Leadership/Management

Every Time You Say These 10 Words to Yourself You Are Killing Your Productivity

September 25, 2023 By EMI

“It will be quicker if I just do it myself.”

Have you ever said this to yourself? These 10 seemingly innocuous words have come back to haunt many engineering managers (and their firms). Most professionals today approach work in a very reactive manner. A task or request comes across their desk and they jump on it, in an effort to get it done as quickly as possible. This mentality is referred to as the Hyperactive Hive Mind (HHM), a term coined by author Cal Newport in his latest book, “A World Without Email,” which I recently finished reading.

There are many problems with this mentality, but two critical ones are:

It forces us to jump around from task to task, fragmenting our work, and preventing us from spending long periods of time on one thing, which creates a cognitive drain on our brains, and
It puts us in a constant short-term mindset, where we focus on getting something done NOW and not thinking of the long-term consequences or missed opportunities.

I want to discuss #2 in detail in this post. Many engineering professionals perform tasks repeatedly, like completing a timesheet, preparing a technical report, sending project status updates, preparing invoices, and conducting staff meetings, just to name a few. Many of these tasks can (AND SHOULD) be delegated to someone else on their teams. However, because we operate in the Hyperactive Hive Mind mentality, we prioritize everything as “DO THIS IMMEDIATELY.” Therefore, we miss awesome opportunities in the delegation of tasks and free up more time for us to work on higher-impact initiatives, which is ultimately how divisions, departments, and companies grow.

Let’s look at an example:

The Correlation Between Workers’ Safety and Productivity

September 18, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest post by Eric Whitley

Ever paused mid-project to admire a brilliantly executed piece of engineering?

While we often laud innovation and design, there’s a silent driver behind such successes: safety. We’re talking about cultivating an environment where safety is seamlessly woven into our operations — beyond the routine safety drills and hard hats.

As workers step into leadership shoes, steering the projects that will shape our world, it’s imperative to remember that safety isn’t just a protocol. It’s the foundation for excellence.

The Tangible Benefits of a Safe Workplace

Safety in the workplace translates directly into measurable business benefits. Accidents and mishaps don’t only harm individuals — they have a ripple effect across the entire operation. Fewer accidents naturally lead to less downtime. When a project runs without unexpected halts, it maintains momentum and ensures that resources are utilized optimally.

But a safe workplace isn’t just about preventing accidents — it’s about instilling trust. This also significantly reduces turnover rates: professionals thrive in environments where they feel valued and protected. Being recognized as a company that goes above and beyond to ensure safety can provide a competitive edge, more business opportunities, and a robust brand image.

Delving into the Data: Real-World Statistics and Studies

Cultivating People for Company Growth: 5 Insights from the “Trillion Dollar Coach”

June 7, 2023 By EMI

They called him the “Trillion Dollar Coach” because he coached executives at some of the largest companies in the world, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon, to name a few. I’d like to share one piece of key advice that he shared with those executives, who included Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs, among others, and how this advice applies to engineering firms.

I recently shared the following in our Engineering Management Pulse, 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.

The story of Bill Campbell intrigued me, primarily because of my executive coaching training, but also because of his career. Bill Campbell was a high school and college football coach until age 39. Yes, age 39. He then decided to jump into the corporate world, only to become one of —if not the most — famous and successful executive coaches ever.

People refer to him as the “Trillion Dollar Coach” because companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and others wouldn’t have been close to as successful as they are without Campbell coaching their leaders.

What was the key piece of advice that Campbell shared with his clients? He told them that the top priority of any manager or leader should be the well-being and success of his or her people. He was so adamant about this philosophy that he developed what is known today as the It’s the People manifesto, which I’d like to share here:

Proactive Steps to Build Relationships and Manage Work Circumstances

May 15, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Gina Covarrubias

How can you be more proactive to better manage work circumstances and the people in your day-to-day? Here are three topics to consider, along with tips and exercises, to propel yourself toward a path of successful career management.

Tip 1: Squash the Ego and Increase Likability

Researcher and leadership consultant Cy Wakeman brilliantly describes ego in her book, “No Ego.” She states:

“Ego will coax you to be one up or persuade you to be one down. One up, and you’re convinced you’re right, you’re better than the others, and people should always listen to you. One down, and you’re misunderstood, helpless and a victim of circumstances.”

An effective tool to aid your navigation through the nuances of human nature is to recognize and mitigate your own ego.

Ego doesn’t want to consider things like forgiveness, moving on, taking full accountability, or open-mindedness. It wants approval, recognition, and validation. It wants to be right, and it doesn’t consider the costs. Too much ego can hamper the ability to find creative solutions. Worse, self-growth will be hindered, and you may experience people leaving your network.

This is no way to manage a successful career! So, how does one recognize and mitigate ego?

Three Ways Engineers Can Bridge the Gap Between Technical Skills and People Management

May 8, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest post by Tiffani Teachey

“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”
– Stephen R Covey

Engineers are typically known for their technical skills, but people management is a critical aspect of their roles. Engineers who can manage people effectively can drive successful projects, motivate their team, and foster innovation. In this blog, we will explore the importance of people management for engineers and three key points that can help them become effective people managers.

Communication Skills

One of the most important aspects of people management for engineers is communication skills. Effective communication can help an engineer express their ideas clearly, delegate tasks effectively, and manage conflicts within the team. Engineers who can communicate well can ensure that everyone on the team understands their roles, responsibilities, and goals. Additionally, clear communication can also foster collaboration, increase productivity, and ensure that everyone is working toward the same objective.

