engineering management function - leading

8/22/2019 Engineering Management Function - Leading

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Introduction

Styles of Leadership

Leading Activities

DecidingCommunicating

Motivating

Selecting Engineering Employees

Developing PeopleSummary


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Leading in Engineering Management

refers to the function of an engineering

manager that causes people to take

effective action.

The measurement of the quality of an

EMs leadership is his or her ability to

guide and direct the efforts of others toattain organizational objectives.


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Leading

-Deciding, Communicating, Motivating,

Selecting and Developing

Deciding

-Rational Decision Making, Kepnor-Tregoe

Method, Gut Instinct, Group Decisions

Communicating- Asking, Telling, Listening and Understanding


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Motivating-Inspire, Encourage, Impel Need-based strategy

(Maslow Model)

Selecting Focus on hard and soft Skills

Developing

-Performance correction and personal growth

Special Topics on Leading

- Lead Changes, New Leader Strategy, Superior

Leadership


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Autocratic:

Leader makes decisions without reference to

anyone else High degree of dependency on the leader

Can create de-motivation and alienation

of staff

May be valuable in some types of businesswhere decisions need to be made quickly and

decisively


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Democratic:

Encourages decision making

from different perspectives leadershipmay be emphasised throughout

the organisation

Consultative: process of consultation beforedecisions are taken

Persuasive: Leader takes decision and seeksto persuade others that the decisionis correct


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Democratic:

May help motivation and involvement

Workers feel ownership of the firm andits ideas

Improves the sharing of ideas

and experiences within the business Can delay decision making


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Laissez-Faire: Let it be the leadership responsibilities

are shared by all

Can be very useful in businesseswhere creative ideas are important

Can be highly motivational,

as people have control over their working life

Can make coordination and decision making

time-consuming and lacking in overall direction

Relies on good team work

Relies on good interpersonal relations


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Paternalistic:

Leader acts as a father figure

Paternalistic leader makes decision

but may consult

Believes in the need to support

staff


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There are 5 major styles of leadership that are

classified according to the attributes of either a

concern for people or an emphasis on tasks.


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NICE GUY places too much value on

social acceptance while neglecting

technical task.

THE LOSER does not obtainacceptance from others and does not

get the job done.

THE COMPROMISER Balances both

the needs of people and task factors.


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THE TASK MANAGER is interested in

getting the job done right without

concern for human feelings.

THE IDEAL MANAGER Gets the job

and at the same time makes everyone

happy.


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No single style fits all situations

A persons dominant style is determined

by personality traitsDifferent leadership styles can be

effective with different people at different

times

Advice to engineering managers: Varystyle flexibly according to situation at hand

in order to be effective


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Making decision is a key responsibility

of engineering managers.

To arrive at conclusions

and judgements

To assure that the quality of decisions

made remains high


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Spontaneous Decisions

- Intuitive, hunch or gut instinct based

Reasoned Decisions

- Based on systematic studies and logical

analyses (to the extend possible): (1) Assess

facts and evaluate alternatives, (2) Use fullmental resources, (3)Emphasize creative

problem-solving, (4)Think consistently, (5)

Minimize the probability of errors (downside

risks)


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Staff

Staff and ManagerManager


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A RDMP is generally useful in facilitating

decision making for numerous problems or

issues in engineering when an adequate

amount of information is available.


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Method is a renowned analysis tool

available to support decision.

This method forces decision makers to

externalize all necessary criteria and to

assign weight factors to all sufficiency

criteria before making decision.


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Forecasting (exponential smoothing, time

series)

Regression Analysis (single-variable, multi

variables)

Risk Analysis (Monte Carlo)

What -if Solver Simulation Modelling

Decision Trees

Optimization (linear programming,integer/dynamic programming)


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Spontaneous Decisions-Intuitive solution for complex and ambiguous

problems defying systematic analyses (No data)

Brain Activities - Left-side (logical, rationaland conscious) versus right-side (intuitive,

subconscious); Innovative ideas surface

unexpectedly, due to accumulated patterns and

rules derived from past experience


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Intuitive decisions can be wrong from

time to time, feedback from trusted

sources is needed to recalibratepatterns and rules frequently

If repeated, feedback-based learning

tends to improve quality of intuitive

decisions made in the future


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Engineering managers may also elect to make

decisions by using the inputs generated by

teams.

Group dynamics

Conflict, consideration, closure

Criteria for good group decisions


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Group dynamics

-New dimensions to decision making: (1)

Coalitions/alliances among team members -position-based advocacy, (2) Conflicts of

interests, (3)Personality clash (fighting

words, selective seeing, interruptions,

personal friction)

Leadership Role

: (1) Managing conflict,(2) Consideration and

(3) Closure


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The purpose of communicating is to

create understanding and acceptance

of the facts, impressions and feelingbeing communicated.


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Asking open-ended insightful questions

to gain knowledge and to improve

understanding of the situation at hand

Quality of questions is a clear indication

of the questioners grasp of the situation

at hand


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Offer information to keep people

(peers,employees, bosses, supply chain

partners,customers) informed aboutmatters of concern tothem

Judgement is needed as to what to tell

and what not(Need to Know paradigm),

seek balance between(1) trust-creationand no surprise versus (2) control over

information


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Remain focused in listening to the

subtext and true meaning of the

exchangeMaintain eye contact

Exercise self-discipline to control own

urge to talk and avoid interrupting others


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To hear by the head and to feel by the

heart

Assess the degree of sincerity verbalintonation, facial expression, body

language

Recognize shared meaning (emotional

and logical)


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Interpretation of Semantics(words/terms may have multiple meanings)

Selective Seeing

-See only what one wants to see

Selective Listening

-Hear only what one wants to hear (screen

out ideas divergent to own opinion or self-

interest)Emotional Barriers

(strong attitude and feelings,

personal biases)


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To motivate is to apply a force thatexcites and drives an individual to act, in

ways preferred by the manager/leader.


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PARTICIPATION

COMMUNICATION

RECOGNITIONDELEGATE AUTHORITY

RECIPROCATE INTEREST


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The long-term success of an

engineering organization depends on

the abilities and the effectual use ofthese abilities.


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By selecting people, managers gain

staff with right skills, dedication, value

systems, personality, and wintheir loyalty over time

Associate themselves with the right

mentors and leaders


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Define needs

Define qualifications

Get applicantsReview and pre-screen applicants

Conduct interviews - Asking good

questions

Decide on job candidates


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Managers are not trained to assess softskills- major sources of job-related

problems and key factors for career

failures

Candidates are polished to Talk the talkand walk the walk, masking their true

long-term personal behavior

Selecting people remains a major

challenge to all managers


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Developing employees is another

important activity of the managerial

leader.

The objective of developing employees

is to shape their knowledge, attitudes,

and skills to enhance their contributionto the company and to foster their

personal growth.


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Purpose: To improve knowledge, attitude

and skills of employees

Knowledge : Cognizance of facts, truths

and other information

Attitude : Customary dispositions

toward people, things, situations and

information

Skills : Ability to perform specialized

work with recognized competence


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(1) Maintain absolute integrity

(2) Be Knowledgeable

(3) Declare expectations

(4) Show uncommon commitment

(5) Get out in front

(6) Expect Positive results

(7) Take care of people(8) Put duty before self-interests


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Engineering Managers should payattention to:

(1)Making decisions under uncertainty (not

suffering from paralysis by analysis),

(2)Motivating other engineers with proper

motivators,

(3)Communicating by proactive asking and

intensive listening,

(4)Selecting to focus on soft skills,(5)Developing people using personal

examples.

engineering management function - leading

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