If You Had To Do It All Over Again, What Would You Change?
Featured Guest Blogger: Babette Burdick
Sales Aerobics for Engineers
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If you had to do it all over again, what would you change?
Would you even have entered civil engineering or architecture? If you knew then what you knew now? Especially after 2009?
Some of us (facetiously?) would say we would take LESS course work if we had to do it all over again.. Perhaps so we could party more? Study more? Work out more?
Getting serious, though, based on what you know now, what would you change about your undergrad and graduate education line-up, based on what you wish you knew then?
I know that the biggest shock to me as a biology/physical anthropology dual major was the lack of direction I was provided in terms of career options available to me after I graduated. I wasn’t exactly looking for the proverbial “handwriting on the wall”… although a few scribbles would have been greatly appreciated. So I went into laboratory research, killed more than a few cell cultures, developed expertise in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, decided to go to grad school and figured out in short order that a life of lab research simply wasn’t for me. I liked the teaching part and the interacting with folks. Somehow I landed on the business side of pharmaceutical research and realized (and was constantly told) I had the “gift” of translating business-speak into scientific/technical/ops speak. That’s the short story.
This week, in my Sales Aerobics For Engineers blog, I interviewed Masha V. Petrova, PhD, of MVP Modeling Solutions: a real, live engineer. The subject, “what they DIDN’T teach you in engineering school,” is so relevant that I must refer you to it. I certainly did post it on this site.
HOW WOULD YOU FILL IN THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL GAPS AT THIS POINT IN YOUR LIFE? Have you taken the time to identify the gaps? These gaps may include gaps in your professional organization as well as in your professional resume.
Perhaps you work for a company full of braniacs who are unable to translate what’s on their mind (literally) into simple, non-technical phrases so that customers “get it” and have confidence in what you/your company are all about. What type of training, coursework, perspective would it take in terms of education to get you/your colleagues from the company’s Point A to the customer’s Point B? How can you/your company retrofit to span that gap? Right now?
If you were asked to teach a course on civil engineering or architecture at your university or community college, what would you bring to the table, now, that you felt you didn’t receive when you were in the same shoes are the students? I believe it’s called wisdom. And professional perspective. And being honest and upfront. Your thoughts?
What’s the missing link(s) in terms of engineering education that prevents you and your company from being as globally competitive as you could be? Why don’t engineering and architecture educators “get it”? Yes, I know engineers are resistant to change. However, educators have made the choice to communicate to others. So at the very least they are committed to cross-training their brains.
If you are a member of a professional organization, how can you impact today’s engineering and architecture students? How can your organization showcase stewardship and outreach to fill in the gaps in engineering and architectural education, at the grade school level as well as to graduate and post-graduate students?
I know you understand that the ability of engineers to work in both technical and business worlds is the true fulcrum of revenue generation and competitive edge in today’s economy. And the “how to” achieve this end point is not going to be provided to you in terms of some sort of recipe for success.
Technically-oriented individuals, such as engineers, tend towards being myopic and prescriptive by nature. However, would you describe yourself as needing to be led around by the hand in order to understand the big picture? Something tells me you would be offended by that description of self. However, do you impact or react? Are you proactive or do you wait for others?
I don’t think you’ve gotten to where you are today by richoting around like a pin-ball in a game machine. You take what you do seriously. Very seriously.
So what would you now choose to do to make up for the gaps in your own professional development? What would “that” look like: taking courses, teaching, outreach to grade schools, greater involvement in the stewardship of your professional organizations?
In doing these activities, you get to do it all over again… for yourself and for others.
How about giving it a go in 2010?
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1 comment February 2, 2010
“Engineering Stress”
Social networking sites, like LinkedIn and FACEBOOK have also provided an opportunity for many of us to take a break, decompress and correspond (quickly) with our colleagues in a non-stressful environment.
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
5 comments January 26, 2010
How About Asking Yourself What’s Right?
Featured Guest Blogger: Anthony Fasano, P.E., CPC, LEED AP
Maser Consulting
Associate Civil Engineer and Professional Career & Leadership Development Coach
Click to Connect With Anthony on Linkedin and Facebook
Anthony is the author of a soon to be launched FREE service for engineers called A Daily Boost from Your Professional Partner. Click here to read about this service.
