Children are often asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” as if they have a strong sense of who they are, what their purpose will be and what a job even is. If you had asked me when I was 10 if I wanted to be a plumbing engineer, you would have received a blank stare. I likely would have even said, “What’s an engineer?” I had no clue.
The reality is that at that age my world was so small. I wanted to be a teacher because that was what I was exposed to for the majority of my day.
Sometime around high school, I started to think more openly about what I really wanted to do. The pressure was starting to build; the time had come to apply to colleges. That meant I had to get serious about what I wanted to be.
As I began to narrow the options to a few things, I ultimately decided that construction is where I felt I belonged. Not in the trade’s kind of construction, but on the design side. The only thing I knew of at the time was being an architect. Architecture and building design, after all, felt synonymous with each other. I toured one architecture program and immediately lost all hope. Architecture wasn’t for me.
I was crushed and the pressure to identify a career path felt even heavier. Eventually, I found my way into the field of architectural engineering. A mentor suggested this path, and after researching it, I felt it aligned more closely with my interests and strengths. I graduated and started a full-time position. I did it; I picked a career.
The first year was one of growth and fun; however, when it came time to have my performance review, I was confused. Suddenly, I felt myself being asked yet again, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Are you kidding me, I thought. I just spent four years learning how to be what I wanted to be. It didn’t occur to me at that time that our entire lives are one big journey of learning and growing.
I created some goals that I thought would get me through the next five years. The problem with them was they were all technical-related. Sure, they would help me grow but learning how to select a water heater is something that I would have to learn regardless. What I really needed as an entry-level engineer was to learn effective communication skills, what it means to do business development and how to delegate.
Be S.M.A.R.T
So, how do we continue to grow in a career that we are already content in? Maybe you are content with the level of responsibility and technical abilities you have, but I suspect most of you aspire to be more. How do we get there?
I found that what works best for me is to identify two or three positions higher than mine that I see myself wanting someday. I tend to make it a tiered approach: one that would be the natural next step in my career, then the position above that one, and lastly, as a stretch goal, something seemingly out of my reach.
For example, I am currently the mechanical engineering department leader of HGA’s Milwaukee office. The natural next step would be to grow into the national mechanical engineering practice leader. Above that is the vice president of engineering and, as my stretch goal, I aim to become the COO.
Identifying these three positions allows me to create relationships and mentoring opportunities with the people currently holding those positions or those with the necessary skillsets to be successful in those roles. It also allows me to create goals that are actionable and aligned with my aspirations. This approach not only provides a clear roadmap for my career progression but also keeps me motivated and focused on continuous improvement.
By using S.M.A.R.T goals, I can measure my progress and adjust as needed, ensuring that I am always moving forward. S.M.A.R.T is a framework for setting clear and achievable objectives:
S: Specific. Clearly define what you want to accomplish.
M: Measurable. Ensure you can track your progress and
measure the outcome.
A: Achievable. Set realistic goals that are attainable, given
your resources and constraints.
R: Relevant. Align your goals with your broader objectives
and ensure they matter to you.
T: Time-bound. Set a deadline to create a sense of urgency
and to keep you focused.
Data-driven decision-making
One skill set that I know is common among all three positions is the ability to make data-driven decisions. Although I possess some of this ability now, I don’t regularly collect data to inform my decisions. So, let’s give writing a S.M.A.R.T goal a try.
Goal: Improve data-driven decision-making skills by analyzing and presenting insights from utilization metrics.
In my current role as department leader, we often make staffing decisions based on intuition rather than data. Jim feels like he has time to take on more work based on what I see from his day to day, but does he really? I’m not sure, so I went and asked him. He says, “Yeah, I can take on something that is eight hours a week.”
What happens in two weeks when Jim is overloaded with work because a task is taking longer than expected? Usually, he would put in the extra hours to complete the additional work that was put on his plate. If I had the data to track what I think Jim is working on versus the actual time he is putting in, I could offer to find him support when I notice his actual hours are too much.
If we break down my goal using the S.M.A.R.T. platform, we can see how it will yield outcomes:
Specific. Collect and analyze utilization metrics from your team or department to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Measurable. Create a report or presentation with at least three actionable insights derived from the utilization data.
Achievable. Dedicate two hours per week to data collection, analysis and report preparation.
Relevant. Enhance decision-making skills to optimize resource allocation and improve team efficiency.
Time-bound. Complete the analysis and present the findings within two months.
By breaking down this goal, I can also identify where I need to pull in other resources to help me achieve the desired outcome.
For example, our timesheet platform contains all the information I need to create my report; however, extracting it is a tedious and manual process. I know that I cannot manually extract the data I need on an ongoing basis to complete tasks within the two-hour-a-week time limit I gave myself. Therefore, I need to work with our data and analytics team to identify opportunities for automation throughout the process.
My journey to becoming a plumbing engineer taught me that career development is an ongoing process. It’s about being open to new opportunities, learning from experiences and constantly striving to grow. While the path may not always be clear, having a structured plan and the willingness to adapt can lead to fulfilling and successful career outcomes.
