How to Merge Engineering And People Skills Into A New Dynamic: The Power Of Personality In The Workplace
There is a disconnect out there; engineers are getting all the "good" jobs, but they can't keep them, primarily because of the very skills that enabled them to become engineers in the first place.
And those with people skills, who could keep a job if hired, can't get a job because they wouldn't know how to program ANY electrical device, let alone invent one.
This presents a wonderful opportunity for HR Departments and industry overall. I call it MERGER MANAGEMENT.
How do you retain the engineers and actually have them work toward improving the company's bottom line? By hiring people with transferable skills which will allow them to train engineers to work well--and play well--with others.
I am not talking about hiring someone with a frat boy mentality. (I think the Great Recession taught us all about THAT type of person).
I am talkin g about someone with a liberal arts background peppered with activities, or someone middle aged who fits that profile, yet now has a broad range of experience with companies big and small, and someone who can golf or play tennis or watch a ball game or a play with just about anyone, knowing how to have a good time.
That's the person--the great, valuable untouched resource that has been shoved aside in recent years--who can make a positive long-term impact on an entire organization.
As Carol Bartz, C.E.O. of Yahoo put it, regarding M.B.A. schools, "there ought to be classes for people to get more philosophical about who they are and what motivates them". And, on hiring others, Bartz says, "I'm looking for a personality fit. I see humor in my management. I can't take a person who gets offended by every little thing I say. I always have dinner with them because I want to find out if I'm thinking, after that first glass of wine, how can I get ou t of here?"
Words that make, or should make, every engineer out there quake and quiver.
Here are the skills necessary for the Merger Management concept--and a discussion of what is needed to implement them:
Most engineers think they will get paid handsomely--and for the rest of their careers--- sitting in a cubicle, spitting out equations. It's an unrealistic perception in a world where innovation, teamwork, and change must coexist. The legendary Jack Welch at General Electric did not spend his career in a backroom at GE; he knew how to motivate people in order to get things done.
It's imperative--going forward as we emerge from the recession--- that engineers develop people skills in order for companies to keep growing their bottom lines.
By merging the talents of engineers with those who have exceptional people skills, companies will be far ahead of the curve...and perfectly aligned to be industry leaders well into the 21st century.
Companies that may be nudged in this area include such such powerhouses as: ITT Corporation, General Electric, Microsoft, Apple, Arcadis, Verizon Wireless, Alpine Electronics of America, Inc., Bridges Consulting, Inc., DRS Technologies, Inc., Technical Focus, Inc., and Computer Sciences Corporation, just to name a few.
In time, the companies that train engineers with a well thought out people skills program, will known as the trend setters. Those that choose not to, will do so at their own peril.
Third, OVERCOMING OBSTACLES--SEEN AND UNFORESEEN
The Merger Manager will have to teach the urgency and the will to deliver objectives on time AND in the face of constraints and obstacles. Again, a mastery of what motivates people, and how to propel them with the same sense of urgency required to complete the project in a timely manner, is imperative. And it can be learned in the context of a progressive work-place.
Fourth, FLEXIBILITY.
The Merger Manager will have to teach resourcefulness and flexibility.
Engineers need to be trained to understand the needs of others and what motivates people to achieve success and be able to motivate a team of diverse personalities. This requires inordinate amounts of resourcefulness and flexibility.
Fifth, LOYALTY.
The Merger Manager will have to train the engineer to think in terms of loyalty, not only to the company, but to his team---and even the teams of other managers within t he company.
The Merger Manager will have to teach trust and loyalty in a team setting. This will improve a company's retention rate, as well as breed levels of loyalty throughout the core of an organization.
Sixth, PEOPLE SKILLS.
The Merger Manager will have to teach the engineer skills in relating to others--both inside and outside the workplace. There are industry pressures to produce engineers who are as skilled in face-to-face communication as they are in writing computer code on their own.
This is difficult as most engineers are highly introverted. And yet, it becomes particularly important when poor communications can lead to engineering disasters, like space shuttle explosions or bridge and tunnel collapses.
The engineer is going to learn---one way or the other-- (and better sooner than later) that if you're leading a team and something goes wrong, its not the team's fault, it's your fault.
First, RISK.
A Merger Manager--the people person---is going to have to be able to teach, or train, the engineer on how to assess risk and take initiative. Most engineers are introverted. But if they're leading a team, and something bad happens, it's not the team's fault, it's the engineer's fault.
The engineer is going to have to be able to assess risk within his team--including personality clashes--and take the initiative of fixing it. The engineer needs to have a mastery of people (as in the skills taught by the Dale Carnegie organization)in order to achieve this--successfully--over the length of a career.
Second, DECISION MAKING.
The Merger Manager will have to teach, or train, the engineer to establish decision making abilities in the face of uncertainty. Most new companies fail because no one is comfortable shouldering the responsibilities of leadership.
The Merger Manager can teach the engineer fundamental skills of leadership: the ability to isolate an issue, gather all the facts in support of the issue, analyze solutions, and implement a plan under the proper time management techniques--while using input and talent from the team leading toward a productive conclusion.
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