

Some people are great at speaking about themselves. They’re the ones that have a story to tell about every situation. They’re comfortable going from one topic to another effortlessly, and they seem to know somebody wherever they go. They’re smooth talkers, and somehow, they seem to have an endless amount of charisma and an extensive network of friends. Engineers often are not among this group.

I know you don’t want to hear this, but you might need to become a little more like those who are comfortable and confident talking about who they are and what value they have to offer. It is where you’ve got to put your selfish ego aside and lean forward to learn about selling yourself. Don’t worry. I am not suggesting you become someone you’re not, though in many cases, such as during a job interview, you need to learn how to effectively present yourself so that you can convince an employer to invest in you and your capabilities. Here are some soft skills to know when selling yourself:

[Read more…] about 3 Tips for Selling Yourself So You Can Sell Anything Well

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: 3 Tips, Communicate Persistently, Nader Mowlaee, old an employer’s attention, Sell Anything Well, Selling yourself, Speak Confidently, Speak Positively, speak positively about yourself, speak with confidence, Tips for Selling Yourself

The (Not-So) Secret to Successful Client Management

September 27, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest post by Lindsay A. O’Leary, P.E., CAE, LEED AP, M.ASCE

Stellar Client ServiceA consultant’s priority is to provide a service in exchange for payment. It may be advice or developing and executing a plan. In civil engineering, our industry’s charge is to build a better quality of life for all of civilization, doing so both ethically and sustainably. Each completed project brings us closer to that goal. Each time a client hires us, we have an opportunity to make a difference. Clean drinking water. A reliable route to emergency medical care. Structures that withstand flooding or safely sway during an earthquake. Our jobs are rewarding. And happy clients are critical to our success. 

So, what’s the not-so-secret key to providing stellar client service? COMMUNICATION! But it’s not always easy and, frankly, it can be downright intimidating at times. 

Here Are Four Communication Checkpoints for Stellar Client Service to Start Implementing Today:

[Read more…] about The (Not-So) Secret to Successful Client Management

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: Civil Engineering, Client Management, Communicate the Project Plan, communication, Communication Plan, Lindsay A. O’Leary, Post-Project Communication, Pre-Project Communication, providing regular status updates, providing stellar client service, Successful Client Management, Successful project close-out, understand the scope, understand their needs

How to Write Emails That Get the Job Done

August 16, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

write emailsWhat if you could write really good emails? Would it boost your career?

I’m sure it would because being able to write really good emails would make you stand out from the crowd. Most people write emails that are average or below average.

How do you know if your emails are above average, or even really good? Here’s my formula for writing emails that set you apart from the others and endear you to your boss.

Your reader can:

  • Read and understand your email the first time through
  • Find your main point quickly
  • See whether or not he/she needs to take action now, then do so
  • Find the details needed to understand your message and act accordingly
  • Go on about his/her day without having to ask clarifying questions via another email or phone call

write emails

Top 10 Tips for Writing Great Emails

[Read more…] about How to Write Emails That Get the Job Done

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: appreciate your inbox, attached background or related details, boost your career, compelling headline, conveying info, demonstrate your professionalism, Highlight action items, include a greeting, Pamela A. Scott, purpose of your email, stand out from the crowd, Top 10 Tips, understand your email, Write Emails, write really good emails

3 Virtual Presentation Strategies for Tech Entrepreneurs to Accelerate Stakeholder Buy-In

March 29, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Melissa Marshall

Virtual Presentation StrategiesIt is no secret that your ability to communicate well about your tech is often the make-or-break reason for project success. You can have the best idea or product in your market, but if your key stakeholder does not “get it,” then you do not get the critical buy-in you need. Communicating tech is so challenging because you must decide which technical details are most important to the audience’s appreciation of the importance of your work, and then you often must make those ideas understandable to audiences that often have little background in your area of expertise. Add to that the challenge that most presentations are now occurring virtually to very distracted audiences, and you have a huge communication challenge to overcome! Here I’ll share three strategies you can use in your next virtual presentation to be more successful.

Be Audience-Focused

[Read more…] about 3 Virtual Presentation Strategies for Tech Entrepreneurs to Accelerate Stakeholder Buy-In

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: Accelerate Stakeholder Buy-In, Audience-Focused, communicate well, connect with your audience, making your audience successful, Melissa Marshall, Presentation Strategies, Presenter Coach, project success, Stakeholder Buy-In, stating the value, tech communicator, Tech Entrepreneurs, technical presentations, Virtual Presentation, Virtual Presentation Strategies

Stop Talking and Listen!

December 28, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Fernando A. Ceballos, P.E.

listen

Communication: The imparting or exchanging of information or news.

Depending on your personality, you are either the type to listen or talk. Usually, people struggle to be good at both. I was the type to talk, to think about what to say next, and sometimes forget to listen to the person I was talking to. I realized that this was due to my fear of having a “boring” conversation or awkward pauses while I reflected on what was being said. It was also ego taking over, since I wanted to be “ready” with a rebuttal when I was debating with someone.

