The Construction Engineering Show

The construction industry is about as dynamic of an industry as there is. Think about it: Every project is different. Multitudes of issues, problems, paperwork, people & personalities, weather conditions, you name it. Nothing is ever the same. And as construction professionals, it's our job to navigate this ever-changing landscape that we call "A Project."

To be an effective construction professional, you need to be able to adjust. Adjust to the specifics of the project. Adjust to the issues of the day. Adjust how you execute your day-to-day duties. We are all constantly needing to adjust.

In this episode of the Construction Engineering Show, I talk about 3 adjustments that I've made to my work flow this construction season. I've taken-on a construction management role that has required me to navigate & deal with project issues from a slightly different angel than I've had to in the past. The adjustments I've made have all been extremely effective for me, and I want to share them with you.

1. Managing Email

2. My "Daily Debrief Sheet"

3. Trello

In the episode, several times I give credit to Cal Newport's book "A World Without Email," a book that I highly recommend you check out: It will change the way you look at email and give you plenty of ideas on how you can better-manage it. It's a game-changer!

If you decide to implement any of these adjustments in your daily activities, let me know how it works for you, I'd be really interested to hear your feedback - Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

We've all know that there are times to lead, and times to follow. But in the same breath, there are times to take full responsibility, but there are times when, although you might want to, you can't. 

In this episode of The Construction Engineering Show, I take a step into accepting responsibility. Being a leader requires taking ownership of everything that happens on your watch. Leading yourself, your crew, assisting the client, the agency you are working for, it's all part of being a professional field engineer. 

We all want to be good leaders. We all are willing to take responsibility for the going's-on on our jobsites. But we have to acknowledge that there are, in fact, times when we simply do not have direct control over the situation. And in those instances, I argue, it's OK to allow others to be responsible. I discuss 4 "Situations of Responsibility," each with its own level: 

1. Full Responsibility 

2. Crew Responsibility 

3. Managerial Responsibility 

4. Project Involvement (and Not Direct Responsibility) 

If you're interested in listening to Andy Stumpf and the podcast that I mention, you can check it out here: 

Cleared Hot Podcast - Episode 13 - Failure 

You may have some different opinions on the subject: I'd love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch with me at any of the links below. 

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE 

Website: Hildebranski.com 

Contact Page Link

We are in a world where we are constantly being told that we need to advance our careers. We see and hear from lots of sources that may or may not be credible when it comes to the construction and engineering industries, giving us "tips and tricks" that will lead us to a corner office.

While the over-arching goal of striving towards a goal is extremely important, the rate at which our growth actually occurs doesn't always match-up.

In this episode of the Construction Engineering Show, I do some "debunking" of the myth that advancing in your career is simple if you "...just do X, Y & Z." Advancement and job security in our industry isn't based on time served or credit hours, it comes from hard work, dedication to your craft, and your ability to be a value to your team, your company and the industry.

My opinions on this topic are pretty staunch: I'd be interested to hear what you think. Connect with me and let me know - Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

Critical thinking is one of those skills that, for myself, I probably take for granted. My mind works very practically. I like to work with my hands. I don't like asking for help. I like to fix things myself. I can look at a situation and pretty-much develop a course of action and a method of execution to get it resolved.

I like to solve problems myself.

But more and more, I'm seeing a trend. A disturbing trend. Internet search bars and chat forums are becoming venues for getting answers. For solving problems. Put in part of your question, Google autofills the rest the rest and an algorithm points you to an answer.

"An" answer. Not necessarily "the" answer…

On this episode of the Construction Engineering Show, I rant a bit on critical thinking and how important it is for engineers and construction professionals to use the one tool that has been trained to solve problems - The tool between our ears.

If you're interested in reading more of my thoughts, I wrote an article titled Googling Isn't Engineering that dives into this topic in some detail.

Connect with me and let me know what you think - Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

How many tools do you really need (figuratively speaking, of course) to be effective in your work? How complicated are your systems? Do you spend more time updating spreadsheets, typing up emails or trying to integrate Trello with Slack and Teams and Outlook? What would happen if you stripped your toolbox down to just what you need?

The Basics.

On this episode of the Construction Engineering Show, I challenge all of us (myself, included) to look at our systems, our tools and our daily work activities and think about the basics of what we actually need. I am convinced that the more I minimize, de-clutter and strip-down all of the distractions & unused information around me, the more efficient I become.

