Professional ethics outlines standards of behavior expected of professionals. For engineers, this includes honesty, impartiality, and prioritizing public health and safety. Engineering managers must lead teams to accomplish goals while inspiring and empowering others. Successful engineering managers have strong technical knowledge complemented by management qualifications. They are skilled in project management, communication, decision-making, and delegation.

2. Professional Ethics
oProfessional ethics is a set of standards that describe the professional
behavior that is expected in all fields of work. In this we will examine
the moral and ethical issues that professionals have to deal with in a
corporate environment.
oThese are principles that govern the behaviour of a person or group in
a business environment. It also provide rules on how a person should
act towards other people and institutions in such an environment.
oProfessional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards
of behavior expected by professionals. The word professionalism
originally applied to vows of a religious order.

3. How professional ethics is related with engineers as
managers?
oAccordingly, the services provided by engineers require honesty,
impartiality, fairness and equity and must be dedicated to the protection
of the public health, safety and welfare hold paramount the safety,
health and welfare of the public.

4. Engineeering leadership
oOnly 26% of ceo’s in the top 1000 companies had their first degrees in
engineering (more in foreign countries)
oOnly 10% of university presidents are engineers
oFew engineers are in congress
oPresident jimmy carter was the only engineer, but he did not get
reelected

5. Importance of engineers as managers
oOne of the most important skills of successful engineering
managers is the ability to lead a team to accomplish their goals. ...
having a strong sense of purpose enables managers to evoke
confidence and motivate their team, providing their team with
direction while inspiring, empowering and trusting them to do their
jobs.
oThe engineering manager needs to lead, inspire, negotiate, cajole
and convince the different engineering disciplines, and sometimes
their line managers, during the project life cycle, to maintain focus
on the business and project objectives.

6. Characteristics of engineers as managers
• Technical knowledge but most top engineering managers have a
background in engineering, complemented with a higher qualification
in engineering management.
• Project management.
• Communication.
• Decision making.
• Delegation.

7. Career Path of Engineers

8. Mid-level Positions
oMid-level positions are equivalent in ranking, mid-point salary and
prestige
oTechnical ladder is capped at the corporate fellow level
oManagerial ladder, including project management positions, leads to
executive level positions (vice president)

9. Mid-level Technical
oLarger responsibility for programs of high technical contents but no
managerial duty
oAdd value by technical contributions, innovations, and technology
applications
oFellows are typically well-renowned both inside and outside of the
company for technical expertise demonstrated in patents, publications
and commercial success

10. Mid-level Managerial
oLarger responsibility of managing people, tasks, capabilities, functions and
programs
oDevote increasingly less time on technology work and more on managerial
work
oSuccess Factors
(1) established technical expertise
(2) proficient in all management functions
(3) problem solving and conflict resolution
(4) strategic planning abilities

11. Remarks on Mid-level Positions
oTechnical ladder positions are less quota-limited than the
corresponding positions in managerial ladder
oTransfer from positions in technical to managerial ladder is somewhat
more easier than the other way around

12. Executive Level Positions
oPositions such as vice president (vp) of engineering and chief
technology officer (cto) demand leadership capabilities in creating
and implementing technological strategies to capture new business
opportunities
oTeam work with other high level executives is a critical success factor

13. Work Contents
• Change of work contents with engineering career progression
First-line Supervisor Mid Manager Executive
Technical
70% 25% 5%
Managerial
25% 50% 25%
Visionary
5% 25% 70%

14. Goals for All Levels: Add Value

15. National Science Foundation
Study (2000)
Engineers/Scientists in Management
41%
42%
43%
44%
45%
46%
47%
48%
49%
Younger than
35
35 to 44 45- 54 Older than 55
Age
Percentage
(%)

16. How to Get Promoted
oCompetence in current assignments - master current duties and
responsibilities, gain respect of co-workers and get favorable
recommendation from the boss
oReadiness and desire to become manager - handle larger and more
challenging assignments (budget, people, impact)
oGood match with organizational needs

17. Failure Factors for Engineering Managers
• Lack of political savvy
• Uncomfortable with ambiguous situation
• Tense personality
• Lack of risk-taking willingness
• Tendency to clinch on technology
• Lack of human relations skills
• Deficiency in management skills and perception
• Not cognitive of manager’s roles and responsibility
• Narrow interest and preparation

18. Most Common Reasons for Career Failures for Engineers

19. (A) Poor Interpersonal Skills
oThis is the single biggest reason for career failures every one needs to be
(1) showing respect and sensitivity in dealing with others
(2) minimizing conflicts and disagreements
(3) giving and taking criticisms well
(4) striving to build team support
(5) becoming emotionally stable
(6) behaving professionally

20. (B) Wrong Fit
oNot fitting to the cultural norms, core values, priority, profit motives,
social/ environmental preferences and others of the workplace
oHard to adapt one’s own abilities, styles, personality and chemistry to
those of co-workers
oSolution is to move on quickly

21. (C) Not Able to Take Risks
oStaying in a position far too long for fear of losing control of own
comfortable life
oNot willing to venture out (e.g., taking on a management position,
relocation for a promotion, new job, different industry, etc.)

22. (d) Self-destructive Behavior
oExamples include:
1)work in secret
2) resistance to change
3) being excessively aggressive
4) shown non-cooperative attitude
5) picking fights with people
6) becoming overly argumentative
7)being readily excitable about trivialities
8) showing a lack of perspectives in things.
oMust check own behavior often and modify

23. (e) Lack of Focus
oTry to be jack of all trades, but not good in any thing of value
oHaving no expertise to be known for is dangerous for one’s career
(examples: work well with different people - getting things done
effectively through teams; problem-solving – applying root cause
analysis techniques to complex problems)

24. Question
• Some engineers and managers are
known to have more difficulties in
interpersonal relations than other.
• How can they improve their
interpersonal skills?

25. What Takes to be Successful in Corporate America
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26. Success Factors
o(A) Performance - Make sure that each and everyone of assignment is
done well - “you are only as good as your last performance.”
o(B) Personality - How one acts and behaves is important. One should
project a mature, positive, reasonable and flexible personality.
o(c) Communication Skills - Ability to communicate is important for
promotability, particularly writing concerning readability,
correctness, appropriateness and thought.
o (D) HUMAN RELATIONS SKILLS - Interact with people to create and
maintain acceptable working relationships, avoid being labeled “not
working well with people”.

27. o(E) Make Tough Decisions - Take prudent risks and make the tough
plays.
o(F) Work Experience - Build up own work portfolio with diversified
experience and high impact assignments.
o(G) Self Control - Stay cool and be able to withstand pressure and
stress, having high tolerance to frustration.
o(H) Technical Skills/Ability - Capabilities need to be kept
marketable.
o(I) Health and Energy Level - Take care of own health and maintain
physical vitality.
o(J) Personal Appearance - To fit into the corporate image by
following the boss’s example.

28. Career Strategy for the 21st Century
oThink, speak, act and walk like an entrepreneur - entrepreneurial
mindset
oEmbrace change as an opportunity for growth, “eager to stay, yet
ready to leave”
oBe visionaries and detail-oriented
oKnow own strengths and weaknesses, be competitive, and set high
standards for self
oBuild alliances and stay connected

29. Summary and Conclusions
o“Rules of Thumb” from experience are worth knowing
oConstantly reading to reinforce one’s conviction in the values of
noted leadership profiles
oPracticing them until the preferred behavior becomes ones’ second
nature