Business Development: The Red-Headed Stepchild of Successful Engineering Business Practices (ST-16-C043)

Engineering, as a practice, is based on developing and applying tangible solutions to practical problems through a creative but calculated process. Engineering education at the university level is focused on difficult mathematical equation solving and test-score-based performance metrics. Professional certifications, field experience, and continuing education opportunities further promote technical competence and understanding of systems, equipment, codes and standards. While these forms of education and professional development can be in-depth, demanding and celebrate technical excellence, they overlook a crucial facet of the industry: engineering is a relationship-based business. Strong and diverse relationships with a spectrum of project partners, clients and owners are the backbone of an engineering firm’s health and growth. The ability to develop, nurture and maintain relationships relies on an ability to relate to other people and participate in the fluid process of Business Development. This is a vital component of a successful career in the engineering industry, but developing this skillset is often forgotten or glossed over. Engineers can learn and hone business development skills through outside training sessions and conferences, though concepts learned in the contrived setting of didactic presentation and roleplay can be difficult to adopt “in the wild.” Mentorship from seasoned and successful leaders is an ideal option, but this assumes a firm has such current leaders, and that they have the time and teaching skills to take the next generation of leaders under their wing. An innovative and remarkably effective option is to develop a custom business development training program, tailored to the firm’s values and strategic visions, and delivered by a dedicated BD leader who thoroughly understands these values and visions.  In this “learning by doing” environment, engineers are given the authority and confidence to go out and practice their new skills, knowing that they are contributing to the firm’s business development plan. This paper will present the perspectives of a Business Development Director who developed and is successfully implementing an 18-month, in-house BD training program at her firm, and a next-generation engineering leader who is further refining his business development skills by participating in the program and mentoring other engineers beginning to build up their skills.