You've got to be very thorough and analytical. And you need a good understanding of the construction process. A lot of times the mentality is driven strictly by cost. Sometimes cost isn't what you want to make your decisions by. Sometimes you have to look at functionality.
Cost is always a very important consideration, but it's one part of making a decision.
You need to know what the requirements of the occupants are, how the space is going to be used. What's appropriate in a retail center isn't the same as a call center. My role, obviously, is to run the company and deal with payroll and finances, but as the electrical engineer, I'm responsible for the technical design on projects we do. I make technical decisions. Other people may make the plans, but I make the ultimate decision on design.