Management Skills in Ultimate Engineering Manager

Sahil Jitesh
MSc. Mechanical Engineering,
City University London
Contact: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Engineers exists to create practical solution to

societies problems and what every team of engineering
needs is the ultimate engineer manager who can
effectively leads to the team to maximize the
productivity and efficiency that is why the best
engineering manager are consistently those who
previously work as an engineer before seeking an
education in management. Engineering
Management is a specialized form of management that
is required to successfully lead engineering or
technical personnel and projects. The term can be used
to describe either functional management or project
management. Engineering managers typically require
training and experience in both general management
and the specific engineering disciplines that will be used by the engineering team to be managed. The successful
Ultimate engineering manager must have the skills necessary to coach, mentor and motivate technical
professionals, which are often very different from those that are required for individuals in other fields.

Key Words: Engineer, Manager, Ultimate Engineering Manager, softs kills, strategy, personality development,
engineering manager, project manager, Ethics.

I. INTRODUCTION

Ultimate engineer exists to generate practical solution to the society’s problems, and what every team of engineer
needs is the ultimate engineering manager who can commendably lead the team to its maximum efficiency and
productivity. This is the reason why finest engineering managers are consistently those who previously worked
as engineers before seeking an education in management. Engineering managers assists in a variety of aptitudes,
but almost have a background in engineering. Project management, Technical Understanding, management duties
etc. are the role of engineering manager. In an industry, managing the project resource is just as the crucial as
supervising the people involved. Planning and organising the all need of a team from beginning to end is necessary
to get project completion on time. As a manager, professionals can expect to fulfil the administration duties,
including hiring, budgeting and training. Management acumen ensures that everything involved in the engineering
practice runs smoothly without any administrative missteps. Management is the intersection of management and
technology by focusing on three dimensions:

 TECHNICAL: an understanding of and proficiency in engineering and science.

 HUMAN: the ability to build a collaborative effort within a group.
 CONCEPTUAL: the ability to apply analytical thought to the management process and to enterprise as
a total system

1
 II. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ENGINEERING MANAGER AND
PROJECT MANAGER
In 21st century, a career in engineering is desirable due to extreme demand for engineers and high pay they get. In
Both technical and non-technical companies have increasing need for engineers, so jobs are in high demand.
Experienced manager within the engineering field also needed. Two positions of a manager are common in an
industry are Engineering manager and Project manager. Though both the positions need managerial skills, the
positions have many differences.

1. Management
MANAGEMENT = MANAGE + MAN + ACT + TACTFULLY

Both the engineering managers and project managers requires managerial

skills, but the group they manage and method they use are different. An
Engineering manage typically holds the responsibility for managing a group of
workers who work solely for him. Where the project manager typically
manages a project, and not people directly. Project manager is responsible for
gathering terms of people to finish a task, but team member only work for him
till the project accomplish.

2. Time period
The role of an engineering manager is usually permanent, while a
project manager works on specific projects. The main responsibility
for a project manager is to lead a project team but his job is normally
finished once the project is complete. Projects could range from
simple to complex. For example, a project manager at an engineering
firm may manage the migration process from one software platform
to another. This project could last just three months. Once complete,
the project manager would be assigned to another project. A complex
project like the construction of a new high rise building or bridge
could last for years. For example, the construction of the Hoover Dam
bypass bridge, which was completed in 2010, lasted five years.

3. Human Resource Representative

Since an engineering manager is directly responsible for his employees, he is
usually responsible for the relevant human resource and development aspects.
In addition to annuals reviews, he is responsible for training and career
development of his employees. If an employee requires termination or a
promotion, he will work directly with a human resources specialist on the task.
Project managers typically do not have this employee responsibility.

2
 4. Tools
Both engineering managers and project managers have projects
and deadlines, but the project manager is generally more
focused on schedules and project management tools. Since the
primary job of the project manager is to manage a project, he
focuses his time on assigning responsibility, scheduling, and
tracking. This is particularly important in large-scale projects.
These projects last months or years and may even have a full-
time project manager assigned whose sole responsibility is to
manage the project schedule, track the process and seek
alternate resources when he faces an issue.

III. CHALLENGES FOR AN ULTIMATE ENGINEER

In a Surveys about the highest paying jobs in the United States,

its notice that the median salary for engineering managers
ranks not too far behind doctors, attorneys and CEOs. Good
engineering managers are well paid because they have a very
difficult job that not many people with engineering
backgrounds want — and even fewer are highly qualified to
do.

