Building Self Confidence – You Are in Charge of You!
“Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” – Louise L. Hay, motivational author I love that quote. We are all experts at telling ourselves how we messed up. It’s time to shift our focus by building our self-confidence. If you think you’re […]
How to Build Confidence as an Engineering Leader (Even in the Face of Not-enough-ness)
Clients often ask me how to build their confidence. I find that the best way to approach this is to first explain what NOT to do, because if you build your confidence in the wrong way, you’ll decimate it. You’ll completely obliterate your chances of reaching your career goals. So — what’s the wrong way […]
2 Steps to Setting Goals for Changing Your Engineering Career in 2021
STEP 1: Identify the Outcomes You Want to Create or Contribute To Align your mission with a company’s mission that motivates you. It is tough to come up with innovative ideas by yourself, especially if you are starting to set new goals or changing your engineering career and you do not know where to start. […]
Mastering the 4 Ways to Show Thought Leadership on LinkedIn
Imagine your ideal client, employer, or business partner has heard about you and wants to learn more. Let’s give this person a name — we’ll call her “Aisha.” She’s someone you want to impress, as she could be the key to your brighter future. So if she’s interested in learning more about you, how will […]
Finding the Sweet Spot
The New Year always brings us opportunities to think about how we can lead better and manage our projects better. We make resolutions, set goals, and try new things to motivate our teams. As we do this, it’s essential to take a step back and look at the metaphorical horizon, that is, think strategically. That […]
How To Write SMART Goals, Courtesy of a Moose
Several years ago, we took a family vacation to Maine. Being a savvy professional, I set official goals for the trip. I wrote them down, of course. Goals aren’t real unless you write them down. I shared my written goals with a peer group. I even wrote them down in the visitors’ registration book at […]
The Increasing Importance of BIM for Civil Engineering
Every building project, no matter how small, comes with many aspects to consider and disciplines to reconcile. Sometimes, that’s the hardest part — having everyone work together without getting in each other’s way. For decades now, architects, engineers, and building contractors have looked for ways to resolve this problem, as well as cut project costs […]
Stop Talking and Listen!
Communication: The imparting or exchanging of information or news. Depending on your personality, you are either the type to listen or talk. Usually, people struggle to be good at both. I was the type to talk, to think about what to say next, and sometimes forget to listen to the person I was talking to. […]
Being a Good Communicator Isn’t as Hard as You Think
“Engineers don’t have good communication skills.” I hear this all the time, and it is a myth. While it may be true for some engineers, we cannot put it out as a blanket truth that applies to all of them. And most importantly, if someone is not a great communicator now, they can develop those […]
No Moment Is Too Small for a Sincere Thank You
Over the past 12 months, during another painful period of global socio-economic strife, I have thoroughly enjoyed EMI’s support as we’ve discussed AEC industry trends and leadership themes. Last month’s effort, A Sustainable Sales Platform Starts With an Organization’s Values, presented an opportunity to summarize these discussions. This month, as we move into what […]