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Transitioning From Engineer to Manager : Engineering Career Advice from a Panel of Engineers that Have Made the Leap

January 26, 2012 By 2 Comments

Last week I had the pleasure of attending and participating in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Eastern Regional Younger Member Council (ERYMC) in Nashville, Tennessee.  The conference overall was awesome, but in this post I wanted to summarize the engineering career advice shared in the Saturday afternoon panel where three experienced engineers explained how they transitioned from engineer to manager.

The following is the advice that the three panelists shared:

  • You know you are ready to make the leap from engineer to manager when you feel like you are looking for something more; you want to contribute on a larger scale.
  • They all had a desire to move into engineering management position; they didn’t “have-to.”
  • You have to look at the big picture when you become a manager; look at the forest not the tree.
  • Try to get your employees to also look at the big picture. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Engineering Career Development, Leadership Tagged With: , ,

Transitioning from Engineer to Manager: How to Manage Engineering Professionals That Have More Experience Than You

January 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The following is a brief summary of the 1-16-2012 session of the Engineer Your Own Success Radio Show for engineers.  You can listen to the entire show on our archives page.

During the latest session of my Engineer Your Own Success radio show I had the opportunity to coach a younger engineer (Mary) who was facing the challenge of having to manage or oversee a group of more experienced engineering experts.  This is a challenge that many engineering professionals face when transitioning from engineer to manager.

To give you some detailed background, Mary works for a large engineering company and is in charge of coordinating the preparation of large technical reports.  This includes the oversight of several experienced technical experts to ensure that they all submit their sections of the report on time.

Mary felt disrespected by these experts, and thought that her age and sex may have contributed to their lack of respect.  The experts showed this lack of respect by not submitting their work by the proposed deadline.

Based on our discussion, I provided Mary with the following recommendations: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Engineering Career, Leadership Tagged With: , , ,

From Design Engineer to Manager in 2012 – You Can Do It!

January 4, 2012 By 2 Comments

I have received many questions recently through the different social media outlets to the effect of, “How do I go from design engineer to manager in my engineering career?”

It’s a great question and one that many engineers ask.  In my career travels as a design engineer, and the last few years as an engineering career coach, I have worked with, coached, and spoken to many engineers about this topic specifically and in this post I want to offer some engineering career advice based on my experiences.

In talking with many successful engineers that have made the transition from design engineer to manager, here are some guidelines that may be helpful in your transition:

From Engineer to Manager

Learn How to Delegate

What do I mean by learn how to delegate?  Well I could have just said, start delegating, but many successful engineers will tell you that it’s not that easy.  As engineers we get so wrapped up in day to day technical aspects of projects that when it’s time to go take on a managerial role, we either don’t want to give up the technical tasks to someone else or we are so involved in our projects, it is hard to take a more “hands-off” role.

Many engineers have the mentality of,  “I want to do it to ensure it gets done correctly.  That’s understandable being that you are a competent project manager, however to make a transition from engineer to manager, you are going to have to let other people help you.  You are going to have to take the time to teach them how to do it, in order to free up your time for other things.  The best way to do this is to start by giving small tasks to your team members to let them gain your trust.  Once they build up your trust, you will feel more comfortable giving them larger tasks until you can remove yourself from the “trenches” and take on more of a managerial role. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Development, Leadership, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

On-the-Job Experience during College Was the Best Career Decision for an Engineering Manager

November 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Featured Guest Blogger: Erich Lagasse of Career Confessions

Summary: “Adapt or die” has been the most prevalent theme in my career, and I feel that flexibility as a way of life has been the single greatest factor in my success as an engineer.

Currently, I hold the position of Engineering Manager for a multinational aerospace company that specializes in precision bearings. I have been with this company for seven years, ever since they purchased my prior employer. I have worked in the industry for a total of 22 years, in a number of different positions, ranging from R&D to marketing.

I always knew I wanted to be an engineer. I took the expected classes in high school, like physics and calculus, but I also had a penchant for puzzle-solving, which had a beneficial effect on my ability to think creatively. Creativity, flexibility, and the ability to think “outside the box” are, in my opinion, the most important traits an engineer can possess. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Development, Leadership, Mentoring Tagged With:

Engineering Students Making a Difference in the World While Setting Themselves Up for Engineering Career Success

October 19, 2011 By 1 Comment

I had the opportunity recently to give my Engineer Your Own Success seminar to the engineering students at Clemson University.  While I was there, I sat down with a few of the graduate students to discuss their current work and their engineering career plans.  One of the students that I met, Jeff Plumblee, told me about an amazing project that he happened to fall into, which now consumes most of his time.  Jeff oversees Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC).  CEDC consists of nearly 40 students who are volunteering to help design and oversee the construction of several infrastructure projects in Haiti.

