Readers letters
I was just reading my latest copy of PE and was really enthused by the positive nature, from the Editor’s comments in terms of the prospects for manufacturing growth in 2011 but also the growth in engineering recruitment and education (AVL recruits 100 engineers and BAE Systems-Time to Invest in People Power). So enthused was I that I felt the need to send some of my thoughts on the need for developing engineers not just in technical skills, but also the softer people and leadership skills, to back up the people power message of Nigel Whitehead that “a strategic approach to skills planning, development and retention is essential”.
I am an Engineer and like all Engineers I am driven by the need to create solutions to meet the needs of humanity. Normally for engineers this is achieved by the application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends for example in areas such as climate change and the drive toward a low carbon economy.
So, why does an engineer like me believe that engineers need executive development? To enable solutions to be created the education system instils engineers with great technical knowledge but to be able to lead organisations on delivering on these solutions requires more than just knowledge but also a ‘know-how’ of how to lead that has to be developed.
Executive development can equip and inspire leaders to think clearly, be confident and take innovative action. Engineers understand sustainability, how to take and analyse measurements and the importance of added-value. As engineers we can be very process driven forgetting that processes are also people driven, and so a core issue for engineers to understand is that leadership and management is about people, about communication, about team working and galvanising other people to do things, for themselves, for their boss, for their teams and for the organisation. High performance leaders get things done through others.
Leadership is about Innovation, change management and the building of high performance teams, and these are key issues in any organisation. Great leaders create a vision (this fuels innovation), take action (this demands change management) and engages with people, to create an environment where change happens and is sustained, and to lead/move people to where they need to be in line with the cultural aspiration of the organisation.
The key to how a business is defined is not just about its product(s) or service but also about its values and culture. The values of an organisation are its DNA and this defines the people and their behaviours and engineers as leaders need to have the emotional intelligence, the ability to identify, assess and control not only their own emotions but those of others. Values based leadership is about openness, honesty, trust, passion, inspiration, and innovation. Leadership and management development gives engineers the courage and confidence to make decisions and to be aware of the impact of those decisions on individuals and on the organisation and in that way builds trust in all stakeholders. Giving confidence to people that you lead (in you as a leader and in themselves) and motivation enables them grow and to do things differently and to do different things, innovating thus creating high performance teams.
So, engineers are driven by the need to create solutions to meet the needs of humanity, but in order to deliver on those solutions great leaders are required, and this is where I feel there is a need for executive development, enabling high performance leadership and team working, together with technical expertise in the areas such as project management, to drive change and make the world a better place.
Thanks for making my Friday an even happier day! Roll on next month’s copy.
Paul Butler, Birmingham