Engineering Management Institute

decision making

Your Ears Are Your Strongest Resolution and Negotiation Weapons

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This is a guest post by Gabe Lett, FSMPS, CPSM, LPC
Ears

Most content that centers around communication and conflict resolution has to do with assessing your feelings, your body language, your decision-making process, your attitudes, and your behaviors. Not that these are bad recommendations, but they fall short of what makes the biggest impact when resolving conflict and negotiating. Where most advice falls short is that the advice focuses on YOU, YOUR feelings, YOUR body language, YOUR decision-making, YOUR attitude, and YOUR behaviors.

Many of you have heard the saying, “God gave you one mouth and two ears. He intended for you to listen twice as much as you speak.” Ears are the gateways to receiving critical information about your environment. Ears collect sound waves. During conflict or negotiation, ears are data gathering reservoirs collecting what is coming out of the other person’s mouth. Ears are your strongest weapons in resolving conflict and negotiating a solution.

Ears

To be fair, your ears are only the front-end of a process that leads to great conflict resolution and negotiation. But if you cannot get the front-end of that process right, nothing else in that process will work. Therefore, ears are where you begin.

When you focus on opening your ears, closing your mouth, and focusing on the other person, several key dynamics are put in motion:

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Great Managers Ask Powerful Questions

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This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

Good QuestionsJoin me as we discuss a group of managers whose task was to share information with staff on how a company decision was made. Their conversation had gone around in circles.

Then one brave soul spoke up. “Do you think it’s likely that we can develop any sort of communication plan by continuing to pool our ignorance about how this decision was made?”

Chris Clarke-Epstein shares that story in her book “78 Important Questions Every Leaders Should Ask and Answer.”

What a great question! I particularly like “continuing to pool our ignorance. . .”

If only all questions were so wonderfully worded.

This blog focuses on asking good questions, a subject near and dear to my heart. And a challenge to just about every one of us. The blog also provides links to good questions already written for you to ask.

Your Prerequisite for This Blog

Before you dig in on how to ask questions, develop your curiosity. Curiosity is the basis for all questions. Young children torture us with their questions of “Why, Mommy?” “Why does it hurt when I fall off my bike, Daddy?” “Why is she looking at me like that?”

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How to Get a Group of Engineers to Actually Make Decisions

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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

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TECC 195: The Four Books That I Am Reading Now and How They Can Help You as an Engineer

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In this episode, I am going to discuss the four books that I am currently reading and how these books, or really how my reading process may help you as an engineer. I decided to create this episode because engineers are constantly asking me what I am reading or what books they should be reading to advance their careers. I truly believe that reading the right books and applying the information you learn can make all of the difference in your engineering career and life.

Engineering Quotes:

Books

Here Are the Four Books That I Am Reading Now:

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TECC 187: Goal Setting for Engineers Based on One Engineer’s Proven Process

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In this episode, I talk with Adam Zach, PE, a project engineer at an environmental engineering firm in Grand Forks, North Dakota. We talk about the importance of goal setting for engineers and how setting goals has greatly contributed to his success in his career, but even better Adam shares his process in this episode, so you can use it too!

Engineering Quotes:

Goal Setting for Engineers

Goal Setting for Engineers

Here are some of the key points discussed about goal setting for engineers:

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How Learning Can Help Engineers to Eliminate Insecurities

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How Learning Can Help Engineers to Eliminate Insecurities
is a guest post by Tiffany Rowe

Eliminate Insecurities

The prototypical engineer is analytical, logical, accurate, communicative, creative, and, most importantly, confident. However, that’s not to say that a person must be confident to become an engineer. In fact, many of the traits seemingly intrinsic in engineering students are actually acquired during the course of their educations – confidence included. Several studies have found that education is imperative for bolstering self-esteem and to eliminate insecurities.

Here are a few ways education has been shown to eliminate insecurities and build confidence in students – especially engineering students:

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Controlling the Good Idea Fairy

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The good idea fairy is insidious.  Sure, he comes on meaning well and espouses great outcomes and high returns.  But he shows up in the eleventh hour just when the moment of execution is about to arrive, just when the moment of truth is upon you.  Right at the wrong time.  And he brings with him a whole list of unnecessary changes and additional work.

As a leader, you must control the good idea fairy and the only way to do so is through courage and preparation.  You will battle him on every major undertaking in which you do not call the shots.  You will battle him when you least expect it.  So plan your response now so you will be ready.

Knowing the Enemy

Not familiar with the Good Idea Fairy?  The origin of the term is in the U.S. military and describes an evil, mythical creature that whispers advice and ideas into the ears of leadership, causing hundreds of unnecessary changes and countless wasted man-hours.  The term may have it’s origin in the military, but sightings of the good idea fairy can happen anywhere faulty ideas enter the brains of leaders and decision makers.  Think you’re immune?  Ever completed a task on which you were inexperienced or confused?  Do you have a hard time listening to advice or input from others?  If so, then you are a likely candidate for a visit by the good idea fairy. [Read more…] about Controlling the Good Idea Fairy