Here we go again. There seem to be endless discussions about "delegation". Over and over again the same answer is given regarding how one should go about learning to delegate. And over and over, the advice seems less than adequate. The most recent article I read was on the TechRepublic website and it discussed delegation and how to learn to delegate successfully. Like so many other discussions regarding this topic, it focused on the idea that … [Read more...] about How to Delegate
Engineer to Technical Manager
#94 Why Everyone Wants To Be A Leader
Hello everyone, I'm always amazed at how much people love the word "leader". Everywhere I read (only a slight exaggeration) I find references to this person is a leader, that person is a leader, everyone is a leader. Leadership doesn't even seem to be a function of experience. Someone right out of college can be a leader, but not many people seem to be willing to raise their hand and proclaim that they are a manager. They may be a manager by … [Read more...] about #94 Why Everyone Wants To Be A Leader
#86 It’s Easy To Become a Technical Manager
"You are worth gold!" Hello everyone! Two or three weeks ago I received this comment to one of my blog postings that read, in part, as follows: "My question is how do I get back to a position of manager vs IC? (Individual Contributor) When new managers came into play - change happened and because I had the safety of a paycheck I became and now am an IC. However I am unhappy and I would like a suggestion on how I can get back to a … [Read more...] about #86 It’s Easy To Become a Technical Manager
#83 The Young Are Restless
"Young People Want Everything Now!" Hello everyone! Is it a bad rap? I often hear managers and training departments in corporations complain about how young people don't want to wait for their career advancement. They want to get pay raises after 6 months. They want to be managers 1 year after graduating from college. They don't want to work 5, 6, or 7 years in one position to earn the "right" to be promoted to the next career … [Read more...] about #83 The Young Are Restless
#79 Trust Your Experiences
"How do you recognize good management advice?" Hello everyone! "Who do you trust and what is the truth in management?" This last week I was reading some of the blogs on the people skills necessary for successful management. One blog, in particular, caught my eye. It had to do with "behaviors" that are necessary for a good manager. Some of the behaviors put forth by the author included things like these soft skills: 1. When you are … [Read more...] about #79 Trust Your Experiences
#78 Choice Is A Myth!
"Do you really choose anything?" Hello everyone! As an engineer or engineering manager, how much of what you do is your choice? As an engineer or engineering manager how much of what your colleagues do is their choice? As an engineering manager, how much of the behavior of your direct reports is their choice? Most people would answer that people are always choosing their behaviors. Right? How can it be any other way? We each choose … [Read more...] about #78 Choice Is A Myth!