Institution news
Liz shares her thoughts on the challenges engineers face in becoming managers, how can this be overcome and what she is looking forward to at the event.
Q: What are you most looking forward to by leading your workshop at Essential Management Skills 2018?
Liz Bennett (LB): Meeting the delegates, hearing their perspectives and challenges, sharing knowledge and networking with them.
Q:What transferable skills will delegates gain by attending your workshop at Essential Management Skills 2018?
LB: We are each of us responsible for our own careers. No longer can we expect our organisations to offer us a career – sure our organisations and our managers should help us with the process but we are ultimately responsible and accountable. Planning begins with knowing who we are, what we want and what we can offer. This is our personal brand. I hope that each session will help people think this through. After all, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you decide which paths to take?
Q: What benefits will the CMI Level 3 Award in First Line Management bring for delegates of Essential Management Skills 2018?>
LB: CMI is a recognised and valued qualification. The benefits of completing any qualification are you can prove your knowledge and your commitment. It also looks good on your CV!
Q: How can we mitigate the engineering skills gap?
LB: By focusing on it – get it on the agenda, talk about it, invest in it, spend time in schools, have role models, promote engineering and what engineers contribute through advertising and events at local and national level.
Q: How important are management skills for the career development of engineers?</q:<>
LB: Very! Whether you want to be in a managerial position or not, we all need the skills associated with “management and leadership” e.g. interpersonal skills, organisation skills, team skills, big picture thinking skills etc
Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge for engineers keen to go into management and how can this be overcome?
LB: Moving from being part of a team to leading a team (and often your first management position is to manage the team you were once part of). This transition can be hard to make but it can be overcome by being aware of it, planning, knowing what to expect, reflecting, focusing on the skills you need to develop – through a combination of formal training, coaching or mentoring.
Find out more
Liz will be speaking at Essential Management Skills 2018 on 18–20 April in Coventry. This three-day event will equip engineers with the skills required for success within line and project management roles. Delegates can also take the opportunity to gain a Level 3 Award in First Line Management, awarded by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
New for 2018:
- Delegates can take the opportunity to gain a Level 3 Award in First Line Management, awarded by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
- Industrial site visit to Bombardier Transportation
- Updated workshop programme covering key aspects of management including Making Cultural Connections, Stand Out From The Crowd; How To Make Yourself Unique and How Do I Lead When I’m Not Their Manager?
For more information, visit Essential Management Skills 2018 .