Australian Engineering Practice (ENEG20001) Reflection, Term 2, 2017

This assignment presents a student's reflection on their experiences in Australian engineering practice, focusing on two key learning outcomes: leadership and behavioral changes. The student reflects on a scenario where they led a team and encountered challenges related to team member performance and time management. They discuss the need for improved communication and team management skills to ensure effective collaboration and timely project delivery. The reflection also explores the behavioral changes required to become a more effective engineer, including trusting others, improving team organization, and enhancing time management skills. Furthermore, the assignment outlines the student's career plan, detailing their aspirations to progress through various roles, including design engineer, project supervisor, project manager, and consultant, highlighting the skills needed for each stage. References to relevant literature are also included.

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Australian Engineering Practice
Unit code: ENEG20001
Term 2, 2017
Student Name: Tejaswini Munipala
Student ID: 12059555
Week of submission: 9
Date of submission: 15/9/2017
School of Engineering and Technology
Central Queensland University

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Learning outcome 6
Learning outcome 7
References

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Learning Outcome:6
What
I had a team, which I was leading in order to accomplish some quick task. In this event,
the company relied on the progress of my team in order to take a go ahead on other key activities
on the production sector (Richman, 2012). Nevertheless, I found out two of the ten team member
were unable to disband the required information on time to finish up with the tasks set. This was
dragging the progress of the activities behind and therefore meaning that the company would not
be able to progress with other activities as it was planned.
So what
The delays would cost the company since the production was urgent and the client was
on the neck to have the delivery done. I had therefore to organize a quick meeting with the team
members to explain once more, what was required from them and the urgency of the activities
which they were carrying out (Charney, 2006). With the slow progress, I felt the blame as the
blame as the lead supervisor to have the activities done. Since I had been briefed on the situation,
I was able to carry the responsibility of my team members and therefore I had to make sure we
deliver as required. This meant that I had to explain to the team members the need to collaborate
effectively and ensure that each member has what they require to accomplish the set tasks
(Mersino, 2007).
What else
Additionally, I took the responsibility of explaining the need to helping each other in
order to ensure quick delivery of the results. I had experienced the same with another team,

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where I found few members were very poor in collaborating with others. This is a key weakness,
which is able to happen when one has a team. Although it is the individuals’ weakness, as the
leader one has to come up with a solution to resolve the problem and ensure delivery of the result
is achieved.
What now
Nevertheless, in this situation I think I have to improve on the communication skills to
ensure that before the start of the activity, I have a proper brief to all members on what is
required from them. I failed to have the brief where I had to explain on the different challenges,
which we are facing, and the way we will resolve them when executing the duties. Team
management skill is another key area, which is need to improve (Vocam Worldwide Publishing,
2006). This will help me to identify the key weaknesses of my team members and help me to
handle the challenge and not exposing them. Additionally, working on this will ensure that I
provide and assign the perfect tasks to the perfect persons. This will ensure that all the team
members are comfortable when executing their duties and therefore enhance quick delivery. In
order to ensure that the tasks are accomplished on time, I have learnt that communication and
understanding of the team members are critical. As an engineer and supervisor, I need to be able
to enhance the collaboration of the team members through proper communication and
understanding members’ weaknesses. These two are critical skills, which as a lead person has to
enhance to ensure that they deliver as required and on time.
Learning Outcome:7
What

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In delivery of key task, behavior changes are required to ensure that the required goals
are achieved. One of the key behavior change, which is need to make to become better engineer,
is trusting others in resolving problems. To be an effective engineer, one has to enhance others
and collaborate with them in resolving different challenges while executing duties (Wellington &
Foster, 2009). I have a weakness in trusting others when it comes to problem solving. I always
believe that I can come up with the solution and this takes time. Collaborating with others will
help in provision of different views on resolving these solutions (Whitcomb & Whitcomb, 2013).
This will ensure that disputes in task delivery and available challenges are dealt with on time.
So what
Proper organization of teams and understanding their weakness is another key behavioral
change that I have to make. This will ensure that the teams members are able to enhance their
delivery through proper organization. The organization of the team will ensure that the teams are
able to deliver the key tasks on the required timeline. The organization of the team and what they
need to do has to be done early enough to ensure that they understand their tasks and the way
they have to deliver them. I have a weakness on assigning any team member any task because I
believe they can deliver. This has to change and then ensure that the team members are assigned
the key tasks, which they are conversant with (Haynes & Haynes, 2009). This will ensure that
the team members will deliver perfect work to meet the required standard. Understanding other
weaknesses will ensure that they are assigned tasks, which they can deliver perfect. I will
therefore work on ensuring that I am able to understand their weaknesses and assign the task they
can deliver.
What else

