Have you ever noticed the raised reflective pavement markers that reflect white light at night when you have your headlights on? As a transportation engineer, I see things on the road that many others may not. Some may not know that they reflect red if you are headed the wrong way. (Hopefully, you’ve never seen this in action!)
If you have never experienced successful culture change personally, as a team member in general or as a leader, you may not be prepared or know how to proactively manage your team’s culture. The culture of your team (or department or division or plant or region or whole company) is the engine that drives your team’s success – or its lack of success.
The public relies on civil engineers to ensure that shared structures and systems, from roads and airports to power generation and delivery, are efficient and safe. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for this essential profession is expected to grow by 11 percent by 2026, faster than the 8 percent growth rate projected for the field of engineering overall, and 7 percent job growth outlook for all occupations.
The first thing to consider is a change in mindset. Very little will change, if the mindset that has been driving the imbalance remains unchallenged.
In 2018, flexibility is king. If you want to attract and retain millennials (not to mention Gen Zers), companies need to readdress their office processes and performance management systems.