The “-ate” Tips for All New CAD Managers
The road may have been long and the work was definitely hard, but now it is your time. You have been promoted to the position of CAD manager for your production group or company.
Welcome to the big time, my friend. Your professional life is about to change!
Managed Versus Managing
We all know what it is like to be “managed,” to be part of the giant mechanism in an engineering, architecture, or other design firm that is cranking out production designs. It is where we pay our dues and learn the ropes. It is where we start. It is also where we first learn what it is to have a “manager.”
Being “managed” simply means that you were being guided by someone with a somewhat higher level perspective on project-related tasks. They knew when deadlines were scheduled, when people would be out of the office, and “how things are done” in the office. The CAD manager was the person you turned to when you needed help or when you needed something to do.
You were “doing CAD” and they were “managing” your work. And the relationship worked out pretty well.
Stepping Up to the Role of CAD Manager
Things in your CAD production work life worked out so well that you have now been promoted to being the CAD manager. It is time to leave your old position behind and move into a role of leadership.
This can be an easy transition for some and a bit more difficult for others—especially for those who may not consider themselves “management material” or “a people person.” But there are two important facts to keep in mind. First, your supervisors have seen in you the makings of a person who is capable of being a fine CAD manager. Second, anyone can become a good manager. Management is just one more skill that you will have to work to develop in the same manner that you developed your CAD and production skills that led to this new position.
So have faith that you are more than ready for this new challenge. Having said that, a few tips for the newly minted CAD manager can only serve to get you started on the right foot. So check out the following list of “-ate” tips that will help you start off strong in your new job.
From “coordinate” to “educate” to “participate,” there are tips here for everyone. So take these seven tips to heart and prepare for success!
Coordinate. Naturally, being a CAD manager eventually leads to … well … managing. That means that it is time to put on your organizational hat and put things in order—both literally and metaphorically.
Begin with the physical space. That means cleaning up the CAD room, tossing out the old unneeded plots, and ordering supplies. It always helps to have what you need where you can find it. Next on your list should be your staff. Be sure they are all up to date on employee reviews and have access to training resources. Both of these items are quick to visit and can have immediate return on your investment.
Another vital area of coordination is your production schedule. Without an organized handle on this vital listing of projects and deadlines, along with assigned staff, it will be impossible to project workloads. However, with it you will be able to coordinate your workload and staffing availability to ensure that deadlines are met. It will also make it possible to approve time-off requests without danger of being caught short-handed.
You might find that a good, old-fashioned Gantt chart is the easiest way to keep all your production timelines in check. It easily illustrates current workload and the duration of project phases. On top of that everyone will see just how on top of things you are when you bring your nifty chart to those weekly staff meetings!
Communicate. Being a CAD manager carries a good bit of overhead with it. There are all sorts of new tasks and responsibilities that simply were not part of your world when you were a member of the production staff. From managing the workload of projects to mediating minor disputes between staff members—your new responsibilities will be wide and varied.
Obviously it will take a diverse set of skills to make all of this work. Organizational and technical skills are among the many that you will need, but there is one skill that will help across all of these new tasks: communication. Working to become a better communicator can only serve to be a huge asset in all facets of your new position.
Whether you are working with production staff to hit a fast approaching deadline or working with project managers to hammer out difficult design issues, better communication skills are a must. Work to be open about your concerns and work to be open to the concerns of others. Just as important, do not hesitate to let your staff members know where they can work to improve their skill sets and congratulate them when they rise to the occasion.
Raising your communication game can be a challenge for some technically-minded people. It may even prove to be uncomfortable at times, but don’t look at that as a barrier. Look at it as another opportunity to lead your production staff by example and to show your supervisors that you are the right person for this new job!
Estimate. Estimating might be the single hardest of all the dark arts. “How long will this take?” is more than a simple question. It determines so many things. How many people will we need? How much we should charge. Do we need to bring in contractors? How much other work should we schedule to keep people working? How soon can we promise the next project?
The answers to all of those questions begin with the estimate. So it is an important skill.
As a CAD manager the importance of estimating is increased by several factors. Now you are not only creating estimates for yourself, but your entire team. Still, estimating does not have to be a terrible experience if you go about it correctly.
Take any common task your company turns out, perhaps a plan sheet, and examine it. Make note of the type of sheet it is, the complexity of the design, the amount of text, and the general amount of “white space” on the sheet. Then, guess.
That’s right, guess. Then write the guess—er, the estimate—down and give the project to a production-level staff member and ask them to repeat the process. Then write their estimate down.
Now have them complete the work for that sheet, keeping an eye to how long it takes. Once the task is complete make note of the actual time and record it. And repeat. A lot. A whole lot, in fact.
