In airport projects, there is no point in dwelling (only) on in-depth analyses if we forget to genuinely listen to the person responsible for carrying them out.
I like architecture. A lot. I'm passionate about entering well-resolved spaces and trying to understand what makes it special. Likewise, I find it fascinating How an airport works. I've always imagined it as a huge anthill where every soldier knows perfectly what they have to do.
I've been working in this for twenty-five years, in airport architecture. And I've been fortunate enough to meet many of the best architects and engineers in this sector, and to visit equally impressive buildings. And the more I strive to understand how they work and what makes those buildings so good, the more I succeed in understanding that the answer is this and only this: Laura, José, Felipe, María, Rocío, Javier, Alonso or Francisco.
The beams that we calculate at AERTEC withstand bending moments, compressive stresses, and torsions. We are experts in the field, we know how to design them very well… but it is the engineers who calculate them – those experts – who really dissipate tension.
And, in the same way that a reinforced beam, however well executed it may be, is not capable of transmitting stresses greater than those it was calculated for, the engineers who calculate them, however good and efficient they may be, also cannot – nor should they – dissipate more tension than is reasonable in that process.
Put the value into that process, in technology, in mathematics and not in the person behind it and has the knowledge to put it into practice, is as useless as idolising a musical instrument and not the performer who is capable of making it sound.
Each interpreter is distinct. Every person, every resource behind the drafting of a project, is unique and their motivations, interests, fears and anxieties are exclusive. And in our company, we know this very well.
Evidently It is essential to have quality resources.. It's no use looking after and motivating a supposed violinist who holds the bow in their left hand. There is a minimum of knowledge and skills that an engineer must possess To help a symphony sound good.
But once this benchmark has been surpassed and, to how a work group can truly transform into a work team, the leader of the resource must know how to get the best out of each member of their team.
Allora, com'è un buon project manager? Quali qualità dovrebbe avere e come dovrebbe esercitarle un buon leader?
Go to Google, type in “leader” and you'll certainly find dozens of entries that match what I'm outlining here. The reason for doing so isn't because it's not widely known. Rather, it's because time and again, especially in highly technical work like airport design, many companies forget all about it, taking cover behind regulatory literature, the most convoluted aspects of contracts, or supposed best practices that hide a very evident danger.
is the opposite of what in our company makes open, clear, sincere and trusting relationships are generated. Relationships based on two qualities that we consider essential in our Project Managers:
Communication,
…but well understood. This is, in both directions; but especially in that of the receiving channel.
A good leader is open to listening to ideas different from their own., distinct points of view. Accepts criticisms and/or comments, provided they are made in a constructive manner. Wanting to improve means listening to what you usually don't like, giving your collaborators enough confidence to express their ideas.
In the same way, it is capable of communicate your vision and common objectives clearly To unambiguously convey what is expected of each team member is essential.
On occasion, the leader has no doubt about what they want to achieve or what a particular client expects from the organisation. And yet, they are unable to convey this clarity to the rest of the team.
It's even worse, of course, if you're not even clear about what you're looking for, making it impossible for each team member to understand their role or what the outcome of their effort should be.
Communicating in a simple, clear and direct way, always requesting a response from our interlocutor, is key to avoiding misunderstandings. Situations that, on the other hand, usually lead to a waste of resources, which is unsustainable for almost any organisation.
Emotional intelligence.
There's a fellow called Daniel Goleman whose talks, writings, interviews, and so on, I usually recommend because I consider him particularly persuasive.
For this American psychologist, emotional intelligence – defined as the ability to recognise one's own feelings and those of others, and to demonstrate the skill to manage them – represents the most important factor for success in our lives.
And I repeat: the most important factor for success in our lives. In all areas of it.
According to Goleman, a person who is emotionally intelligent is capable of self-motivation, regulating their mood and controlling their impulses, appreciating what happens to them, and above all, Empathise and trust others.
Literally, this is gold applied to a team's relationship.
When we empathise with our colleagues, paying absolute attention to what they communicate to us, we understand what worries them, what their needs are, and how we can help them. If we do this genuinely and sincerely, in most cases a relationship of absolute trust will be generated, which results in a simply exemplary working environment.
When we know what is happening to us and we control it, we tend to make decisions in a more rational, objective and balanced way. And this is paramount, especially in resolving the numerous conflicts that flood our daily lives. There is no more toxic working relationship than one governed by irrationality and a lack of rigour.
And when we recognise the virtues and areas for improvement within our team, we are in a position to help them grow and, above all, to achieve their personal and professional development goals. Quite simply, we are nothing without them.
On occasion, I've heard “brilliant” professionals denigrate these virtues, belittling them by claiming that a good professional already knows what they need to do. If they're good, there's no need for anyone to tell them their task.
At AERTEC, we believe that for a senior engineer – let's say, with more than 10 years of experience – to be considered a “complete” professional, a “valuable and exemplary” leader, they must be for something more than just performing precise and detailed calculations.
There's no point in worrying (only) about learned analyses while forgetting simple concepts like listening with genuine interest to the person carrying them out.
Undoubtedly, nothing stated here will be extraordinary or novel. I am simply writing this down because, when we leave our offices, what is indeed extraordinary and not so common is to see it put into practice.
If you see someone doing it, even if they're not the brightest calculator you've worked with, do your best to keep them on... or sign them up!
