Leadership and Management in Engineering

Underlying team effectiveness coaching is the belief that the intangibles of human interaction frequently separate average performance from outstanding execution. Unless a team can improve its interpersonal, team, and organizational effectiveness, the team’s technical achievements alone will not reach the level of execution necessary to accomplish its goal. A case study that incorporated this approach is presented, with attention then given to the way in which team effectiveness coaching differs from other models. Finally, the benefits that his approach can confer on an organization are summarized.

The author explores the foundations of the values one embraces as an adult and discusses safety as such a value.

Since much has been written about how to hire and recruit good people, the focus of this article is on how to retain employees. After briefly examining the cost of employee turnover, the author provides a management framework that can help improve employee retention and increase profitability. It is stressed that employees at every phase of the life cycle need to believe that the work they do is important and meaningful. The author concludes that if people see that their employers care about them and their careers, they will deliver better results and will be more committed to their careers with the company.

The productivity, organization, and customer relations of the Engineering Services Division of the Utilities Department of the city of Sacramento, California, were assessed through the use of benchmarking techniques, staff and customer surveys, and interviews. The Engineering Services Division provides planning and engineering services for the city’s water, wastewater, and drainage systems, as well as development review. Recommendations were jointly developed and implemented, resulting in organizational and procedural changes. These changes focused on the top-priority areas for improvement identified in the study. A follow-up study was made to determine the effect of the changes over a five-year period. It was found that improved customer and staff perceptions of the services were directly related to the changes implemented as a result of the earlier study.

A general description of the Three Gorges project is given, followed by a discussion of the benefits that the undertaking will provide. Attention is also given to some of the project’s drawbacks. It is noted that numerous initiatives with civil engineering ramifications are under way in China, including an increased emphasis on soil conservation programs, new rules requiring industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, emphasis on pollution source reduction rather than just end-of-pipe treatment, and reforms in the regulatory structures for water resources management.

In random sampling of ASCE younger members (ages 22 to 35) in the fall of 2001, various aspects of employment history were investigated in an effort to obtain preliminary information on the civil engineering field and the career development of engineers. Among the issues covered were the number of years worked, the number of positions held, the number of organizations worked for, and whether or not the person had an advanced degree. Attention was also given to salary range and to the factors considered important in selecting a job. Many of the respondents offered additional comments concerning the field. While these preliminary findings show that the average civil engineer changes jobs infrequently, does not possess an advanced degree, and works in the private sector for a consulting firm, detailed analysis by years worked provides a fuller understanding of the employment history of those surveyed.

The role of the project manager in construction management is one of great responsibility. It is the project manager’s job to direct and supervise the project from beginning to end. An effective construction manager must have many different skills, qualities, and abilities to be able to respond to most of the demanding situations within the construction projects.

The construction manager must act as a leader throughout the life of the construction project. Acting as a leader enables the construction manager to plan, monitor, and control the progress of a project very effectively. The need for leadership ability in a construction manager depends on the tasks, teams, organizational environment, manager’s abilities, project resources, available time, and budget.