Philip Black, P.E.'s Linkedin Analytics

Mergers and acquisitions stink for those of us who thrive doing engineering work. "Keep delivering on projects! Things will continue as normal during the process." gets repeated publicly while just the opposite happens. Momentum slows. A "wait and see" approach can always be justified. "Let's hold off on this initiative. I hear the other company has advanced in this area," is repeated quietly in many meetings. Politics goes into overdrive as management scurries to put a shine on their financials. Approved budgets are quietly pruned. Updates from Comms teams are consistently upbeat, while whispers about what might happen communicate the true uncertainty everyone is feeling. I've been through multiple acquisitions. It doesn't matter the side - the similarities are remarkable. I wanted to stay far from the chaos and keep doing my work. I loved working in technical groups and found the entire process frustrating. First, while others I depended on took longer making decisions, the pressure increased to report faster progress and make it look better (even if the data clearly indicated otherwise). Everything turned into "spin". Second, I hated the feeling that my future was being decided by corporate groups and consultants who didn't have my best interests at heart. I watched amazing teams dissolved or split with empty promises about how it would be better in the long run. No one seemed to care about what would help the technical talent do their job more efficiently. It saddened me that those who were critical to the future of energy were the ones with the least amount of sway in the process. These are individuals who design and maintain equipment which operates reliably 24/7/365 in hazardous environments while protecting the health of everyone involved. These are people whose ability to analyze complex situations and think carefully about the potential consequences is unparalleled. They deserve to be taken care of properly. That's why I created the Engineer Career Pivot Program. I wanted to help other technical engineers leverage the momentum they had built working on projects towards creating a future perfectly matched with their career and life goals. The world needs your skills as we move to a future with a complex mix of energy sources. We can create an environment where technical talent is held in the highest regard by those who benefit from the problems we solve!