Engineering Management Institute

Project Management

Every Time You Say These 10 Words to Yourself You Are Killing Your Productivity

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Delegation

“It will be quicker if I just do it myself.”  

Have you ever said this to yourself? These 10 seemingly innocuous words have come back to haunt many engineering managers (and their firms). Most professionals today approach work in a very reactive manner. A task or request comes across their desk and they jump on it, in an effort to get it done as quickly as possible. This mentality is referred to as the Hyperactive Hive Mind (HHM), a term coined by author Cal Newport in his latest book, “A World Without Email,” which I recently finished reading.

There are many problems with this mentality, but two critical ones are:

  1. It forces us to jump around from task to task, fragmenting our work, and preventing us from spending long periods of time on one thing, which creates a cognitive drain on our brains, and
  2. It puts us in a constant short-term mindset, where we focus on getting something done NOW and not thinking of the long-term consequences or missed opportunities.

I want to discuss #2 in detail in this post. Many engineering professionals perform tasks repeatedly, like completing a timesheet, preparing a technical report, sending project status updates, preparing invoices, and conducting staff meetings, just to name a few. Many of these tasks can (AND SHOULD) be delegated to someone else on their teams. However, because we operate in the Hyperactive Hive Mind mentality, we prioritize everything as “DO THIS IMMEDIATELY.” Therefore, we miss awesome opportunities in the delegation of tasks and free up more time for us to work on higher-impact initiatives, which is ultimately how divisions, departments, and companies grow.

Let’s look at an example:

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Understanding and Managing Professional Liability Claims in Engineering Projects

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Professional Liability ClaimsImage by pch.vector on Freepik

Professional liability claims are a significant aspect of the engineering industry, demanding the attention of project managers and design professionals. By understanding the causes and consequences of these claims, professionals can take proactive measures to prevent them and protect their projects and reputations. Because this topic is so important, I interviewed John Lowe, P.E., the author of “A Guide to Managing Engineering and Architectural Design Services Contracts: What Every Project Manager Needs to Know,” and the following are the answers he provided to our questions.

Question:

John, could you briefly describe yourself and your daily responsibilities for our listeners?

Answer:

I grew up in Florida, spending most of my life there, and I earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida in 1961. After three years as an army pilot, I joined a Florida engineering firm where I managed projects in both the private and public sectors. As my career progressed, I went on to manage departments and eventually an entire office. I moved to California for 10 years before settling in Portland, OR, where I currently reside.

With 46 years as a consultant, I’m now semi-retired and have embarked on a second career by establishing Low Consulting LLC. My new focus primarily revolves around aiding design professionals in navigating business risks within their practice, a topic I cover in my self-published book that delves into effective management of engineering and architectural design service projects, encompassing knowledge essential for project managers. Over time, I’ve been invited as a guest speaker at local universities, professional society gatherings, and various events. Married with three adult children and two stepchildren, I usually begin my day with a devotional, followed by teaching pursuits and writing work on my book. Additionally, I actively engage in nonprofit activities geared toward supporting active-duty military personnel and veterans.

Question:

Why should we invest time in discussing professional liability claims, considering their infrequent occurrence, particularly when project managers need to consider all project aspects?

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Applications of Artificial Intelligence in the Built World

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This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

built worldCivil engineers are designers and builders of many things in the built world, including buildings, roads, bridges, dams, ports, and many others.

No matter the asset, whether new or existing, there is a lot of work to be done — and with what seems like never enough resources.

Fortunately, applications of artificial intelligence (AI) are becoming more common and can help engineers more efficiently complete their tasks — while allowing them to focus on what is most interesting and important.

Today, I would like to summarize some of our top episodes from the AECTECH podcast, all of which relate to use of artificial intelligence in the built world.

If you find these brief summaries interesting, check out the full-length episodes!

1. AECT 009: Using AI and Digital Twins for Industry Asset Management

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Ali Khaloo, Ph.D., the CEO and co-founder of Aren, about what digital twins are and how you can bring digital twins and artificial intelligence to infrastructure asset management.

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Using Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins for Industry Asset Management:

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Reality Capture: The Future of AEC Technology

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This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

reality captureCivil engineers are designers and builders of many things in the built environment, including roads, bridges, dams, ports, and many others.

No matter the asset, our plans need to be brought to life — which includes capture of data and reporting.

The way that data in the built environment can be collected is rapidly changing.

Today, I would like to summarize some of our top episodes from the AECTECH podcast, all of which relate to the use of reality capture, the principles of which can be applied to civil engineering projects.

If you find these brief summaries interesting, check out the full-length episodes!

1. AECTECH 004: How AEC Professionals Can Start a Reality Capture Program in Their Company

In this episode, I talked to Scott Harrigan, the president of Harkin Aerial, about how AEC professionals can start and grow a reality capture program in their company.

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

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The AEC Project Value Chain – Adding New Value

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This is a guest post by Gerry W Devine, MBA, P.E

AEC Project Value ChainAfter a 45-year career in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, I’ve decided to blog on AEC innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry disruption. This article provides a high-level overview of my blog and future posts.

