Author name: Brian Wagner, PE

Leadership, Project Management

Great Project Managers are the official Mortar of Engineering

The strength of a masonry wall depends on various factors, including the type of masonry material used (e.g., brick, concrete block, stone), the quality of the construction, and design considerations. Generally, a well-constructed masonry wall can resist the highest load and stress. Mortar is the material that holds the individual masonry units together. In an […]

Project Management

Using Check-ins as a Superior Project Management Hack

As an engineer, you are tasked with a lot of challenging things. It could be a design or a presentation, but one of the most challenging tasks I have encountered as an engineer is dealing with people while serving in a project management role! Working with and cooperating with co-workers is one thing—you or your

Leadership

Shameless Treatment to Challenge Imposter Syndrome

I believe everyone experiences some level of Imposter Syndrome at several different points in their careers. It could be just a feeling of being out of place. Maybe it’s a delegated task that you feel you have no business being involved in or being offered a promotion simply because of your actions. Both of these

Engineering, Project Management

Why Looming Friday Deadlines Can Hinder Professional Success

Professional engineering and project management require deadlines to be established a met. After all, our work focuses on delivering our expertise to others, for their use. Whether it’s a geotechnical report, a set of high-quality construction plans, or anything in between – the people paying for professional services expect something of value in return.

Leadership

3 Reasons Repeat Clients Are the Best Clients

Clients come in all shapes and sizes. Some clients are “difficult” while others make you say, “I wish all of our clients were like you.” Unfortunately, we remember the difficult ones because of the challenges they presented, whether it was their unreasonable ‘center of the world’ demands or the general stress they caused us. For

Engineering

All Quality Errors are Not Equal

When we think about errors, it is easy to remember the ones that caused you headaches. It might have been a contractor’s confusion that resulted in a back charge or an inspector’s stop work order. These errors types of problems can cause anxiety, changes in work schedules, and financial discord, but all errors are not

Leadership

Treasure Quality Management as proven Risk Management

The ultimate purpose of both Quality Management Programs and Quality Control Systems is essentially to provide risk management. Producing consistent quality work to established minimum standards serves to assist leadership in maintaining a standard of care to reduce risk to the Company and the Client. Properly administered and led, it is a great way to

Leadership

Engage and Empower Staff while Improving your Systems

6 steps of a Project Debriefing The 6 steps of a Project Debrief are purposefully designed to help the team members share their experiences, challenges, and emotions. Through factual discussion and the sharing of different perspectives, the program is intended to identify and resolve issues while recognizing and acknowledging successes. A willingness to adapt and

Leadership, Project Management

What is the difference between Quality Assurance and Control?

Often the terminology of engineering professionals can be highly technical and confusing. The use of terms like “Quality Assurance” and “Quality Control” is not overly technical. However, misuse can lead to serious impacts on efficient communication and the conveyance of expectations. Clarifying the terms you use is important both in-house and in your relationship with

Leadership

How Span of Control Impacts the Quality of Work

Span of Control is a concept that I learned in my emergency services training both in the fire service and law enforcement corrections. Yet this topic is not something I read or hear about often, if ever, in the engineering community. The idea behind this concept is based on how many people a leader can

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