Saskia Slotboom was 30, chairing a project team, and telling engineers twice her age what to do. She did not feel like a leader yet.
She trained as an architect, graduated in building technology, and expected a career in calculations. Six months into her first job she was miserable. What she actually wanted was people. That took her into project management at a Dutch government agency, and eventually out of engineering altogether and into coaching.
This conversation is about what happens to engineers when the work stops speaking for itself. When you move into a leadership role and nobody has taught you the human half of the job.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT
- Why Dutch universities split students into "alphas" and "betas", and why that word does not survive translation into English
- How to become more visible at work without turning into someone you are not
- What to do with feedback you have decided not to act on
- Why the feeling that something is off is expertise, not intuition
- Why nobody is mature in every direction, including your manager
RESOURCES AND LINKS
Free guides for engineers →
Emails for Engineers template package →
Saskia's free reflection tool: (English) | (Dutch)
Read next on marcode.org:
Soft Skills for Engineers: It Is a Translation, Not a Transformation →
Why Engineers Need Emotional Intelligence →
The Hidden Risks in Global Engineering Teams →
CONNECT WITH SASKIA SLOTBOOM
Saskia Slotboom is a coach and trainer for professionals in STEM fields. She works on communication, influencing, public speaking and personal leadership. Before that she spent years as a project manager in Dutch public infrastructure.
Website | LinkedIn
CONNECT WITH OLIVIA AUGUSTIN
Olivia Augustin is a civil engineer and certified English as a 2nd language and Business English teacher. With her one-on-one lessons and group courses, she teaches non-native English-speaking engineers the kind of English that gets the job done.
Contact me | Get the newsletter | LinkedIn | Instagram