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Time management is essential for the project management (Arciszewski, 2016). The time
management ensures that the different activities are well planned and the project is completed on
time. I believe that I am a time conscious individual. I always plan on what to deliver and at what
time duration I have to accomplish such activities. This ensures that I am able to plan earlier,
deliver the different activities, and assign the time duration, which I think, is appropriate for their
execution.
What now
The best time management behavior is planning. The planning of the activities is able to
provide a consistence way if delivering such activities. The planning is able to ensure that the
delivery procedure is aligned and adhered to in such proper manner. The worst behavior on time
management is allowing people to take longer in accomplishing tasks than it is assigned (Chou,
2013). This is able to drag the project behind and lead to wastage of a lot of time. This can result
in having incompetent team members. Unclear planning is another worst behavior in the time
management. Failing to plan is planning to fail. This is true since time management is usually not
taken into consideration and therefore unaccomplished tasks are found on the way.
Career plan
What
The draft of my career as an engineer will start like a design engineer. This will help
me.to understand the different aspects of the design and the way they are achieved. The
engineering aspect relies on the design aspects and consideration, which must be taken at any

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time. The next step will be able to move to the field and supervise project implementation. This
will enhance my supervisory skills of the different engineering aspect. The next will be able to
move to the project management. At this level is will be able to manage the project and enhance
the planning of the activities for the project. Lastly, I will move to the consultancy field, where I
will be able to offer the consultant services on different engineering aspects (Chang, 2014). This
will mean I will move to consultancy firms and enhance the consultant skills on these firms. The
key works which I would like to execute, as an engineer will range from designing, supervisory,
management and consultancy services. In order to be able to work at these different capacities, I
will need time management skills, supervisory skills and proper communication skills. I will
require working with different people in order to attain these skills. Understanding their working
will ensure that I am able to deliver on achieving the tasks on time.
References

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Arciszewski, T. 2016,. Inventive Engineering: Knowledge and Skills for Creative Engineers.
Boca Raton, CRC Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=4742813.
Chang, C. M. 2014, Business fundamentals for engineering managers. New York, Momentum
Press. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=826535.
Charney, C. 2006, The leader's tool kit: hundreds of tips and techniques for developing the skills
you need. New York, AMACOM. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=11932.
Chou, W. 2013. Fast-tracking your career: soft skills for engineering and IT professionals.
Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1211853.
Haynes, M. E., & Haynes, M. E. 2009, Meeting skills for leaders: make meetings more
productive. [Rochester, N.Y.], Axzo Press. http://www.aspresolver.com/aspresolver.asp?
BIZP;2447243.
Mersino, A. C. 2007, Emotional intelligence for project managers: the people skills you need to
achieve outstanding results. New York, American Management Association.
http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=19346.
Richman, L. L. 2012, Improving your project management skills. New York, American
Management Association. http://www.aspresolver.com/aspresolver.asp?BIZP;2647818.
Vocam Worldwide Publishing. 2006,. Leading the way: skills for supervisors. [Camberwell
Vic.], Vocam.
Wellington, P., & Foster, N. 2009, Effective team leadership for engineers. Stevenage, Institution
of Engineering and Technology. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=471716.

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Whitcomb, C. A., & Whitcomb,L. E. 2013, Effective interpersonal and team communication
skills for engineers. Piscataway, NJ, IEEE Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10645200.