Do and Do not in meeting for civil and structural engineer

Reading level: Beginner

It is common that having a meeting in any circumstances. The meeting is organised for solving some problem arise before, during and after project commence. Matters discussed vary and will not have any fix agenda for discussion. Therefore, as an engineer, he must with his own professionalism to attend and resolve matters arise for a project. Below are some recommendations that what should do during meeting.

1. Do prepare some home work before attending a meeting. It is good to has read through the minutes about coming meeting. Get prepare project information for answering during meeting. Never attend a meeting without knowing agenda of a meeting.

2. As an engineer, the answer of any matter is important. In order to make any discussion, he has to judge it properly before answering any queries arise. In proper answer any queries will affect engineer's reputation.

3. If engineer know the answer, then answer it with his knowledge. As for example when if public want to know whether a cracked structure beam is safe to use. As an engineer, he must either answer Yes or No. Do not answer it in such a way that may be safe or not safe. If he is not sure, he should answer it by saying he needs to check it first and forward the result later.

4. Whenever an engineer is not clear about a matter, do not commit anything to that particular matter. He either says that he has to refer back to certain person in charge and convey message back later.

5. It is quite often that engineer has to commit date line of project such as when a design is ready, when can start work, when tender drawings ready and etc. Therefore, it is important that engineer has to prepare these answers before attend a meeting. The answers of date line must be based on his own work forces. He must know when a design of a project can be ready, when a project can start, when tender drawings can be prepared. Such answers are based on his own working experience. Do not commit any impossible or unclear date line. When engineer keeps on giving broken promises, his reputation will be affected. Later will affect company reputation.

6. If client asking something that beyond engineer capability. One of the ways to deal with it by saying that he will be try his best to work on and forward it to client as soon as possible.

7. In the event that an engineer in charge cannot be attended a meeting, he is sending another person to attend it. It is good to brief the person who attends the meeting about matters that will arise during meeting. So this person will able to convey messages during meeting.

8. If engineer cannot attend a meeting and no representative. Engineer has to inform chairman about his absent and make apologise about his absent. Try to inform chairman about solution of matters for that meeting. Let chairman to convey message to other attendees.

9. Engineer has to always judge a particular matter that arisen for a project is under scope of works of engineer. He must make it clear during meeting. And direct the scope to right person in charge.

10. Whenever a particular matter is not engineer scope, do not intercept this matter in the meeting. If engineer really needs to help it, he must specific say that he is doing HELP for it. Otherwise, later and sooner this matter will become a scope of work for engineer. 

11. In certain event that an engineer is rushing for time. He can request the chairman to go ahead with engineer's agendas and make excuse from meeting after resolve these agendas.

12. Certain meeting will involve a lot of person. And meeting will time consuming. The meeting will take for few hours to finish. Some time, it only an agenda for engineer. Engineer can request chairman to move the agenda to the beginning of meeting and make excuse after the agenda. In the event that it needs engineer to attend certain agendas, engineer can talk to chairman to organise possible time for engineer to arrive. It for saving engineer time for waiting unnecessary   time in the meeting.

13. In order to save time in meeting, engineer should avoid any queries need to resolve at site. Do not discuss in meeting because it needs to attend at site. Otherwise it will be double handling work. Try to resolve site matters at site, not during meeting. Whenever a matter has been solved. Do not discuss it in meeting. Engineer can highlight what is the solution of the matter.

14. Engineer has to justify that which matter is right to discuss in a meeting. As for example, a client consultant meeting should not discuss site matters. It is waste of time. Site matters leave it to technical site meeting.

15. Whenever, engineer is a chairman of meeting. He has to prepare meeting minutes in few days in advance. The minutes have to circular among attendees before meeting. It for reminder to attendees and let attendees have enough time for preparing necessary work for the meeting.

16. When engineer is a chairman, engineer has to always redirect the attendee's answer to right direction. Do not let attendee answer un-related information about a matter in a meeting.