Engineering Management Versus Engineering Leadership

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Engineering Management Versus Engineering
Leadership
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Agenda

• What is Engineering management?
• Why study engineering management?
• What will we learn?
• What is leadership?
• What are current Leadership theories?
• What is management?
• What is the difference between leadership and
  management?

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What is Engineering Management?

• Engineering management is a process of leading
  and controlling an enterprise.
• EM is similar to other definitions of management
  you may have experienced, but with a slant toward
  technical issues.

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Why Study Engineering Management?

• To gain a basic understanding of what is required
  to lead and control an enterprise.
• Gaining an exposure to management concepts will
  provide you with a starting point for learning
  how to manage.

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What Will We Learn?

• We will learn lead how to lead and manage an
  enterprise.
• You will leave this course with knowledge of
  management functions and tools, but you will not
  develop skills.

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Engineers are likely to become managers

• A study by the Engineering Manpower Commission
  indicated that as many as 82 of all engineers in
  the United States have some form of engineering
  management responsibility.  
• According to a Carnegie Foundation report, 30
  years of surveys revealed that more than 60 of
  persons who earned engineering degrees either
  became managers of some kind within 15 years or
  left the profession to pursue business
  opportunities of other kinds.  
• 40 of industrial executives and 34 of all top
  corporate managers in the United States have
  engineering backgrounds.

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What is Management?
Planning
To influence human behavior in
the accomplishment of organizational goals
Improving
Communication
Through
Organizing
Motivating
Same definition as leadership, but accomplished
in different ways
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What is Management?
Management - the process of reaching
organizational goals by working with and through
people and other organizational resources," Certo
(1985) Management - the process of planning and
decision-making, organizing, leading and
controlling an organization's human, financial,
physical and information resources in an
efficient and effective manner." Griffin (I 987)
Management - the process of acquiring and
combining human, financial, informational and
physical resources to attain the organization's
primary goal of producing a product or service
desired by some segment of society" (Pringle,
Jennings, and Longnecker, 1988). Management - To
manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to
command, to coordinate and to control. To foresee
and provide means examining the future and
drawing up a plan of action. To organize means
building up the dual structure, material and
human, of the undertaking. To command means
maintaining activity among the personnel. To
coordinate means binding together, unifying and
harmonizing all activity and effort. To control
means seeing that everything occurs in conformity
with established rule and expressed command.
(1949 by Henri Fayol in General and Industrial
Management)  Although there are some
differences among these definitions, each calls
management a process.
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What are some reasons an engineering background
can help prepare for a management position?

• They engineers are logical, methodical,
  objective, and make unemotional decisions based
  on facts.
• They use their technical knowledge to check the
  validity of information.
• They can analyze problems thoroughly, look beyond
  the immediate ones, and ask good questions to
  explore alternative solutions to technical
  problems.
• They understand what motivates engineers.
• They can review and evaluate the work of their
  subordinates because they understand what they
  are doing.
• They can engage in future planning with
  appropriate consideration for technology and its
  relationship to cost effectiveness.
• Engineering backgrounds help in technical
  discussions with customers.
• The engineering background increases the
  manager's credibility with subordinates,
  customers, and superiors. People attribute
  qualities, abilities, skills, and knowledge to
  them, which allows the manager to influence those
  who have that perception.

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The Transition to Engineering Manager

• The transition process may be loosely defined as
  an exchange of mind sets, an exchange of physical
  parameters, and an exchange of operational
  parameters from those operative as an engineer to
  those operative as a manager. Those operative as
  a manager include the broader financial,
  personal, and information/decision aspects....
• The new manager begins using measures of success
  and worth to the firm which are completely
  different from anything done before as an
  engineer and which have multiple concerns instead
  of the technical/budget/time concerns which
  previously were sole operatives. The manager
  must, therefore, maintain concern with the what
  and why instead of the how to become successful
  and respected. (Gray, 1979)

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Role Differences Between Engineers and Managers
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Role Differences Between Engineers and Managers
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Engineers Versus Management
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Philosophical Similarities Between Engineering
and Management

