Part 3 of 10-The Book that Most Impacted My Career-Excellence in Engineering

 

This blog will cover sections of Excellence In Engineering by W.H. Roadstrum, 1967, and relates them to Project Management Institute’s Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK).

Although I am more of a specialist at this time, I was able to build a career from working on design and construction projects, which enabled me to create a path of accountability from Draftsman-Equipment Engineering to Director – FA Management in the PMO for capital project programs.    The scope of PMO responsibilities encompassed general contracting management of in-house forces, and construction management of third party consultants and contractors.  

In Excellence In Engineering Chapter 17, Professionalism, Self-Development, Education, begins with “Your engineering career is like an engineering project in many ways.”    Quickly followed by three elements for maximizing an individual’s contribution to the profession and to career development, Roadstrum ‘s research showed:

• Technology being applied must be completely and usefully understood.

• Engineers need to better develop their understanding and appreciation of human need.

• Engineers are continually striving to improve their techniques and performance in putting the technical answers and human need together.

As typical, the Chapter ends with:

Good Engineering Practices in Self-Development and Professional

1. The engineer looks on his career as a project requiring careful and deliberate guidance from himself as the project engineer.

2. The engineer recognizes that he must practice engineering as a profession, involving services to others, service to the profession itself, and ethical standards.

3. The engineer enthusiastically supports the interests and reputation of whatever employer or client he associates himself with.

4. When the engineer can no longer agree sufficiently with his employer or client to support him whole heatedly, he breaks off the connection.

5. The engineer recognized the special need for broad self-development as opposed to further technological training alone.

6. The engineer reads extensively and systematically throughout his career.

7. The engineer actively supports his profession al society.

Poor Engineering in Self-Development and Professional

1. The engineer considers his preparation is complete when he graduates.

2. The engineer feels that his company will take care of him and guide him into the best path.

3. The engineer does nothing about career planning until cumulative dissatisfaction with a mediocre job finally drive him to look elsewhere.

4. The engineer looks on his work as mere wage earning, with no responsibility for dedication or service.

5. The engineer refuses most opportunities in community affairs on ground that other professionals are better prepared for this kind of service.

6. The engineer fails to recognize that excellent performance on his present job may be grossly inadequate preparation for the next promotion.

7. The engineer takes company and outside courses as a matter of habit with little regard for what they are adding up to.

8. The engineer takes no steps for earliest possible registration.

In PMBOK Chapter 9, development of the project team is described for individual member s and the team as a whole.     From Section 9.3:

Objectives of developing a project team include, but are not limited to:

• Improving knowledge and skills of team members to increase their ability to complete project deliverables, while lowering costs, reducing schedules and improving quality;

• Improving feelings of trust and agreement among team members to raise morale, lower conflict and increase teamwork; and

Creating a dynamic, cohesive and collaborative team culture to (1) improve individual and team productivity, team spirit and cooperation and (2) allow cross training and mentoring between team members to share knowledge and expertise.