I recently completed a certified professional coach training program at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and it was an amazing experience. I have to say I was extremely nervous going into it, being a civil engineer with a technical background, however I instantly fell in love with coaching and it is now totally natural for me.
As part of the training, one of the books we were required to read was “Breaking the Rules” by Kurt Wright. The book focuses on being your best and how people and organizations can achieve their maximum potential. The author states that being at your best cannot occur until you gain real-time access to your intuition or your “right brain.” This was extremely scary to me being a civil engineer who operates mostly from the analytical portion of the brain or the “left-brain”, however as I read the book I became fascinated with the message.
The left and right hemispheres of your brain process information differently. The left side of the brain processes information linearly, from part to whole. It processes in a logical order; prior to drawing conclusions. The right brain processes in reverse from whole to part. It starts with the end-result or solution. It sees the big picture first, instead of all of the details. Everyone tends to have a dominant side of the brain; however, the thinking process is improved when both sides of the brain participate equally known as whole brain thinking.
Engineers, and pretty much all of human civilization are always looking for “What’s wrong”? We are always analyzing situations to try to identify a problem so that we can fix it. The author of the book states that by asking “What’s wrong?” questions, you cause all of your thinking to be done by the analytical part of your brain. Asking “What’s wrong” questions constantly puts you into a negative state of mind.
So what’s the alternative? How about start by asking the question “What’s right?” For example, let’s say you meet with your team on a certain project that is taking much longer than it should and likely will be over budget. We are programmed to ask the team “What’s wrong?” and start discussing all of the problems on the project and try to figure out how to fix them. What if you were to start by asking the team “What’s right?” By reviewing all of the things that are working for the team, you can focus on applying some of your success to the lacking portions of the project, while maintaining a positive attitude and atmosphere within the team. This brainstorming exercise will foster use of the right brain and move the team members towards whole brain thinking.
The thought behind the “What’s right?” mentality is that people are at their best when they are doing what they are good at and what they love to do. By focusing on people’s strengths you can ensure that they are extremely productive and engaged in what they are doing and thus the organization will be more effective as a whole. So next time you are faced with a problem or a challenge, stop, be creative, access your right brain and explore all of the things that are right about the situation and see where that leads you!
Do you or anyone that you know follow the “What’s right?” mentality regularly? How has it worked for you?
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
12 comments January 19, 2010
Do you work for your clients or do they work for you?
Featured Guest Blogger: Babette Burdick
Sales Aerobics for Engineers
Internet Business Development Strategies for Manufacturers, Distributors and Service Companies
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I must really ask you this question. Because your 2010 Business Plans are now set and the quarterly numbers are created and the forecasts and targets are locked in stone. The business gun has officially gone off and you are racing towards the annual fiscal – and professional – finish line. And of course everyone has do make up for 2009. It’s gotta be better in 2010. Really.
Whoa there, folks. Take off your blinders. As you trample through the ongoing rush for prospecting, customer retention and business development – and all the technical, engineering and support functions – you kinda left something at the starting line. Your customers.
After all, no one ever closed a deal without the customer’s willingness to sign a contract. Oh, and write a check, too.
How much business have you ever closed using the line: “I need you to sign the contract by the 30th of this month so I will make my quarterly projected revenue?” Or how about this enduring closing line: “If you prefer, you don’t have to phase in this project over the next 18 months. Why don’t you commit for the total amount right now, so I can achieve 25% growth for my annual projected business goals?”
By now, you must surely get my point: you work on behalf of your customers and not the reverse. How many of you actually honor this statement? Or do you rely on manipulating commitments so that the customer’s square peg fits into your company’s round hole of strategic business projections?
Ultimately, there are too many folks focusing on closing the sale: product or service placement. If you are working within a customer retention model, it’s not about closing the sale and placing service. It’s about everything you do on behalf of your clients to support their online and offline decisions before the sale, as well as after the sale. In fact, your support may have nothing to do with any sale whatsoever.
