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Learning is essential to our existence. It is an indispensable tool for every career and organization. In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I provide five ways that AEC firms can deliver training and make sure that their professionals continue to learn during what many people are calling the ‘new normal.’
Last month’s blog discussed Embracing a Risk-Intelligent Approach. The guidance stated that we shouldn’t be paralyzed by unknown unknowns, allowing a risk-intelligent culture to support sustainable growth. In these uncertain times, as we respond to broad human suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, I’d like to expand on mitigating unknown unknowns as an introduction to our continuous learning discussion.
A risk-intelligent approach creates a culture where teachers, students – leaders, managers, and staff thrive in a continuous learning environment. As this culture matures; mitigating inherent risks and exploring opportunities becomes a natural output of our sustained discussions. Concurrently, these discussions will surface strategic risks, informed by our trajectory and influenced by systemic threats, e.g.financial crisis, geopolitical events, and pandemics.
[Read more…] about Continuous Learning: Providing Coaching and Accountability
If you take the time to look at the calendar, you will notice that it is already March. At the time of this writing, several significant events had already occurred in 2020. The mere mention of the following words will conjure up the high-pitched, almost childlike delivery of the phrase “Oh, yeah!” Australia, Mr. Peanut, Kobe, Coronavirus, and Megxit — just to name a few. Was I right?
Unfortunately, another significant event is occurring in 2020. That’s right — the general abandonment of New Year’s resolutions. In December 2019, I did a latinXfactor series webinar for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, where I highlighted that 46% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions and only 8% of that population will see them realized. In that webinar, I proposed that students pursuing STEM degrees should not only commit to personal resolutions but also to resolutions that would aid their professional development. This same concept should also be applied to professionals in STEM.
[Read more…] about Revisiting Your 2020 Resolutions: 3-Month Check
As engineers, we learn massive amounts of equations, corollaries, theorems, and laws. These typically apply to mathematics or scientific laws that must be understood in order to make appropriate engineering designs and calculations. However, have you ever wondered if these scientific laws that the natural world follows have applications to our personal growth, development, and leadership? In my opinion, the answer is a clear “Yes!”
In this post, I’ll take examples from some of the most commonly known scientific laws of physics — Newton’s Laws of Motion. I’ll show you how these fundamental laws apply to the movement and progress of people and teams, not just physical objects. Then, I’ll provide suggestions actions, or “motions,” you can take in your own leadership.
If you are one of almost 2 million engineers in the United States looking for a mentor, then you have made a smart career decision. Studies show receiving mentoring from the right career mentor can make a measurable difference. So, what should you look for in career mentors? Here’s some suggestions.
[Read more…] about What Engineers Should Look for When Choosing Career Mentors
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In this episode, I talk with Andrew Hoover of UW Continuum College about how to evaluate which professional certificates can boost your career. Andrew has a lot of experience in education, especially learning and gives some very insightful advice which can help you identify the credentials that can boost your engineering career.
[Read more…] about TECC 176: How to Evaluate Which Professional Certificates Can Boost Your Career
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In this episode, I talk with John G. Miller about Personal Accountability and his bestselling book entitled QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life. Miller has spent many years speaking to thousands of professionals on how they can become more accountable in their careers and lives.
[Read more…] about TECC 168: Personal Accountability Starts with the Question Behind the Question
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In episode 075 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I am going to give you 5 steps for selecting 80/20 goals to boost your civil engineering career. I will also discuss how you can use Pareto Principle, which is also known as the 80/20 rule, to maximize your planning efforts.
[Read more…] about TCEP 075: 5 Steps to Selecting 80/20 Goals to Boost your Civil Engineering Career
This is a guest blog post by Daniel Hayes, PE, PMP
Accountability is all the rage. Goal setting literature is full of articles, features and columns, touting the benefits of finding an accountabilibuddy, one whose job it is to keep you on track, moving forward on your goals, performing what you planned and promised. While I agree that having someone hold me accountable makes perfect sense, the idea has never worked well for me. I have always struggled being on the hook to someone else; so much that resistance to accountability often pushes me off course. I find myself pushing back on accountability because of this.
I’ve always wondered if there was something wrong with me. Why do I push back on those trying to support me? Why does my work suffer when I am held externally accountable? Does this inclination and behavior of mine have to sabotage my career and personal development?
[Read more…] about When Accountability Is Not The Best Strategy To Achieve Your Goals
“What gets measured gets done.” ~ Unknown Management Yoda
Ever heard this phrase? More than likely you have and if you haven’t, stick around in the industry long enough and you will. Although this phrase gets thrown around each time there are discussions about organizational performance, it happens for a good reason: it’s true.
Management and business gurus long ago figured out that measuring organizational performance was the surest way to ensure that processes were efficient, goals met and benefits realized. The terms most used to describe the tools of the measurement trade are: [Read more…] about Using Key Performance Indicators to Manage Your Engineering Career and Life
