Professional and Career Topics

• 60% of Projects Miss Their Contract Requirements. . .WHY(?)

Because A/E/Cs were never educated, trained, and developed "To play nice with others!"

In place of learning subjects related to proactive listening, collaboration, cooperation, and

communication, their managers bring in "Conflict Management" consultants!

Everything and everyone are connected, i.e., "Systems Thinking" is the

people, process, tech and leadership model going forward.

Respectfully,

Bill

I've been on many teams throughout my life -- youth sports, school projects, clubs, committees, design teams, construction project teams, volunteer groups, etc. Some teams were better or more effective than others. I've found that much of what I know about teamwork was learned in those different team settings.

One non-profit I volunteered with started out with a narrow and clear mission focus, and they were very effective. It was exciting to be a part of their impact and see the positive outcomes. The longer I was involved as a local volunteer, the more and more that headquarters seemingly added to the scope. Things got so muddied (and sometimes seemed counter to the original mission) that I got burned out and stopped participating. One thing I have learned is that great teams have a clear mission/goal they are trying to achieve, and any team efforts are tested against that guidepost before moving forward. 

I had one school project where a classmate assigned to my team said out loud to the group, "Oh good, we got Heidi, so we know we'll get an A without even trying." Guess how wonderful that group dynamic was? (We did get an A, but I had to do pretty much all of it myself after that tone was set.) We were all peers. We all had the same background information. There was no real "leader" position, and no one in the team had the ability to produce consequences for non-contribution or reward for exceptional work. I learned in those types of teams how important it is to have someone with the authority to assign roles and create a culture of accountability.

Construction projects are an interesting combination of different companies, contracts, and perspectives. In my experience, they go much more smoothly when the different parties are able to leverage their skills and knowledge. For example, engineers need to admit that there are constructability constraints they need input on from the contractor.  And contractors need to admit that there are codes and calculations they need an engineer to review or complete before deviations from plans are made in the field. From those multi-disciplinary teams, I've learned that one of the most critical aspects of teamwork is being humble enough to admit what you do and don't know.

I've been on many teams throughout my life -- youth sports, school projects, clubs, committees, design teams, construction project teams, volunteer groups, etc. Some teams were better or more effective than others. I've found that much of what I know about teamwork was learned in those different team settings.

One non-profit I volunteered with started out with a narrow and clear mission focus, and they were very effective. It was exciting to be a part of their impact and see the positive outcomes. The longer I was involved as a local volunteer, the more and more that headquarters seemingly added to the scope. Things got so muddied (and sometimes seemed counter to the original mission) that I got burned out and stopped participating. One thing I have learned is that great teams have a clear mission/goal they are trying to achieve, and any team efforts are tested against that guidepost before moving forward. 

I had one school project where a classmate assigned to my team said out loud to the group, "Oh good, we got Heidi, so we know we'll get an A without even trying." Guess how wonderful that group dynamic was? (We did get an A, but I had to do pretty much all of it myself after that tone was set.) We were all peers. We all had the same background information. There was no real "leader" position, and no one in the team had the ability to produce consequences for non-contribution or reward for exceptional work. I learned in those types of teams how important it is to have someone with the authority to assign roles and create a culture of accountability.

Construction projects are an interesting combination of different companies, contracts, and perspectives. In my experience, they go much more smoothly when the different parties are able to leverage their skills and knowledge. For example, engineers need to admit that there are constructability constraints they need input on from the contractor.  And contractors need to admit that there are codes and calculations they need an engineer to review or complete before deviations from plans are made in the field. From those multi-disciplinary teams, I've learned that one of the most critical aspects of teamwork is being humble enough to admit what you do and don't know.

We discussed high-performing teams in December 2025, which is relevant to your question and might provide additional insights.

 https://collaborate.asce.org/professionaltopics/discussion/attributes-of-high-performing-teamsorganizations-your-experience

In my view, the skills to lead teams and be a good team member come from observation and practice and cannot be taught. Working in an organization that values teamwork helps, as it provides positive role models. One can still learn from organizations that don't do it well. In both cases, it takes one to reflect on what's working or not working and why to build the skills needed to be a good team member and eventually a good team leader. Leadership support, commitment, and modeling of good team skills are also essential. You can't ask people to do something that you are unwilling or incapable of doing.

We discussed high-performing teams in December 2025, which is relevant to your question and might provide additional insights.

 https://collaborate.asce.org/professionaltopics/discussion/attributes-of-high-performing-teamsorganizations-your-experience

In my view, the skills to lead teams and be a good team member come from observation and practice and cannot be taught. Working in an organization that values teamwork helps, as it provides positive role models. One can still learn from organizations that don't do it well. In both cases, it takes one to reflect on what's working or not working and why to build the skills needed to be a good team member and eventually a good team leader. Leadership support, commitment, and modeling of good team skills are also essential. You can't ask people to do something that you are unwilling or incapable of doing.

