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        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
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CEO

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

TCEP 094: Harnessing Innovation in Engineering Leadership

August 20, 2018 By EMI

http://media.blubrry.com/engineeringcareercoach/traffic.libsyn.com/civilengineeringpodcast/TCEP094.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Harnessing Innovation

In episode 094 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is 4th episode in our 5-part series on infrastructure, Chris Knutson interviews Kate Harris, President, and CEO of Stanley Consultants about harnessing innovation in engineering leadership. Kate gets into future trends of the industry and how we can prepare for them. She also discusses public- and private partnerships, an important aspect of infrastructure projects.

Here are some of the questions asked of Kate Harris on Harnessing Innovation in Engineering Leadership:

  • You left university with a degree in quantity surveying. Did it prepare you for where you are today, CEO and President of an A/E firm?
  • What were some of the notable milestones in your career which indicated that senior leadership positions might be a real possibility?
  • What do exceptional A/E firms get right?
  • Can you give advice to young professionals looking to work better with clients and improve their communication skills?
  • What changes have you witnessed during your 25 years in the civil engineering industry?
  • What are your thoughts on private/public partnerships?
  • How do you decide what the most important task to work on is for any given day?
  • Share with us your thoughts on how an engineer can approach looking at the future?

Engineering Quotes:

Harnessing Innovation

Harnessing Innovation

Here are some key points discussed in this episode on harnessing innovation in engineering leadership:

  • Having a degree in Quantity Surveying gave me an appetite for creative problem solving and build-ability.
  • Throughout my career, I have tried many new things to get a broad view of our industry. I feel that this is important in trying to understand what matters to people. When you can understand what is important to other people, you will understand what questions to ask them.
  • Exceptionally good A/E firms understand that business success is in servicing clients and client experience. We need to be partners in terms of harnessing innovation in business thinking, management skills, giving advice, and we certainly need to be technically capable and creative.
  • It’s very important that companies understand what they are bringing to their clients, and not just what they are bringing to their constituents and their shareholders.
  • The key to working with clients is to listen actively to what they need, and to not just concentrate on what you want to say next.
  • We are all going to have to look to the future and figure out what the word “value” will mean tomorrow, rather than what it means today.
  • It’s not so much about what we know in our industry, it’s about what we know in our world, and what is going on outside of our industry, that is important for young engineers to know. Young engineers should get curious, be fearless and get educated on what is happening outside of the field.
  • Being technically competent without the ability to inspire others limits you in your career as a leader. A leader needs to be able to identify and support great talent. If you are planning on becoming the chief engineer of your company, you need to learn how to communicate with others in a way that inspires them to follow their dreams.
  • The key to communication is not what you want to tell people, it’s about figuring out how people assimilate information and what matters to them. You then have to allow them to understand what you are telling them. To do this, you need to change your style to match the way they think and listen.
  • It’s absolutely fundamental for project managers to know what success looks like for a business, and not just for a project.
  • Your job as a CEO is to find great talents, set direction and provide support. You need to carve out time to do all three of these things to be successful in your career.
  • Connect, communicate, listen and be very curious as an engineer.

More details in this episode…

About Kate Harris

Kate Harris, President and CEO of Stanley Consultants, has 25 years of international experience in the construction, engineering and consulting industry. Stanley Consultants provides engineering, enviroHarnessing Innovationnmental, and construction services at over 30 offices worldwide. Founded in 1913, the firm has completed engagements in all 50 states and 110 countries, and is ranked among the largest engineering companies in the United States – very impressive.

Kate Harris graduated with a First-Class Honors degree in Quantity Surveying from the University of the West of England in 1993. She has also completed the Advanced Management and Intellectual Property programs from Harvard. Harris has a broad range of contractor, client and consultant experience encompassing strategy development, risk management, building high performing teams, developing client relationships and profitably growing businesses. Most recently Harris provided board and executive advisory services following her global Commercial Officer role with MWH Global (now part of Stantec). During her 17-year tenure with the firm, she is credited with integrating service lines and setting global policy, performance measures and business practices. An active advocate of talent development, she continues to mentor upcoming generations of leaders.

Sources/References:

Engineering Management Accelerator Workshop (Online) | 5 PDHs
Engineering Membership Drive
Kate Harris LinkedIn
Stanley Consultants

This episode is brought to you by RedVector. The team at RedVector believes knowledge is the most powerful tool available for helping people enrich their lives and meet their professional goals. To find out more about RedVector continuing education, visit www.RedVector.com.

