5 Tips for Structural Engineering Managers – Ep 023

In episode 23 of The Structural Engineering Channel Podcast, we talk to Stan R. Caldwell, P.E., SECB, a Structural Engineering Consultant who provides structural engineering consultation, primarily with respect to construction litigation. This is the second of a two-episode series. In the previous episode, Stan provided five tips for young structural engineers and in this episode, Stan will give us five tips for structural engineering managers which can help them strive to become the best managers in their field. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Stan Caldwell in This Episode: What led to the development of this sister article that you wrote for STRUCTURE magazine, “Your Top 5 Tips for Engineering Managers,” and how did you get those? Do the tips for structural engineering managers complement any tips for young engineers? What is the first step that someone can take to get closer to achieving a prime professional role on a project? Your second tip for managers is “Stay in your lane.” What do you mean by that? Why should structural engineers embrace construction? Why do you specifically advocate that structural engineering managers should champion the idea of cherishing their people? The last of your five tips is to make a profit. Could you go into that? How do we, as a community, get opportunities where we can create a profit for our internal team by working with other firms? Here Are 5 Tips for Structural Engineering Managers: Please not that the tips for young engineers are not parallel to the tips for engineering managers. Management and engineering design are very different from one another. 1. Swim Upstream You need to proactively steer your engineering firm upstream. Structural engineers are not prohibited from acting as the prime professional on any project. You need to go out and find opportunities where you can be considered as a prime professional on a project. Strive to work directly with project owners whenever possible and to earn a seat at the “big table,” where the earliest and most important project decisions are made. 2. Stay in Your Lane In Texas, there are only generic PE licenses. This enables any kind of engineer to practice wherever they feel confident to practice. Some structures that have been designed by nonstructural engineers turn out to be fiascos, and this is valid for structural engineers operating outside of their niche as well. As a structural engineer, you should stay within your confidence boundaries. 3. Embrace Construction On many projects, structural engineering firms discover that they have exhausted their budgets at the time that construction is scheduled to commence. They try to remedy this by minimizing their costs during construction. If the construction is deficient, then the structural engineer will most likely be part of any litigation. Structural engineers should only consider assignments that have full construction administration services, insist on being paid for site visits and regularly visit the job site with experienced personnel, and never certify any construction unless a member of your firm provided observation of that construction. 4. Cherish Your People Very few structural engineering firms enjoy unique technology, facilities, or other resources that other firms don’t already have. The only true competitive edge that any firm has is its people. So only hire the best and the brightest people and place them in a professional environment. Then challenge them with diverse projects and a bit more responsibility than you think they can handle. With the right people in the right environment, your firm is sure to prosper. 5. Make a Profit Many structural engineering firms accept whatever pro...