Engineers as managers
Our services to support engineers are personally managed by our owner, Prof. Dr. Peter Berger, who, as a graduate engineer himself, is familiar with the specific challenges faced by technically and scientifically oriented managers.
Arrange an appointment with Professor Berger and find out about our offers for engineers!
The executive suites of German companies are still predominantly populated by business administration and legal graduates. In industry, however, half of all managers hold an engineering degree. Engineers are increasingly found in leadership positions. They possess the "can-do" mentality stemming from their engineering background and can develop and bring innovative products and services to market more quickly and efficiently. However, those who remain solely within the technical field don't advance but remain stuck in their department. The business knowledge required for a management position is easily acquired by engineers, as it mostly involves cognitive learning content, the processing of which is second nature to them. The situation is different with the competencies associated with leading people and organizations. Here, the internalized understanding of cause and effect and causal logic, which is precisely what makes engineers so successful in solving technical problems, often falls short.
The problem
When a promotion from a specialist to a management position beckons, one must say goodbye to their previous role, which was primarily defined by expert knowledge. From now on, the focus shifts to successfully leading an entire department or division. This means, above all, managing people who have their own interests, compete with one another, are networked through alliances, and whose behavior is unpredictable. As a manager, you must now assess the knowledge, strengths, and performance potential of your employees, coordinate teamwork, recognize and influence social networks, conduct performance reviews, and be able to give and receive feedback. For managers with an engineering or science background, in particular, it is essential to be able to set aside familiar causal logic at times. This cannot be learned in training courses or from books. It requires a gradual learning and development process that takes place primarily in practice and may involve setbacks along the way. Suitable management tools must be tested. Case studies are not particularly helpful in this regard. The optimal approach is to provide support in daily leadership through coaching.
Our support
Coaching for engineers in leadership positions
Train-the-Trainer program "The manager as mentor": We train experienced managers to act as mentors for aspiring managers.
Beyond Technology : Intensive seminar for the compact transfer of leadership knowledge, coaching hotline and transfer support in daily business (see seminars).
Scout: Support for aspiring managers during the first six months of their new leadership role, coaching hotline and transfer support in day-to-day business (see seminars).