A Successful Transition from Engineer to Manager

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A Successful Transition from Engineer to Manager

• ASME Early Career Forum
• Toronto, Ontario
• 10 June 2007
• John T. Bozewicz
• ASME Engineering Technology
• Management Group Leader

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Traditional Career Model
Sr. Mgt.
Middle Management
1st Line Management
Staff Engineering
The Career Pyramid
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Which Career Path Should I Follow?
Technical
Other
Management
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Why Management?
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Setting the Course..From Engineer to
Engineering Manager
Do not be too timid and squeamish about your
actions. All life is an experiment. The more
experiments you make the better.
Ralph Waldo
Emerson
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Each Organization Selects Its Engineering
Managers Based on a Complex Set of Factors
Business Competence
Relationships
Capability
Seniority or Experience
Leadership
Each organization has its own unique equation
that may change over time
Technical Competence
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Challenges to Becoming a Successful Engineering
Manager

• Technical Competence
• Communications
• Business Skills
• Management Skills
• Motivation
• Performance Evaluation
• People (or Interpersonal) Skills A Special
  Challenge

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Management Levels Skills Mix

Administrative and Conceptual
Skills
3rd Level (Senior Managers)
Interpersonal Skills
2nd Level (Middle Managers)
Technical Skills
1st Level (Supervisors)

• As organizations evolve to reflect their business
  environment -- the skills mix is also changing
  for the organizations managers

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Cornerstones to Developing Managers
Opportunity
Mgmt Career Path
Sponsor (Mentor)
Preparation
The secret of success is for a man to be
ready for his opportunity when it comes.

-Benjamin Disreali, British
Novelist and Debater (1804-1881)
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Engineering Management An Organizational
Development Approach

• Executives
• Strategic Vision
• External Awareness
• Organizational Representation Liaison
• Directorate Head (Senior Mgr)

• Managers
• Innovative Thinking
• Program Development Planning Evaluation
• Model/Reinforce Core Values
• Resource Management
• Technology Management
• Process Oversight Management
• Mentoring
• Presentation/ Marketing Skills
• Risk Management
• Division Head (Senior Mgr)
• Program Manager

Supervisors Situational Leadership Demonstrate
Core Values Managing Diverse Workforce Coaching/Co
unseling Conflict Management Change
Management Team Building Influencing/Negotiating H
uman Resources Mgmt Branch Head (Middle
Mgr) Asst. Program Mgr
Team Leader Project Leader POAMs Project
Tracking Resource Expenditures Customer
Orientation Quality Focus Consensus Myers-Briggs
Analysis
Knowledge and Skills
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First Things First Manage Yourself

• Know Your Personality
• Personality/Behavior Tests
• Work Within Yourself
• Know Your Constraints and Limitations
• Dont Become Something Youre Not!
• Take Care of Yourself Physically and Mentally
• Management Will Require Much of Your Energy
• Strive for Balance - Dont Become a Workaholic!

Manage Yourself before Managing Others
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Extra-curricular Preparation (Part 1)

• Look for and take advantage of opportunities to
  get involved with corporate or organization-level
  teams/projects - get exposure at the
  corporate-level
• Theres more than just the focused technical
  area you work in!

Look at organizations internal website or other
sources of corporate information, policies and
strategic planning good stuff from an
organizational perspective get familiar with
how your organization does business (e.g., budget
development, marketing, etc.) and strategic
planning
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Extra-curricular Preparation (Part 2)

• Professional Society involvement good for
  exposure become an active member not just an
  attendee offers great early management
  opportunities
• Make the investment in yourself (time and )
  not everything will be provided to you you must
  take the initiative treat yourself as a small
  business (YOU, Inc.)

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Key Focus Areas My Experience

• Continuously improve your Communication skills
  written and oral
• New Focus Area International Communications
• Negotiating key skill to your future success
• Understand that there is a political landscape
• Financial Management/Budget Development
  general theory and your organizations accounting
  and budgeting practices

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Pathways to Development

• On the job experience
• Engineering Management degree programs at the
  University Graduate level
• Engineering Management courses at the University
  Undergraduate or Graduate level (non-degree
  programs)
• Piecemeal Approach Education (formal or
  informal) focused on specific knowledge areas
  (for example Financial, Communications, or
  Negotiating skills as well as numerous others)
• Certification Programs

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• Certification EMCI is a Tool to Measure
• Engineering Management Competency

• Engineer Engineering Manager

EMCF

• EMCP

EMCI Engineering Management Certification
International
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What I Hope You Take Away from Today

• Soft skills will play a significant part in
  successfully transitioning from Engineer to
  Manager
• A strong desire to want to continue to develop
  yourself AND more importantly a desire to develop
  others
• Become a Decision Maker Managers have to make
  the Tough Choices
• Take Charge Initiate development of your
  Personal Strategic Plan for You, Inc.!

Set an Active Course for YourselfDont Coast If
Youre Coasting, Youre Going Downhill!
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Contact Info

John Bozewicz Email bozewiczj_at_asme.org