FACC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Regulation And Licensure In Engineering, Middle Management, Gantt Chart
16 Jul 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Friday, March 2, 2018
Lecture 8 - Project Management
๏QUESTION: In an engineering firm, who do you think is typically responsible for project
management?!
•ANSWER: A senior engineer. Engineers must be part of all business discussions… no
one else understands the technical side.!
๏QUESTION: What percentage of top CEOs in the US hold engineering degrees?!
•ANSWER: 22% (12.5% business administration, 6% liberal arts, 16% economics, 9%
accounting)!
๏Why do engineers make good managers?
•Engineers understand that good problem solving starts with fact gathering.!
•Engineers process data well.!
•Engineers understand risk assessment.!
•Engineers don’t often let emotions get in the way of decision-making.!
•Engineers are creative and intuitive.!
๏Management levels:
A. Entry level!
B. Junior engineer/engineer-in-training!
C. Professional engineer!
D. First supervisory or specialist level!
E. Middle management or senior specialist level!
F. Senior management if senior consultant level!
G. Senior executive level!
๏Management position benefits:
•Salary expectation!
•Creativity/job satisfaction/ challenge !
๏Management position drawbacks:
•Loss of personal freedoms!
•Allegiance to the company!
1
Friday, March 2, 2018
•70+ hr work weeks!
•Company socializing!
•Stress!
•Family impact !
๏QUESTION: What is often cited as the most important skill to have for a successful career in
management?!
•ANSWER: Good communication skills (more than the ability to multi-task & willingness to
take risks).!
๏Important skills in management:
1. Good communication skills!
2. A reputation for hard work!
3. Good people skills: the ability to interact with others effectively and respectfully!
4. The skill to handle multiple issues at the same time!
5. Accountability: “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of everything.”!
6. The ability to set priorities (time management)!
7. The ability to deal with ambiguity!
8. Strategic orientation: anticipation what the playing field will look like next week, next
month, next year!
9. The willingness to take risks!
10. Leadership ability: personally create a vision for the future, effectively communicate
that vision to the team, and get the team to follow.!
๏Project management tools:
•Working with Other Teams in Organization:!
•Traditional view = generally, projects don’t overlap!
•OR, overlap explicit in all stages.!
•Time management:!
•Checklist timeline = linear timeline
that identifies exactly when each
aspect of the project to be
completed should be started.
Everything starts on a different date
and doesn’t overlap. Not used for
complex projects.!
•Gantt Chart = created by Henry
Grantt (1861-1919), the founder of
modern planning and control. Used
for complex projects involving
many people with interdependent
tasks. Generally, a more realistic
approach to a project than the
2
Document Summary
Question: in an engineering firm, who do you think is typically responsible for project management: answer: a senior engineer. Engineers must be part of all business discussions no one else understands the technical side. Question: what percentage of top ceos in the us hold engineering degrees: answer: 22% (12. 5% business administration, 6% liberal arts, 16% economics, 9% accounting) Management levels: entry level, junior engineer/engineer-in-training, professional engineer, first supervisory or specialist level, middle management or senior specialist level, senior management if senior consultant level, senior executive level. Management position bene ts: salary expectation, creativity/job satisfaction/ challenge. Management position drawbacks: loss of personal freedoms, allegiance to the company. Friday, march 2, 2018: 70+ hr work weeks, company socializing, stress, family impact. Question: what is often cited as the most important skill to have for a successful career in management: answer: good communication skills (more than the ability to multi-task & willingness to take risks).
