A Message from Pearl Jam: Before You Become an Engineering Manager, Understand What Comes Along with the Title
“All the things that others want for me, can’t buy what I want because it’s free.” This a line from a song entitled “Corduroy” by the popular band Pearl Jam, led by famous vocalist Eddie Vedder. There has been much debate about the meaning of the song, but interviews with Vedder, as well as the lyrics, suggest […]
Three 3-Minute Articles to Discuss with Your Project Team to Create a Lifetime of Positive Change
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, that’s why you should do different activities that provide opportunities for a positive change. And here is an excellent example to do with your team… How to use this material and start a positive change: Discuss. Remind. Encourage. That’s my recommended […]
People Management: Top Guidelines to Develop Yourself and Your Team
“People management” — that’s the term nowadays for managing your people and yourself. It means you’re focusing on growing the employee side of your business. I’ve worked with engineers for over 20 years on the people management side of their business. That’s why my tagline is “If you don’t take care of your people, you […]
3 Traits Every Engineering Manager Needs to Develop
Managing a team of engineers is an awesome opportunity, but one that needs to be done well. In order to succeed, there are many traits you will want to develop so you can do the job effectively. In this article, we will focus on three key traits that, if you can develop as strengths, will […]
Like All Professionals, Engineers Quit Managers Not Companies
Image by senivpetro on Freepik This article was originally posted on LinkedIn here. There is an infamous saying that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: People Quit Managers, Not Companies I’ve spent the last 10 years traveling to over 30 U.S. states speaking and training thousands of engineering professionals, and I can attest to […]
How to Become a Better Engineering Leader
Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik Being an engineering leader is about understanding what is going on around you. In the military, it is called “Situational Awareness.” Often, the people with the most pertinent and relevant information about the situation are those working for you. Questions are powerful tools, and knowing how to […]
The Benefits of Conflict Resolution for Engineers
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” ~ Marie Curie Conflict resolution is an essential skill for any engineer. When disputes arise, it is crucial to have the ability to calmly and effectively communicate with […]
There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
I believe there is a general consensus that buying pizza as lunch for the office leads to an unquantifiable increase in office morale. And, i would extend this further and say that in general, food is a great motivator and healthy food, being an energy sustainer, is by extension a visible morale booster. I once […]
Shut Down Analysis Paralysis and Start to “Satisfice”
Do you struggle to make decisions? Most of us do—at least when dealing with something significant. Do you find yourself trapped by analysis paralysis? Many of us do. We think and we think and we think, and then we think some more. And maybe we eventually act. I believe decision-making and analysis paralysis are intertwined. […]
Learning to Lead and Succeed with ‘SFA’: Success From Anywhere
COVID forced “work from home.” Then evolved the idea of “work from anywhere” – whether that be home, a local café, or other workspace. As we work through the sometimes half-hearted attempts to bring our employees back to the office, the organizational development and talent attraction and retention idea that I believe will stick is […]