As I write this blog post, I know I am not the best listener I can be, but I’ve made improvements from who I used to be. These changes have been thanks to books, the wisdom of mentors and coaches, and most importantly, practice. You must practice!

listen

It may be a weird concept at first, but you must be able to be intentional at listening. Instead of giving you a long list of tips or tricks to become a better listener, I want to give you two that you can implement today.

Call Yourself Out

[Read more…] about Stop Talking and Listen!

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: awkward pauses, become a better listener, Call Yourself Out, communication, ego taking over, exchanging of information, forget to listen, intentional at listening, internal desire, internal dialogue, listen and process, missing critical information, practice, prepare your own thoughts, Process What Is Being Said, Stop Talking

Being a Good Communicator Isn’t as Hard as You Think

December 21, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Jeff Perry, MBA

Good Communicator“Engineers don’t have good communication skills.” I hear this all the time, and it is a myth. While it may be true for some engineers, we cannot put it out as a blanket truth that applies to all of them. And most importantly, if someone is not a great communicator now, they can develop those skills, just like anyone else. Often this myth pairs itself with the expectation that most engineers are introverts, which some people think leads to bad communication.

The truth is, both introverts and extroverts can be fantastic communicators, as these skills can be learned and developed over time. The natural behavioral types of introvert vs extrovert have nothing to do with actual ability to communicate, but rather identify how people gain energy from interpersonal interaction (and where they exist on the spectrum). Humans are naturally social beings, and we feel purpose as we develop connections with others. Thus, developing an array of communication skills is necessary for everyone to be happy and healthy.

To assist, I’d love to share some ideas and activities to help you level-up your communication skills:

Practice Listening

Developing communication skills is a broad idea that covers a lot of ground. To start, engineers can develop their own communication abilities by focusing on the skill of listening. I love this quote by Stephen R. Covey:

[Read more…] about Being a Good Communicator Isn’t as Hard as You Think

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: Adjust Your Mindset, bad communication, clarity and collaboration, communication abilities, develop the skills, effectively communicate with others, engineering communication, engineers are introverts, good communication skills, Good Communicator, great communicator, level-up your communication skills, Practice Listening, seeking to understand, simple analogies, Simplify Communication, skills can be learned

How Public Speaking Changed My Career Direction (and Can Change Yours Too)

July 28, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Carl Friesen

Public Speaking

How can one speech transform your life? If you’re the one giving it, on the right topic, and to the right audience, it can. That’s what it was for me. In 1999, I jumped out of the best job I’d ever had to fulfill my goal of having my own business before I turned 40.  Now my attention turned to building a base of clients for my business. I liked the idea of public speaking, as I’d heard it’s a great way to build personal rapport with people who might become my clients. 

As a marketing professional seeking to work with engineering firms, I knew that my best audience would be marketing staff. So, I found an organization of marketing people and booked myself as a speaker. Doing that speech involved flying halfway across Canada, from Toronto to Vancouver.  

I picked a topic for my speech to serve two purposes. One was meeting the informational needs of my audience — how they could build the professional profile of their firm’s members. The other purpose was to show that I was someone who could get results for them, without it being a sales pitch. 

At the end of the speech, two people from different firms came up and introduced themselves. They both became clients. One was a firm that I’d never heard of before, but it turned out to be a global environmental and geotechnical firm that has been my core client ever since. Many of the people I’ve worked with at this firm continued to work with me when they left for other jobs, so my business grows. 

That’s why I say that one speech in Vancouver transformed my life. 

Five Key Steps for Success as a Speaker 

[Read more…] about How Public Speaking Changed My Career Direction (and Can Change Yours Too)

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: audience, Career Direction, Engineering Firms, Get Good at Presenting, marketing professional, own business, Pick an Audience, Potential Clients, public speaking, speech

Who Knows What You Know? – Your Voice Matters!

May 19, 2020 By EMI

Your Voice Matters is a guest blog by Mike Burns

Voice MattersLast month we discussed Continuous Learning, growing together as teachers and students, deepening our commitment to sustained personal and professional growth. As our COVID-19 response continues to mature, the AEC industry is rapidly advancing new ways of communicating, learning, and delivering projects. As we Zoom from meeting to meeting (cheesy pun intended), it is easy to feel connected without truly connecting. Yet this moment — this critical period of recovery — necessitates sustained empathetic listening in order to empower a diverse and inclusive chorus of critical voices. Infrastructure improvements will be a vital component of our pending economic recovery. We must concurrently fast track “shovel-ready” projects and restructure our capital improvement plans, setting the stage for a wave of critical infrastructure projects. Your voice matters, and is particularly critical today as we make difficult choices, pivoting to and accelerating new solutions. I hope that this embarrassing, yet rewarding story from my career inspires you to assert yourself in this moment for your community and our world.

Voice Matters

[Read more…] about Who Knows What You Know? – Your Voice Matters!

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: AECOM, build relationships, Confidence, empower individuals, geo-political challenges, Infrastructure improvements, Infrastructure projects, leadership team, mega programs, Program Management, seek diversity, team leader, voice matters

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