Things to Stop Doing – A Professional Outlier’s Perspective

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

I’ve mostly had the experience in my life of being a bit of an outlier. I didn’t understand it when I was younger, but I do now. It’s not something I contrive or try to make happen, it’s just part of who I am, how I think, and how I interact with the world. At this stage of my life, I am comfortable with it.

So, here’s my view on something we need to STOP Doing.

State boards of professional engineering and architecture need to stop mandating continuing education- professional development hours (PDH) for registered design professionals (PE’s, RA’s and similar.)

Am I against education? No, quite the contrary. The very nature of a “professional” and our work, the statutory compliance requirements, ethics, protection of health and public welfare, certification of documents, education, fundamentally require the constant growth and learning with or without PDH’s.

Being a “professional” implies that we are in a category of self-governance, self-learning, training, and needing to stay “sharp” regardless of mandates. The state rules already provide enough accountability to encourage technical competency.

And if a registrant isn’t committed to it, or the very nature of their work as PE, RA, or other type of licensure is just a title at this stage in their career, then that’s okay. We all still must practice only in our areas of specialty. And if we waver from that, we face the consequence of a potential reprimand, civil and even criminal penalties.

Mandatory Professional Development hours might look good on the surface, but it doesn’t define the value of a design professional and their capability. It doesn’t ensure more quality work.

Most of it in my view is just an extra burden. Find the courses, get the hours, check the boxes.

While I do it and seek to make it work to my advantage, to learn, and to find courses as closely aligned to my field and interest as possible, I wouldn’t do it if it was not required. I don’t need it. I get plenty of real and applicable PDH’s every week, month, year, through the nature of the work, literally.

Plus, apart from Industry-Specific seminars from various companies in the building enclosure and components space, try to find PDH’s on that relevant subject matter through the major online players. You won’t find much.

More compliance is just more burden, less value, less trust in allowing professionals to be who they have chosen to be.

This won’t make it stop, but I had to say it. I’ll bet others in this space may feel the same.

Add a comment…

Randomness, Observations, Experiences

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

For today, in no particular order or connectivity—just writing from experiences…..

People are better at constructing, building up, and expanding than de-constructing, tearing down, retracting. But sometime life calls for more deletion, simplification, deconstruction. This is true personally and professionally.

When all else is stripped away, the the first priority of any business is survival. It’s not fancy, but survival is 1st. Sell work, do work, bill work, collect for the billed work, profit by spending less than we take in. Being visionary or doing long range planning is a waste of energy if we aren’t dealing with sustainability of delivering excellence over and over and growing outward.

Cash is underrated. We can’t eat (literally) off of equity (unless it’s in land producing food.) We can grow wealth by equity, but we need cash for daily life. Each has its place. Don’t mistake one for the other.

It can be healthy to consider the “least plausible explanation” for an outcome or occurrence. This is threatening to some people, but it can be refreshing to consider.

Conspiracy theories are only such until they aren’t.

Much can be discerned from pattern recognition. This is not really emphasized in most formal educations. Patterns, broken patterns, changing patterns can reveal much. Sometimes we call this “trusting our gut,” but it really isn’t about the gut. It’s about awareness and processing patterns. Don’t discount it.

Everything matters, small or big. So finish it.

Making the bed in the morning really is the start to a more organized and ordered life. It sets in motion a pattern of getting things done, owning the day, developing healthy habits. (We own the bed, the bed doesn’t own us.)

Agility and resilience are key qualities of people, families and businesses that continue to endure in spite of constantly changing circumstances.

Buildings constructed without a qualified Building Envelope Consultant under-perform compared to those constructed with one. This is a key investment that provides a short and long term ROI (return on investment) in better comfort, longevity, aesthetics, capability, reduced risk. The old phrase, “pay now or pay (a lot more) later” applies to this in every instance.

It may sound obvious, but builders, architects, and engineers all have their role in the built world. Don’t confuse one for the other. Engage each according to their value to a project

The Antarctic Ice sheet gained significant mass from 2021 to 2023, reversing the trend of mass loss. This doesn’t make headline news. Look it up. This is not a political statement, just a fact.

Accounts receivable (collecting cash payments for billed services or products) is the hardest part of managing a small private business in B2B world. The “work” of the business is easy. Keeping AR moving is hard unless we can dictate terms 100% of the time, which is not reality. Every client has a different process, platform, payment method, chain of command, etc. Be wise, be sensible, be reasonable, but set boundaries.

Outsourcing anything is a mixed bag; it’s two sides of the same coin. It requires sacrificing some measure of control for convenience. Assess and monitor regularly

That’s it for today. Randomness. I had to get that off my chest. Comment if you choose.

