http://weknowengineers.com/blog Communications and Leadership for Engineers Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:37:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It was a painful conversation to witness. I was meeting with Jennifer and Patrick. They are partners in a small professional service firm. We were discussing things that the business needed and trying to prioritize those needs. Patrick was quite adamant that the accounting system needed to be overhauled. Now. Jennifer ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=251 Talk about changing customers’ expectations. . . I recently spent some time at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. Piedmont is a great facility and is always ranked among the top hospitals in the country. The staff is exceptional. They always have a good attitude and are focused on helping their patients get ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=248 Last week I had lunch with a former client/still a friend who complained that I wasn't delivering on what I had promised for my blog. That's a nice way to start a conversation. I had promised readers that I would post weekly mini case studies on how to manage people ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=243 Talk about a communication conundrum. . . Yesterday I was coaching a young woman (read “half my age”), and we were brainstorming ways to get her staff to take ownership of their work. We were exploring how to create a sense of urgency for them. (I hear this a lot from ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=237 Here's another simple communication tip that's a lot harder than it seems. Ban the use of the word "but." For example, you're in a team meeting and people are evaluating whether to open another office location. Paul says, "We've got a client in the area. It makes sense to set up an ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=233 Yesterday I had the privilege of kicking off a Future Leaders program for a professional association. It is such a joy seeing the enthusiasm and openness that the Future Leaders display as they position themselves to grow professionally and personally. I found this message this morning: "I'd like to add you to ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=229 It is true that what once was old is now new again. The business buzz these days is about setting office hours. You remember when you were in college. The professors had certain hours that they committed to being in their office and available for you to stop by. If you ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=224 Time management is one of the top problems people tell me they struggle with. And I get it--I struggle with it, too. But let's look at the truth of the situation. It's not how you manage time. It's about how you manage YOU. We all have the same 24 hours a day. To ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=220 I was doing a lunch and learn for a firm recently on how to get referrals and repeat business. Just about everyone I know needs to spend time working on getting referrals and repeat business. But not Arthur. Arthur is one of the more experienced (i.e., older) professionals at this ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=217 This week I got sucker-punched. One of my client's rising stars-Randy, who we expected to move into a leadership position--quit. I was stunned. My client, I'm sure, was much more so. We had talked about how Randy had such great potential and what we saw in his future with the firm. Problem was, ... http://weknowengineers.com/blog/?p=213