Editorial, Engineering Management, March 2004

engineering management

editorial

Success and Luck

by John G. Falcioni, Editor-In-Chief

A recent column in Fast Company magazine discussed "The L Factor," L as in luck. The author, Seth Godin, remarked that sometimes, products and services succeed simply because of dumb luck!

Godin's argument was that an entrepreneur's chances of success seemed greater in days gone by, when winning depended on strong will, financial backing, and the smarts to make it work.

There may be a certain amount of luck involved in success. But luck best serves those who are prepared for it.

Successfully managing an enterprise is not easy. That's why we've developed Engineering Management—to talk to managers about the skills that make luck work for them. We'll look at successful—and sometimes not-so-successful—cases in the real world, and talk to practitioners, thinkers, and advisers.

And, we want you to talk to us. So drop me a note and let me know what you would like Engineering Management to talk about.

Expressly for Managers
by Jean Thilmany, Supplement Editor

You're holding the first issue of Engineering Management. We'll do two more this year, in July and in November.

We've talked to engineers, university administrators, business consultants, and people in many roles to prepare this supplement to Mechanical Engineering magazine specifically devoted to engineering management issues. And we've been pleasantly surprised by the warm response we've received.

Many spoke to us about the issues unique to engineering managers. They said, for instance, that segueing from engineer to manager requires quite a change in work style. Take a look at our cover story to learn more.

Some told us of new engineering management degree programs cropping up at universities across the United States, and of their benefits for fledgling and experienced managers.

Others talked about the difficult decisions managers make when bringing on board the proper mix of technologies at their companies with the plethora of new and ever-changing computer-aided engineering technologies that exist today.

Managers said they want to hear more about project management. A lot of knowledge exists on that topic, but it can be hard to evaluate approaches. In this supplement, and in future issues, we'll take a close look at these and other subjects.

For an example of how managers guide an organization as it reinvents itself to stay on top, we look in this issue at our very own organization, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This year, the Society undergoes a reorganization called Continuity and Change, which aims to deliver a 21st-century upgrade to an entity that hasn't seen an internal restructuring in about 25 years.

Another ASME initiative profiled here aims to certify engineering managers, an effort to quantify and recognize skill and experience.

So take a look at this issue. And give us your feedback. We're all ears.