Inside scoop from lecturer Monica Pheifer on why MIT grad students should take her “Engineering Leadership Practicum” course. In a fun, interactive setting, this new spring 2025 GradEL course teaches students essential skills to kickstart their careers. Learn more: https://gradel.mit.edu/class/6-s660/
How do engineering leaders navigate the changes that new technologies bring, especially in the era of AI, MR, and robotics? Albert Shum, retired Microsoft Corporate VP of Design and former innovation leader at Nike, shared his thoughts and engaged with students at a Lunch & Learn this week at MIT’s Graduate Engineering Leadership Program (GradEL). Shum emphasized that engineering leaders need to consider the ethical and social impacts of new technologies such as AI. He also shared his journey as a product design leader, stressing the importance of being customer centric and developing products that serve customer needs and solve human problems – whether engineering new disruptive products or incrementally improving existing ones.
Are you ready to enhance your technical expertise with people skills that will help you today and in your career? The Graduate Engineering Leadership Program (GradEL) combines experiential learning, teamwork opportunities, and leadership skill development to prepare you for your future career. Whether you’re new to thinking about technical leadership or looking for ways to hone your skills, our courses will transform your career. Discover how to illuminate your path forward this Spring!
6.S660 Engineering Leadership Practicum
Master the skills to solve problems together with this unique opportunity to act as members of and lead teams in a series of activities that simulate engineering leadership challenges:
React to the changing needs of galactic council stakeholders as you build a fleet of spaceships
Influence others to get the right puzzles allocated to your team’s unique set of skills
Optimize process flow and choose strategic capital investments for your new restaurant endeavor
Balance the goals of your company’s board of directors and the global UN as you strive to build infrastructure for sustainable energy
Due to the pilot nature of this course, we have limited enrollment. Learn more and share your interest to secure your spot early by pre-registering directly with the instruction team here! (Registration via WebSIS will still be required)
6.S640 Unpacking Impact: Transforming Research into Real-World Solutions
What is the value of your research beyond publishing the next paper? Who will your work impact and how is it measured? How do you assess new technologies and roadmap broad applications over time?
Map out how effective influence can support your research results to have long-lasting impact
Learn how to better define and articulate the problems your research addresses
Identify stakeholders to validate needs and solutions
Design a custom plan for how to optimize the impact of your research
Apply now for this course! (Registration via WebSIS will still be required)
6.9250 Leadership – People, Products, Projects
Get a head start on developing product ideas and prototypes to meet real customer needs. Learn and practice essential product management, project management, and collaboration skills on cross-functional teams. Hear feedback from real industry guests to realize your and your product’s potential. (Pre-register directly on WebSIS.)
6.9260 Multi-Stakeholder Negotiation for Technical Experts
Technical experts don’t just negotiate one-on-one. Engineering team members and leaders are required to deal with their own team, other stakeholders within their organizations and many external parties. Learn how to create alignment and resolve disputes among diverse stakeholders and communication styles. Leverage simulations, role-plays, case studies, and video analysis to improve your techniques. (Pre-register directly on WebSIS.)
Bring your incomplete self to learn the fundamentals of engineering leadership capabilities. Great technologies are delivered in teams; learn how to build one and be your best as part of one by developing self-awareness, motivating others, practicing creative problem solving, influencing without authority, managing conflict, and communicating effectively. (Pre-register directly on WebSIS.)
The abilities to negotiate with, and influence others, are essential to being an effective leader in technology-rich environments. GradEL’s 6.9270 Negotiation & Influence Skills for Technical Leaders course provides graduate students with underlying principles and a repertoire of negotiation and influence skills that apply to interpersonal situations, particularly those where an engineer or project leader lacks formal authority over others in delivering results. Taught by lecturer Rachel Moore Best.
Behind the scenes look at one of GradEL’s core courses: 6.9280 Leading Creative Teams. In this class, students were asked to re-create a drawing based solely on a partner’s verbal descriptions — an exercise in communicating effectively in a team. In Leading Creative Teams, students learn how to build a team and be their best as part of one by developing self-awareness, motivating others, practicing creative problem solving, influencing without authority, managing conflict, and communicating effectively. Taught by Senior Lecturer David Nino.
How can AI help you prepare for your next big negotiation? Can AI teach you to get what you want from your negotiation partner without sacrificing collaboration? What role should AI play in shaping the future of human agreements?
Samuel (Mooly) Dinnar, lecturer at MIT’s Graduate Engineering Leadership Program (GradEL), and Leroy Sibanda, curriculum development associate with GradEL, explored these and other intriguing questions at an engaging Lunch & Learn. Students were able to try a simulated used car purchase negotiation with an AI bot and share their results. See video highlights of the session.
Dinnar and Sibanda teach GradEL’s 6.9260 Multi-Stakeholder Negotiation for Technical Experts course. They have developed bots that successfully coach students on negotiation skills, particularly in multi-party negotiation settings. Their role-playing techniques are at the forefront of using GenAI to teach negotiation.