This is not a project that was started through an organization like Engineers Without Borders, someone simply asked Jeff to visit Haiti and asked him if it was a project that he would consider undertaking.  Three years later, 40 students, whose majors include civil engineering, financial management, English, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, sociology, and animal and veterinary sciences are part of the team.  The group has expanded from their water treatment and distribution system in Cange, Haiti, and is now addressing water and sanitation needs in 6 villages near Cange.

Some of Jeff’s day to day tasks include working with interdepartmental faculty, visiting Haiti from time to time, working with his team to ensure the safety and productivity of the engineering students that are currently in Haiti, and holding weekly classes with the entire team.  To create some structure for the volunteers, Jeff and the other team leaders have created 4 groups or departments: Current Operations, Projects, Design Component Specialists, and Communications and Training.  These groups help to ensure that all aspects of the projects are covered and the students are actively engaged.  Fluor employee David Vaughn, the group’s industry advisor, participates in multiple team meetings per week, offering expertise ranging from management to latrine design.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Development, Leadership Tagged With:

The Importance of the Non-Technical Professional Component of Engineering Education

July 24, 2011 By 4 Comments

Featured Guest Blogger:

Merlin Kirschenman, P.E., CPC, M.ASCE, M. AIC

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has been a leader in “raising the bar” for the education of civil engineers.  In 2001, ASCE established the Task Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice.  During a decade of work on raising the requirements for a professional engineer, this committee accomplished a lot, and in 2008 it published the Body Of Knowledge Second edition (BOK-2). This establishes the education requirement of a master’s degree in engineering, or equivalent, to qualify to be a licensed professional engineer.  The BOK-2 addresses  the necessary  non-technical topics, but it lacked emphasis or depth of knowledge in the non-technical, professional areas of the education phase; which is necessary to prepare the graduate engineer to function as a master builder and meet the requirements for ASCE’s Vision 2025.   The 5th year of the BOK-2 is dedicated to technical knowledge topics; making it similar to a current advanced technical engineering degree.

Many engineers believe the “raise the bar” effort for engineering education should include significantly more professional preparation especially in leadership, management, business, communication and public policy. During the preparation of the ASCE BOK reports, some of the committee members with industry backgrounds tried to get more professionalism into the 5th year of the CE curriculum. They proposed that the 5th year should be a professional engineering degree instead of more technical knowledge. However, they were not successful in obtaining this level of professionalism in the BOK reports.

The following are a few comments and suggestions on how the concerns of those who want more professional aspects in the education process can be addressed while still addressing the concerns of those who want the primary emphasis to be on the technical aspects.  This debate has been going on for quite some time and it doesn’t appear like a resolution of the differences is forthcoming. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Development, Leadership, Professional Development Tagged With: , ,

Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career Book Launches Today

July 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

After much anticipation from engineers and business professionals around the globe, Anthony Fasano, P.E. today announced the release of his first book, Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career, which is available for purchase at www.EngineerSuccessToday.com.  By visiting this site you can find out how by purchasing the book today you will receive 2 FREE gifts from the author.

This comprehensive, easy to read book provides the missing links that professionals, specifically engineers and technical professionals, need to implement into their lives to be successful beyond their wildest expectations. Fasano’s book has received rave advance reviews including an endorsement from Brian Tracy, well-known success guru and best-selling author of over 30 books including Create Your Own Future: How to Master 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success who had this to say about Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career: “This fast-moving insightful book is loaded with practical ideas to help you move onward and upward faster in your engineering career.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Career Development, Career Goals, Credentials, Leadership, Mentoring, Networking, Organization Tagged With:

Engineer Your Own Success – 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career Book Launches Today

July 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

After much anticipation from engineers and business professionals around the globe, Anthony Fasano, P.E. today announced the release of his first book, Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career, which is available for purchase at www.EngineerSuccessToday.com.  By visiting this site you can find out how by purchasing the book today you will receive 2 FREE gifts from the author.

This comprehensive, easy to read book provides the missing links that professionals, specifically engineers and technical professionals, need to implement into their lives to be successful beyond their wildest expectations. Fasano’s book has received rave advance reviews including an endorsement from Brian Tracy, well-known success guru and best-selling author of over 30 books including Create Your Own Future: How to Master 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success who had this to say about Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career: “This fast-moving insightful book is loaded with practical ideas to help you move onward and upward faster in your engineering career.”

