Two of E&A’s leaders presented at The Complete Engineer Conference on March 9th.
The conference was part of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln College of Engineering’s program, The Complete Engineer Initiative. The two-day event was held on the University of Nebraska – Omaha campus.
Jason Thiellen, E&A’s CEO, closed out the conference with a keynote speech entitled “Leadership is Not A Title.” Drawing from his own experience in the industry, he encouraged attendees to embrace opportunities to be a leader, regardless of their official role. He reminded everyone that no matter how talented you might be in your profession, you must learn to work well with other people to excel in the workplace. He highlighted the importance of knowing oneself, and getting to know others, in order to inspire and influence your peers.
Anna Grimes, E&A’s Civil Engineering Department Manager, led the breakout session prior to Jason’s speech. She got students energized with an obstacle course that walked attendees through the various roles they might encounter in a typical work environment. Her program, “Leadership is a Team Sport,” reinforced the core competences that are central to the Complete Engineer Initiative that UNL’s Engineering Program is centered around; intercultural appreciation, leadership, self-management, service and civil responsibility, teamwork and understanding of engineering ethics.
It was a very close race, with two of the teams reaching the finish line at the exact same time. The tie was broken with a question related to the core competencies of the college. Afterwards, students talked about the obstacle course and related it to starting a new job, and the way we depend so heavily on team members. Many of the students said it opened their eyes to how much we have to rely on good communication to do our jobs effectively.
