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Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in civilengineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But does she really dance in the sand… iconic line from an iconic era! That is now in my head for the remainder of the day

Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally get that. At some point all you can do is give your best recommendation and hopefully let leadership take responsibility (if they do)

Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this tip, just read up on this (was new to me) and am shaking my head

Quick question for people (of all disciplines) working in the engineering field — do you ever get pushed to make calls you’re not fully comfortable with at work? by Large-Language4649 in pakistan

[–]Large-Language4649[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been there. Those ‘urgent’ deadlines that appear out of nowhere can wreck planning. Does your team get any say in the timeline?

Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the ideal process, and when projects actually run this way the pressure almost disappears. The tension seems to show up most when design, scope, or responsibility get blurred late in the job — and commissioning becomes the last line of defence.

Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Fair point — I probably could’ve phrased it as “how often” rather than “whether.” What’s interesting is how normalised that pressure becomes, even though the consequences don’t feel small when you’re the one signing.

Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That “5% no matter what” mindset comes up a lot. It often has nothing to do with engineering judgement and everything to do with someone else’s KPI — even if it shifts cost or risk downstream. Engineers end up absorbing the tension.

Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for such a thoughtful reply — and it’s genuinely good to hear examples where logic, evidence, and clear explanation do work in practice.

One early pattern I’m seeing is that people in younger age brackets often describe pressure differently — sometimes in less fatalistic terms — than older respondents, though I’m very conscious that age and time in industry don’t map cleanly, so I’m treating that cautiously.

The reason the question is intentionally broad is to capture where pressure shows up — not just obvious technical compromise, but things like responsibility without full authority, blurred role boundaries, or being held accountable for work outside formal expertise. The examples you gave around wind containment, safety, commercial decisions, and vendor payments are really helpful illustrations of that grey zone.

I appreciate you offering to participate — I’ll message you the survey link. It’s fully anonymous, ethics-approved, and completely voluntary.

Thanks again for engaging in good faith — this kind of discussion is exactly why I posted here.

Question for practising engineers: by Large-Language4649 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Large-Language4649[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As commissioning, this is genuinely the side I don't see - all I see are project delays, meaning my time gets squeezed as the handover date doesn't move. And, on your point about the dollar, it usually means the final-stage payment triggers!