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Pamela A. Scott

Be a Good Manager; Practice These Ways to Take Care of Your People

May 1, 2023 By EMI

This is a guest blog post by Pamela A. Scott

good manager

This is how it went at the high school career fair. I was talking with students about what they wanted to do career-wise. “I want to be a manager,” one teenager said proudly.

“Why do you want to be a manager?” I asked.

“Because they make the big money,” she said with a smile on her face. “It’s easy.”

I knew it was going to be a long afternoon.

Are You a Manager?

Different workplaces have different job descriptions for “manager.” This one is courtesy of Indeed.com.

“An Engineering Manager uses their industry knowledge to oversee a variety of activities. They may coordinate and direct building activities on a construction site or activities related to maintenance, testing, quality assurance, operations, and production at a manufacturing site.”

As a manager, you know you have a host of responsibilities. This blog focuses on people management—managing yourself and your staff.

People Are Different

You know that people are different, but are you aware of how those differences show up? Let’s look at what people want or need from you when you set up a meeting.

[Read more…] about Be a Good Manager; Practice These Ways to Take Care of Your People

Filed Under: Blog, Leadership/Management Tagged With: Be a Good Manager, Pamela A. Scott, People Are Different, Take Care of Your People

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old; One Is Silver and the Other Gold

February 27, 2023 By EMI

Make New Friends, but Keep the Old is a blog post by Pamela A. Scott

New FriendsIf you were, are, or knew a Girl Scout, you’ve heard this tune. It is a classic in Girl Scouts. And it fits with today’s blog.

When I work with younger engineers, we invariably talk about business development and networking. And we should. Business development and networking are critical to a company’s success. And to your career path.

Senior engineers know this. They know they have to develop conversational skills, scope out prospects at networking events, and build relationships that bring in business.

Younger engineers know they have to develop those skills, but they have a vague notion of how or why to do that.

Before I give you ideas to work with, check out this true example of how networking today can lead to business now and years down the road.

Networking pays off long-term

I spent years as an associate member of the ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies). I served on committees, presented workshops at conferences and PDH days, and got to meet lots of people.

At a monthly ACEC luncheon, Noah Smith, an exec with an AEC company, sat down next to me. “Pam, I know who you are,” Noah said. “We’ve talked here and there, but I don’t know what you do. Would you enlighten me?”

“Sure, Noah. Let me tell you how I helped a client this morning.” I took a few minutes to do that. (Emphasis on a “few minutes,” not an elevator pitch.)

Noah handed me two business cards and said, “Call me in the morning. I’ve got someone for you to work with.”

I followed up the next day. That luncheon led to me coaching a director for three years. And that led to me working with that director when he went off to start his own business as a CEO years later. So far, that simple conversation with Noah has led to other contacts and thousands of dollars in work with awesome people.

Networking is more important than you think. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

What I hear from younger engineers

This is what I’m told: “I don’t really have a role at our project meetings. Our senior engineer is going to talk with their senior architect and other senior people involved in the job. There’s no way for me to add something to the discussion.”

  1. Be a sponge. Watch, listen, and learn. Watch how the senior professionals are interacting. Notice their body language. Listen to what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Are they treating each other with respect or is there some friction, even hostility in the room? Be a sponge and soak up as much info as you can get simply by being in the room. It’s called on-the-job training. It involves skills in listening, note-taking, and reading body language.
  2. Who are the other younger staff in the room? Do you know them? Should you? Networking is about building relationships. Is there a benefit to you getting to know your peers? You bet. Like you, those younger staff members will one day be senior projects managers or principals. Ten years from now you will no longer be the young kid in the room. You’ll have a role to play in projects meetings. People will want to talk with you because you have the experience and knowledge needed for the meeting.
  3. “Who do you know who needs to know me?” I asked an ACEC exec that question. She introduced me to the woman who became my very first coaching client and life-long friend.
  4. Who do you know that you can introduce others to? As humans we naturally reciprocate when somebody does or says something nice to us. Build your network of contacts so that you can respond when somebody asks, “Who do you know who could help me with this?”
  5. People don’t forget you if you’re interesting. When you go to a networking event, look for ways to meet people, especially if the event has interesting activities off-site. Get to know your peers and potential clients as people.