Emotional Intelligence

Your Engineering Team Is Like a Family, Treat It as Such – Five Actions to Take

May 2, 2023 By EMI

As a father of three kids and a leader at the Engineering Management Institute (EMI), I have seen a number of similarities between raising a happy family and building a strong professional team. I have also done a fair share of athletic coaching, both at the youth and high school levels and these same similarities exist. In all these situations, you have a group of people who share a common bond, and their success is very dependent on the relationships between members, which many people refer to as culture.

In this post, I’d like to share some actions that I have found to be helpful in both raising kids as well as building a strong team at EMI. I believe that many of the engineers we provide coaching and training to can use these same actions in building their project teams, divisions, and companies.

#1 – Learn About Your Team Members

You can’t lead people effectively in any walk of life without really knowing them. What are they interested in? What makes them happy? If they could do anything they wanted to today, what would it be? Doing this takes time, but getting to know the people you work with on a deeper level will be rewarding in many ways. At EMI, we created a shared document in which all our team members entered personal information, such as their family members’ names and ages, hobbies, favorite foods, and more. Just by reading that sheet, I learned things that I hadn’t previously known about people I had been working with for years. Why did we wait so long to do that?

#2 – Engage in Team Building Activities Outside of Work

Be a Good Manager; Practice These Ways to Take Care of Your People

May 1, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest blog post by Pamela A. Scott

This is how it went at the high school career fair. I was talking with students about what they wanted to do career-wise. “I want to be a manager,” one teenager said proudly.

“Why do you want to be a manager?” I asked.

“Because they make the big money,” she said with a smile on her face. “It’s easy.”

I knew it was going to be a long afternoon.

Are You a Manager?

Different workplaces have different job descriptions for “manager.” This one is courtesy of Indeed.com.

“An Engineering Manager uses their industry knowledge to oversee a variety of activities. They may coordinate and direct building activities on a construction site or activities related to maintenance, testing, quality assurance, operations, and production at a manufacturing site.”

As a manager, you know you have a host of responsibilities. This blog focuses on people management—managing yourself and your staff.

People Are Different

You know that people are different, but are you aware of how those differences show up? Let’s look at what people want or need from you when you set up a meeting.

Moving From Transactional to Transformational Engineering Leadership

April 17, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest post by Jeff Perry, MBA

As leaders, we have a responsibility, duty, and stewardship to take care of those we lead so they can grow and become the best they can be for themselves and the organization. In order to do this, we don’t simply want to be interacting with them in a transactional way, but want to be building something that is transformational.

In this article, I will give you an overview of four areas that constitute transformational leadership and how you can improve in each area.

Individualized Consideration

“In real life, the most practical advice for leaders is not to treat pawns like pawns, nor princes like princes, but all persons like persons.”

~ James MacGregor Burns

What does it feel like to be treated like an individual by those who lead us? When they see that we have different skills, passions, and talents than others and they want to grow that in us?

It typically feels wonderful and is one part of building a transformational leadership relationship.

When we treat each person as an individual, they feel seen, heard, and cared about. We’re driving success through the team and their strengths, and working hard to put each person in a position to succeed. We understand and spend time learning about each person’s goals, dreams, and aspirations, and we work to help them accomplish those goals.

As such, they desire to do their best for the good of the team and are more likely to heed guidance, feedback, and correction from you because they know you have their interests at heart.

Consider this: How can you connect and influence those on your team more as individuals in the way that is most optimal for them?

Idealized Influence

“Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.”

~ Steve Jobs

Transformational leaders inspire those they lead with a clear vision of what needs to be done to succeed and set an example for how to make it happen. They clarify the “what” and the “why” of the organization, and truly “walk the talk” as a role model in the work that they do.

Transformational leaders exhibit idealized influence.

Top 5 Leadership Skills Every Engineer Needs to Succeed in the Workplace

April 10, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest post by Tiffani Teachey

“Leaders instill in their people a hope for success and a belief in themselves. Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.”
~ Unknown

Engineering is a profession that requires a combination of technical skills and leadership skills. Engineers need to possess excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and analytical skills to develop innovative solutions. However, in order to succeed in the workplace and advance in their careers, engineers must also possess strong leadership skills. In this blog, we will discuss the top leadership skills every engineer needs to succeed in the workplace.

Communication Skills

Effective communication is the foundation of successful leadership. Engineers must be able to clearly communicate their ideas and instructions to their team members, clients, and stakeholders. They must also be able to actively listen to feedback and input from others. Strong communication skills also help engineers to build relationships with their team members, establish trust, and create a positive workplace culture.

Team Building Skills

Scrum for Effective Multi-Project Teams (Part 3)

April 5, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest post by Tevis Holzer, P.E.

Picking up from Parts One and Two in this series, this installment explores another level of the Scrum mindset in the AEC industry. When a design team is comfortable implementing Scrum concepts on the individual project level, they eventually reach a tipping point with the number of projects (and project meetings) that can realistically fit in their schedule.

The Multi-Project or Market-Focused Team

Formalizing a multi-project team consisting of members who commonly work on the same projects together offers collaboration advantages and reduces the number of unique meetings they need to attend.

According to Scrum, the most successful teams have the following attributes:

1. Transcendent

All team members are bought in to achieve common, shared goals that are beyond the capacity of the members individually.

2. Autonomous

The team has the authority to make decisions. A team cannot operate at a high level if they consistently need to obtain permission outside the team.

3. Cross-Functional

The multi-project team needs to have all the necessary skills and knowledge to complete the projects.

Every Time You Say These 10 Words to Yourself You Are Killing Your Productivity

“It will be quicker if I just do it myself.”