Organization/Productivity/Time Management

How To Write SMART Goals, Courtesy of a Moose

January 11, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

Several years ago, we took a family vacation to Maine. Being a savvy professional, I set official goals for the trip. I wrote them down, of course. Goals aren’t real unless you write them down.

I shared my written goals with a peer group. I even wrote them down in the visitors’ registration book at a Maine information center.

“Goals for Maine trip: to get a green tourmaline ring and to see a moose.”

Before I tell you what happened, let’s look at how to set goals using the SMART method, a tried-and-true model for goal setting. And very fitting for this time of year.

Identify Your SMART Goals

How to Discover Your Work Style and Personal Value

September 28, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Kyle K. Cheerangie, P.E.

Engineering requires deep and focused thought. There are two primary engineering positions: the Engineer and the Engineering Manager. Each requires a unique work style.

The main performance environment of the Engineer is at their desk in solitude. Engineers, the technical staff, typically require silence in order to focus on their work. The main performance environment of the Engineering Manager is in the group. Engineering Managers, the group leaders, must thrive in leading a group to accomplish the work.

Although their working environments and work types are different, each professional must understand their personal work style.

There Are Several Factors That Make up Your Personal Work Style:

Winning With Impact: How to Stand Out in the Workplace, Marketplace, and Recruiting Space

August 24, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Peter C. Atherton, P.E.

Whether newer to the workforce or with 20 or more years’ experience, so many of us are:

Feeling the weight of burnout and disengagement,
Yearning for more meaning and purpose, and
Wanting to make a difference in solving issues facing our world and those we care about.

Organizationally, many of us are also struggling to attract and retain inspired talent, clients, vendors, and partners to help us grow and be sustained.

There are many factors that lead to these circumstances, but when the prolonged work overload is finally addressed and the workflow improved, how do we better engage?

After we have “mastered our craft” and “made a name” for ourselves, how do we find greater meaning and purpose — and make a difference beyond the office and our immediate families?

Even as we build our careers, how can we leverage what we know to have a bigger impact and to improve our communities and the lives of others?

How to Create Your Most Productive Day in 30 Minutes

June 2, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Matthew Gaddy

Would you believe me if I told you the only thing between you and the most productive day you’ve had is 30 minutes?

Thirty minutes is all it takes to transition from feeling overwhelmed and stressed out to an engineer who has a plan to be productive and conquer their day.

Keep reading to find out how you can take control over your day, get your most important priorities accomplished, and stay productive.

1. Get to Your Workstation 30 Minutes Early (30 Minutes Till Work)

I know you may have stress about going to work because you feel like you have so much to do and don’t know where to begin, and that’s OK! Prepare yourself before the actual work starts by getting to your workstation 30 minutes early.

This will allow you time to plan out your day without being rushed. By planning your day, you can schedule your success. Creating a plan before work begins allows you to be proactive with productivity instead of simply reacting to outside influences. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Work From Home Productivity Tips for Engineers

March 13, 2020 By EMI

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, many engineering companies across the United States and beyond are implementing travel restrictions and work from home directives.

I have had the opportunity to work from home, on and off, over the last ten years, and as nice as it sounds, one of the biggest challenges with doing it effectively is staying focused and productive. I’ve accumulated some of my own work from home productivity tips over the years and thought this would be a good time to share them.

Please leave comments or questions below and I will respond to them.

5 Modern Strategies to Integrate AEC Disciplines in 2020

January 3, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Daniel Quindemil

One of the biggest challenges we face in construction is integrating all of the AEC disciplines in our projects so their valuable input can positively affect the project.

There are many people involved in a project, including the Owner, Architect, Engineer, General Contractor, Subcontractors, Lenders, Owner’s Representatives, and more. How can you start a project the right way and then integrate the Owner, Architect, and the others during construction?

The key disciplines that need careful integration are the Architect, Engineer, and Contractor (AEC). These are the organizations that design the projects and carry out their execution.

This Is How Engineers Can Build a Good Work-Life Balance

December 9, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

To have a good work-life balance, you can’t live your life to work. It should be the other way around: Work so you can have a good life. That may sound too good to be true for you right now, but don’t allow—not even for one second—any doubt to settle in your heart or your mind that you can’t have that. We have all been there at least once, working on projects 50 to 60 hours per week and still feeling like we’re spinning our wheels.

I understand that deadlines don’t often change, and that in tough times we must go all-in to finish projects on time. But this means that you’re getting deep into working overtime while at the same time training yourself and everyone around you that you are capable of working more than you should—and since you want to be a good sport, you can work overtime while keeping a good attitude.

Maximizing Productivity Hacks for Engineering Professionals

May 20, 2019 By EMI

Maximizing Productivity Hacks for Engineering Professionals is a guest blog by Kyle Umlauf, P.E.

Effective and successful engineers have something in common. They are capable of effectively managing their time. As a consulting engineer, your time is a precious commodity. Your clients are paying for your knowledge and time. Therefore, the action of maximizing your time, focus, and overall productivity, will equate to more money. Learning to master your time can do wonders for your engineering career and personal life.

In your career, managing your time will help you take on more tasks, delegate tasks as needed, and become a more productive member of the company. This will increase your value to the company and help you climb the ranks more quickly. In your personal life, better time management will help to maximize every hour of the day and make you feel in more control of your own life. This article is adapted from a previous article on my personal blog. [Read more…] about Maximizing Productivity Hacks for Engineering Professionals

How Not to Lose Focus and Concentration During Working Long Hours

January 2, 2019 By EMI

How Not to Lose Focus and Concentration During Working Long Hours is a guest post by Kurt Walker

Focus and concentration are very important factors that effective professionals always prioritize when working. It is necessary for getting the work done. However, with the increasing development in technology coupled with other factors taking place around the world, it has become so easy to lose concentration while working on a task, simply because we are now surrounded by various pleasant distractions. This piece outlines some essential tips that you can use to maintain focus while working long hours.

Focus on Your Planning to Be Productive in Your Engineering Career

December 27, 2018 By EMI

Most engineers I know are interested in achieving a relatively high level of productivity in their professional and work activities. Since most are working long hours, they aren’t interested in spending time on none-value added activities. Those who are successful in optimizing their productive time, do so through focusing on developing a plan of action.

Productivity is associated with creating value. While you can feel productive attending project meetings, reviewing designs, or obtaining closure on a long-standing issue, it may or may not result in value beyond making you feel productive. In my mind, productivity (a.k.a. creating value) comes only in achieving movement towards the accomplishment of a defined goal.

With this concept in mind, let’s unpack how to get from focus to productivity in your engineering career.