I recently heard from a CEO I met on a deep-sea fishing trip sponsored by the Georgia chapter of ACEC 20 years ago. I remember watching his little kids having fun on the boat. Anytime he and I have talked since then, I ask about his kids. Twenty years later.

Then there’s my buddy David. We became friends through ACEC. He invited me to be the opening speaker on communications for the chapter’s Future Leaders program. I did that for seven years and met wonderful people. And David also introduced me to his boss, who brought me in for workshops with her executive team.

I hope you get my point in this blog. “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.”

Listen to the Girl Scout song: Make New Friends
Be a Pro at Networking Activities
Mind Your Manners at Networking Events
Communicate Effectively While Networking

About the Author

give feedbackPamela A. Scott is an executive coach and founder of MentorLoft, a coaching firm that works with CEOs and execs to prepare their Next Gen leaders to run their company. Pamela specializes in coaching engineers and CEOs of professional service firms. For more information, visit www.mentorloft.com.

We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on your networking strategies and the things you do to make new friends.

Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.

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To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP

Filed Under: Blog, Business Development, Networking/Client Relations Tagged With: Make New Friends but Keep the Old, Networking pays off long-term, Networking today can lead to business, Pamela A. Scott

How to Delegate Tasks Effectively (And Why You Should Do It)

November 14, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog post by Pamela A. Scott

This piece is on delegation, why you should do it, and how to do it right. First, though, check out how to do it badly.

My husband and adult daughter were both working from home, as was I. I kept hearing them shout from the other room: “Is the internet down?” “Why does the web keep crashing?” “What’s wrong with our wireless?”

Then the suggestions started coming in.

“You (me) should call ACME and tell them their service sucks.”

“My friend found a different jiggambob that speeded up his service. You (me) should call him.”

“I think it would work better if you (me) turned the refrigerator upside down.”

I was on deadline; I didn’t have time for their problems. That’s when I actually said the following. I can’t believe I said it, but I did.

“Bring me solutions, not problems,” I barked.

[Read more…] about How to Delegate Tasks Effectively (And Why You Should Do It)

Filed Under: Blog, Leadership/Management Tagged With: Delegate Tasks Effectively, Great Leaders Perfect the Art of Delegation, learn how to delegate, Pamela A. Scott

People Management: Top Guidelines to Develop Yourself and Your Team

October 10, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

People Management“People management” — that’s the term nowadays for managing your people and yourself. It means you’re focusing on growing the employee side of your business.

I’ve worked with engineers for over 20 years on the people management side of their business. That’s why my tagline is “If you don’t take care of your people, you won’t have a business to run.”

This blog post is aimed at helping you grow yourself and your people. The ideas apply for CEOs as well as for rookie engineers — and even for those non-engineering folks out there.

Guideline #1: Show Appreciation

People want to be appreciated. It is your job to let your people know that you appreciate them and what they do. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

People Management

Lots of engineers freeze at the idea that they need to tell their people, “Thanks for what you do. I really appreciate you.” Notice that it’s YOU, not IT.

If doing that gives you hives, try this approach to build your mental muscles and communication style.

[Read more…] about People Management: Top Guidelines to Develop Yourself and Your Team

Filed Under: Blog, Leadership/Management Tagged With: focusing on growing the employee side of your business, Guidelines to Develop Yourself and Your Team, managing your people and yourself, Pamela A. Scott

8 Tips to Getting the Most Out of Your Engineering Career and Life

September 12, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

Engineering Career and Life

Is this you? Do you feel like the hamster going round and round on the wheel and getting nowhere in your engineering career and life?

What are you doing to make the most out of what you have in front of you right now? Can you afford to wait until the world gets nice again, whenever that’s going to be?

I can’t.

Engineers, NOW is the time to DO something — get off the hamster wheel and act. Make something happen.

Here Are 8 Tips That You Can Use to Help You Get off That Wheel:

1. Do a Reality Check on Your Strategic Plan

Pull out your strategic plan for 2022. What projects are in limbo? Maybe they got put on hold because the key players were swamped and didn’t have time to work on those earlier. Which ones could or should be handled now because the key players have more flexibility?