Curtain Wall Engineering

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Curtain Wall engineering, a subset of the delegated design and engineering field, is a worthy craft and endeavor. Here’s some principles I practice and promote, personally and organizationally, to bring successful outcomes and value to clients.

Collaboration: Good engineering is collaborative engineering. It engages the client. This includes their project manager, designer, fabrication manager, field installer, and other vested constituents.

Construct-able: Solutions must be practical, able to be constructed with available materials, sequenced properly.

Client Centered: Collaboration starts with the client. It’s about mutual solutions, not the engineer’s solution alone. Start with the end goal and work backwards. This is simple on some projects, more complex on others. And most tradespeople are not used to engineering professionals talking to them, respecting their opinion, valuing their input. Win over the installers and project managers, and win the client long-term (and learn something in the process.)

Code Compliant: Our solutions must be compliant with the building code, which is the minimum standard for buildings and structures. Mastery over the code and applications of AISC, AA, AAMA, ACI, ASTM and other reference standards is critical. We’ve got to have “the right tools in the tool chest.”

Communicative: Communicate regularly. The number one predictor of successful outcomes, client retention, good solutions, and lowering of risk, is communication; no question. And just because a direction was established at the start of the project doesn’t mean it’s going to bear itself out at the end. Keep the client engaged in communication and be consistent.

Correct: We’ve got to be technically solid, technically correct, make proper judgements and support it with the math and physics. The “numbers” have to be right to protect the client, the project, the public and the PE in charge.

Creative: All projects are not created equal. All installers do not practice the same techniques. All architects want their project to bear the unique “signature” of their firm. Owners want a product that is attractive to tenants. Every problem has a solution. Be creative, both in engineering approach and in the elegance of the solution. Say “yes” as often as possible. Find a way. Back it up with the numbers, or develop a blended solution.

There’s much more, but let’s stop here for today. Of course, we need to make use of the most effective use of the tools of the trade; software, hardware, templates, allowable stress rules, product information, vendor support, 3-D analysis programs, and more. Those are support elements, not the value propositions. It’s what we “do with the tool” that provides the difference in the outcomes.

Master your craft, and deliver value in increasing measure.

Compliance vs Self-Education

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

I am a professional. One thing that distinguishes professionals in any field or industry, is self-learning. When we commit to being a professional, we commit to a lifetime of self-learning. I also happen to be a professional engineer, a “PE.” With becoming a PE, comes years of study, testing, and an ongoing obligation to the public and the profession to practice in our area of expertise; to follow clearly outlined by laws that regulate the profession. I am a big proponent of this.

Some years ago, regulators and PE’s serving on state boards, working together, decided it would be a good idea to require continuing education in order to renew and maintain one’s PE license. This sounds like a good idea, but does requiring continuing education to be completed define whether a professional is a self-learner or not? Were the bylaws, the ethics, and the essence of what we agreed to do and adhere to not enough? Can professionals not be trusted? If they can’t be trusted then there are rules in place to discipline them, or remove their license. Before that would happen, they would likely be discarded by clients or their employer. Is this not enough compliance? What’s my point? (I’m glad that you asked)

Practicing any craft well requires a continual commitment to learning. It’s a necessary part of the process. Am I a believer in continuing education? Yes. Does requiring it as part of a compliance regimen guarantee the right outcomes? No. Taking coursework is good, but it doesn’t define self-learning. Checking a box is simply that. We can complete an exercise, walk away, and not learn the rest of the year if we choose. If we are self-learning, we are “checking the box” every day.

Compliance doesn’t confirm competency.

Reflections on Today – The Value of Connecting

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Today’s breakfast was a reminder of the value of meeting new people and networking with those of different backgrounds – an educational experience as valuable, or more, than most classrooms. My Doctor organized a breakfast for the purpose of discussion, networking and relationship building. It included the Dr (an MD); a young CMO of a financial services firm; a PhD Educator and Medical Research Business owner; a sage and former CEO of a private then Publicly traded company; an ex-farmer turned prolific real estate owner; a college grad fresh off a trip to Latvia, the Balkans and Israel; then me, a Professional Engineer and A/E Services business owner. 5 men and 1 woman (the PhD). I could have listened to their experiences for more than the 2 hours that we broke bread and shared discussion.

There are always great dynamics and diverse experiences in these groups that are mind-expanding. Someone once said that the only things that really change us are the people we meet and the books we read. This includes the “experiences we have.” Today confirmed that statement.

This was a mini-retreat, a walk through the world of others, a sharing of knowledge and experience. Every time I do this I wonder why I don’t do it more often and why I allow myself to be stuck in the normal routine of each day.

Break routine. Do something different. Meet new people. Step out of your comfort zone. It’s an enriching experience.