The Three Cs of Project Management

After new engineers have gained a sufficient amount of real-world experience, they often become tasked with the management of projects.  The part an engineer plays on a design team can be complex, and new engineers are typically tasked with small pieces of the work, such as performing calculations or creating drawings.  Project management introduces a wide range of activities that are often only learned on the job, and it can be a challenge to jump in with both feet and to (at least) lead everyone to believe that everything is under control.  All construction projects have team members, budgets, schedules, regulations, expectations, and other elements that work together towards a common goal: the realization of a new facility that will benefit the users.  New engineers are already familiar with schedules and budgets, but they might not be sensitive to how these impact the project as a whole, and of how their own actions may have consequences for others.

 I believe there are three extremely important characteristics demonstrated by a healthy design or design/build team that a new engineer needs to understand: good communication, sufficient cooperation, and reliable competence.  Good communication begins with a commitment to exercise patience, kindness, respect, and clarity in all forms of contact.  Engineers all have preferred means of communication, but sometimes a situation arises that requires a specific type.  For example, if a client is upset about something, a phone call or personal face-to-face visit is usually more appropriate than an email or text message.  Personal contact (voice, physical presence) demonstrates that you are willing to set something else aside and offer that person your full attention as needed to resolve a matter.  Once that personal contact is made, a follow up email can be helpful to put something into writing or to further elaborate, explain, or defend statements, facts, or circumstances.

 Members of a team need to have a sufficient amount of cooperation to achieve their common goal.  Each person or company needs to fully understand their role in achieving this success, and they should have some idea of how the other team members contribute.  A structural engineer, for example, needs to understand the work of the architect far more than the work of the food service consultant, and a sufficient amount of cooperation with the architect may involve weekly meetings, timely review and coordination of progress documents, and continual updates on how and when information is needed between the companies.  A sufficient amount of cooperation with the food service consultant may only require a simple review of 50% construction documents, perhaps a phone or email conversation, and perhaps a simple check-in prior to release of permit-ready documents.

 A design team assumes each member is minimally competent to perform the duties they have been assigned, but it sometimes may need to be taken as an act of faith or trust.  Teams that have worked together for a period of time have gained enough knowledge of, and experience with, the others that this avenue of trust is already present.  If a member or company doesn’t fully understand their scope, important tasks can fall through the cracks and the project could suffer as a result.  Design professionals are expected to have some level of competence as understood by their licensing agency, and one specialist shouldn’t have to worry about the contributions of the others.  Participants that need to work more closely together should understand the scope and deliverables of the other.  For example, a civil engineer needs to understand the extent of control that a landscape architect has over the surrounding topography of a building site.  Retaining walls, finish elevations, setback distances, and other characteristics could be designed and detailed by either professional, and questions should be asked of one another to make sure tasks are being performed … preferably by the most qualified discipline, but consultation with the owner or team leader can also help to clarify roles and responsibilities.