Articles
In Issue 6, 2020, a reader asked: "What skills do I need to work on when moving from a technical to a management career direction, especially to progress and sustain long term in the new role?"
"Communication, self-awareness and risk management. Understanding what you’re trying to achieve as an organisation and being able to communicate that to your team is critical to effective delivery. Understanding risks, being honest about them and identifying mitigation strategy not only improves your efficiency but it also makes you look like a manager. A healthy sense of self, recognition of your own skills and limitations will protect you against impostor syndrome, provide you with a calm competence and help you create a culture where risk can be openly discussed, vulnerability can be shown and excellence will thrive as your team do their best work."
Michael Leslie
"An ability to deal with people and an ability to distinguish fact from opinion. Your big advantage is an understanding of modern technology and an analytical mind."
Caroline Rose
"The skills you need are to be able to interact with people in a positive and sympathetic way and to be a conduit between those who manage you and those who you manage. Don’t be completely subservient to those who manage you, or treat those who you manage as children or as underlings. You are all part of a team and, to be successful, you must work together."
Richard Bossom
"While in your technical role(s), get as much and as varied hands-on skills as possible. There are way too many managers who have no idea about the technical tasks they are supposed to manage. You will make a welcome difference to the technical people you manage if you know what they are doing. Ask yourself, though, if you trained as an engineer and this is what floats your boat then why would you want to move into management? More money is not going to make you happier if all you do is manage others that get to have all the fun."
Bob Rainbow
"You need to be comfortable delegating work to others, and holding them to account. You won’t be doing everything yourself any more, and that can take some getting used to. In a management role, you will also be required to take the decisions in the case of problems or disputes. You will need to take in all the information (as you have it at that moment), digest it and make a decision. Then you will have to follow through on that, unless and until the situation changes."
Roger Bostock
"This is the most difficult transition that an engineer ever makes – the change from doing to managing. Perhaps the most important thing to learn is that a member of your team is allowed to make mistakes and can remain part of the team. Secondly, you can be quite sure that you are not always going to be right. So be humble and admit when shown to be wrong. Nobody is all knowing!"
Paul Saunders
"When moving into management, at least from my experience, there is a major change of focus towards financial considerations (revenues, costs, profits). Try not to fear this! Also, practise your social and people skills. Employees work for people – not businesses. Learn that different people need different motivators but, above all, treat your people well. Oh, and while you are at it, don’t lose your technical know-how!"
Simon Attar
"Firstly seek to work in front-end project management to gain people and planning skills, and look for part-time courses. If the people role is found to be attractive and motivating then secondly seek opportunities in back-office management to hone those people and team-building skills."
Alexander Wooldridge Smith
"Be able to see the holistic perspective of situations around you. Develop your leadership and decision-making skills. Give yourself ‘time to reflect’. Where possible, seek opinions of others and particularly those directly impacted by any decisions you make. Be as inclusive as possible with your decision-making and try and take people with you. Listen to advice given as you don’t have to take it – the final decision will be yours but do the best you can to make informed decisions that you can justify, at least to yourself (you’ll sleep more soundly!)"
Rich Pearson
The IMechE has over 30 years’ experience in providing leadership and management training to individuals and organisations worldwide. To find out more, visit: imeche.org/training/topics/leadership-and-management.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.