• Both engineers and managers are trained to be
  decision makers in a complex environment.
• They both allocate resources for the operation of
  existing systems or for the development of new
  systems.
• Both have to recognize, identify and evaluate the
  interfaces among system components. (Cleland and
  Kocaoglu 1981)

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Reasons That the Transition From Engineer to
Manager is Difficult

• The differing roles are neither expected nor well
  understood
• There is a lack of preparation and training for
  the new responsibilities. (Amos and Sarchet 1981)
• Engineers must acquire the following skills
  (Shtub p.43)
• Learn to trust others
• Learning how to work through others
• Learning how to take satisfaction in the work of
  others

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General Problems Encountered by Engineering
Managers

• Problems relating to people need more time and
  attention compared with problems relating to
  technical matters.
• Problems relating to information take on a
  different meaning. Not only does the manager have
  to deal with a broader set of uncertainties but
  the problems now deal with unfamiliar subjects
  such as finance, marketing, organizational
  structure and politics.
• Problems relating to engineering's place in the
  organization's strategic plan are now of critical
  concern. Previously the issue may have been of
  just passing interest, but now the matters of
  budget and personnel allocated to the engineering
  group may mean the difference between success and
  failure of the entire organization.
• Problems relating to the overall profitability of
  the organization are now of major importance and
  require immediate, decisive and proper attention
  as they affect and involve the engineering group.

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General Problems Encountered by Engineering
Managers

• Three disadvantages of an engineer moving into
  management that often contribute to failures of
  many new managers are pointed out by Gray (1979)
  
• The promotion removes the specialist from
  intimate contact with the technical details
  resulting in the problem of instant obsolescence
  this, in turn generates fear and guilt-the
  engineer no longer has fall-back strength in his
  specialty.
• A position in management requires skills
  different from those which were learned as an
  engineer (as becomes obvious to the new manager
  after only a few minutes on the job).
• Management requires dominance of personality
  traits and characteristics which are alien to
  most engineers-dealing with the diffuse, the
  intangible, the intractable and with insufficient
  information.

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Training is important
It is clear that the transition will be made
easier for the individual and the organization if
proper and sufficient planning and training for
the transition are provided.
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Important Behavioral Traits (Hoffman (1989)
The ability to live with ambiguity and
uncertainty along with a strong desire and
growing ability to structure the work environment
so that these uncertainties and ambiguities
become manageable Leadership, or the ability to
inspire the confidence of others so that they are
successful followers Risk taking, or the
willingness a) to look for new and better
solutions to a given problem and b) to allow
subordinates to make mistakes as a technique for
"unfreezing" the search for technical or
managerial solutions Delegation, or the ability
to let others work their part of the problem
Team building and, following on from this, the
ability to get others to work with each other
constructively with the least amount of guidance
possible, given the situation Communication, or
the ability to convey ideas to others while
understanding what others are telling you
Initiative, that is, the willingness to step out
front and guide a team effort.
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Transition to a Management
The transition to a management role will
necessitate giving up some technical
responsibilities. Why?   While such a shift may
imply a decreased need for technical competence,
the role of engineering manager brings with it a
corresponding need for some expertise in the
technical realm. Why?
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Seven Engineering Management Functions

• Planning. Anticipating future events. Making
  preparations to meet those events. Long- and
  short-range goal setting. Scheduling. Budgeting.
  Technological forecasting.
• Organizing. Establishing communication,
  authority, and responsibility patterns. Assigning
  roles, facilities, and equipment. Organizational
  change. The "informal" organization.
• Staffing. Deciding staff needs. Finding, hiring,
  and training people. Matching organizational
  needs and employee expectations. Meeting
  employment regulations.
• Motivating. Providing incentives and a productive
  environment. Balancing "hands off' supervision
  with a more direct approach. Allowing and
  encouraging professional development.
• Communicating. Writing. Speaking. Reading.
  Listening. Conveying goals, purposes,
  information, instructions, and inducements.
• Measuring. Monitoring and evaluating individual
  and group performance. Comparing actual
  performance with goals and plans.
• Correcting. Implementing change, based on the
  measuring function.

