Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING TRAINING

TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast

TCEP 182: Five Tips for Improving In-House Training Programs for Civil Engineering Firms

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in-house trainingIn this episode,  I talk to Michael Dooley, P.E., LEED AP, the Principal at Bayer Becker about in-house training programs for civil engineers. Mike is involved with several professional organizations, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI), National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), University of Cincinnati Real Estate Roundtable, and Tristate Society of Healthcare Engineers.  In this episode, he provides five great tips on how engineering leaders can improve their in-house training programs. 

Engineering Quotes:

in-house training

in-house training

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Mike:

  • Proper employee training is important. There’s some debate over if in-house training is the best approach. What is your opinion on this?
  • You have five tips that you would like to share with our listeners about how they can improve in-house training efforts. Tip number 1 is “Do your homework.” Talk to us about that one, please.
  • Tip number 2 is to find a balance between the technical and the human side. What does that mean, and how would one do that?
  • Tip number 3 is “diversification of thought and experience.” What do you mean by that?
  • Tip number 4 is “emphasis on storytelling.” What stories are you referring to here?
  • Tip number 5 is “rinse and repeat.” Explain this statement as related to training?
  • Any last pieces of advice on internal training programs?

Here Are The Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Improving In-House Training Programs for Civil Engineering Firms:

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TCEP 181: Building Your Networking Skills as a Civil Engineer

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Networking Skills as a Civil EngineerIn the episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk about a topic that is of the utmost importance to civil engineering professionals which is relationship building. I will look at it from the perspective of someone that is not comfortable networking, whether they are shy, an “introvert”, or they’re just uncomfortable in social settings, and provide three actions that they can take to help improve your networking skills as a civil engineer.

Networking Skills as a Civil Engineer

Here Are Three Actions You Can Take to Improve Your Networking Skills as a Civil Engineer:

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TCEP 180: From Employee to Owner of a Civil Engineering Company (In Just 60 Days)

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Civil Engineering CompanyIn this episode, the eighth episode in our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs Series, I talk to Kevin Riggs, P.E., President & CEO at Cole Design Group, Inc. about growing a civil engineering company and developing your team. He also shares a very interesting story of how he went from an employee to owner of a large firm in just 60 days.

Engineering Quotes:

Civil Engineering Company

Civil Engineering Company

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Kevin:

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TCEP 179: Harnessing Teamwork, Communications, and Collaboration (to Make Civil Engineering Projects Successful)

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harnessing teamworkIn this episode, which is part of our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to Hannah Albertus-Benham, a Senior Water Resources and Environmental Engineer at Wood, about the challenges of working in a highly scientific project with real impacts on a community, as well as harnessing teamwork, communications, and collaboration to be successful.

Engineering Quotes:

harnessing teamwork

harnessing teamwork

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Hannah:

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TCEP 178: Growing Your Civil Engineering Firm: Being Proactive, Not Reactive

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Growing Your Civil Engineering FirmIn this episode, the seventh in our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs (CEE) series, I talk to Bonnie Moss, P.E., President at MBCO Engineering, LLC, as part of our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series about growing your civil engineering firm and why being proactive offers a business a lot of advantages.

Engineering Quotes:


Growing Your Civil Engineering Firm

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Bonnie Moss, P.E.:

  • How has the experience of working for a public agency helped you in growing your (private consulting) company?
  • Do you have a process for identifying who needs training or development to ensure you are consistently developing your people?
  • Do you have specific metrics, measurables, or numbers that you are looking at regularly to monitor the health of your company?
  • Trickling down to the people who work in the company, are they held accountable through key performance indicators?
  • Does your company emphasize capturing core processes that can be practiced consistently throughout the company?
  • How often do you have meetings in your company, and what do those meetings look like?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Growing Your Civil Engineering Firm: 

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TCEP 177: Civil Engineering Education and Ph.D. Programs in Civil Engineering

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In this episode, that is part of our Women in Civil Engineering (WICE) series, I talk to Eva Lantsoght, Ph.D., a Full Professor at San Francisco de Quito & Assistant Professor at the Delft University of Technology.  We talk about civil engineering education and how it differs throughout several countries. Eva also touches on the impact of COVID-19 on education and provides some advice for engineers considering pursuing their studies and a Ph.D. later in their careers.

Engineering Quotes:

Civil Engineering Education

Civil Engineering Education

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Eva:

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TCEP 176: Working in a Multi-Disciplined Civil Engineering Project Design Team

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civil engineering projectToday is International Women in Engineering Day, and to celebrate the amazing work that women engineers around the world do, we talk to Natalie Carmen, P.E., as part of our Women in Civil Engineering Series. Natalie is a civil engineering project manager with the design, engineering, and planning firm Stewart, and talks about her experience of working in a multi-disciplined civil engineering project design team, and more specifically, about her involvement in the Riverfront Park project, a new, seven-acre destination park on the Wilmington, NC, riverfront.

Engineering Quotes:

project design

project design

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Natalie Carmen, P.E.:

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TCEP 175: Future of Work in Engineering & Architecture 2021 Report

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Future of Work in EngineeringIn the episode that is part of our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series, I talk to Peter Atherton, P.E., President and Founder of ActionsProve, LLC, and author of Reversing Burnout, about the recently released Future of Work in Engineering & Architecture 2021 Report.

The 2021 report was conducted by Actions Prove, in partnership with the Engineering Management Institute, and created based on a survey with 587 engineers and architects in the U.S. The goal was to examine whether individuals and AEC companies see a viable career path in “mixed hybrid” work — which includes both flexible formats for traditional jobs and independent careers — for engineers and architects. The study also examines whether employers are prepared to engage independent professionals under these new conditions.

There are four different frameworks throughout the Future of Work in Engineering & Architecture 2021 report, and in this episode, we talk about one of them that highlights the key considerations for transitioning to a hybrid workforce model.

Engineering Quotes:


Future of Work in Engineering

4 Key Considerations Related to Remote Work that AEC Employers Should Be Aware of:

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TCEP 174: How One Goal Helped This Engineer to Rise Above His Expectations

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goalIn this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Tramone Smith, P.E., BCEE, MSCE from WGK in Mississippi, about his path to partnership in his firm. Tramone is a really unique professional in that he had one goal only in his career, which had absolutely nothing to do with partnership or ownership in the firm, but it ended up getting him there and helped him to rise above his expectations.

Engineering Quotes:

goal

goal

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Tramone:

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TCEP 173: How to Build a Vision-Driven Civil Engineering Company

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vision-driven civil engineering companyIn this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, that is part of our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series, I talk to Rene Portieles II, P.E., the Chief Executive Officer of Epic Forensics & Engineering, Inc. about his journey of starting an engineering company and how today, they are building a vision-driven civil engineering company around one very important theme. Stick around until the end to hear some of the great advice Rene gives, not just to grow a company, but also to grow as an engineering professional.

Engineering Quotes:

vision-driven civil engineering company


Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Rene:

  • Tell us more about your family history, and history in contracting and how that has been valuable in what you are doing today?
  • What is forensic engineering?
  • What does a mission/vision statement mean to you in terms of growing a civil engineering firm, and how do you utilize it at Epic Forensics & Engineering?
  • How do you share your mission/vision with the company?
  • How big is Epic Forensics & Engineering?
  • What are some of the typical problems you see in engineering firms when they are trying to grow or scale a company?
  • How do you find, develop, and retain the right people in your firm?
  • What advice can you give civil engineers out there who are trying to grow their companies?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Building a Vision-Driven Civil Engineering Company:

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