2. Reach Out to Clients

[Read more…] about 8 Tips to Getting the Most Out of Your Engineering Career and Life

Filed Under: Blog, Career Goals and Challenges Tagged With: Engineering Career and Life, Getting the Most Out of Your Engineering Career, hamster wheel, Pamela A. Scott

The Art of Asking Fearless Questions as an Engineer

June 13, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

For quite some time, I’ve been harping on the need to ask good questions. Regardless of where you are in your engineering career, I am confident that you would benefit from amping up your questioning skills. To do that, keep reading.

Many of us think we’re asking questions when what we’re really doing is recommending how to solve a problem. I learned that from 15 years in Vistage, an organization that provides coaching and peer advisers for CEOs.

The Vistage questioning process went like this. James, CEO of a medium-sized engineering firm, shared his problem with his Vistage group.

Questioning or Recommending?

“I’m stuck on what to do with a couple of employees who seem to be showing up just so they can collect a paycheck. Their poor attitude and laziness is impacting other employees. I’d get rid of them, but I can’t find someone to replace them. I don’t know what to do.”

[Read more…] about The Art of Asking Fearless Questions as an Engineer

Filed Under: Blog, Career Goals and Challenges Tagged With: asking questions, Fearless, Fearless Questions, Pamela A. Scott

Great Managers Ask Powerful Questions

April 11, 2022 By EMI

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?”

[Read more…] about Great Managers Ask Powerful Questions

Filed Under: Blog, Communication/Public Speaking Tagged With: Ask Effective Questions, Asking good questions, connecting with others, creativity, decision making, develop your curiosity, English as a second language, ESL sites, Gallup organization, Get the Answers You Need, grow yourself, links to good questions, Pamela A. Scott, questioning is the skill of management, Questions are powerful, shorter is better

Stomp Out the ANTs With Your Self-Confidence

February 14, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

your self-confidenceBuilding self-confidence, in my opinion, is like a tug of war in your head. One part of you is saying, “I can do this,” while the other part of you is saying, “No you can’t. You’re a disaster.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear — even in your own head.” That advice comes from Dr. Daniel Amen, who coined the term ANTs—Automatic Negative Thoughts. Just like real ants that ruin your picnic, ANTs can ruin your day.

your self-confidence

Your goal is to stomp out those ANTs. Kill those negative thoughts. Don’t listen to them when they pop into your brain. Remember, you are in charge, not the ANTs. Dr. Amen has some suggestions on how to do that here.

People See What You Project

[Read more…] about Stomp Out the ANTs With Your Self-Confidence

Filed Under: Blog, Personal Development and Professionalism Tagged With: Automatic Negative Thoughts, becoming a high-level executive, being congenial and friendly, build your self-confidence, Building Self-Confidence, developed as an engineer, Expect to fail, Fake it ’til you make it, how you project yourself, internal coach and trainer, Keep your lessons learned, Pamela A. Scott, people management, require self-confidence, self-confidence, soft skills, Stomp Out the ANTs, Trust Yourself, you are in charge

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

How to Set SMART Goals in 2022 and Make Them Achievable

December 14, 2021 By EMI

It’s the end of the year. You know what that means for you, right? It’s time to set your goals for 2022.

Setting Goals Requires You to Reflect on What You Did and Did Not Accomplish in 2021

  • What new tools did you learn to use?
  • What new experience did you gain about working with clients?
  • What accomplishments are you most proud of?

Take time to reflect on your wins.

Then Turn Each of Those Questions Around to Ask Yourself What You Want to Accomplish in 2022

  • What new tools do you want to master?
  • What new interactions can you have with clients?
  • What accomplishments do you want to brag about at this time next year?

I’ve learned certain goal-setting strategies will help me — and you — be more successful. And as one CEO told me recently, “The difference between having goals and not having goals is results.”

[Read more…] about How to Set SMART Goals in 2022 and Make Them Achievable

Filed Under: Civil Engineering Tagged With: accountability partner, Be SMART, Embrace Accountability, embracing accountability, focus on your goals, Pamela A. Scott, Set SMART goals, Setting goals, SMART Goals, SMART Goals in 2022

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