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Distinctions between engineering managers and
others Managers (Babcock 1978)

• Possesses both an ability to apply engineering
  principles and a skill in organizing and
  directing people and projects.
• Uniquely qualified for two types of jobs the
  management of technical functions (such as design
  or production) in almost any enterprise, or the
  management of broader functions (such as
  marketing or top management) in a high-technology
  enterprise.
• Technical functions are associated with creating
  something new or improving the current method of
  operation. It engineering management is
  oriented to innovation or change.... Technical
  groups are involved with developing the new or
  changing the old this includes the activities of
  machines and people. Operational groups, on the
  other hand, deal with more predictable,
  well-defined tasks.... Most operational functions
  are repetitive....
• Technical functions usually deal with one-time
  activities. Once a study is done, a new machine
  designed, or a new system developed, the work is
  seldom repeated. Operational work, by contrast,
  is associated with routines that repeat
  themselves periodically (hourly, daily, weekly,
  etc)....

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Distinctions between engineering managers and
others Managers (Babcock 1978)

• The costs of one-time activities are much more
  difficult to estimate ahead of time. Estimates of
  operational work can usually be predicted based
  on historical data....
• There are differences in the way we can expedite
  work. We can generally increase the production of
  an operational activity in proportion to the
  resources applied.... Too many people on a
  technical project may be less efficient than not
  enough people.
• Our ability to measure performance is different.
  If 50 percent of the time and resources planned
  for a technical project are expended, we do not
  know whether the project is in trouble or not....
  Furthermore, most technical functions do not
  directly bring about increased sales or reduced
  costs. Their work results in a payoff only when
  an operational group implements it.... Project
  performance should be measured on project
  profitability or return on the invested cost of
  the technical work, but the profitability is
  often outside the control of the technical
  manager.

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What is Leadership?

• This doesnt really make you leader material,
  Murray.

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What are current Leadership theories?

• What is coercive power?
• What is exchange power?
• What is personal power?
• What is expert power?

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Research on Leadership

• Great Man Theory
• Big Bang Theory
• The Trait Theory
• Leadership Behavior
• Situational Leadership
• Who are people you consider to be a great leader?

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Great Leader Theory

• Julius Caesar
• Napoleon Bonaparte
• Abraham Lincoln
• V.I. Lenin
• Susan B. Anthony
• Winston Churchill
• Mao Tse-Tung
• Martin Luther King

Why do we consider these people to be great
leaders?
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Big Bang Theory

• Collapse of Roman Republic
• The French Revolution
• The Civil War
• The Russian Revolution
• Womens Suffrage
• World War II
• Chinese Revolution
• Civil Rights

• What recent events are parallel to these?
• Have these events brought leaders to the surface?
• What is it about these events that make us
  believe that a person is a leader?

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Trait Approach
Vigor
Intelligence
Courage
Confidence
Credibility
Creativity
Popularity
Persuasiveness
Decisiveness
Integrity
Maturity
Sincerity
Desire
Tact

• What is the problem with this theory?

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Leadership Behavior
Authoritarian
Self

Control
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Leadership Behavior
Laissez-Faire
Paternalistic
Self
Authoritarian

Control
Autocratic
Consensus
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Managerial Grid
High
1,9 Country Club Thoughtful attention to needs
of people for satisfying relationships leads to a
comfortable, friendly organization atmosphere and
work tempo.
9,9 Team Builder Work accomplishment is from
committed people interdependence through a
common stake in organization purpose leads to
relationships of trust and respect.
5,5 Organization Adequate organization
performance is possible through balancing the
necessity to get out work with maintaining morale
of people at a satisfactory level.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Concern for People
1,1 Do Nothing Exertion of minimum effort to get
required work done is appropriate to sustain
organization membership.
9,1 Task Oriented Efficiency in operations
results from arranging conditions of work in such
a way that human elements interfere to a minimum
degree.
Low
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Low Concern for Production High
Source The Managerial Grid Blake Mouton
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Conclusions About Research on Leadership

• What are the learning points from this section?
• There are many theories about leadership, but no
  consensus or dominant theory
• A grain of truth in every theory

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Assumptions About Human Nature
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What is Leadership?

