Think like an Engineer

Engineers are hard wire to think in a very specific way.

Actually, they aren’t hard wired. We’re forced to think a certain way and a lot of it is dependent on your working environment and peers. Don’t follow the crowd until you’ve been lead by different people and can formulate your own mindset, here’s one tip to think like an engineer.

Look at the available information thoroughly.

Maybe you’re not an engineer so its not obvious.
Maybe you’re not an engineer but it is obvious.

Whichever is the case, most people skim through everything and speak in absolutes (because they actually know what they’re talking about) or they pretend (because they haven’t reviewed the available information).

With most projects, there is one person who actually knows whats going on and a plethora of others making comments on the project with close to zero clue on the technicals but they question you like they know (they often don’t).

I’m a structural engineer and my version of “available information” is

• Existing drawings
• Existing surveys done by others
• The actual drawings themselves
• The calculations

I’ve seen supervisors who claim to have reviewed the final product to be shipped (the engineering drawings in my case) and ask questions that are readily apparent if they actually reviewed it. Don’t be that person. Think like an engineer and review the available information thoroughly. You’ll find that most times, the answers are right in your face. Don’t disrespect the person who produce that work by being lazy and asking questions that you are too lazy to answer yourself!

Who is motoengineer?

I'm a "registered design professional", which is another way of saying I'm a licensed engineer. I practice in NYS and I mainly work on existing buildings that need help. Engineers are cool people. Follow me and I'll teach you how to act like an engineer!