The Framework Behind Every Successful AEC Project: PMI’s Five Process Groups
Most project managers in AEC firms learn project management the hard way. They get handed a job. They figure it out. Some do well. Some don’t. And the hope is that whatever lessons were learned last time somehow carry over to the next project. For a lot of engineers who become PMs, that’s just how […]
Project Planning and Prioritization: How to Get More Done Before the Work Starts
Some of my earliest lessons in project planning and prioritization didn’t come from engineering school or a project management course. They came from working for my dad. My dad was an electrician, and by the time I was six or seven years old, my summers were already spoken for. I spent them wiring houses and […]
The Mentorship Loop: How Engineering Mentorship Builds Future Leaders
I still remember the exact moment I stopped being just an engineer and started becoming a leader. It wasn’t during a performance review or a management training seminar. It was standing in a workshop, watching a student’s third attempt at soldering a circuit board finally work, and realizing my heart was racing faster than hers. […]
Business Leadership Lessons from The West Wing: The TV series, NOT the Office
As a longtime fan of the TV Series “The West Wing,” I often go back and watch reruns of it when they appear on one streaming service or another. Recently, the series was being replayed from episode one, and I figured, “What better way to endure the 8-degree weather currently plaguing Pennsylvania?” As I watched […]
From Field Data to Strategic Planning: How Aerial Analytics Helps Engineering Managers Make Smarter Decisions
Introduction A couple of years ago, in Houston, an inspection of an entire roof perfectly exemplified why aerial analytics for engineers is such a potent tool in the AEC industry. The task was to check a large business premises following a significant storm. Conventionally, this would have implied ladders, safety belts, and days of hand […]
5 Steps for Strategic Goal Setting That Supports Career Balance
Balancing career growth with life outside of work isn’t just a challenge, it’s an ongoing experiment. As a father of five, I like to say having a kid is like treading water. You get good at it, then someone tosses you a baby! Suddenly, you’re learning how to swim all over again while holding a […]
Closing Project Management Skill Gaps for Faster Delivery
In the AEC industry, project management skill gaps and people skills deficiencies are a significant driver of operational delays, as project success depends on effective communication, coordination, and control across complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Weak leadership, stakeholder communication, and conflict resolution slow decision-making, increase misunderstandings between designers, contractors, and clients, and delay issue resolution on site. […]
From Technical Expert to People Leader: Supporting the Engineering Leadership Transition
Engineering firms rely heavily on technical expertise. High performers are often promoted into leadership roles because of their deep knowledge, problem-solving ability, and project success. While this approach rewards performance, it also introduces a common challenge across the industry: technical excellence does not automatically translate into people leadership readiness. For many engineers, the transition from […]
How To Use Social Proof To Grow Your AEC Network
In the AEC industry, relationships drive opportunity. It’s a “shaking hands and kissing babies” business — people work with those they know, like, and trust. But still…it’s hard for someone who hasn’t worked with you to understand what you do, how you think, and what value you bring. You can tell them. You can post […]
Hidden Overtime: Why the Emotional Load for Engineers in Leadership Leads to Burnout
“I’m not tired from work, I’m tired from carrying everyone’s stress,” an engineering manager said to me in a coaching call a while back. He wasn’t dramatic, he was calm, almost resigned, but you could feel the weight behind the sentence. He was thinking about stepping down from leadership and going back to an individual […]