Finally engineers and other professionals will be able to get the answers to questions they have been asking themselves for years. The reader will find out why goal setting is important; learn simple strategies to use to pass critical examinations the first time around, how to become a terrific public speaker and team leader, and so much more!

Pre-sale interest has been high for Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career. As well, Fasano’s recent video “How Social Media Has Changed My Life” was awarded top honoros in Mashable.com and CNN iReport’s contest in June, 2011. In continuing his efforts to give back to his community wherever possible, Fasano will be donating a portion of the sales of each book sold to Engineers Without Borders, an organization that promotes community driven development programs worldwide.

Anthony Fasano, AKA Your Professional Partner, CEO and founder of Powerful Purpose Associates, is a nationally recognized professional coach and inspirational speaker specializing in the areas of business growth and career development, as well as leadership. Fasano has been a keynote speaker at hundreds of events and has had a huge impact on many professionals including engineers, engineering organizations, community groups, Chamber of Commerce’s, and small business owners. Fasano sends out brief but powerful daily e-mail messages to professional’s worldwide called A Daily Boost from Your Professional Partner, which help inspire professionals to achieve career success. To sign up for these motivational tips, go to www.PowerfulPurpose.com.

Filed Under: Career Development, Career Goals, Leadership, Mentoring, Networking Tagged With:

How to Lead a High-Performance Team Without Creating Stress

July 8, 2011 By 3 Comments

Featured Guest Blogger: Jeff Goodling

Historically political leaders have held power though the use of fear, either the fear of the despot (Stalin, Duvalier, Amin, etc.), or by offering protection from those that are feared (providing sanctuary within the castle walls).  Many of today’s business leaders continue to believe that fear is an appropriate tool to motivate their employees.  These leaders will state that the company can’t stay ahead of its competitors unless productivity increases, that the employee can be replaced by someone who will work harder or cheaper, or creating competition between two employees for a promotion.

I don’t think anyone wants to admit that they are living in fear, but we make decisions based upon fear daily, and many of those fear based decisions (i.e. jumping out of the way of a speeding car) are sensible.  I think it’s healthy to acknowledge our fears, and also to acknowledge that stress is only a more acceptable term for fear.  Frankly, without any stress in my life I’m not sure I’d get out of bed every morning.

I also recognize that stress can temporarily motivate employees.  However the medical profession is convinced that it is not a sustainable state, and in my experience creating a stressful work environment causes your best employees (those with the most options) to be the first to leave.

This leads us to the crux of the issue — how do you lead without creating stress? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership, Professional Development, Uncategorized Tagged With:

A Young Engineer’s Perspective on Leadership

June 26, 2011 By 4 Comments

Featured Guest Blogger: Jason C Faulkner, P.E.

In the short course of my career I have tried many methods for getting things done.  Many of those methods were unsuccessful, but when it comes to leadership I believe I have discovered a winning path.  I want to share what I believe is the best definition of leadership and how others can improve their future leading endeavors.

I have read many books on the topic of leadership yet I have not read one that gave a clear and simple definition.  The books written on leadership typically give examples of what leadership looks like, what can be accomplished with leadership, and examples of people who have demonstrated leadership qualities.  So, let me begin by finally providing a clear definition.

Leadership is defined as the ability to motivate people (or resources) to complete a prioritized agenda.

At first sight this definition may sound too simplistic to define leadership.  As you read further I believe you will come to agree that this definition is correct and will also begin to understand why so many people think that leadership is more than what was stated previously.

To understand why both components of leadership (motivation and prioritization) are necessary we must look at what happens when people attempt to lead with only one of the critical components.  I will start with what I call the “Do Everything” approach.  These people typically try to accomplish all goals simultaneously.  The problem with this approach is that we live in a world of limited time and resources.  Even Ancient Rome for all its power could not conquer the entire known world simultaneously.  A leader must recognize that in order to accomplish the most difficult problems, resources must be pulled away from non-critical tasks to ensure that the most critical tasks are certain to succeed.  Imagine if Rome in ancient times had tried conquering all surrounding nations simultaneously.  At first it might appear that Rome would accomplish their goal of world domination at a faster pace until they realized they were being attacked on all sides and suddenly face insurmountable odds.  Leading in the same manner, by attacking all fronts simultaneously, without prioritizing, will often result in resources becoming too spread out and team members heading in too many different directions.  Attacking all fronts simultaneously will prevent resources from being diverted to critical needs when unexpected challenges occur and in the end nothing, or very little, ever gets done. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership
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