Words to work by

Three decades in AEC show that while technology reshapes our work, strong communication and partnership still determine success.

As 2026 unfolds, the future of our industry appears to be changing at an uncomfortable rate for some and in exciting ways for others. With technological advancements in design tools and project management platforms, and the adoption of AI in many facets of our work and home life, I thought it might be interesting to provide a retrospective as seen from my point of view on how even though a lot has changed since the turn of the century – from the 1990s to now – the importance of communication, personal connection, and professional partnering remains constant.

To give you an idea of my background, I am a Gen Xer who was introduced to the field of engineering as a career choice back in elementary school. “Expanding your Horizons,” an outreach program that was a response to the anticipated silver tsunami of the first quarter of the 21st century and subsequent deficit in the technical labor pool, encouraged me and others who were historically not the typical demographic for the AEC world. I was hooked.

From a very early age I have loved solving problems, and as an engineer I was able to put my passion and skills to practical good use with tangible results. For the past 30 years, I have specialized in the construction management field – building bridges in the first half of my career and shifting in the latter half to the management of water and wastewater projects throughout California. All of my career has been on the private consultant side, whether it was as a general contractor or a construction manager working for various-sized firms, from the “big boys” to the smaller niche companies.

With this variety of work environments and diversity of companies, these are the biggest lesson I have learned along the way:

• The one constant is change. My preference for the consultant’s side is rooted in the ability and agility to help our public agency partners in meeting and addressing the constant changes inherent in our industry. Whether it be compliance issues for emerging contaminants, upgrading aging infrastructure, or internal staffing shortages – being able to support the public stewards of our communities’ health and well being is the very definition of civil engineering and is incredibly rewarding.
  In terms of how things have changed in our practice of engineering, the dramatic shift from analog to digital in our means of communication, documentation, and deliverables has been phenomenal. I remember when file cabinets, bankers boxes, fax machines, drafting tables, hanging full-size set drawings, and, yes, fairly clunky desktop computers and laptop-sized cell phones were the standard tools of the trade in any office. Now our work is managed and accessible in real time on a hand-held device the size of a TI calculator. Regardless of the tools used and the speed with which information is shared, one thing has not changed and that is the importance of the art of communication – more a “people” skill versus a P.E. qualification. Connecting with people effectively is the key to any project’s success. We do not design or build in a silo.
• Communication is key. Successfully choosing how and when we communicate, and being able to convey that information clearly, is a soft skill that many engineers shy away from and lack confidence in. Part of my preference for construction management lies in the need for constant communication in dealing with the day-to-day challenges inherent in construction coupled with the reward of bringing a project from 2D, or now Plant 3D, to a physical reality. During the construction phase of any project, changes are inevitable and bring varying degrees of stress and turmoil to any project and project team. It’s through the process of dealing with changes consistently and communicating proactively to solve and resolve issues that we become better professionals and engineers.
  One of the valuable lessons I have learned is how important learning and implementing emotional intelligence is when carrying out our duties as professional engineers. This means not just conveying information, but asking the right questions. Is this being heard? Understood? How will it be received? Is this the best way for me to approach this person with this subject? Read the room – maybe now isn’t the best time to share information. And above all, cultivating the ability to listen. Communication is in fact a two-way street. Sometimes you learn a lot more by listening than by trying to convince others why you are right. Or said another way: “Being right is not always correct.” I have found that both working to understand people and managing their unique personalities are key to efficiently resolving technical issues and are the best approach to maintaining a healthy team dynamic that consistently produces positive outcomes.
• Playing it forward. Just as companies will continue to change and grow, as they must, to survive, public agencies must also adjust to a continuing deficit in our industry’s limited available engineering pool of resources. The need for continued public-private partnerships to meet the engineering challenges of the rest of this century is a given. Part of the solution is advocating for our amazing profession and educating the next generation of engineers.
  A career passes in the blink of an eye and what we can and should be planning for is how to distill our experience and knowledge base now. “Transfer of knowledge” is a term I hear time and time again, along with the common refrain, “We will lose so much institutional knowledge when they retire.” There is no time like the present to educate and share what we know. Outreach through professional organizations, college affiliations, participation in high school programs, or even personal relationships can plant the seeds, while I truly believe one-on-one mentorship can and does provide the most effective and strongest base for building the next generation of engineering leaders.

Melanie Carrido, PE, is an operations manager at MKN, an Ardurra Company. Connect with her on LinkedIn.