Remember, You Chose
This Career!
11.21.14
Len Miller
Director, Proposal Management
Siemens Government Technologies
How Did I “Choose” This Career?
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1975-79: Air Force
1980-83 (BS Physics): College
1983 (first job in Industry): Programmer/Analyst
1983–1995: Systems Engineer, Engineering Branch Manager, Program
Manager, Product Support Group Manager, Aviation Training Group
Manager, Deputy Training Division Manager, Quality Manager, and
Proposal Manager
Here is where I was “seduced”
1995-1996: Software Quality Manager, Capture Manager, Project
Manager and Proposal Manager
1996-2000: New Business Development Rep and Proposal Manager
2000-2002: Proposal Operations Manager
2002-2013: Sr. Proposal Manager, Sr. Director of Classified Proposals,
VP Intelligence/Classified Proposals, VP Proposal Strategy and
Operations
2013-Present: Director, Proposal Management
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Did You Choose this Career…or Did it
Choose You?
 How many of us declared that we wanted to be
BD/Proposal/Capture professionals when we
grew up?
 How many took college courses that would help
us pursue a career in BD/Proposal/Capture
professions?
 Did you proactively choose the career you are
in…or did you stumble into it over time?
 Were you “seduced” into this career path over
time?
 Let me tell you a real-life story…
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How Did We Get Here?
Marketing and Sales
Proposal Professionals
Line
Operations
Business
Development
Operations
Technical
Roles
Production/Publications Operations
A few standard paths lead to perdition!
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How Did We Get Here? (Cont’d)
 By and large, our involvement was one of
accident or a need to cure boredom
– Need for certain skill sets
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Writing
Critical analysis
Organizational Creative
Leadership
Common sense
Business/investment analysis
Production
Ability to follow instructions
– Naiveté
“I need somebody to work a proposal,” he said.
 “Sure”, she, the bored cubicle denizen, said
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Help Those We Lead to Choose the Right
Path
As Leaders, we have the
responsibility to:
• Guide the career paths of each
person in our charge, as well as
others in our profession
• Lead by example and from “the
front”
1. How many of you have
actually had or currently have
a mentor?
2. How many of you actively lead
and mentor others?
3. How many of us feel “stuck” in
their career and the path you
are on?
• “Mentor” daily.
What is a Mentor? - “A person at a higher level of responsibility in the
organization, who agrees to act as a wise or trusted counselor, leader, and
role model to a person who seeks to grow and develop professionally.”
- Creating Mentoring and Coaching Programs – Jack J. Phillips
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Who is Responsible for Your Career?
 Leaders – responsible for their own path AND are
also responsible to help guide/mentor each person in
their charge and others in our profession.
 Each Individual – each of us is DIRECTLY
responsible for our own careers!
“Careers, like rockets, don’t always
take off on schedule. The key is to
keep working the engines.”
– Gary Sinise
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Who is Responsible for Your Career?
 Time passes too quickly…you do nothing and years go by.
 Invest time in planning where you want to end up and then work that
plan!!!
 Get with a mentor and with your direct Leader to create that plan and to
work the plan.
 Use tools to help you develop a career life cycle profile and plan.
 Become an expert, develop a network, and make your career objectives
known).
 Stay current in your field.
 Set yourself apart from the crowd
 It’s up to you to choose the path / take the correct fork in the road.
 Get involved in professional associations, like APMP!
 Have fun at your job/career…life is far too short!!
 Be accountable to the Mentor, your Leader, and Yourself!!! – “To Thine
Own Self Be True”
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Where Can We Go?
Business Intelligence
Business
Development
Market Research &
Communications
Marketing
Sales
Business
Developer
• Achieving career
objectives
• Achieving career
satisfaction
Proposal
Professional
Capture
Management
Capture
Manager
Senior
Capture
Manager
Capture
Management
Operations
Proposal
Manager
Proposal
Coordinator
• Achieving
opportunity
• Achieving new
challenges
Program
Management
Deputy Program
Manager
Program
Manager
Line
Executive
Business
Communications
Writer
Trade
Show
Coordinator
PR
Executive
Production
• Achieving
financial
objectives
• Positioning for
2nd, 3rd, 4th career
 Proposal performance prepares us for leadership roles
throughout our organizations
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Where Can We Go? (cont’d)
 Proposal performance prepares us for leadership
roles throughout our organizations
Project
Management
Marketing
Non Profit
Management
Proposal
Professional
• Achieving career
satisfaction
Membership
• Achieving
opportunity
Proposal
Manager
Proposal
Coordinator
Executive
Publications
• Achieving career
objectives
Proposal
Operations
Production
Proposal
Manager
Senior Proposal
Manager
Proposal Operations
Manager
Proposal
Coordinator
Senior Proposal
Coordinator
Proposal Coordination
Manager
Graphic Artist/
Editor/DTP
Senior Level
Production
Operations Manager
• Achieving new
challenges
• Achieving
financial
objectives
• Positioning for
2nd, 3rd, 4th career
Consultant
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All of the Above
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Where Can We Go? (Cont’d)
 We develop the skill sets for all of the tracks cited…
 Why do so few of us ever seem to move far from the day-to-day grind of
doing proposals?
