Their Perspective is Very Different
I think we all agree that senior management doesn’t necessarily view things the way we do. We tend to think about CAD tools, IT tools, and how to get users up to speed on these tools so that work can get done. This is in stark contrast to senior management who tend to focus on financials and sales.
In my experience, these are the goals that management cares most about:
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Getting projects done ASAP,
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Getting projects done at minimum cost,
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Making customers/clients happy, and
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Making sure all projects are profitable.
By extension, it stands to reason that management tends to have two rules when they think about CAD:
Management Rule #1: Anything that supports the goals above is viewed as good.
Management Rule #2: Anything that impedes the goals above is viewed as bad.
Translation? What Does It Mean?
Given management’s emphasis, you can understand why as the CAD manager, we must consider how CAD tools and IT technology can help get projects done faster and more profitably, and in turn articulate this information to senior management. This leads me to my first strategy:
Deal with Management Rule #1 by speaking calmly and logically in senior management’s language — emphasizing faster, cheaper, more profitable.
The second strategy is a little harder to arrive at, but it is also relies on linguistics. If a CAD manager relates details that are too far “in the weeds” or riddled with CAD/technology minutia, then management will zone out. To make it even more important, I have found that senior management often believes that if they can’t understand something, then no one can understand it and it must be slowing down projects. My second strategy is:
Deal with Management Rule #2 by making your case using just enough detail to stay on level with management and save the minutia for the CAD users who really need to understand it (and want to!).
Take Stock, then Talk
Now that we understand how to better communicate your CAD management needs to senior management, it’s time to take stock of your CAD management priorities and start asking the following questions:
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What can CAD management do to speed up projects?
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What can CAD management do to reduce errors/rework?
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What can CAD management do to produce higher quality work?
Now, of course, the answers to these questions are likely to include the following:
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Standardize CAD practices.
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Speed data flow between departments.
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Use templated projects to speed startups.
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Use peer review and training to reduce errors.
These are probably rules that you’re already trying to execute, which begs the question: Why are they so hard to implement? I’m willing to bet you haven’t brought these items to your management’s attention using the communication styles I’ve used above.
Read on for a successful communication example and how to use these communication tactics in your office. Read more»