JOINT MEETING OF THE EAST BRANCH AND STUDENT CHAPTER OF THE ASCE AT THE YEH CENTER Tuesday, March 27, :30 p.m.

CORE COMPETENCIES TO BE A SUCCESSFUL LEADER IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

CORE COMPETENCIES  Possesses Integrity  Is Accountable  Is Decisive  Is Public Service Oriented  Empowers Others  Is Deliberate  Is a Communicator  Shows Respect for Others  Is Technically Knowledgeable  Manages Resources  Is Resilient  Delegates  Maintains Balance

Possesses Integrity  Committed  True to yourself  Conscience  Different values = Disagreement  Both sides can maintain integrity  Leader asks organization to do as they do  Spin & integrity are not compatible concepts  Foundation of the other 12 competencies

Is Accountable  Doing what we’re hired to do  Make & keep promises  Practice persistence & patience  Don’t expect others to do what you won’t  Behavior in sync with values  Don’t focus on “what’s in it for me?”

Is Decisive  Find a mentor for advice  Start small  Cost of evaluation vs. cost of risk  Be willing to admit when you’re wrong

Is Public Service Oriented  Why do we do this?  Variety  Challenges  Decision Making  Project/program development  Interaction  Ability to make a difference

Empowers Others  Create environment of support & open communication  Trust- Give permission to fail  encourages risk taking, creativity, initiative  Be clear on limits of authority  Principles of an empowered organization

Empowers Others Principles of an empowered organization  Leadership belongs to all employees  Tools, training & authority made available  Information is power & therefore shared  Culture of support  A continuous process

Is Deliberate  Careful, thorough & aware of risks  A Public Works Professional will:  Listen to the problem  Quickly absorb the data  Calmly make a decision  Analyze Risk  Seek Input  Act quickly  Decisions fit mission, vision, values

Is a Communicator  Basic elements: Source, Message, Channel & Audience  Source: Prepare with right facts, verbiage and material  Message: Clarity, Simplicity, Details  Channel: Brainstorm questions in advance  Audience: Define the target audience

Shows Respect for Others  Give respect to earn respect  Make it a habit  No one respects a bully  Demonstrate respect through common courtesy:  Undivided attention  Be on time  Remember you are being watched

Is Technically Knowledgeable  The way things work = building, operating and maintaining  Also need: finance, personnel, administration, politics and more  APWA offers wide array of educational opportunities  Need to maintain an attitude of constant learning

Manages Resources  How do you begin?  Mission Statement  Vision Statement  Values of the organization  Goals  Strategies  Accountability (performance indicators) Mission Statement The Urbana Public Works Department is dedicated to ensuring prompt, courteous and exemplary service to the community in a professional, efficient, and cost-effective manner, striving to enhance the quality of life by preserving the safety, health and welfare of those served by our organization, while promoting the City’s economic growth by constructing, maintaining, and improving the public infrastructure.

Manages Resources  Methods  Sharing of resources  Utilizing your employees  Reviewing your methods  Developing a strategic plan  Performance indicators

Is Resilient  Basis for public service is loving what we do.  Some coping mechanisms  Humor  Seeing the “big picture”  Remember the contribution you’re making  Encourage your peers

Delegates  You can’t do it all yourself  Connection to other core competencies  Communication  Accountability  Managing resources  Maintain balance  Delegation is an indication of trust  You can’t do it all yourself  Connection to other core competencies  Communication  Accountability  Managing resources  Maintain balance  Delegation is an indication of trust

Maintains Balance  Maintain Perspective  You can’t do everything at once  If you are out of action, you cannot get the job done.  Maintain effectiveness through personal renewal.

William R. Gray, P.E. Director Urbana Public Works Department 706 South Glover Avenue Urbana, Illinois