| I'm fond of
saying the CAD manager has the toughest technical job I can think of
precisely because both technical and managerial skill sets must be in
proper balance to achieve real success.
The purpose of
this article is to beef up the managerial side of your job with some
tips and tricks I've found helpful. I can't take credit for all the
tips; I have to share that with the many CAD managers I've met over the
years. My hope is you'll find some nuggets in these tips and tricks that
you can apply to your daily efforts. Here goes.
Keep an
Informal Log (Diary)
You can keep this log as an electronic document (I like Microsoft Word)
or in a stenographer's pad to keep everything in one notebook. The log
serves as an aid to memory, and it documents what types of problems keep
coming up. For example, three months from now during John Doe's
performance review you might want some proof that you've had to explain
the same concept to him 14 times in the last three months. If you keep a
log you'll have the proof.
Make no mistake; a
big part of management is keeping things in writing. An informal log
goes a long way towards documenting what you're doing, when, and to what
extent you're experiencing problems. Your log may well become the basis
for anything from performance reviews to information that supports
litigation against vendors who don't perform.
If you want to
prove something later, write it down now.
Assign Yourself
Tasks and Report on Yourself Weekly
Early on in my career I started to keep a weekly task list that I used
to track my progress. Every week I wrote a brief report to my boss
explaining what I did and did not get done on my list for the week. I've
found no other way to motivate myself more effectively than this simple
weekly report to my boss.
Not only did my
supervisors appreciate the quick status report (after all it saves them
time), but it also showed that I took my responsibilities seriously
enough to monitor my own progress. I also found that keeping my weekly
list documented all the "hurry up" and "oops we forgot to tell you" type
jobs I received from others who didn't always plan very well. And every
time I crossed an item off the weekly list, I got a positive feeling: I
was tangibly getting the job done.
If you're not
keeping this sort of list, what are you waiting for? It you're not
crossing items off your list each week, then it may mean you're either
scheduling too much or that you need to apply more time management
skills to prioritizing what you work on. In such cases, reprioritize
your weekly list or even put in some extra hours to get caught up. You
may even want to consider a training class in time management if you
still feel lost. Either way you'll learn about your own capabilities by
analyzing your own work habits (before somebody else does).
Never Stop
Budgeting
Always keep a spreadsheet file of your CAD department budget on your
desktop and continuously update it. If you happen to remember you need
to budget for a new service contract next year, don't wait to add it to
your budget, do it immediately. Budget time is quite often hectic and if
these add-ons to next-year's budget aren't already documented, they may
get lost in the shuffle. And if you're continuously tracking your
current budget, you'll avoid going over budget before year-end, which,
like it or not, reflects poorly on you.
Your budget
document is the most important written document you'll produce each year
because it determines what you can and can't purchase. So give this
document the important attention it deserves year-round, not just at
budget time.
Never Stop
Reading and Cataloging
Like budgeting, reading trade information should be a year-round
pursuit. You may not learn something from everything you read, but then
again, maybe you will! Take your reading a step further and catalog the
really good stuff by printing or scanning it into an electronic archive.
I've also found that resources I've located on the Internet frequently
move or disappear, so capturing the web pages to disk has become a habit
for me if I feel like I may need the information again.
I've used a
database utility to track scanned-in and PDF documents for years now,
and I always keep it on my laptop. The topics range from programming
language notes, sample routines, and magazine clippings to scanned-in
handwritten meeting notes and web pages. This archive has been a great
help to me on many occasions, particularly when I'm out of the office.
The electronic nature of my catalog makes it mobile, so I don't have to
haul around reams of paper.
Stay Up to Date
on Software—No Matter What
Do whatever you need to do to stay up to date on your industry's
software advances. Even if your company isn't using the latest version
of a given software program, do your best to have at least one copy of
the latest and greatest to use for your own research and learning
purposes. I realize that money is tight in the current economy, but as a
CAD manager you really need to be on top of the latest features and
technologies.
After all, how can
you advise your company on software-related issues if you're not fully
aware of what is out there? And if your company can't see the wisdom of
having at least one copy of the latest software tools on their CAD
manager's desk that may signal a problem in how the CAD manager is
viewed, right?
Don't Be Afraid
to Build Your Staff
Too many CAD managers I've met are afraid to have their staff learn
skills related to CAD-management tasks. While some managers have trouble
letting go, or delegating, I suspect others are simply afraid that if
others know how to do their job, they'll be seen as less valuable.
But consider this:
- If you don't
delegate some tasks you'll never be able to deal with every task that
comes your way and you'll eventually get bogged down. And if that
continues, you may be seen as having peaked in your job performance
and your future becomes limited.
- How do you
expect to be promoted to a higher level if you don't train the
personnel that will follow behind you?
- If you don't
develop the staff you have, they'll become bored and feel that they're
in a dead-end career path. Would you rather have a motivated staff or
one that would rather be elsewhere? It has always been my experience
that CAD managers that demonstrate effective staff-building and
delegation skills get promoted. Those that don't, don't. Enough said.
Network
Aggressively
Be sure to network with other CAD managers whenever you can. The CAD
manager position can be an isolated one because there tends to be only
one CAD manager in any operation. You'll have to actively network with
other CAD managers because you're simply not going to see them in the
course of your normal workday.
Some of the best
ways to network are pretty obvious:
So be creative
about getting your networking in even if it means spending your personal
time. You'll learn new ways of doing things, meet new people, and
improve your career path by doing so!
Coming Next
Month
In next month's installment I'll present some technical tips and tricks
that you can use to enhance the technologist's side of your job. Until
then...
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