• To influence human
• behavior in the
• attainment of goals

"The person that figures out how to harness the
collective genius of his or her organization is
going to blow the competition away."
Walter Wriston Former Citibank CEO
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What is the difference between leadership and
management?

• Leader Manager
• Set Direction Plan Budget
• Align People Organize Staff
• Motivate Control
• Promote change Promote stability

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Responsibility Continuum
Traditional (Autocratic)
Participative (Semi-Autonomous)
Team Environment (Autonomous)
Area of Manager Responsibility
Area of Team Responsibility
Team is fully autonomous.
Manager decides and announces decision.
Team selects and organizes own work reports
results to manager.
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Leadership Skills

• Traditional
• Direct people
• Get groups to understand ideas
• Manage one-on-one
• Maximize departmental performance
• Implement change

Participative Involve people Get groups
to generate ideas Encourage
teamwork Build relationships with other
departments Initiate change
Team Environment Develop self- motivating
people Get diverse groups to carry out their own
ideas Build teams that manage more of their own
work Champion cross- functional process
improvements Sponsor innovation to meet customer
needs
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Leadership Skills

• Educator
• Develop an eye for real life learning
  laboratories.
• Articulate performance expectations clearly.
• Sponsor
• Let go of control, provide access to information
  / people.
• Provide the tools, training, trust then let
  people perform.
• Coach
• Listen and express genuine appreciation for
  effort.
• Counselor
• Listen and give clear and useful feedback.
• Confrontor
• Listen and dont over-emotionalize.

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Barriers to Leadership
Why do we shy away from leadership opportunities?
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Barriers to Leadership
Why do we shy away from leadership opportunities?

• Fears
• Lack of Training
• Habits
• Poor Communications
• Lack of Trust
• Unclear Expectations

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Leadership Activities

• Model the desired behavior
• Communicate with employees
• Delegate authority
• Facilitate participation
• Motivate employees
• Discipline undesired behavior
• Not an exhaustive list!!!!!

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Leadership Activities - Model the desired
behavior
Model the type of behavior that you hope your
employees will copy. Your actions show people
what is really important to you more than your
words.

• Factors that determine your effectiveness as a
  role model
• Credibility
• 1. Sociability 5. Character
• 2. Competence 6. Principles
• 3. Extroversion 7. Values
• 4. Composure 8. Personal excellence
• Flexibility - Different situations require
  different responses.
• Versatility - Different techniques work for
  different people or situations.

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Leadership Activities - Communicate with
Employees

• Set Goals
• Challenging, yet attainable
• Clear
• Relevant
• Listen Actively
• Keep an open mind
• Show compassion
• Act on employee input
• Involve employees in decision process
• Seek information from employees
• Leaders catch people doing things right.

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Leadership Activities - Communicate with
Employees

• Interact With Employees - Often
• Use management by walking around At a direct
  mail company I worked with, the managers rarely
  walked the floor, so when they did, people
  thought they were in trouble or that something
  was wrong
• Be accessible
• Use methods that will enhance employee's
  self-esteem
• Use Reinforcement
• Provide exposure, latitude, challenge
• Pay attention to accomplishment
• Avoid punishment
• Use a 101 ratio of praise criticism
• Leaders catch people doing things right.

