Other Topics in Engineering Management

(which are not on the exam, but helpful for future success)

M.G. Lipsett

ENGG 401

© MG Lipsett 2007

Dress for Success• Dress appropriately for the level of your job• Business casual does not mean your ripped jeans

are freshly laundered (unless you’re the drummer for Green Day)– Basic business casual: clean jeans, golf shirt– Business casual: slacks, dress shirt– Executive casual: slacks, sportcoat, tie optional

• Service jobs may have a higher standard• Some believe that you should dress slightly above

the standard for your current position (to show you’re ready for a promotion) – This will depend on the culture of the company

• When meeting someone for the first time, err on the side of less casual (especially interviews!!)

Operations Management

• The goal of a company is to make money• Work-in-progress isn’t revenue yet

– not a lot of value just because it’s an asset

• Some surge capacity is necessary between processes for operational control– but you don’t want too much

• Variability happens – that’s why you need some surge – to buffer out the spikes – like tankage or mass, or

inductance in a low-pass filter)

Operations Management (2)• Chase the bottlenecks

– where production is restricted, because every other part of the plant has excess capacity

• Bottlenecks “move around”– depending on the nature of the plant, variability

of orders and delivery times, etc.

• Look for high margin opportunities once fixed costs are covered– because that’s where you make the most profit

Influencing People

• Management is the art of getting things done through other people. If you are unable to influence other people to agree with your thinking, then your ability as a manager is severely compromised.

Influencing People (2)

• “How to Win Friends and Influence People”• According to Dale Carnegie, the six ways to

make people like you are:– Remember names– Listen well– Become genuinely interested in other people– Smile– Talk in terms of the other person’s interests– Make the other person feel important

Relating to Other People

• Every person is different

• Managers and leaders make connections with other people

• It takes effort, but it’s worth it

• Personality Classifications are guides – Useful stereotypes that should be applied

cautiously

Relating to Other People (2) • Lots of Personality Classifications, 2 examples:• Myers-Briggs

– Extravert/Introvert– Intuitive/Sensing– Thinking/Feeling– Judgmental/Perceptive

• Work & relationship styles– Goal Orientation– Thoroughness

• Managers need to respond to styles of other people

TaskProcess

Quick / Big Picture

Thorough / Details

The Art of Conversation

• Conversation defined: “Talk beyond that which is necessary to the purposes of actual business”

– Samuel Johnson• Managers achieve results through conversations • Conversation is intended to share ideas or build

relationships, not to get a point across• Conversation is necessary to get ideas from

others and to engage them• Buy-in is impossible without engagement• A good guideline: never speak uninterrupted for

more than four minutes at a time

The Art of Conversation (2)

• Most communication is non-verbal– Attention (real-time vs. correspondence)– Emotional engagement (tone of voice and emotion)

• Different media allow more or less non-verbal communication– Face to face is best – Meetings are okay, as long as they aren’t too big– Phone is pretty good (one-to-one)– Email is usually poor

• Difficult discussions should be done face-to-face

The Art of Conversation (3)• Speak clearly• Speak easily but not too much, especially when others

want their turn• Do not interrupt• Be courteous• Deal seriously with serious matters and gracefully with

lighter ones• Never criticize people behind their back• Stick to subjects of general interest• Do not talk about yourself• Never lose your temper• Remember people’s names• Be a good listener

Courtesy Counts

• People don’t generally try to be rude (although it sometimes seems so)– Don’t assume that people are intentionally

trying to be rude

• Subordinates may be very sensitive to the manager’s mood– The manager and leader does not have the

luxury of a personal bad mood

Courtesy Counts (2)

• The Scale of Behaviour

• Any strength taken too far is a weakness

Servitude Support Politeness Assertiveness Passive- Aggression Aggression

The Art of Persuasion

• Managers and peers often have to get other people to do things for them

• Persuasion works best when there is an emotional connection with the other person (“why should I do this for you?”)

• Persuasion is different from formal business relationships– the deal (“because it’s in the contract”) – the position of authority (“because I said so”)

The Art of Persuasion (2)

• Negotiation Tactics– Appeal to Emotion

– Coercion

– Nagging

– Haggling

– Discussed Compromise

– Submission

Most Effective

Least Effective

How to Hold a Successful Meeting

• Have a reason to meet– Information sharing or problem identification– Problem solving and decision making– Building morale or recognizing achievement– Training

• Invite the right people– Who bring necessary knowledge– Who have the authority to make decisions– Who will be responsible for actions

How to Hold a Successful Meeting (2)

• Have an appropriate meeting room & set-up– Right type of room

• for type of meeting and number of participants– Agenda issued well in advance

• with objective, date, time, location, agenda items– Background material issued well in advance– Other amenities if necessary

• Breaks, coffee/snacks, parking, cloak room,…

• Have the right equipment for presenting information (And make sure it works!!!)

How to Hold a Successful Meeting (3)

• Have the right visuals– Organizes the flow of information– Communicates information clearly– Focuses on most important information– Does not have useless clutter

• Animation, clip art, etc. tend to be distracting– Hand-outs are important take-aways, but only

if they contain all the necessary information

How to Hold a Successful Meeting (4)

• Lead the meeting to meet the objective– Preparing before the meeting– Introducing the meeting and objective– Encouraging participation during the meeting– Maintaining control of the meeting– Concluding the meeting & reaching the

objective• Facilitate, don’t dictate

What Makes a Company Great

• Great companies have particular characteristics. Jim Collins, in the book “Good to Great,” examines a number of companies that delivered value over an extended period of time, and analyzes what makes them great.

What Makes a Company Great (2)

• Pick Great Leadership– Picking leaders who combine charisma with humility, for whom

success was not about themselves as a person, but about the success of their company

• Get the Right People on the Bus– Having the right people in the right seats on the bus, who are

motivated and adaptable, and who are recognized for their contribution

• Face the Brutal Facts– Knowing the importance of truth and acting on it, the ability to

face the brutal facts without blame, with unwavering faith in future success

• Understand What the Business Can Be Best At– Building progressive momentum by tapping passion, maintaining

extraordinary competence, and knowing the key economic driver

What Makes a Company Great (3)

• Establish A Culture of Discipline– Having the discipline of staying focused on essentials

and stopping distractions

• Use Technology Accelerators– Understanding that technology is best used to

accelerate momentum (not to create it)

• Keep Building Momentum– Understanding that greatness comes from sustained

commitment to disciplined people, disciplined thinking, and disciplined action

Traits of Successful Leaders• Successful Leaders choose trust

over invulnerability. • Successful Leaders choose constructive conflicts over

harmony. • Successful Leaders seek clarity of efforts

over certainty of outcomes. • Successful Leaders choose accountability

over popularity. • Successful Leaders choose results

over their own status.- In2:InThinking Network January 2007 Newsletter

Managing Upward

• Understand What Your Manager Needs– Managers are busy generalists– Managers want to look competent and strategic– Managers are squeezed between their subordinates

and their superiors• Support Your Manager

– Respect your manager’s time• Book time for significant discussions • A summary at the front of a report is invaluable• A disciplined presentation at a meeting helps save time

– Be helpful and help your manager look good• But don’t go overboard!

– Be professional, courteous, and honest

Management Pitfalls to Avoid

• Losing focus on the core business

• Getting dragged into office politics

• Solving people’s problems for them

Summary

• Engineering is technology at the right price

• Good information in context leads to good decisions

• Money is not the only consideration

• Managers accomplish results with other people