This episode is also brought to you by Danfoss.  Smart energy systems, efficient buildings, and raising construction sites are just a couple of areas where you can experience how Danfoss is part of the sustainable development of strong infrastructure, visit www.city.danfoss.com 

Please leave your comments or questions in the section below on harnessing innovation in engineering leadership.

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To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

Filed Under: Infrastructure, TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast Tagged With: A/E firms, business thinking, career, CEO, communication, engineering leadership, Harnessing Innovation, infrastructure, listen actively, multi-stakeholder projects, private partnerships, Project Managers, quantity surveying, successful, value

TCEP 089: Why Civil Engineering CEOs Need to Focus on People with Nick DeNichilo

July 9, 2018 By EMI

http://media.blubrry.com/engineeringcareercoach/traffic.libsyn.com/civilengineeringpodcast/TCEP089.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 89 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Nicholas (Nick) DeNichilo P.E., President and CEO of Mott MacDonald North America. Our conversation focused mostly on why civil engineering CEOs need to focus on people and the effect that doing so can have on you in your career and life.

Here are some of the questions I ask Nick about his journey and his work as CEO:

  • How did you decide that you wanted to go into engineering?
  • What are some of the things that civil engineers can do in preparation to become a CEO of a civil engineering firm?
  • How big is the Mott Macdonald “family”?
  • What is the hardest part of being a CEO?
  • How do you decide what work you should focus on each day?
  • As a CEO of a company, how do you maintain a work-life balance?

Engineering Quotes:

Civil Engineering CEOs

Civil Engineering CEOs

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

[Read more…] about TCEP 089: Why Civil Engineering CEOs Need to Focus on People with Nick DeNichilo

Filed Under: Leadership/Management, TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast Tagged With: CEO, Civil Engineering CEOs, Civil Engineers, client, Engineering, mentor, Mott Macdonald, Nicholas DeNichilo, purpose, skills and competencies, Success, work-life balance

Dread going to Work? Then Find your Superpower Today!

November 20, 2017 By EMI

Dread going to Work? Then Find your Superpower Today!




Q: Do you dread going to work every day?

Welcome to episode #35 of Engineering Career TV. The theme for today’s episode is: Dread going to Work? Then Find your Superpower Today!

I spend almost all of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted by engineers around the world.  The questions are typically focused on professional development for engineering professionals, especially relevant to practicing engineers.

You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.

Let’s jump into today’s topic: Dread going to Work? Then Find your Superpower Today!  This topic is based on a question from Tammyrae, who asks the following:
[Read more…] about Dread going to Work? Then Find your Superpower Today!

Filed Under: Engineering Career TV Tagged With: building confidence, CAD, career, career advice, career move, CEO, Civil Engineering, decisions, dread going to work, engineer, Engineering, finding your superpower, happiness at work, hate your job, how to be confident, How to be happy, how to work smart, Inspirational, job advice, kindness to yourself, lost interest in job, love to do as an engineer. starting a new career, reframe your mindset, starting a business, superpower, superpower in your career, toxic relationships

TCEP 070: A Day in the Life of a Geotechnical Engineering CEO

November 8, 2017 By EMI

http://media.blubrry.com/engineeringcareercoach/traffic.libsyn.com/civilengineeringpodcast/TCEP070.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Geotechnical Engineering CEO

In episode 065 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with David Gockel, PE, PP, LEED AP, CEO of Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, about how a day in the life of a geotechnical engineering CEO looks, especially one that is in charge of a very fast-growing firm.

Here are some of the questions I ask Dave:

  1. What prevents engineers from learning other skill sets?
  2. How did you acquire the skills needed to get to where you are today?
  3. Tell me about a memorable success in your career.
  4. Tell me about one of the mistakes you’ve made and what you learned from it.
  5. Is it true that if civil engineers want to achieve a partner/owner status in their firms, that they must be a great business developer?
  6. What is one valuable piece of advice that you can give to a striving seller-doer?
  7. At what point in your career (if ever) did you have a goal of being the CEO?
  8. How would you summarize your job description as CEO?
  9. Would you take us through a typical day as CEO?
  10. What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a CEO?

Engineering Quotes:

Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering

Here are some key points discussed on a day in the life of a Geotechnical Engineering CEO:

[Read more…] about TCEP 070: A Day in the Life of a Geotechnical Engineering CEO

Filed Under: Leadership/Management, TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast Tagged With: A true leader, be authentic, CEO, Civil Engineering, civil engineering ceo, David Gockel, engineers, entrepreneurial culture, Geotechnical Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering CEO, goals, helping people succeed, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, public speaking skills, skills

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