By now you are probably griping that I am asking you to give away free consulting services on the whisper and a promise that you will, eventually, get a piece of business out of this “relationship building” exercise. I am not advocating advanced schmoozing or “freebieism.” However, if you understand the organizational environment in which your customer is trying to make a decision, it’s going to reduce your sales cycle.
If you think I have lost my mind, guess again. Customer support doesn’t start after the sale is closed. In fact, if you are not part of your clients’ decision making team, you should be striving to create the expertise that causes them to ask you to their table. And not just as the “expert” in the consulting services category you are selling.
Wonder why, above all, you still are regarded as the “sales rep” or the “engineer” no matter how much training, certification and technical degrees you own? Could be that you are selling YOURSELF short in the long run if all you are doing is focusing on placing your consulting engineering services with the customer.
Perhaps your best 2010 business development strategy may be to focus on understanding all of the factors that impact your client’s being able to make a business decision on your proposed solution. They may know they need your solution, and understand why (after all, you’ve done your homework on that score, haven’t you?). However, how many times after how many presentations and lunches and relationship building heart-to-hearts does a proposal simply languish? How many times do you or your customer feel like a salmon swimming upstream trying to get this proposal through the corporate channels for approval?
Could be that it’s not all about closing that sale? Perhaps taking the time to learn the context of the decision is the greatest tool you can put into your 2010 toolbox.
Think about it.
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
4 comments January 12, 2010
World’s Tallest Building Opens -How Tall Is Too Tall?
By Carol A. Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC and
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
The Burj Dubai – Arabic for Dubai Tower – opens today, January 4, at a supposed height of 2,717 feet. Construction began on September 21, 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on October 1, 2009.
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, LLP (Chicago) are listed as the architect and engineer of record. Bill Baker, the Chief Structural Engineer for the project, invented the buttressed core structural system in order to enable the tower to achieve such heights economically. Adrian Smith, who worked with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) until 2006, was the Design Partner on the project. Turner Construction Company was selected as the construction project manager. Under UAE law, the Contractor and the Engineer of Record are jointly and severally liable for the performance of Burj Dubai. Therefore, by adoption of SOM’s design and by being appointed as Architect and Engineer of Record, Hyder Consulting is legally the Design Consultant for the tower.
The total budget for the Burj Khalifa project is about US $1.5 billion; and for the entire new “Downtown Dubai”, US $20 billion. The metal-and-glass spire is touted as a “vertical city” of luxury apartments and offices. It boasts four swimming pools, a private library and a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani.
According to the Burj’s developers, they are “confident in the safety of the tower, which is more than twice the height of New York’s Empire State Building’s roof. Greg Sang, Emaar’s director of projects, said the Burj has ‘refuge floors’ at 25 to 30 story intervals that are more fire resistant and have separate air supplies in case of emergency. And its reinforced concrete structure, he said, makes it stronger than steel-frame skyscrapers.”
Engineer Baker reported that the Burj developer continued to push the design higher even after construction began, eventually putting it about 984 feet taller than its nearest competitor. This push came from Dubai’s determination to “reshape itself into a cosmopolitan urban giant packed with skyscrapers.”
How tall is too tall for a building? How complicated is too complicated for a bridge? What do you think?
AP photo/Kamran Jebreili
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
7 comments January 4, 2010
Bring On The New Year – Please!
By Carol A. Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC and
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
This past year has been challenging for many in the A/E/P community and everyone associated with it. At least once a day I am asked “Where do you see the market heading in 2010? Do you see the job market picking up?” After 20+ years recruiting civil engineers, architects and planners I look into my crystal ball and my past civil engineering blogs and try to answer. The answers usually depend on the daily changing news from my clients and various news sources. Do I see an increase in hiring from my clients? Yes. However, these needs are very specific. They are either strategic discipline hires or for candidates who meet their requirements exactly. There is little to no flexibility in candidate experience.
Our community is watching President Obama and the US Congress. Workforce planning has become a guessing game for operations and human resources executives. Should firms hire for potential jobs or for projects awarded that have tentative start dates? Or, should firms implement overtime for existing staff and hold on making new hires? Tough questions. In either case, job seekers at all levels are discussing where to go next or what to do.
