Leadership and Management in Engineering

This paper presents observations on why major shifts in an organization’s business model never seem to get accomplished. In the asset management arena, most top managers can easily accept the concepts that we should know what we have; know its condition/value; and estimate its performance life. We would then like to evaluate various deployment options so as to make evidence-based decisions about our infrastructure investment, and do this in a way that is transparent to everybody, inside and outside the organization. However, we cannot seem to get past the philosophy stage for the following reasons: (1) complexity is an excuse for inaction; (2) it costs too much to change, so we don’t; and (3) getting employee buy-in drains management’s energy.

Government Accounting Standard Board Statement No. 34 gave state and local governments the choice of using depreciation or a modified approach when reporting on their infrastructure assets. The modified approach allows for an asset management system to be implemented. Despite much discussion between engineers and accountants, most often the accountant will choose depreciation over an asset management system. This article presents seven accounting arguments for engineers to persuade their accountants to try an asset management approach.

The paper presents a view of the benefits and drawbacks of applying GASB Statement No. 34 in a small municipal entity. Cole County, Missouri, is taking the requirement and using it to improve the long-term operations of the county to the benefit of the taxpayers. The county chose to use GASB 34’s modified reporting method, which, despite the effort required to maintain a database on the condition of the county’s infrastructure, can be used to justify maintenance costs. This is a cost-effective way to maintain a locality’s assets. If the infrastructure assets can be maintained in a predetermined condition, the need for deferred maintenance will decrease, and thus the life-cycle cost for the whole network will decrease.

Adding infrastructure asset data to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s financial reports has benefited the department’s managers as well as its employees. Use of the financial statements mandated by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s Statement 34 is a straightforward way to show the impact of operations on the value of Missouri’s transportation system. Use of the statements is also expected to increase understanding among the legislature and the public of the issues involved in managing governmental assets.

At one time or another, most of us “choose to cheat,” whether by working with another student on a take-home exam or by failing to accurately account for one’s hours on Friday afternoon. Cheating ultimately affects the cheater negatively, because by cutting corners or sweeping things under the rug, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and build open and honest relationships with others and with ourselves. By striving to develop our individual talents and gifts, and by recognizing where we have shortcomings, engineers can become leaders of their communities and the built environment. By choosing not to cheat, we essentially choose to lead better, more fulfilling lives.

All principals in consulting engineering firms (indeed, all employees) need clear roles and expectations, for themselves and for the success of their firms. On those occasions when principals are not as productive as necessary, they can and should be managed in humane, effective, and fair ways. When they are ignored, as they often are, it hurts the firm and all its members. This paper presents scenarios where nonproductive principals were well managed and a number of approaches that may be helpful in other situations.

This paper reviews the potential of team and individual empowerment as performance improvement strategies in construction. The important role of empowerment has been emphasized through a discussion of recent trends in the construction industry, for example, the Rethinking Construction report on respect for people, which highlighted the central role of empowerment in improving people management practices in the construction sector. The literature also suggests a conceptual linkage between empowerment and many of the leading-edge practices that have been championed within the sector in recent years, including total quality management, construction performance measurement, benchmarking, organizational change, job enrichment, high-performance systems, teamwork, and motivation. This paper attempts to advance understanding of the fundamental concepts behind effective teamwork and motivation by exploring the role of empowerment in facilitating these current management concepts and trends. Rather than portraying empowerment as a panacea for the problems of the industry, the paper presents it as a key to the performance enablers of culture, training, and knowledge management, which require understanding and action by management if significant change is to be realized.

The foundations contract for replacement of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge near Washington, D.C., presented an opportunity to profit from partnering. This article tells why partnering was necessary, the techniques used, and some payoffs. The contract had disincentive payments, potential for differing site conditions, community constraints, and untested relationships. Regular meetings and a monthly questionnaire facilitated partnering, trends and comments were analyzed monthly to keep on track, and both parties went beyond contract requirements to succeed. Partnering belongs in any major acquisition program’s toolkit.

Using his 20 years’ experience as a consultant and owner of a consulting firm, the writer reflects on the most important lessons he has learned during his professional development in the field of consulting. He reprises the joys and perils of na$\ddot{ı}$ve entry into the consulting business. His description of the origin and evolution of his professional firm provides important insights and lessons for those about to embark on similar ventures.