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Company barriers erected that prevent movement
Administrative
Managerial
Artificial
 Our own comfort level
– I hate props but I know them
– Can’t do anything else syndrome
 Inability to connect the full range of our skill set with other opportunities
 Inability to sell ourselves
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Where Can We Go? (Cont’d)
 I want to be a Section Writer, Proposal
Reviewer, and Capture Manager/Proposal
Manager Trainer when I grow up.
 What do you want to be?
 Don’t think in a traditional career
development model (only 1 to 2 companies
in your career)
 Instead, look at non-traditional models
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New Models for Career Development
Non Traditional Model 1
Several Company Changes (3-5)
Enter
Job 1
Workforce Functional
(Any place)
Area
Change
Companies
3 Times in 5 Years
Management
Position
Management
Position
Senior
Executive
Promotion Promotion Promotion
Management
Position
Retire
Senior
Executive
Significant Additional Education
40 Years
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New Models for Career Development
(cont’d)
Non Traditional Model 2
No Company Change to as Many as 6 Changes Over Time
Job 1
Enter
Workforce
(Any
Place)
Functional
Career 1
Proposal
Specialist
Functional
Career 2
Proposal
Manager
Functional
Career 3
Capture
Manager
Consultant
Retire
Multiple
Functional
Exposure
Junior
Senior
Junior
Senior
Small
Deals
Large
Deals
FullTime
PartTime
Significant Additional Education
40 Years
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New Models for Career Development
(cont’d)
Non Traditional Model 3
Change Companies with each Functional Career Shift
Enter
Workforce
(Any place)
Job 1
Multiple
Functional
Exposure
Functional
Career
1
Functional
Career
2
Functional
Career
3
Functional
Career
4
Retire
Proposal
Specialist
Proposal
Manager
Capture Manager
Business
Development
Significant Additional Education
40 Years
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New Models for Career Development
(cont’d)
Non Traditional Model 4
Company 1
Job 1
Enter
Workforce
Company 2
Career 1
Proposal
Professional
Company 3
Career 2
Business
Development
Company 4
Career 3
Non-Profit
Self
Career 4
SemiRetirement
Retire
Multiple
Functional
Exposure
Proposal Proposal
Specialist Manager
Business
Consultant
Proposal
CI
DevelopMarketing
Ops
Manager Pubs Marketing Executive
ment
Manager
Teacher
Manager
Significant Additional Education
40 Years
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New Models for Career Development
(cont’d)
Non Traditional Model 5
Multiple Companies During Career
Proposal Professional Continuum
Enter
Workforce
Job 1
Multiple
Functional
Exposure
Retire
Section
Writer
Book
Boss
Proposal
Manager
Proposal
Operations
Manager
Section
Writer/
Strategist
Some Additional Education
40 Years
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A Simple Tool for Career Profile / Plan
Development
 Use a tool to support the career
development of those in your charge
 Encourage people to really think about
their career
 Review a real-world example
 Tool available in soft copy within these
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Defining and Controlling Your Career Path
Current Job Title
Specific Actions
<Area 1>
X
Next Desired Title
Next Desired Title
Specific Actions
Specific Actions
<Area 1>
Sample text. Type your actions
here. Mark when completed.
X
<Area 1>
Sample text. Type your actions
here. Mark when completed.
X
Sample text. Type your actions
here. Mark when completed.
<Area 2>
<Area 2>
<Area 2>
<Area 3>
<Area 3>
<Area 3>
2014
2015
2016
2017
Guidelines for the Tool
 Job Titles vary by person
 Specific Actions areas will vary somewhat by
person but there is a common set for
promotion from one title to the next
 Update each chart as needed. Minimum
update frequency is on annual review period
 Area checklists should be prioritized top to
bottom; Items within area – same thing
 Create another slide if necessary if Area
boxes get too long
Defining and Controlling Your Career Path
Proposal Analyst III
Specific Actions
Proposal Development
X
X
X
Manage at least 1 small/med-sized
BG prop. (as prime) participating in
all proposal-management related
tasks including milestone reviews
(if applicable), resource allocation,
strategy dev., storyboarding and
outlining, prop dev and reviews,
and production. (6/11)
Proposal Development
Focus on the win strategy and
resultant tactics throughout the
proposal development process
X
FY11
Assists proposal stakeholders in
understanding and implementing
capture and prop dev best practices
Works with line organization
management to identify cost/
pricing volume lead; ensures crosspollination and consistency of
pricing with other volumes.