Hi Mitch!

Really(?)

"In my view, the skills to lead teams and be a good team member come from observation and practice and cannot be taught. "

Consider the results of that approach noted in the referenced, dated paper.

Cheers,   

Bill

·        " HowtoTransformFailureintoSuccess:ForensicManagement<j.%20perform.%20constr.%20facil.,%202007,%2021(1):%202-3></j.%20perform.%20constr.%20facil.,%202007,%2021(1):%202-3>[1]"

                     By William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE

JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / FEBRUARY 2007

We discussed high-performing teams in December 2025, which is relevant to your question and might provide additional insights.

 https://collaborate.asce.org/professionaltopics/discussion/attributes-of-high-performing-teamsorganizations-your-experience

In my view, the skills to lead teams and be a good team member come from observation and practice and cannot be taught. Working in an organization that values teamwork helps, as it provides positive role models. One can still learn from organizations that don't do it well. In both cases, it takes one to reflect on what's working or not working and why to build the skills needed to be a good team member and eventually a good team leader. Leadership support, commitment, and modeling of good team skills are also essential. You can't ask people to do something that you are unwilling or incapable of doing.

Hi Mitch!

Really(?)

"In my view, the skills to lead teams and be a good team member come from observation and practice and cannot be taught. "

Consider the results of that approach noted in the referenced, dated paper.

Cheers,   

Bill

·        " HowtoTransformFailureintoSuccess:ForensicManagement<j.%20perform.%20constr.%20facil.,%202007,%2021(1):%202-3></j.%20perform.%20constr.%20facil.,%202007,%2021(1):%202-3>[1]"

                     By William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE

JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / FEBRUARY 2007

We discussed high-performing teams in December 2025, which is relevant to your question and might provide additional insights.

 https://collaborate.asce.org/professionaltopics/discussion/attributes-of-high-performing-teamsorganizations-your-experience

In my view, the skills to lead teams and be a good team member come from observation and practice and cannot be taught. Working in an organization that values teamwork helps, as it provides positive role models. One can still learn from organizations that don't do it well. In both cases, it takes one to reflect on what's working or not working and why to build the skills needed to be a good team member and eventually a good team leader. Leadership support, commitment, and modeling of good team skills are also essential. You can't ask people to do something that you are unwilling or incapable of doing.

Bill – Mc, this post and others posted earlier (thanks Mitch for linking one: The Attributes of High performing Team . . .) - show how engineers lay importance on team work – in your words, the critical factors of successful team efforts.

I will try not to repeat what we have discussed in the past – instead, will try to focus on engineering 'Habits of Mind' – and on 'Systems Thinking' and the role and responsibility of Team-Lead (Bill-H points out these two, more often).

As in the Civil Engineering on our Seashore – I have quoted NAP #12635 Publication . . . Engineering "habits of mind" (refer to the values, attitudes, and thinking skills associated with engineering; AAAS 1990) . . . The six identified essential habits are: systems thinking, creativity, optimism (team spirit), collaboration, communication, and attention to ethical considerations.

We all know what habits are – in literature, it is defined as a routine behavior that becomes nearly automatic – and there comes the necessity of distinguishing between good and bad. The 'habits of mind' refer to good habits.

And systems thinking really envelops all the habits – id est, system parameters or variables of a problem, technical or otherwise – of team works – of collaboration – of communications – and so on. Systems thinking opens the door – to wide perspective views – to rationalizing things.

To accomplish all these – some must lead and manage – and a team-lead occupies that important position. He or she has the dominant role to steer things towards the right direction – to problem solving – to business handling – to getting things done within the constraints of various sorts.

What if, the team-lead is not competent enough? Well, then everything falls apart, irrespective of how good the team members are. Further more, the leader incompetency or inadequacy permeates to team members dragging all down.

And, there comes another aspect of what people's wisdom says – as in the Leadership and Management . . . There is a Spanish saying: fish starts to smell at the head, so does a bad leadership style . . .

--------------------

Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

Website Links and Profile

Wm Mc,

I don't participate often in these sessions but this subject is grossly misunderstood as reflected by the discussion prior.

There are thousands of programs, TED talks, college classes and traveling lecturers, and PDH sessions devoted to teaching and preaching leadership.  It is crammed down everyone's throats!  The problem is no one teaches followership!

