From Engineer to Manager: Mastering the Transition, Second Edition

Providing clear, expert guidance to help engineers make a smooth transition to the management team, this newly revised and updated edition of an Artech House bestseller belongs on every engineer’s reference shelf. The author’s 30-plus year perspective indicates that, while most engineers will spend the majority of their careers as managers, most are dissatisfied with the transition. Much of this frustration is the result of lack of preparation and training. This book provides a solid grounding in the critical attitudes and principles needed for success. The greatly expanded Second Edition adds critical new discussions on the development of healthy teams, meeting management, delegating, decision making, and personal branding. New managers are taught to internalize the attitudes and master the associated skills to excel in, and be satisfied with the transition to management. The book explains how to communicate more effectively and improve relationships with colleagues. Professionals learn how to use their newly acquired skills to solve immediate problems. Moreover, they are shown how to apply six fundamental principles to their on-going work with engineering teams and management.

Table of Contents:
Principle 1: Mastering Relationships. Principle 2: Seeing the Big Picture. Principle 3: Getting Things Done. Principle 4: Communicating Effectively. Principle 5: Using Assets Wisely. Principle 6: Taking It to the Next Level.

About the Author :
B. Michael Aucoin is the president of Leading Edge Management, LLC. He received his D. Engineering in engineering management, and his M. Engineering in electrical engineering at Texas A&M University. His B.S. in engineering science was earned and conferred by the University of New Orleans.

Review :
From Engineer to Manager: Mastering the Transition offers clear and understandable fundamentals for transitioning from engineer to leadership in management—no seven steps to utopia, but guidelines that clearly define the requirements. The author, B. Michael Aucoin, with his experience from practice and research is uniquely qualified - he provides you with what it takes to make a successful transition to leadership in management. Read it, study it, and as you grow in leadership responsibility, use it as a reference. From Engineer to Manager: Mastering the Transition is essential reading for every engineer moving into a leadership role. Michael Aucoin prepares engineers for the realities of organizational life and the challenges they present. From Engineer to Manager fills the gaps in training and education that cause engineers to stumble when making the transition. From Engineer to Manager: Mastering the Transition provides an adaptive perspective in the transition of any edtech professional into a managerial experience. The book provides sequential pathways to identify the key traits and strengths of professionals in the engineering industry; it also aligns theory combined with the foundation of experience to understand how to work with and manage while understanding personalities to perceptions. Careful thought was given to how learning traits can be achieved and the impact to others with career growth in mind. The five principles provide an overview to gain an understanding of the study of individual concerns, applicable steps for team building and leadership traits for success. By identifying the key takeaways with each chapter, the reader has a depth and understanding of the focus but also a bookmark to revisit areas that are important to them. This book is a wonderful guide towards moving forward in a career and expanding both the humanistic side with the technological expertise to create powerful teams and individual leaders. The stories provide impact, familiar, and create an understanding of the issue while supporting best practices. I would recommend this book both as a teaching aid and a manual for success! A delightful yet practical walk-through on what would a road trip from an enginner mindset to a manager's inevitably encounters and what mindset is needed to navigate the unknown and unexpected.