Leadership/Management

Creating a Culture of Respect

October 25, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Mickey Addison, MSCE, PMP

“You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.” ~ Malcolm Forbes

If Integrity is the “foundation,” then Respect is the “walls” of a well-led organization. So, what does “Respect” mean for a leader and how does a leader create a culture of respect in the organization?

In my mind, the four walls of “Respect” are: (1) the inherent dignity each human person has simply by virtue of being a human being, (2) the respect each leader must earn through their actions, (3) the respect for others’ views and values leaders must require, and (4) the respect for the organization leaders must create. We’ll take each one in turn.

Numbers May Drive the Business, but People Drive the Numbers®

October 18, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

For several years, I had the good fortune to be in CEO mastermind groups. These confidential mastermind groups were comprised of CEOs who shared their frustrations and challenges in running their businesses. A favorite mantra of these CEOs was, “This would be a great business if I didn’t have to deal with people.” That mantra led to me creating my tagline: Numbers may drive the business, but people drive the numbers®. Without the people, you have no business.

Here Are Some Tips for Taking Care of Your People:

As a Leader, You Must Extend Trust to Earn Trust

October 11, 2021 By EMI

This is a blog by Jeff Perry, MBA

Can you ever write and talk enough about trust? Probably not. Its power is huge at work, at home, in communities, and more. 

Without trust, things just break down. Yet trust doesn’t just happen or magically appear. It is built and shaped over time in relationships by making and keeping commitments to each other.

But where does it begin?

With you.

A Leader’s Job Is to Lead

What the Redefinition of Winning Means for Your Success

September 20, 2021 By EMI

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

To be successful as leaders and leadership teams, we need to see both the “big picture” and what’s happening “on the ground” within our firms and the marketplace.

Being a leader at any level is about constantly looking for problems to solve and opportunities to realize — but which ones are the right ones, which ones have the greatest return on investment, and in what order should we pursue them?

The Big Picture

As part of my work these days as a management consultant, I purposely look for meaningful patterns of issues and opportunities that express themselves in leadership teams throughout the industry, across the country, and in both smaller and larger firms.

And to this end, I see eight great challenges changing our industry in real time:

Accepting Responsibility Is the Precursor to Closing the Deal

August 2, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

Whether you close business deals daily or consider a completed deal to be a new job offer that will catapult your career forward, you must first accept full responsibility for what will happen after signing the agreement. Taking responsibility is required for progressing in your work, business, life, or relationships. It is just the right thing to do, and it is a precursor to overcoming or altogether avoiding negative consequences.

Engineering Leaders Take Responsibility for Their Actions

Great engineers take responsibility for their actions and their thoughts because, ultimately, those thoughts turn into action and insights that enable business stakeholders to make decisions. I have seen time and again how engineering leaders take responsibility for their actions. Sometimes they win and get recognized for their efforts, and more often, they fail and get scolded; some even face criminal and obstruction charges. What makes someone a well-rounded engineer heavily relies on how many lessons they have learned from their failures and their career wins.

How to Get a Group of Engineers to Actually Make Decisions

June 25, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Patrick Sweet, P.Eng., MBA, PMP, CSEP

Engineering, much like other kinds of knowledge work, is fundamentally about making decisions. While factories produce physical devices, engineering teams produce decisions — decisions on how products and services will be designed, implemented, maintained, and retired. Decision-making is at the very core of what we do.

It’s surprising, then, that we have so much trouble actually making decisions within engineering teams. We’ve all been part of meetings where problems were discussed, positions were defended, and at the end, no real decision was made. For many (myself included), it can be one of the most frustrating parts of working in engineering.

In this post, I’ll offer some concrete strategies on how to bring a group of engineers together and actually make decisions.

Make Sure Everyone Knows That a Decision Needs To Be Made Beforehand

Six Effective Ideas for Employee Engagement

May 24, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Jessica Robinson

Your organization’s success is undoubtedly the number one aspiration you hold close to your heart. One of the most fundamental requirements for this aspiration to come true is support from your workforce. Your employees are the building blocks of your company. Without them taking the initiative for your organization’s success, your company cannot prosper.

But what does it take to get such support from your employees? Well, it’s merely their emotional connection to your company. If your employees are emotionally connected to your organization, they are naturally inclined toward ensuring the best for it. Further, employee engagement is a business strategy to help your employees get emotionally involved in your company.

Here Are Six Useful Ideas for Employee Engagement:

How to Become an Effective Engineering Leader

April 12, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest post by George J. Newton

It can be challenging to transition from being a great engineer into a position of leadership. While your technical knowledge and skills are essential to the execution of your role, being in a position of leadership also necessitates a range of non-technical skills. Here are four key principles to help you become an effective engineering leader, one who can not only achieve results, but also lead and inspire teams.

1. Understand Your Team’s Needs

Management positions require that you understand your team’s day-to-day job and develop empathy. The more you can understand your team’s individual journeys and experiences, the better placed you can be to support them to meet their goals and needs. Importantly, this will help you to ensure that they are not only engaged with the work, but that they are also being productive.

Leadership Skills You Can Develop Now

December 7, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

Are you doing what it takes to earn a leadership role at your firm?

A few years ago, I was working with a team of senior project managers (PM). The training program was “From PMs to Business Leaders.” In our first session, I asked them to list the job requirements for a PM and for a business leader. The list for the PMs was quite long. The list for a business leader had just a couple bullets on it.

One PM looked at the lists and said, “If our executive team members were killed in an accident, we wouldn’t even know how to turn off the lights.” Bingo!

How equipped are you to take on a leadership role at your firm? Below are three critical capabilities necessary to become a leader.

1) Network With Intention

How Effective Leaders Should Give Feedback — Especially During Sensitive Times

November 13, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

Is it time to change the way leaders give feedback to employees? Feedback is tough to give (or receive) in the best of times. Doubly so during troubling times, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a high-stress environment, emotions are high. Sensitivities are raised. Feedback is tricky.

However, giving feedback is part of a leader’s job. Feedback helps employees grow and adapt their behavior. It adds to their knowledge — if the feedback is given properly.

When fall arrives, managers and employees realize it’s time to prepare for performance feedback sessions. While some companies do reviews at other times, the tips in this article can help you improve how you give feedback any time of year.

So how should effective leaders give feedback, especially during sensitive times? Below are four strategies to make feedback more effective in any climate. The content in this article has been adapted from the “MentorLoft Leadership Feedback Assessment.”