Leaders in every industry need to be communicators. In the engineering world, it’s especially important since failures to communicate can derail expensive projects and potentially even cause physical harm to people. Learning to speak up will make you a better leader for your team as you will build stronger relationships and trust.
This is part 2 of a 3-part series on things that engineering leaders should say more often. In this article, we’ll go over four challenging things that engineering leaders should more often. Part 1 covers 4 things which are easy to say and part 3 covers 4 things that are more difficult to say but which engineering leaders should say more often anyway.
The list below includes phrases which could require a little more effort on your part as saying them doesn’t always come naturally to engineers. These are the phrases servant leaders use and the world of engineering needs more servant leaders.
How can I help you?
You are letting the person know that you acknowledge their ownership of the project and that you’re ready to take direction from them. This is definitely not, and should never be, meant as, “Let me tell you how to do it.”
This is also not taking ownership of their project or problem. It’s simply offering your assistance.
As Robert K. Greenleaf wrote in The Servant as a Leader, “The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.”
Show your leadership skills by serving your team members.
I’m here for you
Sometimes an engineer just needs to know that you’re available. They don’t need your help. They don’t need you hovering nearby. They just need to know that you are available if they need you.
And for whatever reason they need you. Make sure your team of engineers knows that you’re more than just someone with technical answers. Support them technically, emotionally, and professionally. If your engineers are as stoic as most of the ones I’ve worked with, it may take some effort to get them to feel comfortable in the area of emotional concerns and sometimes professional concerns. But the results are worth it.
Tell me about it
Like the previous two phrases in this article, this one is also an opening line which will set you up to listen – one of the key skills in leadership.
When the engineers on your team (or your spouse or a friend) come to you with a problem, your natural instinct is probably to attempt to solve the problem. That’s because we’re engineers. That’s what we’re trained to do … solve problems. And sometimes the best way to help solve a problem is to sit back and listen.
With a simple, “Tell me about it,” you start a dialog that allows you to ask more questions so that they will open up and step through their concerns. Often, this exercise results in the person coming up with a solution to their own problem – whether it’s a technical dilemma, a social conundrum, or an emotional crisis.
Plus, when someone solves their own problem, they own it. It remains their monkey. As Ken Blanchard points out in The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, “Don’t take on the problem if the problem isn’t yours. That monkey doesn’t belong to you.”
I can’t do it without you
Too often engineering leaders push someone aside and say, “Let me show you how.”
“I can’t do it without you” is a higher level of the attitude of gratitude that comes with saying “thank you.” It demonstrates your awareness of your limitations as well as acknowledging their skill and expertise.
Making everyone feel valued is the best way to get everyone committed and dedicated to the project at hand. When you make it clear to your team that you value their contributions, that appreciation will act as a motivator.
The Final Takeaway
The phrases in the previous article were easy to say. These four, however, require some practice. They’re emotionally supportive phrases and getting someone to open up emotionally isn’t always easy – for you or any other engineer.
Trust is needed in engineering teams and especially with the leadership of those teams. Emotional trust is an important variable in the trust equation and one you should work on developing.
Also in this series:
Author: Tracy Thomason
Agile project manager by day, craft beer drinker by night, and avid reader anytime I can get 5 minutes alone with my Kindle.
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Featured photo by Wokandapix from Pixabay