Engineering Management Institute

efficiency

Increasing the Efficiency of Your Civil Engineering Firm’s Field Work

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

Whether it be construction administration for a new design project or gathering information about existing conditions on a renovation project, some amount of field work is required on most civil engineering projects. From notes to photos, a large part of field work is data collection and interpretation that can be streamlined depending on what is to be accomplished. Today, I would like to share three tips on my field workflows — and how they could help you increase your efficiency in the field:

[Read more…] about Increasing the Efficiency of Your Civil Engineering Firm’s Field Work

Effectiveness vs. Efficiency: Picking A Productivity Mindset That Boosts Your Results

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productivity

“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker

Our mindset drives everything we do. In Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, the reader is introduced to two mindsets: fixed and growth. From her research, Dweck has shown the mindset with which a person operates will determine their success in learning new material, dealing with failure, assimilating new skills, and defining success.

A similar two-track mindset exists in productivity as well, and the one we pick to apply will determine the level of impact we have in achieving long term success and overall accomplishments.

Effective vs. Efficient Productivity Mindset

Here’s a quick explanation of effective and efficient productivity mindsets: [Read more…] about Effectiveness vs. Efficiency: Picking A Productivity Mindset That Boosts Your Results

Engineering Productivity: How and When to Break a Task Up into Smaller Steps

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3-18-14 Engineering Productivity Rounded

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I often write about efficiency and productivity in the workplace, as I believe lack of these things is the leading cause of engineers working too many hours.

I believe that one of the most important aspects of being productive is the ability to focus for a long period of time, which can be difficult in a world full of distractions. Two different systems allow me to sharpen my focus, work more productively and generate high-quality results.

First, I set aside a certain time of the day or week to do certain tasks. For example, I usually write blog posts early Friday morning, at 5:30 a.m. By doing this consistently, I know that that is my time to write and only write. I focus intently on that task and don’t let anything else get in the way. [Read more…] about Engineering Productivity: How and When to Break a Task Up into Smaller Steps