Engineering Management Institute

professional growth

A Sustainable Sales Platform Starts With an Organization’s Values

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This is a guest blog by Mike Burns, PE, PgMP, DBIA

A Sustainable Sales Platform Starts With an Organization's ValuesAs with every phase of life, beginnings and ends are times for focused reflection on our successes and failures. Individually and as a member of a team, this analysis sets the stage for subsequent growth. This reflective planning rhythm has defined the last 10 years of my life, as I’ve strived to grow from events: the Great Recession, the Arab Spring, AECOM exiting the P3 / DBFM market, and in 2020, COVID-19. With my deepest sympathies for the devastating health and socioeconomic outcomes we’ve collectively faced this year, I remain cognizant of the fact that my privilege and support system have allowed me to navigate these challenges with limited pain. I hope that this brief discussion of my migration into a sales role helps you overcome the naysayers on your path.

sales platform

Whether seeking professional growth or facing the daunting task of finding a new job, there are often a series of devastating no’s before the next empowering yes. For me these included, “you are a developer, not an engineer,” “you’ve never worked overseas, in a corporate role, on a billion dollar program, etc.” Recently, “you’ve never been in a pure business development (BD) role.” Each of these no’s guided my outreach to mentors, discussions with colleagues, and educational desires. I leveraged their collective wisdom to evolve my professional approach, remaining focused on building teams, empowering individuals, and continuous learning; this approach has allowed me to remain engaged, enjoying life as a student and a teacher.

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Goal Setting: Think Big, Be Mindful

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This is a guest blog by Michael Burns, PE, PgMP, DBIA

goal setting

What a cool topic for my first EMI Blog—Goal Setting—as publishing and mentoring have been on my list of career objectives for many years. Writing my first draft, I realized it was January 4th, my father’s birthday and the time of year where resolutions and goal setting run rampant. My parents, school teachers who raised me in Boulder, Colorado, often limited their advice to philosophical statements like, “We are who we are becoming.” As a kid, this lack of concrete guidance frustrated me, as I sought clear direction for a successful life. Thirty years into my civil engineering career, as a parent, mentor, mentee and friend, I hold dearly to my parents’ guidance, accepting that we are who we are becoming is step one in balancing our desires against life’s events.

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To Move Ahead In Your Engineering Career You’ll Need To Travel

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A lot of members of the Engineering Career Community love to travel, both for work and for play.  They understand that to grow in their careers and as individuals, they have to get out into the world and mix it up.  Experience life, experience developing relationships, and yes – experience being uncomfortable.  This last point might not sound enviable, but true travel introduces a level of uncertainty.  And uncertainty has a way of making most people – me included – uncomfortable.

But exiting your comfort zone is a necessity for growth, growth as a person and as a professional.  Simply put, to move ahead in your engineering career you’ll need to travel. [Read more…] about To Move Ahead In Your Engineering Career You’ll Need To Travel