Michael Aucoin, author of From Engineer to Manager:

Mastering the Transition, found that most engineers are
unhappy with the "promotion" to manager, saying, "Much of
this frustration is the result of lack of preparation and
training."

Outside of the technical challenges engineering manager’s

face, three major issues make engineering management a
difficult profession:

1. Engineering managers need soft skills to be effective.

As a manager, it has never been enough to be technically adept. You have to excel at soft skills as well. Soft
skills are the personality traits, attitudes, habits, and behaviours you display when working with others. While
good soft skills are also important for employees, they are critical for managers - and for those who want to
be managers. Here are the ten most important soft skills managers need to master.

1.1 Dependability

Can you be depended on to be where you need to be, to do what needs to be done, to do what you say
you will? Your boss must be able to depend on you or you will not get ahead. It is equally important that
your peers and your subordinates believe they can depend on you too. Without that, they will not give
you the support you need if you are going to be successful.

1.2 Work Ethic

You were hired to do a job. Do you do it or do you sit back and watch others work? Are you the
hardest working person in your group? If not, you ought to be.

3
1.3 Communication Skill

How well do you communicate with your boss, your peers, your subordinates? Are you able to
communicate as well in writing as you are verbally? If you have any weakness in this area you need to
work to improve or to eliminate it.

1.4 Community and Teamwork

A lot has been written about the need to demonstrate your ability to work well with the other members
of your team. It is a skill that is becoming more important as we move toward more cross-functional
teams. But it is also important that a manager build community. Don't just be part of your team, but
understand how it fits in the larger organization and work to strengthen those connections.

1.5 Time Management Skills

The one resource a manager will never have enough of is time. To succeed as a manager, it is vitally
important that you develop, and continually improve your skill, in time management. In addition to the
ability to prioritize and to delegate, which reduce the number of things you have to do, you have to be
able to maximize what you do get done in the time you have.

1.6 Goal Setting

Good managers are able to determine what needs to be done and to set goals to get there. Don't just drift
through the day dealing with what lands on your plate. Prioritize. Figure out what needs to be done and
set specific goals for yourself and for your team.

1.7 Mental Ability

When hiring, one always look for the candidate who is one step ahead of other in the interview because
that person will be the same way when hired. These people catch on quick. They understand business in
general and their industry in particular. They are critical thinkers and problem solvers.

1.8 Takes Direction Well

As much as manager are valued for their ability to figure out what needs to be done and get after it, there
are still times when they need to be told to do something. Whether it is a change in strategic direction or
coaching regarding their performance a good manager has to be able to not only accept the directions,
but to do so with a positive attitude, and learn from them.

2. Expectations of an engineering manager are unrealistic.

It's rare to find an engineering manager who's the total package: technical, business and leadership skills
all rolled into one — with a side order of interpersonal abilities to boot. Regardless, engineering managers
must delegate responsibilities, and, again, their supervising managers must be supportive. Expecting
engineering managers to be superhuman is sure to lead to disappointment.

3. The engineering manager role lacks profit/loss responsibility.

Without direct responsibility for profits and losses, engineering managers won't be fully recognized as
strategic leaders. Often, engineering managers don't receive the same level of support, recognition, raises
and promotions that their peers in sales or marketing enjoy.

4
 IV. FIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL ULTIMATE ENGINEERING
MANAGEMENT

Executives can support the engineering managers they supervise in a number of constructive ways. Likewise,
engineering managers can employ some simple strategies to improve their effectiveness — and that of their
engineering team. Following are five simple strategies for helping engineering managers succeed.

Manage Resources Well

Cultivate Professionalism and Trust

Soft Skill Investment

Established Realistic Expectations

Provide Benefits Other Than Pay

1. Manage Resources Well

Ultimate Engineering manager should make the most existing

strengths. If their strength is leadership, they should give
management function such as scheduling, project panning etc. the
most experienced engineer should be assign as project leader. If an
engineering group is responsible for more than a couple of major
projects, fully dedicated project managers can manage projects,
rather than expecting an engineering manager to be responsible for
managing all the projects.

