Leadership Questions

Eugene Velasquez, Senior Maintenance Engineer

2026-06-03

I definitely wanted to take more time and talk with Eugene (EV) about his career and wisdom he’s gained. He’s not your normal “senior maintenance engineer”, he’s had a variety of roles much higher so the insights would be wonderful to gleam.

I booked some free time on our calendars to sit down in an office and just chat. I’ve put my notes below

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I started with his favorite failure. He mentioned originally as maintenance superintendent he was tapped to be project controls for the upcoming turnaround. He thought it would be learning under the controls contractor to “learn” that side before stepping up for the next TA. But as the TA started and issues arose, the whole project became a problem. At the end of everything (multiple days past schedule and overbudget), EV was the last one still around. Chad Jennings ended up having to give him Needs Improvement at his EOY even though neither thought he was responsible, “at large companies, unfortunately someone has to be holding the bag.” But getting on PIP (performance improvement plan), was a really good way to reflect on what to do when and how to structure growth. EV thinks more people should go through the exercise, just to help define terms and clarify their own job execution.

##I wanted clarification between “project controls” and “cost controls”. Cost is just report out what’s happening, you’re taking the data and cleaning it up to show others. Project controls is taking full ownership of the effort; managing the crafts, vetting quotes, getting everything reported back to you to document.

EV started planning for the next TA two years out. He began having the conversations with folks and getting people excited about it. It was a lot of growing the culture and changing the perception of TAs as something that sucks and always go wrong. Talking early and often about “here’s why it’s gonna be different. You know me and I’m doing everything to ensure it.” He built a cohesive team and as new folks joined (planners/schedulers), he’d get them up to speed then let them do what they do best.

!!How to communicate what’s in your head to someone

This is something I (and everyone) struggle with the most. We think what we imagine in our head is the exact same as them, when really, it’s not. So how does EV ensure everyone on his team has the same vision in their head? Persistence, it’s sitting in their office often and looking them in the eye. “We know what was wrong the last time, here’s what we are gonna do. You and I know how to do it better. I promise you we’re gonna make this happen.” EV’s confidence/passion and his history of successful execution at the site helped to break down barriers and get people on board.

##People don’t believe in words, but they will believe in people. You gotta be the individual others can focus on and rally around.

If you show what’s in it for them, show them the why, understand the person and what motivates them. Some people need to see that what they’re doing makes a difference. Convincing them that if they do their job well, it’s “the key” to the whole effort going smoothly. EV’s story of his rental equipment supervisor crystallized this for me. He talked about how if the supervisor were diligent about what jobs needed a crane and for how long, you could efficiently move the craft job to job with the least about of delays and returning to the laydown yard. It would execute 10 jobs in 3 days instead of 10 days. Even as EV was telling me the story, I began to feel like “oh yeah, this is the linchpin for everything! It would delay everything if you don’t do it well.”

##Something as simple as telling them “Thank you for the effort, you matter and made a difference. I really appreciate it” can make them feel a part of something.

One of the things EV and I connected on was our approach to whatever job we do. He views it as “I should be earning my salary every month” whereas I think “I need to 10x my salary by EOY” (12x vs 10x but still). He felt he finally hit that measure when he was the engineering manager over in Qatar, it was interesting and intense, but he felt he was making impactful decisions.

He did mention his favorite job was his instrumentation job doing power plant fitness for service push tests and measuring thermal cycles (or something like that). The combination of “real engineering” and creating reports was satisfying.

!!What’s something you wish you knew early in your career? Or what’s something that’s underestimated by others that you think is important?

One of EV’s first jobs was a survey rodman in Amarillo. His boss, (Bill Parrie?), after a few weeks said to him, “I need you to anticipate what I need you to do. I need you to be prepared for what I need. I can’t keep telling you what to of, you should know what to do.” You don’t want to be holding other people up and keeping them from doing their job.

##This reminded me of something Lou Holtz said, “you have the obligations and responsibilities, you have the right to fail but you do not have the right to cause other people to fail because you don’t fulfill your obligations.”

!!Which leadership skills were the most difficult to develop?

Soft skills have come relatively easily to EV. He’s pretty good at reading people and that’s helped him greatly in his roles. Get people in the right mindset, ready to do the right job and things fall into place.

##We got sidetracked about camping/Philmont and one of the things the guide mentioned after becoming lost and making it back to camp, “no you didn’t get lost at Philmont, you got to get lost at Philmont.” The outlook you have can change everything.

!!How to identify talent

How does EV identify talent? It’s about seeing how they will fit into the team, are they a good team player. If you come to a team and there’s someone not working well with others, sometimes you gotta decide to break this egg and make them see the value in others/not just themselves. Also, understand what your boss’s expectations for you/the team are.

!!How to impact culture

Your impact is limited to your “sphere of influence”, the people you interact with. If you are good for the culture, it will rub off on folks. Grumbling or pessimism is not worth doing, it drags you and the team down.

!!What’s a talent you admire in others? What makes a good leader?

EV mentioned how Terri does such a good job of protecting the team and having our backs. She’s fully involved but does a great job of sheltering distractions from even reaching us. It’s very different than a laissez-faire boss, where ‘as long as you’re not bleeding I’m not too concerned.’

##this gave me “mother hen” vibes.

!!How to voice success without bragging

One thing EV mentioned was EOY and interviews have the expectation that you should brag on yourself. You should tell the best story that puts you in the best light. He also recommended doing monthly recaps throughout the year to help capture the successes for when you have to do these larger write-ups. And you can craft the story by choosing the language/words/phrases.

!!My personal blind spots

EV game me a lot of praise for how I conduct myself (nothing blind spot wise). He did mention that he’d like to see me in a difficult situation and what I would do.

##I would also like to put myself in this kind of a situation and see how I’d act.

!!How to recenter yourself

EV highlighted prayer; at beginning and ending of your day. Also knowing what your to-dos are. Write them down, then write down the first step to a solution. This helps to reduce the ambiguous stress into a direction of action.

!!What’s an absurd love you have

I knew he was a car guy (drives an old El Camino to work) but I did not know Eugene is as huge comic book fan/collector. His favorite is Wolverine but enjoys Marvel and will get new comics every so often.

##It really opened me up to knowing him a little better. I should ask this question more of people.

end of convo————