Only Ties?

Hi Grace,

At the risk of going off topic, you've raised a really interesting point there re "leading without formal authority" - and indeed the whole role of an engineer as a manager / leader. Like many of us I was landed into a management role early in my career, and I was at that time - frankly - awful at it. Which I thought at the time was just me; now, with many years of management and leadership experience, education and training behind me, I know that it was simply that I hadn't been supported into it. (Probably because, in turn, my managers had no formal training and education in management.)  


I find the engineering profession is great at sending engineers on project management courses - how to manage data - but not so good at supporting soft skills development. Which given that, to be honest, many people are attracted to engineering in the first place because they think (wrongly) that they won't have to deal with people, is a major shortcoming. So this would be a fantastic service the engineering institutes could offer more of, and why not combine forces? In fact, my first postgraduate university based management training was gained through the Engineering Management Partnership of the IEE, IMechE, and one or two other institutes in association with the universities of Bristol and Loughborough. It was a real shame that scheme fell by the wayside.


I've had a vague idea for a year or two for an IET local network event of "Manager's Question Time", where engineers considering first steps into management, or who are just into management and feeling as if they are sinking, could quiz a panel of experienced engineering managers for their advice and experience. I'd love to help at such an event, but for the last two years have been far too busy to organise it myself!


Way off topic, perhaps we should start this on another thread?


P.S. I'd really recommend the CMI, which you can join through the IET, their magazine has really useful hints and tips, and their website has pretty useful checklists etc on it. I just ignore the articles about "how I left school at 15 and became a multi-millionaire by the age of 22 by being completely ruthless and money driven"!


It's amazing where a discussion can take you...


Right back to work - sorting out the sexism ingrained in the IET is easy compared to sorting out some railway safety cases...


Cheers,


Andy 

Hi Grace,

At the risk of going off topic, you've raised a really interesting point there re "leading without formal authority" - and indeed the whole role of an engineer as a manager / leader. Like many of us I was landed into a management role early in my career, and I was at that time - frankly - awful at it. Which I thought at the time was just me; now, with many years of management and leadership experience, education and training behind me, I know that it was simply that I hadn't been supported into it. (Probably because, in turn, my managers had no formal training and education in management.)  


I find the engineering profession is great at sending engineers on project management courses - how to manage data - but not so good at supporting soft skills development. Which given that, to be honest, many people are attracted to engineering in the first place because they think (wrongly) that they won't have to deal with people, is a major shortcoming. So this would be a fantastic service the engineering institutes could offer more of, and why not combine forces? In fact, my first postgraduate university based management training was gained through the Engineering Management Partnership of the IEE, IMechE, and one or two other institutes in association with the universities of Bristol and Loughborough. It was a real shame that scheme fell by the wayside.


I've had a vague idea for a year or two for an IET local network event of "Manager's Question Time", where engineers considering first steps into management, or who are just into management and feeling as if they are sinking, could quiz a panel of experienced engineering managers for their advice and experience. I'd love to help at such an event, but for the last two years have been far too busy to organise it myself!


Way off topic, perhaps we should start this on another thread?


P.S. I'd really recommend the CMI, which you can join through the IET, their magazine has really useful hints and tips, and their website has pretty useful checklists etc on it. I just ignore the articles about "how I left school at 15 and became a multi-millionaire by the age of 22 by being completely ruthless and money driven"!


It's amazing where a discussion can take you...


Right back to work - sorting out the sexism ingrained in the IET is easy compared to sorting out some railway safety cases...


Cheers,


Andy