Hey, it’s Collin. Welcome to Engineering Echelons, a newsletter full of ideas and insights to help engineers excel at management.

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week.

• New and noteworthy news

• A management perspective to consider

• Leadership insights to delve into

• And more…

First time reading? You can subscribe here.

Alright, let’s get into it.

Noteworthy Headlines

Construction backlog indicator rises, contractor optimism slips (ABC)

Highlights:

• Backlog is up on a year-over-year basis in all regions other than the South. Despite the lack of growth, backlog in the South remains significantly longer than in any other region.

Dodge momentum index surges 21% in July (Dodge Construction Network)

Highlights:

• Commercial and institutional sectors gained momentum over the last month.

• Year-to-date, the DMI is up 27% from the average reading over the same period in 2024.

Partner Message

You don't cut corners on structural integrity. You don't rush critical calculations. You plan for decades, not just deadlines.

The Shindig Shirt™ was designed with the same methodology you bring to every project. Rowdee's team spent years perfecting the fabric blend. Sweat-proof technology that won't fail during those hot August afternoons. Wrinkle-resistant fibers that maintain their structure through countless wear cycles. Reinforced stitching at stress points because details matter.

Your values mirror ours:

• Precision over speed - Every seam calculated, every cut intentional

• Built to last - Quality materials that perform year after year

• Function drives form - Looks professional because it works professionally

• Testing under pressure - From blueprints to job sites to boardrooms

Just like your best projects, this shirt gets better with time. No compromises, no shortcuts—just engineered excellence that works as hard as you do whether in or outside of the office.

Use code ECHELONS15 for 15% off your first order.

Start shopping now →

_{*Partners may compensate Engineering Echelons and/or its contributor(s) for sharing their message(s).}

Management Perspective

Taking on a new role can be daunting. Especially a leadership role where you need to learn a lot about the business in order to effectively lead your team.

The first step is determining what you need to learn. Then prioritize them. Depending on the type of role you’re taking on, some aspects are more important than others to figure out.

Will Larson provides a framework in his book The Engineering Executive’s Primer for leaders to prioritize in their first 90 days in a new role, outlined below.

(Ideally, you would learn many of these before taking on the role)

How does the business work?

• Where does the money come from?

• Where does the money go?

• How much money is in the bank?

• What needs to be true in the next year for the business to make a step function increase in value?

• What are the knowledge gaps between folks in engineering and folks in business?

What defines the culture?

• What are the company’s true values?

• What are some key decisions that the company has made recently?

• How do decisions really get made?

• Who is valued and why?

• Whose role has grown and whose role has stagnated?

How can you establish healthy relationships with peers and stakeholders?

• What do your peers need from project teams and how can you help them succeed?

• How do your stakeholders define success?

• How can you build a relationship before you encounter your first source of conflict?

Is the team executing effectively on the right work?

• How does an idea turn into finished work?

• How does work get assigned?

• Who steps in to handle emergencies?

Is technical quality high?

• How well are tools supporting the team’s day-to-day work?

• What are the key technical properties?

• What projects are considered impossible due to technical limitations?

Is it a high-morale, inclusive team?

• Who is successful within your team?

• Who isn’t finding success? Why?

• What are the active inclusion efforts and who leads them?

• Is the work valued?

• What is energizing, or stealing energy from, the team?

Is the pace sustainable for the long haul?

• What do you need to stay engaged and energized for the long haul?

• What are lines you’ll temporarily cross that you’ll explicitly walk back after you’ve ramped up?

Management Insights

Walt Disney on being curious:

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we are curious—and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

—

The Wright Brothers on risk:

“The man who wishes to keep at the problem long enough to really learn anything positively must not take dangerous risks. Carelessness and overconfidence are usually more dangerous than deliberately accepted risks.”

—

Brad Stulberg on diversifying your sense of self:

“One of the most important parts of developing an identity that can thrive, persist, and endure change is to diversify your sense of self. You can think of identity like a house. You want the house to have multiple rooms. Perhaps there is a ‘parent’ room; and ‘athlete’ room; an ‘employee,’ ‘entrepreneur,’ or ‘executive’ room; a ‘community member’ room, and so on. It’s okay to spend a lot of time in just one room, but you’ve got to ensure you keep the others in good enough shape. This way, when you experience a massive change or disorder event in one area of your life, in one room of your identity, you can step into other areas to gain your footing and stability. Like a diversified portfolio in investing, diversifying your sense of self makes you more rugged and flexible in the face of change.”

Management Resource

How to eliminate organizational debt (The Ready)

Financial debt and technical debt are well understood. Organizational debt, however, isn’t. And it carries significant risk.

Share

Know someone who could benefit from this newsletter? Let them know!

Get in Touch

Did something strike a chord? Tell me about it.

Or…

• Let me know if you’ve found something worth sharing.

• Let me know what challenges you’re having as a manager.

• Let me know what challenges you see other managers having.

Send me an email at [email protected]

Looking forward to hearing from you. See you next time.

Collin

Partners