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In this episode of The Engineering Quality Control podcast, I talk about a five-part framework for quality control for engineering professionals and discuss the first part of this framework, known as Gather.
“I hate sales!” “I could never sell anything!” I wish I had a dime—maybe a dollar—for every time I uttered phrases like that.
My first business coach helped me break that thought pattern. Here is how the thinking goes:
Did you sell anything? No.
Did you tell Chris you could help with the problem? Yes.
Did you have to take Chris down some long sales conversation to get his/her interest? No.
Will you close the deal? The likelihood is high.
Selling isn’t about selling in that icky, slimy way that you have perceived it. Selling is about you providing a friend/client/stranger with a solution to the problem they’re trying to address. In return for your help, you get paid.
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In this episode of The Structural Engineering Podcast, we talk to Annie Kao, PE, Vice President of Engineering at Simpson Strong-Tie about innovation and product testing in engineering and why seismic retrofitting is so important in structural engineering.
[Read more…] about TSEC 58: Innovation and Product Testing in Engineering
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In this episode, we talk to Prof. Russell D. Dupuis, Ph.D., an electrical engineer, and professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and co-winner of this year’s Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, talks about the use of LED (solid-state lighting) in engineering and how LEDs changed the world and will continue to do so.
[Read more…] about TECC 247: How LEDs Changed the World of Engineering (Solid State Lighting)
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In this episode, we talk with Charles Muse, a Program Engineering Manager at General Motors in Detroit, Michigan, about his career and some of the major projects he has worked on, including his passion for people and the development of STEM.
[Read more…] about TECC 246: Engineering a Passion for People and the Development of STEM
I need a coach. Anyone can trudge through a task or lesson on their own, but if I truly want to get better, I’m in need of a coach.
I’ve been an athlete all my life. I started soccer at age 6, baseball at age 8, and I lettered in both football and track in high school. Attending a senior military college and then entering the Air Force afterward meant intramural sports, physical training, and annual physical fitness tests from the age of 18 until my retirement from the service in 2017. Of course, we lead active lives in our house as well: hiking, cycling, CrossFit, surfing. Well, you get the idea. I’m not a couch potato.
The reason for that self-absorbed preamble is to establish that at 55 years, I’m not a novice to physical fitness or the gym — and despite all that experience, I STILL need a coach!
“If they don’t bring you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
~ Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm
There is value in encouraging children to learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). As an engineer for 16 years, I have always enjoyed mentoring and speaking to the youth, presenting “Engineering Is Fun!” At the beginning of my presentations, I ask the children, “Who has met an engineer?” At times, there are no or few hands that are raised.
I present on the various types of engineers, what engineers do, and what children can do to prepare to become an engineer, alongside hands-on engineering activities. I then ask the same question after the presentation, “Who has met an engineer?” and all of the children’s hands go up. It is then that I realize that I have planted a seed to shape the next generation through STEM and the importance of representation in STEM careers.
[Read more…] about Shaping Our Future Generations by Becoming a STEM Author
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In episode 9 of The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast, we talk to Menzer Pehlivan, Ph.D., P.E. a geotechnical engineer with a specialization in seismic hazards and resiliency. Menzer knows four languages, has a Ph.D., spent two years working in New York, was featured in a movie, and is now working at Jacobs in Seattle. And in this episode, we have the privilege to talk to this successful engineer about earthquake engineering, and diversity and inclusion in the engineering world.
[Read more…] about TGEP 9: Earthquake Engineering – Dream Big and Aim High!
Navigating how to operate your business through the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge. While much is still unknown, and we’re a little over a month in the shelter-in-place order, we were curious to see how professional services firms in the architecture, engineering, and consulting industries are adapting.
What we found is that the AEC industry is depending on the resilience of the U.S economy, and the majority do not plan to consider staff reductions. Business owners seem to be taking on the risk themselves, as they likely view their firm as more than just a business, but a personal investment.
Learn more about the choices AEC firms of various sizes are making regarding the CARES Act, business strategy, recovery plans, and more in the infographic below.
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