I mentioned in the podcast providing a couple of links to some articles that point in this direction - Check them out:

Resident Engineer’s Toolbox – Task Organization

Resident Engineer’s Toolbox - The Dashboard

And if you're interested in checking out Zach Even-Esh, here's a link to his website and the programming that I use to workout (no, these are not sponsored links - I've been training with Zach for years, he's simply one of the best in the business in both strength AND life):

The Underground Strength Gym

Gladiator Strong Online Training

Connect with me and let me know what you think - Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

In this episode of The Construction Engineering Show, we discuss constructability reviews.

If you are a construction engineer, chances are, you'll be asked to review a set of plans and specifications for your design team, your agency or a client who is getting ready to issue a set of plans for bid. Constructability reviews are a great way for those of us who wear white hard hats and have mud-on-our-boots to help the design team "see" aspects of the construction process that can sometimes get overlooked.

In this episode, I discuss the 6 steps that I think are key components to any constructability review:

1. Building strip maps.

2. Performing a cursory scope review.

3. Starting your review looking at the underground.

4. Reviewing the traffic control drawings, the job's "assembly instructions."

5. Digging into the details.

6. Conveying your comments professionally.

It might be considered a "shameless plug," but, if you go to Hildebranski.com and sign-up for my monthly digest, in return, you'll receive a copy of my Special Report "The Engineer's Toolbox - Constructability Reviews" which provides a great starting point for you to develop your own constructability review methods.

Check out BuildWitt Media's LinkedIn Page and give them a follow, you'll love the content they post!

Send me your feedback, post a question or a topic you think might be interesting, or simply let me know if you are enjoying the show.

Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

Athletes train.

Use this article Develop Your Engineering Training Plan from the Hildebranski.com website and put it to use. 

Send me your feedback, post a question or a topic you think might be interesting, or simply let me know if you are enjoying the show.

Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

We all know people who look to cause problems, and we know people who look to solve problems. There is a dichotomy in the word "Problem:" To some, it becomes a chasm that forces progress to stop, while for others, it becomes a challenge requiring a solution.

For most engineers, problems are why we chose the line of work that we did - Engineering is a constant stream of problems that require solutions. How we choose to look at a problem dictates how we will deal with it. I'm proud to say that, Yes, I am constantly looking for problems.

In this episode, I discuss the construction engineer's mindset when it comes to looking for problems, I share a story where the term "Problems" meant different things to different factions on a construction project. And I spend some time charting a course for how we can better think about our daily activities on site and how we should ALWAYS be looking for problems to solve.

Feel free to send me your feedback, post a question or a topic you think might be interesting, or simply let me know if you are enjoying the show.

Cheers!!

Connect with me and let me know what you think - Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

Tailgate Talk is just that - You & I, on-site at our trucks before the shift starts, spending 5 to 10 minutes together discussing a topic to get our work day started right.

Today, I talk about tools: Do you have all of the tools you need to execute all of your on-site tasks today? When is the last time you went through your kit and did an inventory & resupply?

I mention this article that I wrote a couple of years ago - You can use it as a baseline for your gear check-down.

A Construction Engineer's Toolbox

Have a productive, safe day on-site today - Cheers!!

Connect with me and let me know what you think - Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link

On this episode of the Construction Engineering Show, I discuss Tailgate Talks. 

What is a Tailgate Talk? I think it is one of the best ways that I know of for starting the work shift off on the right foot. I discuss my first experience with participating in a Tailgate Talk and how much of an effect it had on the way that I think about job start-up.

I am looking forward to providing a "virtual" morning Tailgate Talk here on the podcast. I plan to post, every couple of days, a quick, 5 - 10 minute topic of interest that you and I can use as an area of focus as we start our work days. The topics will cover a wide range - If it's interesting to me and it can provide us both a benefit to executing our job duties better today, we're going to grab a "virtual" cup of coffee together and kick the tires on it. 

Here's a link to the story that I referenced where I was introduced to Tailgate Talks:

TAILGATE TALK – Engineers NEED to Train

If you have ideas or topics that we could discuss as part of our morning start-up / Tailgate Talk, drop me a note via any of the links below.

Cheers!!

Connect with me and let me know what you think - Cheers!!

LinkedIn: Bob Hildebranski, PE

Website: Hildebranski.com

Contact Page Link