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Leadership Activities - Facilitate Participation

• Know your employees' abilities and experience
  levels
• Sponsor teams
• Set goals
• Provide focus
• Assist group with communication
• Assist group with problem solving
• "Crowd Control"
• Provide training
• Provide resources
• Run interference
• Provide guidance

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Leadership Activities - Delegate Authority

• Delegation is the managerial act of assigning
  work to another and granting the authority to act
  or make decisions.
• 1. Assign the task
• 2. Gain an agreement and commitment
• 3. Grant authority difficult for some people to
  do
• 4. Provide required resources
• 5. Remember the Five "T's"
• Sharing responsibility does not mean abandoning
  responsibility.
• Make assignments SMART
• S Specific
• M Measurable
• A Accountable
• R Resources/Realistic
• T Time-phased

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Leadership Activities - Motivate Employees

• Eight Keys to High Performance
• 1. Maintain self-esteem what can you do to
  reduce self-esteem
• 2. Ask for performance/Refuse to accept poor
  performance specify the performance you want
• 3. Use personalized positive reinforcement
• 4. Build relationships
• 5. Understand your employee's point of view
• 6. Ask for help in solving problems
• 7.
• 8. Apply standards consistently
• OFFER HELP WITHOUT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

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Leadership Activities - Motivate Employees
Different things motivate different people

• 1. Ownership
• 2. Money
• 3. Recognition
• 4. Praise - especially in front of peers
• 5. Coaching / Feedback
• 6. Dominance - power, title, authority
• 7. Creativeness
• 8. Gregariousness
• 9. Homing - free time
• 10. Accomplishment
• 11. Education training
• 12. Job security
• 13. Autonomy
• 14. Cooperation

15. Leadership 16. Environment 17. Ethics 18. Resp
onsibility 19. Trust 20. Being listened
to 21. Teamwork 22. Knowledge 23. Flexible
controls 24. Encouragement 25. Resources 26. Com
munication 27. Clear direction, measurements,
goals
Motivate - to influence and persuade
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Leadership Activities - Discipline Undesired
Behavior

• Focus on ISSUES, not individuals - Focus on
  BEHAVIOR, not people
• 1. Find a private area
• 2. Don't smile
• 3. Don't gunny sack
• 4. Be specific
• 5. Tell the employee how you feel
• 6. Put the reprimand into perspective
• 7. Provide an opportunity for the employee to
  respond
• 8. Don't repeat the reprimand
• The intent of the reprimand is to get the person
  to think about what he / she did - not how you
  treated him / her.

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Learning Points

• Everyone can become a leader
• Leadership is a skill and therefore must be
  practiced to develop and maintain

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Conclusion

• A leader is best
• When people barely know he exists,
• Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,
• Worse when they despise him.
• But of a good leader, who talks little,
• When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
• They will say
• We did it ourselves.
• Lao-Tzu, a sixth century B.C. Chinese philosopher

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Skills Missing In EngineersJan. 9, 2002

• Micromanage dont want to give up skill
• We can do it faster cannot empower
• No management role training
• Limited knowledge of Human Resources, finance,
  big picture
• Do not know how to get cooperation
• Not effective communicating too technical
• No skills to motivate people
• No strategic planning skills

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When To Use Coercive PowerJan. 14, 2002

• Dramatic change
• Time is short
• Everything else has failed
• Poor performance from employee
• Problem employee not following rules

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When to use Exchange PowerJan. 14, 2002

• Deadline forces a change in manpower requirements
  such as needing overtime to meet a deadline and
  offering comp time to compensate employees
• Tasks above normal job description
• Cannot change the budget (thus cannot give a
  bonus or raise)
• Seasonal demands in business
• Between departments

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When to use Personal PowerJan. 14, 2002

• First choice in all situations
• Normal operations

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When to use Expert PowerJan. 14, 2002

• Decision is technical and no one has the answer
• Decision deadline is close at hand
• Could have effect of
• Not developing people
• Demoralizing people

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Why do People Shy Away From LeadershipJan. 14,
2002

• Fear of failure
• Will need to work more
• Not done it before
• Scared to show ignorance embarrassed
• Not wanting to be held accountable
• Fuzzy project dont want to have to discover
  the real parameters and deliverables
• Not committed
• No time
• No self confidence
• Peer pressure
• Lack of knowledge