Should I ask for help 1

[CivilEnv]

I am a young - first time resident engineer of a small remodel project (2M job). I am alone on the job which means I have to perform all duties - inspection, documentation in the office, resolve RFI's, work on change orders, etc. Since this is my first job, I have been hesitant to ask for help. But, sometimes it gets to a point where I just dont find the time to do everything. Busy phases come and go, but I sometimes I cannot keep up with all the work and find the need for a second person and another set of eyes on the job. Should I ask for help, will this put me in a bad position with my boss? I do not have performance issues so far and my boss has confirmed that.

 

[Beggar]

If you need help in order to keep the project on schedule, by all means, ask for it.

You will look much worse to your boss when he says, "Why are we running late?" and your response is, "I was buried and couldn't get it all done." His likely reply will be, "Why didn't you raise a flag and ask for help?"

What will be your response?

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How much do YOU owe?

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

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[ccor]

Beggar is right. If it's between asking for help and failure, the answer is obvious.

 

[JStephen]

Besides asking for help, just run the scenario you've described past your boss, and ask how you should handle that. Preferably at a time when you're not in a crunch.

 

[HVAC68]

If you don't find time to do everything, you will either miss out on something or compromise on something. Sooner or later, your performance will suffer and you will obviously be questioned. The project will suffer as well. It's better to be open about it and talk to your boss and seek his suggestion.

HVAC68

 

[IRstuff]

Your other choice is to suck it up, kill yourself, be late anyway, and get blamed for the whole mess.

You're almost always better off taking the hit early.

In addition to getting help in bringing the project back on course, the sooner you take your lumps, the sooner people will forget, come review time. All they'll hopefully remember is that your project was successful and on time.

TTFN

 

[Senselessticker]

Asking for help is not a BAD thing. If you manager is a GOOD manager, he'll recognize your ability to know your limits.

 

[TDAA]

JStephen and others had it right,

Tell your boss about it when you are not busy. Let him know that there are times when you are starting to feel overwhelmed. You have been keeping up, so this has not a problem, but let him know you think it could be a problem in the future if things get worse. Then, feel him out for what he expects. Is this a normal workload, will you soon be expected to be running 2 of these projects on your own? Perhaps he wants you to handle it regardless of the load, by working 60 hours, or perhaps he will be understanding and tell you to ask for help. He may want you to provide more feedback on the job so that he can monitor it better to help you. By handling the current workload and speculating about the future, you boss should not hold this against you, because you have not failed yet, you are planning for the future.

Keep in mind that your workload may not be that much compared to a seasoned engineer, and depending on the experience of the staff, the boss may be forgetting that new people take some time to get up to speed.

Pay attention to the boss' reaction. You will learn a lot about him and what is expected.

 

[Ashereng]

Ask for help. Then, you may get the resources that you need.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[DLauEng]

I bet your boss would rather get you the resources you need than to see you get burnt out and quit.

DLauEng