Sometime the condition arises when the right skilled people aren’t
available or budget doesn’t allow hiring full time for the engineering manager. A qualified consultant with skills
that complement the engineering manager’s strength. The right consultant can also serve as a trainer and coach.
An effective coach will not only help managers and staff develop skills, but can also provide counsel for relieving
stress and improving overall job satisfaction.

5
 2. Cultivate Professionalism and Trust

Since engineering managers and the engineers they manage are

highly educated and well paid, they bring a high level of
professionalism to their work, and expect to be treated
accordingly. However, too often highly paid professionals feel
like their professionalism is questioned — that they aren't Professionalism
trusted. Executive management seldom realizes this perception
even exits.Teamwork expert Patrick Lencioni emphasizes the
importance of trust, because the lack of it, he says, creates a
fundamental "dysfunction" that hinders most teams. According
to Lencioni, the key to building trust is building rapport among
associates. Executives and engineering managers alike should Trust Impact
practice MBWA (managing by wandering around) and "open
door" policies to build rapport with staff, if they want to build
trust among team members.

3. Soft Skill Investment

Technical professionals need a combination of technical

skills, business skills and interpersonal skills. For ultimate
engineering managers, technical skills are usually least
important, and their professional development focus should be
on skills that will help a manager grow as a key leader of the
business. Some engineering managers prefer not to go too far
down the leadership path and will continue to place a higher
value on their technical skills — after all, those skills are
probably what got them noticed in the first place, and they're
comfortable with their technical abilities. Technically
proficient engineering managers who aren't willing to expand
their expertise into leadership, may not be the best fit for
engineering management roles.

4. Established Realistic Expectations

There's an epidemic in industry where estimates from

the experts doing the work don't align with dictated
schedules. Essentially, it's a trust issue — experts'
realistic estimates are questioned by eager executives
who want things done faster. Engineering managers
often find themselves between a rock (usually a
boulder) and a hard place. Executives should trust that
estimates are valid unless there are concrete reasons not
to, and when estimates don't align with business needs,
put the effort into making project plans realistic. Lack
of trust works both ways. When business leaders don't
have faith in their experts' estimates, and they set
unrealistic objectives, employees may lack faith in their
leadership.

The scheduling vs. estimates problem is especially prevalent in the software industry. Software development guru
Michael Cusumano's 2004 study of software projects found that 75 to 80 percent of software projects are late or
over budget. Many projects are classified as being late according to the "schedule" — not the original "estimates,"
which often are much closer to reality.

6
 5. Provide Benefits Other Than Pay

In today's global market, engineering skills are often viewed

as a commodity. In addition to paying engineering managers
well, rewards are necessary so that managers are
enthusiastic enough to perform up to their full potential. For
technical managers, the additional rewards that will usually
be the most satisfying are recognition and providing
adequate resources for the projects and people they're
managing. Recognition is especially valuable when results
are expressed in terms of bottom-line contributions. It's easy
to figure out what benefits engineering managers appreciate
— just ask them. Some of the most important perks that will
boost their enthusiasm are easy to fulfil and inexpensive.

Examples of powerful morale boosters include informal recognition events, food items and gift cards. A good
sign is when engineering managers express more concern for the well-being of their staff than additional benefits
for themselves.

V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my greatest gratitude to the people who have helped & supported me. I am grateful to my
teacher for continuous support, from initial advice & contacts in the early stages of conceptual inception & through
ongoing advice & encouragement to this day. A special thanks to Jasmin Kotak who exchanged their interesting
ideas, thoughts & made this easy and accurate. I wish to thank my parents for their undivided support and interest
who inspired me and encouraged me to go my own way and who appreciated me for my work and motivated me.

VI. CONCLUSION

Being an effective ultimate manager is not about having the “one-and-only” correct answer in a given
management situation. It’s about motivating people and building teams in ways that work, in ways that achieve
the operational objective. There often isn’t even one “best” way to manage in a given situation. A given situation
may have several paths to the desired operational outcome. And the most effective way to manage will depend
on several important factors. The factors include; the people involved; the project risk; the time involved; and the
relative expertise of the team versus the manager.

VII. REFERENCE

[1] D. N. Vacchani, Management 2, Jayko Publication, 2016.

[2] K. Jha, Marketing Management - A South Asian Perspective, 13th Edition.

[3] J. Glass, "Engineering Management Thought of the Week," 7 July 2015. [Online]. Available:
https://jeffglass-engineeringmanagementblog.com/.

View publication stats