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Blog

Breaking Down Impostor Syndrome for Ambitious Engineers

February 7, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest post by Jeff Perry, MBA

Impostor Syndrome

“It’s not what you are that holds you back, it’s what you think you are not.” ~ Denis Waitley 

Impostor syndrome is a common struggle. We all have it — at least to some degree. And those who don’t think they have it at all are probably just too prideful to recognize or admit it. 

It’s this feeling like we don’t belong. Even when we’re doing good work, there is this lingering fear that perhaps one day someone with a clipboard is going to come up to us and say, “I’m sorry, it appears we’ve made a mistake — you need to go now.” 

But how do we manage it so it doesn’t keep us down, hold us back, and limit our success? Let’s talk about that! 

Name It to Tame It: An Example 

[Read more…] about Breaking Down Impostor Syndrome for Ambitious Engineers

Filed Under: Blog, Personal Development and Professionalism Tagged With: acknowledging something that we don't like, Ambitious Engineers, Breaking Down Impostor Syndrome, Confidence, experiencing failure, expressing doubts, fears, help others succeed, I don’t belong here, Impostor Syndrome, insecurities, limit our success, Objective Evidence, Serving Others, you do belong

Two Types of Goals That Matter When Leading People

January 31, 2022 By EMI

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

professional development goalsOf all the lessons that I’ve learned over the course of my career, one stands out as possibly the most important and impactful: 

The successful manager manages performance, not the person.  

An engineering manager is responsible for the performance of the team. Projects still need to be completed on time and on budget. Work outputs need to be high quality. This is where management of performance comes in. A successful engineering manager must take great care to establish clear performance expectations so that the team understands what is expected of them and how their work will be evaluated.  

Measuring Performance 

[Read more…] about Two Types of Goals That Matter When Leading People

Filed Under: Blog, Personal Development and Professionalism Tagged With: development of your staff, Engineering Manager, goals, Leading People, Measuring Performance, Pat Sweet, performance expectations, Performance Goal, performance goals, professional development, professional development goals, SMART framework, Success, supporting your staff

How to Approach Mentorship in Your Engineering Career

January 24, 2022 By EMI

 

This is a guest blog by Steve Soldati, P.E. 

MentorshipWhat do you want out of your career? What are your aspirations? What are your short- and long-term goals? Are you on the right track or are you veering off? These are the questions that many engineers have either thought about or even dug deeper to answer, and then are some who might not have even sat down to think about where they are going. They are just living day-by-day, clocking in, and keeping afloat.

For the record, there is no right answer nor one answer on how any particular person handles their career, job, or contribution to this industry. However, what happens all too often is an engineer can identify their goals, have an idea of where they want to go in their career, but just don’t know where to start or HOW to get there.

This is a scenario that I found myself in many years ago when I was a younger engineer trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my career. Especially in civil engineering, which is a broad industry that has a lot to offer for different career paths. The solution to this dilemma is mentorship. But it’s not quite as formal as you might think it is. You’ll read below about how you can approach a mentorship to tailor to your career and the resources available.

[Read more…] about How to Approach Mentorship in Your Engineering Career

Filed Under: Blog, Mentoring Tagged With: career plan, direction by a mentor, Engineering Career, Find a mentor, framework, mentee, mentor, mentorship, mentorship program, questions to ask your mentor, Steve Soldati

Trends & Predictions for Professional Services Firms in 2022 (From a CEO)

January 17, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Leanna Michniuk from BigTime Software

Professional ServicesWhether we can believe it or not, 2022 is here. What does this mean for people and firms in the professional services industry? If it’s anything like the past two years, we can expect … well, the unexpected.

Using what he’s learned and experienced firsthand throughout his career and leading a company through a pandemic, Brian Saunders, CEO of BigTime Software, sat down to share his predictions for the new year with one key theme in mind — preparation.

Keep on reading to get an inside look into what Brian foresees in the upcoming year and his advice for making it a successful one.

[Read more…] about Trends & Predictions for Professional Services Firms in 2022 (From a CEO)

Filed Under: Blog, Organization/Productivity/Time Management Tagged With: BigTime Software, Brian Saunders, Converting to Cloud-Based Software, Firms in 2022, generation of consultants, Hybrid Offices, Leanna Michniuk, On-Premise Software, Operational Management Software, paused growth, professional services, Professional Services Firms, recruiting people, Remote Working Environment, rush to staffing, train staff properly, Trends & Predictions

Why 90-Day Goals Are More Practical Than Annual Goals

January 10, 2022 By EMI

It’s that time of year. In January, you’ll typically find a lot of content being published about goal setting. Blog posts and podcasts urging you to set goals for the new year. Believe me, there is no bigger proponent of goal setting than myself. In fact, at EMI, we work with engineering companies to help them ensure their leaders are focused on the right goals. That being said, I have found that most professionals who set goals will spend less than one hour in late December or early January creating a list of goals for the year, only to file their list of goals away and rarely look at it again for the remainder of that calendar year.

Try Setting 90-Day Goals Too

If you are one of those professionals who set lofty goals on or about January 1st, but then get buried in your projects and neglect them, try setting shorter-term goals in addition to your larger goals. I recommend 90-day goals, also known as quarterly goals. At EMI, we have strategic initiatives from our strategic plan from which we reduce strategic actions, which get further reduced down to quarterly goals for each team member.

