A Successful Transition from

Engineer to Manager

ASME Early Career Forum

Toronto, Ontario

John T. Bozewicz
ASME Engineering & Technology
Management Group Leader
Traditional Career Model

Sr.
Mgt.

Middle
Management

1st Line Management

Staff Engineering

The Career “Pyramid”

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 Which Career Path Should I Follow?

Technical
Other

Management
3
Why Management?

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Setting the Course…..
From Engineer to
Engineering Manager

Do not be too timid and

squeamish about your
actions. All life is an
experiment. The more
experiments you make
the better.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson

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 Each Organization Selects Its Engineering
Managers Based on a Complex Set of Factors
Business
Competence

Relationships
Capability

Leadership Seniority or
Experience

Each organization has its

own unique equation … that
Technical
may change over time Competence
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 Challenges to Becoming a Successful
Engineering Manager

Technical Competence
Communications
Business Skills
Management Skills
Motivation

Performance Evaluation

People (or Interpersonal) Skills – A Special Challenge

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 Management Levels & Skills Mix

3rd Level Administrative

(Senior Managers) and
Conceptual
Skills
2nd Level Interpersonal
(Middle Managers) Skills

1st Level Technical

(Supervisors) Skills

As organizations evolve to reflect their

business environment -- the skills mix is also
changing for the organization’s managers
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 Cornerstones to Developing Managers

Opportunity

Mgmt
Career Path

Sponsor
Preparation
(Mentor)

The secret of success is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
-Benjamin Disreali, British Novelist and Debater (1804-1881)
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 Engineering Management:
An Organizational Development Approach
Executives
Managers Strategic Vision
Innovative Thinking External Awareness
Supervisors
Program Development Organizational
Team Leader Situational Leadership Planning & Evaluation
Representation &
Project Leader Demonstrate Core Liaison
Model/Reinforce Core
Values Values
POA&Ms Directorate Head
Managing Diverse (Senior Mgr)
Project Tracking Resource Management
Workforce
Resource Expenditures Technology
Coaching/Counseling Management
Customer Orientation
Conflict Management Process Oversight
Quality Focus
Consensus
Change Management Management
Knowledge
Team Building Mentoring
Myers-Briggs Analysis
Influencing/Negotiating Presentation/ Marketing
Skills
and
Human Resources
Mgmt Risk Management
Branch Head (Middle Division Head (Senior
Skills
Mgr) Mgr)
Asst. Program Mgr Program Manager 10
First Things First: “Manage” Yourself
 Know Your Personality
 Personality/Behavior Tests

 Work Within Yourself

 Know Your Constraints and Limitations
 Don’t Become Something You’re Not!

 Take Care of Yourself Physically and Mentally

 “Management” Will Require Much of Your Energy
 Strive for Balance - Don’t Become a Workaholic!

Manage Yourself before Managing Others

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 “Extra-curricular” Preparation (Part 1)

 Look for and take advantage of opportunities to get involved

with corporate or organization-level teams/projects - get
exposure at the corporate-level
 There’s more than just the focused technical area you
work in!

Look at organization’s internal website or other sources of

corporate information, policies and strategic planning –
“good stuff” from an organizational perspective – get
familiar with how your organization does business (e.g.,
budget development, marketing, etc.) and strategic planning

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 “Extra-curricular” Preparation (Part 2)

Professional Society involvement – good for exposure –

become an “active” member not just an attendee – offers
great early “management” opportunities

 Make the investment in yourself (time and $$$) – not

everything will be provided to you – you must take the
initiative – treat yourself as a small business (YOU, Inc.)

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 Key Focus Areas: My Experience

 Continuously improve your Communication skills – written

and oral
New Focus Area: International Communications

 Negotiating – key skill to your future success

Understand that there is a “political landscape”

 Financial Management/Budget Development – general

theory and your organization’s accounting and budgeting
practices
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 Pathways to Development

 On the job experience

 Engineering Management degree programs at the
University Graduate level
 Engineering Management courses at the University
Undergraduate or Graduate level (non-degree
programs)
 “Piecemeal” Approach – Education (formal or
informal) focused on specific knowledge areas (for
example: Financial, Communications, or Negotiating
skills as well as numerous others)
 Certification Programs

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 What I Hope You Take Away from Today

 “Soft skills” will play a significant part in successfully

transitioning from Engineer to Manager
 A strong desire to want to continue to develop yourself
AND more importantly a desire to develop others
 Become a Decision Maker – Managers have to make
the “Tough Choices”
 Take Charge: Initiate development of your Personal
Strategic Plan for You, Inc.!

Set an Active Course for Yourself…Don’t Coast…

If You’re Coasting, You’re Going Downhill!
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 Contact Info

John Bozewicz
Email: bozewiczj@asme.org
eul212@yahoo.com

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