Responsible for direct supervision/
management of the proposal
analysis staff. Manage all activities
involved in the development and
revision of proposals.
Proposal strategy, including
developing win themes, value
propositions, DAGs, and graphics.
Maintain and adhere to tightlycontrolled spend plan
Develop and manage proposal
team personnel and resources
X
Responds to RFP amendments
and implements required changes
to proposal.
Analyzes USG solicitation,
identifies all requirements and
criteria for evaluation, and prepares
and distributes the detailed
proposal schedule, outline and
guidelines.
X
Identifies roles and responsibilities
to the detail level; communicates
tasks and objectives clearly and
unambiguously; and ensures
accountability on all requirements.
Works with line organization
management to identify cost/
pricing volume lead; ensures crosspollination and consistency with
other volumes.
Manage at least 2 efforts similar to
above as a subcontractor. (6/11)
Participate in 3 Proposal Reviews
as a Section/Volume review lead,
incl. at least one effort leading the
Review team on an FPR (or similar)
response. (4/11)
Proposal Development
Serves as team leader to
coordinate major proposal efforts.
X
Proposal Develop Mgr.
Specific Actions
Specific Actions
As Sect/Vol Lead, provide direct
support for Resumes, PP, and/or
Mgmt/Tech Volume. Participate in
at least 2 efforts, including one
large corporate proposal. (3/11)
As Deputy PM or Coordinator,
support at least 2 Corporate or BG
proposals. (2/11)
X
Proposal Analyst Lead
FY12
FY13
FY14
FY15
Defining and Controlling Your Career Path
Proposal Analyst III
Specific Actions
Professional Development (cont.)
X
X
As Review Lead, manage 1 Pink or
Red Team Review on a small
Corporate or BG effort, incl. review
planning, documentation, execution
and recovery (6/11)
Develop an accurate B & P Spend
Plan working with team mentor or
Capture Mgr; coordinate timing with
B&P Training course (12/10)
Professional Development
X
Proposal Development (cont.)
X
X
B&P Mgmt, Intro2Mgmt, Fin Mgmt,
ReCompete - 1 per qtr; (06/11)
Prepares status reports and
briefings for management;
prepares, presents, conducts, and
participates in reviews at all stages
in the proposal.
Define requirements for and
implement tools and processes
extend Prop Team Capabilities
X
Office 2007 Training
FY11
Professional Development
Enter formal MPA Program
Complete Shipley “Winning through
Oral Proposals” course
Complete Price-to-Win or WCV
Course
Present at APMP Conference/
Journal Article; Attend Roundtables
Professional Development
Complete Shipley Price-to-Win or
Winning in the Cost Volume Course
Leadership
Company Professional Training
Evaluate and Begin MPA Courses
X
Present at APMP Conference/
Journal Article; Attend Roundtables
Complete Accreditation for APMP
Practitioner
Additional Training/Dev
Complete 2 Sharepoint/KM courses
(03/11)
Proposal Develop Mgr.
Specific Actions
Specific Actions
Complete Shipley Capturing
Federal Business course (10/10)
Complete Shipley “Managing
Federal Proposals” course (03/11)
X
Proposal Analyst Lead
Additional Training
Complete 2 Company University
or equivalent Sharepoint/KM
Training courses
FY12
FY13
Capture Management
Support BD in Development of 1
Opportunity (resourcing,
teaming, positioning)
Manage Small BG Capture
Effort including Milestone
Development, Win Strategy,
Pricing Strategy, Proposal Dev
and Lead-in to Execution
FY14
FY15
Maybe It’s Not So Hard?
 Nobody else or hardly anyone else wants our jobs
 Many companies recognize us as critical to new business
success
 Great learning ground for multiple career paths
 Great positioning for semi-retirement
 And, nothing is better than winning!!!
 Choose your path and follow it…when you come to a fork
in the road, take it.
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost
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Thank You
Len Miller
Director, Proposal Management
Siemens Government Technologies, Inc.
Office: (703) 483-2106
Cell: (571) 383-9450
[email protected]
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
- Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
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