AI's Accelerating Impact on Consulting Engineering (2/2)

Happy Friday,

The world is beginning the transition from human intelligence to digital super-intelligence. Whether you believe the impact will be felt in two years or ten, AI’s effect on engineering is inevitable.

AI will eventually handle the bulk of routine engineering. So, the prudent career move is to upskill from "doing engineering" to "leading engineering processes.” Review the five Areas of Enduring Human Value (listed last week). Then, with those in mind:

Start Using AI: Use it and get familiar with the tools relevant to engineering. Understanding how AI can enhance your work makes you more valuable as your firm transitions.

Strengthen Your Soft Skills: Always an advantage, now a necessity. Focus on strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management. Become adept at managing complex human interactions. Double down on your advantage over AI.

See the Big Picture: Transition from technical executor to strategic advisor. Communicate the broader business, environmental, and societal impacts of your projects. The orchestra leader has more power and influence than an individual musician.

Collaborate with AI: Discover ways to integrate AI into your workflow to enhance efficiency and quality. Describe what you do and ask an AI how it can help. It’ll have suggestions.

Adopt a Value-Based Mindset: Start measuring and articulating engineering in terms of value rather than cost and billable hours. Especially if you're involved in BD.

Understand Risk and Liability: Gain expertise in risk assessment and professional liability. (AI can teach you.) As AI takes on more routine tasks, understanding and managing the risks associated with its use in engineering projects will become a valuable skill.

Innovate and Adapt Your Career: Be open and ready to innovate your role within the organization. Look for ways to use AI to free your time for higher-level tasks. Be open to adapting your career path as new roles emerge... or create one.

Build Trust, not Relationships: Relationships without trust are just acquaintances. Use this time to earn and strengthen people’s trust in you…with urgency.

Now's the time to gain some of the first-mover advantage.

FYI - I need to save company AI and BD strategies for advisory clients. I will say that every existing consulting firm, large and small, has certain inherent advantages and disadvantages. Post-AI success will depend on which chess pieces get moved and when. Beware of global management consulting firms like McKinsey, Deloitte, and Accenture. Their (big) investments in AI will position them to grab market share in engineering consulting. And if you're at all entrepreneurial, this is a great time to consider launching an AI-centric start-up. I'd love to help. Expect big surprises ahead, new players, large and small, and striking mergers.

I’m happy to meet up online if anyone wants to chat.

Till then, have a terrific weekend,

Dave

Feedback and blowback are always welcome: dave@goodnewsfriday.com

All past topics remain available @ goodnewsfriday.com

Speed boost and blunder avoidance with the help of Grammarly.ai