I have seen and attended one course / session at a conference nearly two decades ago that was poorly attended.  The presenter was from South Carolina, I recall, and had a church pastor speaking rhythm.  It was a very good presentation. Teams that are full of leaders fail.  Just look at the U.S. Congress as an example.  They all want to lead and no one follows as a result.  Tams fail if everyone wants to lead.

I disagree with Bill H. that engineers are not taught team work.   I disagree.  At least they used to be taught the subject.  It was drilled into us at Iowa State from the first month of our freshman year to graduation.  We were assigned teams to do assignments in English, Chemistry, Physics, various Surveying and Civil Engineering classes and labs.  Our program was full of team assignments.  If you didn't get it, you were too dense or stubborn to grasp the lesson being taught, "You will be required to work in teams in real life work." 

Now, Heidi raises a good point, what happens when the team members do not want to work?  That is another issue entirely.   I recently took the drastic step of embarrassing a young consulting engineer fairly recently out of school in front of the entire project team and his supervisor as well.  Why?  To get their attention that they were not working as a team!  They had all the data needed in their office and just needed to think but were being lazy, were ignorant of how to do the design work (which could be possible), or just untrained.  I wasn't a happy client that day after hearing a lame answer and did not enjoy doing it. But, they were delaying everyone else on a $90M project for something that took about 20 minutes to do!  After delivering my berating address, actually telling them how to do the task and providing them the likely answer with absolutely no calculations but a good memory of flow rates in water lines for fire demand, the room and online attendees were shockingly very quiet.  After a brief pause, the supervisor, who was online, sheepishly agreed with me and they provided an answer in writing the next morning.

This is an example in failed leadership and failed followership.  How can you be on a team if you don't want to participate?   I think Gens X, Y and Z were overloaded on leadership and not enough followership.  They can be taught both and when to do both.  The NFL is full of examples now where egotistical "leaders" don't want to follow.  A wide receiver can't throw themselves a pass.  If everyone on the defense goes to the ball, it is easy to defeat them.  Same in engineering.  Teams can work but as Heidi notes, the natural leaders will come to the forefront but those unwilling to follow and work in a team manner will also expose themselves.      

Wm Mc,

I don't participate often in these sessions but this subject is grossly misunderstood as reflected by the discussion prior.

There are thousands of programs, TED talks, college classes and traveling lecturers, and PDH sessions devoted to teaching and preaching leadership.  It is crammed down everyone's throats!  The problem is no one teaches followership!

I have seen and attended one course / session at a conference nearly two decades ago that was poorly attended.  The presenter was from South Carolina, I recall, and had a church pastor speaking rhythm.  It was a very good presentation. Teams that are full of leaders fail.  Just look at the U.S. Congress as an example.  They all want to lead and no one follows as a result.  Tams fail if everyone wants to lead.

I disagree with Bill H. that engineers are not taught team work.   I disagree.  At least they used to be taught the subject.  It was drilled into us at Iowa State from the first month of our freshman year to graduation.  We were assigned teams to do assignments in English, Chemistry, Physics, various Surveying and Civil Engineering classes and labs.  Our program was full of team assignments.  If you didn't get it, you were too dense or stubborn to grasp the lesson being taught, "You will be required to work in teams in real life work." 

Now, Heidi raises a good point, what happens when the team members do not want to work?  That is another issue entirely.   I recently took the drastic step of embarrassing a young consulting engineer fairly recently out of school in front of the entire project team and his supervisor as well.  Why?  To get their attention that they were not working as a team!  They had all the data needed in their office and just needed to think but were being lazy, were ignorant of how to do the design work (which could be possible), or just untrained.  I wasn't a happy client that day after hearing a lame answer and did not enjoy doing it. But, they were delaying everyone else on a $90M project for something that took about 20 minutes to do!  After delivering my berating address, actually telling them how to do the task and providing them the likely answer with absolutely no calculations but a good memory of flow rates in water lines for fire demand, the room and online attendees were shockingly very quiet.  After a brief pause, the supervisor, who was online, sheepishly agreed with me and they provided an answer in writing the next morning.

This is an example in failed leadership and failed followership.  How can you be on a team if you don't want to participate?   I think Gens X, Y and Z were overloaded on leadership and not enough followership.  They can be taught both and when to do both.  The NFL is full of examples now where egotistical "leaders" don't want to follow.  A wide receiver can't throw themselves a pass.  If everyone on the defense goes to the ball, it is easy to defeat them.  Same in engineering.  Teams can work but as Heidi notes, the natural leaders will come to the forefront but those unwilling to follow and work in a team manner will also expose themselves.