Many of us have minimal control over whether firms move forward in bringing on new staff. So let’s take control over what we can manage. If you are unhappy with your job, need a job or have let your job search go stale – take control and make or redesign a plan. If you need new clients – make a new plan. Whether you gain education, identify a recruiter to assist, join new associations for networking or apply to specific companies who have projects in your area of interest…just take action. Our January newsletter author, Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP, CPESC, CPSWQ, poses the question “What will it take for you to make 2010 a ‘Career Year’?” This is a worthwhile read.
As 2009 comes to a close, I have one thing left to say, “Bring on the New Year – Please!”
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2 comments December 29, 2009
Happy Holidays!
We would like to take a moment to thank all of those who help make CivilEngineeringCentral.com a successful and relevant venture:
Don
Matt O. & Dusty
Anthony
Babette
Ron, David & Erika
All Of Our Customers Who Advertise On Our Site
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All Of Our Loyal Blog Readers
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All Of Our Friends & Family Who Continue To Support Us
HAVE A HAPPY & SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON & MAY ALL OF YOUR HOLIDAY WISHES COME TRUE!
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
Add comment December 22, 2009
The Key to Success Starts With Listening not Answering
Featured Guest Blogger: Anthony Fasano, P.E., CPC, LEED AP
Maser Consulting
Associate Civil Engineer and Certified Professional Career Development Coach
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Read The Career Development Blog – A Newly Created Support Forum for Civil Engineers
Ernest Hemingway one said, “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” I believe this quote to be so very true. Until I attended coaching school and learned how to listen, I was often guilty of selective hearing. I believe this was in large part due to my engineering background. Engineers as well as other technical professionals are always geared towards problem solving. Therefore when we listen, we listen for “answers” needed to solve problems. Once we have these “answers” we tend to tune out the rest of the conversation as we are already solving the problem in our heads or we start looking for the next problem to solve!
Why don’t people listen? People like to hear themselves talk. Admit it, we all do! We have a lot of thoughts and experiences on our mind and we want to share them. Sharing your thoughts is great but engaging and listening to those we are speaking with is important to your relationships both personally and professionally. Do you find yourself cutting people off before they finish their sentences? We are all anxious to keep moving forward, so much so, that we sometimes don’t hear important messages that people are trying to tell us including managers, co-workers, clients, friends, spouses, children, etc.
There is a very valuable skill called Acknowledging. Acknowledging is when you repeat back to someone the words they just told you. For example, a client may say to you, “This is our largest project and it means a lot to us.” You would acknowledge the client by saying, “Bob, we understand that this is your largest project and that it means the world to you and that is why we have our best civil engineers working on the project non-stop!” This shows the client that you are listening to them and as trivial as acknowledging may sound, it can be extremely powerful in building relationships.
How many times have you heard someone attribute a problem in the workplace to “mis-communication?” Do they mean “mis-communication” or do they mean someone wasn’t listening and missed out on what they were supposed to do? I believe many times it is the latter. Communication is a two way street, it has to be! If someone tells you something and you don’t listen, what’s the point?
Over the next few weeks, make it a point to listen. Even during the holidays with your family, try acknowledging them, you’ll be surprised at the response you get. Companies lose money, projects and employees when people repeatedly don’t listen. By improving your listening skills you will set yourself apart from other professionals and your professional and personal life will be much more rewarding!
Remember the key to success starts with listening not answering!
Happy Holidays!
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7 comments December 15, 2009
Civil Engineers Giving Back To The Community
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
Sir Winston Churchill
The holidays are traditionally the time that many of us focus on giving back to our communities. Whether by donation of time or money, groups need our support. It is our hope that we can compile a comprehensive list of US charities or philanthropic groups that could benefit specifically from the Civil Engineering Communities. Please comment by adding to our list and we will compile for a future BLOG.
1. Engineers Without Borders
EWB-USA helps create a more stable and prosperous world by addressing people’s basic human needs by providing necessities such as clean water, power, sanitation and education.