Purposes of AEC Project Value Chain Blog

My prime purposes are:

  1. To help project owners understand the benefits of retaining AEC firms to develop their capital projects by using their business, economics, finance, and risk management expertise and their technical expertise rather than retaining traditional accounting, audit, and advisory firms.
  2. To contribute to the capacity of the AEC industry by thinking strategically and talking value creation for firms and client organizations alike.
  3. To attract and retain architects, engineers, and related professionals in the AEC industry by offering career ladders to advisory services that are personally, professionally, and financially rewarding.

The Project Value Chain

The AEC project value chain is the sequence of services sold to customers as shown in the illustration below. Adding new value can occur at all stages of the project life cycle.

AEC Project Value Chain

For AEC firms, the various activities in the project value chain include:

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The Intersection of the Built-World and Digital Technologies

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This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

digital inspection and non-destructive testingCivil engineers are designers and builders of many things in the built environment, including roads, bridges, dams, and ports.

No matter the asset, maintenance is required. However, the way that maintenance plans are put together and communicated to owners is changing.

Today, I would like to summarize some of our top episodes from the AECTECH podcast, all of which relate to the use of digital tools for maintaining the built world.

If you find these brief summaries interesting, check out the full-length episodes!

1. AECTECH 007: How Digital Transformation Can Help to Protect Our Built World

In this episode, I talk to Marcel Poser, the CEO and co-founder of Screening Eagle Technologies, about the importance of protecting our built world and the role that data and digital transformation play in that process.

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about how digital transformation can help to protect our built world:
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Use of UAVs (Drones) in Civil Engineering Projects

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This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

UAVsCivil engineers are designers and builders of everything related to infrastructure: roads, bridges, dams, ports, and many others.

While construction and maintenance of any asset happens in the physical world, there is a lot of work in the digital world that accompanies it.

Today, I would like to talk about one of the tools that is changing the way data is captured in the field: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones).

1. What Is a UAV?

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. (Wikipedia).

The primary benefit of a UAV is in its name. The lack of need for an on-board pilot means that the aircraft can be relatively small, light, accessible, and inexpensive to operate. This allows for quick adoption on civil engineering projects.

This does not preclude the need for an experienced operator, however. Like any other pilot in the United States, UAV pilots are licensed through the Federal Aviation Administration.

UAVs

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro, an example of a consumer-grade drone

2. Use Cases for UAVs

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4 Simple Steps to High-Performing Engineering Teams for Engineering Managers

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This is a guest post by Zachary White

Engineering TeamsHigh-performing engineering teams are not the smartest.

They are not the most experienced.

The best engineering teams are exactly that… TEAMS. It’s not about IQ, but EQ (emotional and social intelligence). It’s less about brain-power and more about heart-power.

Brains and experience surely help, but if you can’t get along and communicate well together then you’re stuck.

On top of that, engineering management is difficult because you are almost always a player-coach. You have a team to manage, AND you have a full-time job of your own on top of that. You’re in meetings with the people above you, and in meetings with the people below you.

Nobody said it was easy.

The truth is that leading a high performance team is simple. Not easy, but simple.

Let me share four steps you must work through with every engineer on your team, starting with yourself, to improve the EQ and performance of your organization. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it will make a huge impact.

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Technology’s Role in Civil Engineering Inspection — Autonomous Drafting

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This is a guest blog by Nick Heim, P.E.

Autonomous DraftingCivil engineers are designers and builders of everything related to infrastructure: roads, bridges, dams, ports, and many others. While new construction of any asset gets a lot of attention for several reasons, that asset must be maintained over its lifespan — and civil engineers play a critical role in the inspection of it. As the third in a multipart series on technology’s role in civil engineering, I would like to talk about autonomous drafting and how it can improve your civil engineering inspections.

Note: The examples used in this month’s article relate to parking structures, because that is what the author specializes in. The author’s intent is that the technology showcased through these specific examples can be applied broadly to other civil engineering projects.

1. Inspection Drawing Creation

One of the first steps in any inspection is creating an accurate set of plans. Often, requests for existing drawings are not fulfilled, leaving us to create our own. This process is often very tedious and time-consuming due to the scale and repetitive nature of the tasks required.

To remove as much of this manual and laborious effort from your workflow as possible, consider use of software such as Airworks. Given inputs in the form of aerial imagery (Airworks also accepts three-dimensional data, but my experience was limited to 2D imagery), Airworks uses artificial intelligence to identify and autonomously draft common features of civil engineering projects.

Obtaining aerial imagery of your project site can be done in multiple ways, including:

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80% Done Beats Perfect

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This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

PerfectHave you been in this situation? You’re up against a tight budget and tight timelines on a project. You get the bulk of the work done, but then you just can’t seem to power through to the finish line.

You know your work is really good. If only I could find that one missing piece, you think. Then it would be perfect.

No. It won’t.

“No one is perfect … that’s why pencils have erasers.” ~ Author Unknown

Project manager Chris assigned Joel, a staff engineer, to work on the new roadway project. She told him what she expected and that he should get the work done in three hours.

A day went by without Joel checking back in with Chris. She called him a day later.

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