Let’s be honest: one year is a very long time, especially when you get dealt curveballs like a global pandemic. To think that your goal at the end of the year will still be the same as it was 365 days ago isn’t very realistic and doesn’t allow for flexibility.

90-Day Goals [Read more…] about Why 90-Day Goals Are More Practical Than Annual Goals

Filed Under: Blog, Career Goals and Challenges Tagged With: 90-Day Goals, annual goals, Anthony Fasano, assessing your progress, January 1st, larger goals, monitor progress, Quarterly Check-Ins, quarterly goals, shorter-term goals

Goal Setting: The Meaning of Failure and Success

January 3, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Gina Covarrubias

failure and successWhy should we set goals — to obtain success, achievement, or happiness? And how are we supposed to manage failure when our goals fall short? In this post, you will discover newfound insights to help you answer these questions!

[Read more…] about Goal Setting: The Meaning of Failure and Success

Filed Under: Blog, Career Goals and Challenges Tagged With: define circumstances, defined according to you, definitions of failure and success, Disappointment, feel elated or confident, Giving Credit, goal setting, inadequacy, manage failure, mental constructs, Purpose of Goal Setting, Set goals, The Meaning of Failure and Success, to obtain success, What Is Failure and Success, where credit is not due

The 8 Best Leadership Books You Need to Read

December 27, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Emily HenryLeadership Books

In any industry, leadership is a real skill. That goes double for anyone in the engineering field. If you have recently moved to a management position, or have your eye on one in the future, you should check out these leadership books right now.
[Read more…] about The 8 Best Leadership Books You Need to Read

Filed Under: Blog, Leadership/Management Tagged With: Best Leadership Books, Emily Henry, Good To Great, How To Win Friends & Influence People, Humble Leadership, Leadership Books, On Becoming A Leader, Start With Why, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, The 80/20 Principle, The Art Of Possibility

Leaders, Help Staff Understand You

December 20, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

StaffHere’s a data point that will NOT make your day if you are a leader in your firm.

“Seventy-four percent of employees feel they are missing out on company information and news.” It happens all the time.

Nadine, owner of a midsize professional services firm, describes her situation: “Every January, I give a state of the company address to the troops. The usual stuff: how we did last year, where we’re going this year, how excited/optimistic/cautious I am about the future, and so on. And for the next 12 months, every year, managers and staff ask me where we’re going, how we’re doing, etc.

“What am I doing wrong? I keep telling them what they want to know, but nobody seems to get it.”

No One Truly Gets It

Nadine’s story shows why communicating effectively is so tough. Consider the following.

  • Nobody — and I mean nobody — has the same perspective as the CEO. The CEO sees how myriad pieces come together.
  • Managers have been told what’s going on, but often they don’t effectively pass the information along to staffers. They are focused on taking care of their own operations.
  • The general staff know what they do — make calls, take care of projects, do good work. But they lose sight of the company’s strategic goals and plans.

Help Staff Understand You

What to Do So They Get It

[Read more…] about Leaders, Help Staff Understand You

Filed Under: Blog, Leadership/Management Tagged With: CEO, Chief Storyteller, communication, leader, leader in your firm, managers, needs to be met, Pamela A. Scott, providing a framework, reverse engineering, staff

Effective Strategies in a World of Remote Work

December 13, 2021 By EMI

 

This is a guest post by Jeff Perry, MBA

Remote WorkI’ve always been a pretty big fan of flexible work options and remote work. It’s been nice to have the ability to do it when I’ve been sick, traveling, or taking care of other business. While not possible for all job roles, remote work can have a lot of benefits. 

With the coronavirus and its many effects on the working world, we will need to adapt to increased and accelerated remote work. Some people love it, others don’t.

No matter your personal feelings, embracing the advantages of remote work and learning how to effectively communicate in remote settings will become increasingly important for career success.  

Benefits of Going Remote 

[Read more…] about Effective Strategies in a World of Remote Work

Filed Under: Blog, Career Goals and Challenges Tagged With: Benefits of Going Remote, communicate, Jeff Perry, Less Natural Distractions, MBA, No Travel Time, Online Tools, remote work, Set Appropriate Boundaries, Time for Personal Development, Tips for Working Remote

How to Succeed with Your Strategic Plans and Initiatives

December 9, 2021 By EMI

 

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

There’s no question that strategic planning is essential for individual, team, and organizational success. Yet despite this, the vast majority of strategic plans and major strategic initiatives fail or fail to be fully or successfully implemented. 

Why is this the case and, more importantly, what can we do to ensure that we, our teams, and our organizations are on the winning side? 

strategic planning
From my perspective as both a strategic planning participant at manager, principal, and firm owner levels and now as a strategic planning facilitator and execution consultant, here are the top 10 reasons most strategic plans and major strategic initiatives either languish or fail: 
 

[Read more…] about How to Succeed with Your Strategic Plans and Initiatives

Filed Under: Blog, Leadership/Management Tagged With: active steps toward a better future, communications, Desire for Change, organizational structure, P.E, people are our greatest assets, Peter C. Atherton, strategic initiatives, strategic planning, Strategic Plans, Strategic Plans and Initiatives, strategic success, truly succeed

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