Tapping into Talent. Building Trust

"When you ask people what it is like being part of a great team, what is most striking is the meaningfulness of the experience. People talk about being part of something larger than themselves, of being connected, of being generative. It becomes quite clear that, for many, their experiences as part of truly great teams stand out as singular periods of life lived to the fullest." - Peter Senge

My thoughts on our extended engineering fraternity up until recently was one of considerable confusion. Finite amounts of construction developments meant that those of us who didn't find enough projects to keep us busy, were destined to have hard times. Conversely those of us who have found the time and energy to engage the interest of developers, or Architects have found more than their fair share. This is the situation which I see before me.

Those 'without' suffer by not having enough work, and those 'with', suffer from exhaustion or by disappointing their clients.

In addition to the problems above, comes the time spent trying to finely tune and 'tee up' a healthy vein of work for the future, leading to further waste. So why not take a leap into the unknown, and share?

Indeed. To that end I have launched a group on LinkedIn to allow free communication between engineers so that we can redistribute our work loads - as and when we need. As the group grows, the future promises that this community will become an essential route to reliable engineering resources with the opportunity to share business ideas and 'time' with one another. Building trust.

To add another dimension, we will also consider allowing a number of supportive non-engineering construction professionals [i.e. Architects, contractors, QS's, business advisers] to contribute to maintaining a productive and lively group, for all it's members.

Every business has its own plans for the future. Some of us would like to remain small and work as sole traders, giving our clients value by keeping overheads low. Well, you can! I personally would also love to be part of something BIG, yet retain some of my independence and reserve my option to take on work as I see fit.

I also have a dream of introducing graduates into collaborative groups. Seating them at the heart of a incredibly confident and experienced localised team of engineers. Thus giving them a wonderful springboard into their professional career, and giving Engineers a solid opportunity to mentor the next generation of talent.

If you are an Engineer, and this idea appeals to you, then drop us an email or hunt out our brand new group on LinkedIn - The Collaborative Engineering Community

Tapping into Talent. Building Trust.


Engine[er]

Teach Yourself How to Run: Part Seven [Dream a little]

Is there a good time to work, and a good time to play so that you get the most out of the effort that you put in? I thought there was.

I consider myself very lucky. I have been able to identify time and time again what it is that drives me to do certain things... and therefore repeat or decide not to repeat as necessary. Failure is an integral part of that equation, and as I have stated before, physically failing is not your only route to failure here. You can learn from others mistakes too.

THIS REALISATION WILL NOT MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO ADAPT. It makes for an interesting internal dialogue though.

Out running this morning, I found the going tough. I don't like mornings. Even whilst doing something I love.

Recently a friend of mine said she had read that having high or low energy levels during certain times of the day are a myth. It was suggested that we are capable of being mindful and changing our habits at will.

So I am testing this theory with my running. I like to run in the late afternoon. Morning is poison to me. Therefore I initiated a change which will hopefully prove or disprove the theory.

Like I said, today was tough. So tough that I wanted to cut the run short. I didn't, but it was internally considered with extreme prejudice. As it turns out I ran incredibly slow and laboured lots. I was confused and upset that my will wasn't strong enough to snap me out of the funk. I dug deep and considered that I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. This was not doing my confidence any good...

As my mind continually broke the experience down further, a particular music track began to play on my MP3 player.... and my legs became lighter. I ran around a corner to be faced with a powerful symbol of why running has meant so much to me over the years. The reason why I do what I do. It was there hung in the sky, orangey blue.

The view of the sun was magnificent. It just edged over a silhouetted house. My body and legs were energised and the music kept me trotting along nicely.

OK, the sun was only a symbol. The real reason for the energy boost was that I am visual and rhythm orientated. Running has been great way to view awesome sunsets and sunrises with my favourite tunes playing in my ears. It occurred to me that maybe we are all pretty similar. Visual learners.

The ability to visualise our challenges and think our way past them is very powerful indeed. To learn a lesson in high definition must also be a great advantage to students too.

To that end I will share with you a secret of mine.

I visualise my path ahead in unison with the music which is played in my ears during a run. I draw lines of comparison to the beats I hear and connect them with the life trials I face. This helps me see patterns and plan a strategy to move forward. Remotely.

The closest 'popular' example of this which I can think of is imagining that YOU are James Bond when you have just seen one of his feature films. For a short time after the cinema experience, you are James Bond. Every car you see drive by contains a spy who wants to learn your secrets... It takes all your willpower just to stop yourself from hiding round corners with a hand shaped Walther PPK. I'm pretty sure that these kinds of thoughts occur to most of us. But we do little with them.

What I was hoping to do for you today was to perhaps inspire a little change in you. Whether it is simply pulling on a pair of running shoes, going for a run and drinking up your creativity with an awesome self stylised soundtrack beating in your ears. Or making you realise that there are many hidden benefits to simply having dreams, and making them happen.

Learning lessons is of no use to anyone unless you can decipher their essence and relay it to others who also need the support.


Engine[er]

This is my journey - I give it to you

If you have been scouring the internet looking for a reason, "pleeease, just a solitary reason"  to start up a business to call your own, then I hope that you may find this an interesting blog page to read.

If you have aspirations to become your own boss; and are sick of listening to your friends, family and colleagues tell you that now is not the right time to risk everything... then I'm here to tell you that there has never been a better time.

Finally, should you have happened across this blog page by accident - perhaps you were carving up the web, looking for inspiration or a reason to change your life... then welcome to a new way of thinking.

This is my journey from inception to late nights and my eventual creative and professional freedom.

The Engine[er]