IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2008 - 46

"The average leader is taller than the
rest of the population, regardless of
whether you're female or male, your
chances of reaching the top are enhanced
if you are taller. If you're not, make a
point of sitting and standing tall as possible to look more commanding," he says.
Second, McKee says to "dress for success." "The key word is 'appropriate.' If
you're male and most other males, particularly the bosses, wear a sports coat
over their khakis, do the same. Don't try
to look like you're really cool if the rest
of the men look conservative. If you're
female, check out the department of
women who are leaders and take your
cue from them. A good rule of thumb for
both genders is to dress like you're
already working at the next management
level. You want to look like you're ready
for that promotion," he says.
Next, McKee says, try to stay in shape.
"Weight remains an issue," he says.
"Most bosses still look for someone
whom they perceive to be physically fit.
It works against your career for both
males and females if you are overweight."
Conversational skills are another key
impression management notices. "Your
ability to talk clearly, crisply, and engage
others is a real asset and is seen as very
important by those in the executive
suite," he says. "Bosses rate verbal communication skills very highly. If you can't
communicate clearly, this alone can stop
your career advancement, regardless of
your other attributes.
Finally, oral presentation skills and
written communication style can help
you get recognized, McKee says. "Presentations in front of a group remain one of
those less well-recognized influencers of
presence," McKee says. "Practice and
rehearse at least twice any time you are
standing up before an audience. Written
skills are more important if you work in
an organization with offices in other locations and can really help differentiate you
from others if you are on e-mail all day
long," he says. Regardless of gender, if
you make a great impact on those whom
you come into contact with, it will greatly
help your career. Take a good look in the
mirror each day. Ask someone to videotape how you look when you're going to

46

IEEE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

do a presentation. Take the required
action to have great presence.

Outlook for the Future
How does the future look for women in
senior roles? "Frankly it's unacceptable
that in 2008 only 4% of the nation's
largest public companies are run by
women," McKee says. "Greater awareness
and support of this issue is required to
correct this. Greater diversity will make
our organizations better and help get our
companies back into positions of leadership worldwide."
For more information, check out
McKee's three Web sites, www.Business
WomanWeb.com, www.BusinessSuccess
Coach.net, and www.JohnMMcKee.com.
-Nancy Salim

What's Your Risk
of a Professional Lawsuit?
Take this ten-point quiz to find out.

e

Every day in which you provide your
services, you risk being sued by a client
or other involved party. Although you
can't control whether a lawsuit happens,
you can help minimize your risk.

This ten-point quiz, Are You Risking a
Lawsuit?, will help pinpoint your potential risks in the way you provide your
engineering services. Simply review each
question and note a yes or no answer.
While the answers to these questions
may seem like basic common sense, it's
important to recognize that even the
smallest elemental thing can represent a
significant risk exposure. In the hustle of
a busy work day, even if just one of these
is overlooked, you could be at risk of a
lawsuit.

So what's your score?
How many did you answer yes to? Rate
yourself by these criteria:
7-10: Low risk. You're doing a great
job of managing your services and your
risk is relatively low. Regardless of how
well you do your job, you can still be sued
by an unhappy client or other involved
party.
4-6: Medium risk. Consider making
some improvements to manage your risk
exposures and minimize the potential of
a liability lawsuit.
1-3: High risk. You're at a high risk of
professional exposure leading to a lawsuit
against you and your engineering services.
Regardless of your risk score, you can
minimize some of your exposures by
reviewing these tips:

ARE YOU RISKING A LAWSUIT?
YES

1. Do you document all communications with your clients, including phone
conversations and meetings, and make sure any changes to a project or
plan are put in writing?
2. In written documents and contracts, do you always identify your client in
name (as the person) or entity that actually contracted for your services?
3. Do you avoid giving "informal" advice as well as accepting assignments
outside of your expertise and/or geographic area?
4. Do you inspect each project at various phases of completion to make sure
your plans and designs are carried forward as intended?
5. Do you maintain written quality control procedures for your office?
6. Do you use contracts and engagement letters for every project?
7. Do you make sure each project team member and/or independent contractors
are bonded, licensed, and insured before you hire them?
8. Do you stay current with the newest technology and educate your employees
and clients on this technology?
9. Do you ensure compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB) by
securing transmission, receipt, and storage of data related to any
consumer non-public personal information?
10. Do you watch for warning signs of potential problems, including management
changes in client's company, reluctance to provide information, missed
deadlines, complaints, or errors?

SUMMER 2008

NO
http://www.Business http://www.WomanWeb.com http://www.BusinessSuccess http://www.Coach.net http://www.JohnMMcKee.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2008