2. ASCE Foundation
The ASCE Foundation provides support for programs that enhance quality of life, promote the profession, advance technical practices, and prepare civil engineers for tomorrow. Each program helps build a stronger profession for tomorrow’s national and global challenges.
3. ACE Mentor
The ACE Mentor Program of America, Inc.’s mission is to enlighten and increase the awareness of high school students to career opportunities in architecture, construction and engineering and related areas of the design and construction industry through mentoring; and to provide scholarship opportunities for students in an inclusive manner reflective of the diverse school population.
4. Habitat For Humanity
We seek to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Today, they have built over 350,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1.75 million people in 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.
5. National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize our communities.
6. Water Resource Foundation
The Water Research Foundation is a member-supported, international, nonprofit organization that sponsors research to enable water utilities, public health agencies, and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking water to consumers.
Thanks in advance for your input!
TEAM CEC
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
Add comment December 10, 2009
One More Blog About Form vs. Function
Featured Guest Blogger: Babette Burdick
Sales Aerobics for Engineers
Internet Business Development Strategies for Manufacturers, Distributors and Service Companies
Connect With Babette On Linkedin
Read The Sales Aerobics For Engineers Blog
Stop salivating. I’m not going to be discussing the eternal dialectic between architects and engineers. I know the engineers take what architects design and somehow make it function. I know architects take what engineers design and make it aesthetically pleasing.
I’m talking about what form you take to make yourself functional. In any context.
How would you characterize your form? Are you a shape shifter? Do you constantly morph? Are you the same form regardless of situation? Does anyone know what – or whom – to expect when you interface with them? Do you take your form on and off like a suit of clothes? Are you play-acting? Are you authentic…Ever?
How does the form you take impact your function – and your value – to your organization? Are you the loose cannon no one wants to deal with because they never get the same “you” twice? Do you hide behind your engineering degree and your technical jargon so that you are impenetrable except to your peers – and therefore difficult to communicate with? Are you constantly striving to earn style points (literally) by putting yourself on an artistic pedestal and making your clients feel uncomfortable – even though they are the ones writing the checks for your services? Are you confused about what folks are expecting of you, and therefore inconsistent in actions and, consequently, performance?
We are at the time of the year – and this year particularly – when we need to take stock of ourselves. This is a thought process we should always be engaging in an ongoing basis. You know, continuous self improvement? Why just confine it to your architectural, engineering and planning projects?
If you are so many different things to so many different people based on what you think they want, how do you keep all this functional role-playing straight? Why on earth do you feel that you wouldn’t meet yourself coming and going, eventually?
It’s easier to shape shift than taking some personal inventory and aligning yourself so your form and function are fluid, continuous and authentic time after time. No surprises for anyone anymore. Although this new “you” may surprise you, yourself. Have you ever thought how it would be to effortlessly answer a question from a unified form-function position without thinking out a scripted response aligned with whatever politics you feel you need to support at that time?
So you guys think you don’t have time for this stuff. Too busy hustling new business or completing projects by year end? Compartmentalizing your professional form with function again?
Guess again. There’s no better time than now to figure out how to create steady-state dynamics between your form and function. Unfortunately they didn’t teach you – or any of us – about this in engineering school. The real world throws continuous curve balls at us. Most of us spend our lives dodging them or avoiding them rather than anticipating them and incorporating them. The big secret is that compartmentalization of the personal from the professional side of things doesn’t work.
Look around you and figure out how many shape-shifters are in your workplace. Is shape shifting encouraged? Does it result from a management style that leaves everyone in the dark…. Perhaps on purpose? Is this type of atmosphere toxic to your career and personal development? Are you ignoring this situation and hoping things resolve? How functional is all this shape shifting?
OK. I’ve made my point. I also encourage you to follow a similar discussion titled: “Are You Impeccable With Your Word?” on my blog at Sales Aerobics for Engineers. You see, I couldn’t compartmentalize this week, writing one distinct blog for my readers and another for the Civil Engineering Central audience. The two blogs are both parts of a whole. They invite dialogue.
Your thoughts?
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
5 comments November 30, 2009