Over the course of time you and your staff will find that your ability to correctly estimate time will improve dramatically. More importantly, your collective skills will improve together. This offers an added bonus of a complete understanding by the entire production staff of how long any given task will take. That is great for them in terms of productivity and great for you in terms of your bosses seeing how accurate you can be!
Educate. Managing is about more than just being the “boss” and handing out the assignments. Management is about guidance in all forms. A good manager guides production. A good manager shapes output. And a good manager educates those who are earlier in their careers.
When people start their new careers as CAD professionals they really don’t know much. They have the skill they learned in whatever place they learned to use the CAD product. But whether that was college, a vocational school, or YouTube, they don’t have the experience to support and grow that skill. As a manager, it is your job to share your experience and guide them to grow their own experience and skill set.
While technical people are often “uncomfortable” dealing with other people, this is a task that you must make first-nature. You must be able to help those around you in making judgments on work-related matters. You must share your experience to help your team reach the deadline or raise morale when it is low. And, of course, you must be able to sit down and tutor those who are not as skilled as you with more advanced topics.
This sort of stewardship is a growing experience for everyone involved. Not only are there the obvious benefits to your teammates who will gain from your knowledge, but you will also grow as a teacher and communicator. And it is very likely that your own stock will rise in the eyes of your supervisors as they watch you guide and educate the entire product staff and raise the bar for the whole team.
Elaborate. We live in an era of brevity. Everyone is in a rush and time has been money since the watch was invented. This means that every minute has to count. It counts for getting things done. It counts for reducing costs. And it counts in just being able to cram more into the workday. So it only makes sense that you should make things as brief and concise as possible, right?
Wrong.
Everything you just read regarding the fact that time is limited and saving time saves costs is 100 percent true. It is so true, in fact, that it is a cardinal sin to have to revisit work that was done incorrectly or instructions that went misunderstood. These situations not only cause confusion and mistakes, they also lower morale and lower your standing as an effective manager.
So, how does a new CAD manager avoid this pitfall while maximizing the value of time? You elaborate.
This might seem somewhat cryptic, but it does not have to be. And it boils down to just one skill: you must elaborate. Elaborate when giving assignments. Elaborate when explaining a solution. And elaborate when teaching a new skill. Elaboration is the hidden tool of efficiency.
Collaborate. Your first assumption as a CAD manager is that it is up to you to be in charge. You are the CAD manager, right? That might frighten many new CAD managers. After all, it is lonely at the top. But it shouldn’t be.
If you resist the urge to stand atop the career ladder and issue commands, you will find that life is better for everyone involved. Best of all, it doesn’t have to be difficult. All you have to do is be open to other people’s ideas and comments and to include their input in decisions.
This does not mean that all decisions are democratic. Not at all. It means that as a manager you take the time to discuss and collaborate with your production staff on matters that do not require a unilateral decision. Take a moment and ask for input on arranging the plot room. Ask for suggestions on the new workstations upgrades, or ask for thoughts on the topic for the next lunch and learn.
Though the final decision on most of these topics remains with the CAD manager, you will find that people enjoy participating. Even if the final result doesn’t go their way, your CAD staff will almost certainly have more buy-in if they know their voices have been heard.
Participate. Traditionally, being the “manager” meant that you were set apart; you had been elevated above others. This sort of thinking led far too many managers into a world where a barrier grew between themselves and their production staff. And that sort of situation will always serve to hinder work.
Instead of thinking of yourself as being “set apart” from the team, put extra effort into being part of the team!
Take the time to have conversations with people that are not just production-related. Ask them about their weekends or go to lunch with them in a group. Share a funny story with the group or just ask about the last big sports event. All of this sort of communication lets everyone know that you haven’t lost touch with the people you used to work with. And when it’s time to work, don’t hesitate to roll your sleeves up and help out. Always be willing to take on any task to help ensure that your production staff can get the job done and make the deadline every time.
This might all seem basic, but remember that you have to overcome the great obstacle of now managing those who used to be peers. Participation and showing people that you “haven’t changed” can blow that obstacle right out of the water!
Managing to Do It All
You are the new CAD manager. You’ve got a whole new set of demands that you will have to measure up to and a whole group of people that will be looking to you for leadership. That can be an intimidating position and some people don’t make it, or just make their way along in a mediocre fashion.
But if you employ all, or even just a few of the seven tips listed above, you will begin to climb over those obstacles. Between coordinating, communicating, and estimating you will have a head start on getting your space and work in order. Educating and elaborating will help your production staff raise the bar and achieve more every year. Collaborating and participating will ensure that your production staff feels that their voices are heard and that you are still part of the team.
Welcome to this new world of management and all that it has to offer. If you find success with these tips or possibly even have your own eighth “-ate” tip, send me an email and tell me all about it. You can never really have too many -ates, now can you?
