There’s a misconception in corporate ops circles that persists like a bad habit:
If a project is going sideways, hire another project manager.
But let’s be honest—how often does that actually work?
More often than not, what you get is another layer of status reports, communication bottlenecks, and someone managing from a distance. Meanwhile, the people with boots on the ground—the ones actually installing the system, solving problems in real time, and navigating all the unpredictable variables—are sidelined from the decision-making.
That’s backwards.
The Ground Sees What the Plan Can’t
Field engineers are often treated like skilled labor, not tactical leaders. That’s a mistake.
These are the people who:
- See equipment failures before the system even logs them
- Understand the real sequence of operations, not the theoretical one
- Watch vendors cut corners and know where compliance is slipping
- Adjust on the fly when a shipment is wrong, or a part doesn’t fit, or a spec makes no sense in real conditions
No project manager—no matter how well-meaning—is going to catch that on a Zoom call.
Execution Demands Trust
This isn’t about disrespecting project managers. It’s about understanding that execution isn’t a spreadsheet—it’s a battlefield. And in battle, the guy in the command tent doesn’t have the best situational awareness. The person at the edge does.
If you want cleaner installs, faster timelines, and fewer surprises, the answer isn’t more oversight—it’s more trust.
Give your field engineers:
- The authority to make calls without six levels of approval
- The training to lead projects, not just complete them
- The systems that support action, not just documentation
Let Leaders Lead—Where They Stand
The best field engineers are already managing projects—they just aren’t getting credit for it.
They coordinate crews, adjust plans, manage risk, talk down vendors, and solve problems in real time. That’s project management. You don’t need to layer another person on top—you need to recognize what’s already happening and institutionalize it.
Field engineers don’t need hand-holding. They need autonomy, responsibility, and a clear mandate:
“Own this outcome.”
Stop Stacking Middlemen. Start Building Outcomes.
Real project success comes from empowering the right people—especially the ones in the trenches.
Not just because it’s efficient.
Not just because it reduces cost.
But because it works.
The closer the decision-making is to the ground, the less friction you’ll face and the faster you’ll deliver.
And that’s not a theory. That’s operational truth.