Masonry Magazine September 2006 Page. 55
As a PM, the one thing you never run out of is RFIs!
True enough, but every rule has its exceptions—sometimes we have some gold of our own.
And this time, I had some. (And you have some, as well, if you only remember to look in your pockets and find it.) At this point in time, what was the one thing this architect wanted even more than not answering my RFI? He wanted the project to continue with no delays. And there's your gold.
As a PM, the one thing you never run out of is RFIs! Your construction manager may answer your RFI with some kind of an inane, inaccurate and appropriate comment. But he will eventually answer it. And if the answer is not clear enough, doesn't give you the direction you need, or tell you how to proceed, then you have every right to ask for another response.
In my case, I reminded the architect that he was the designated point of contact and that he had to answer the RFI. I also told him, again, that if he didn't, it would cause the project to be delayed due to certain conditions not disclosed in the bidding documents. And then I asked him the question again. Finally, he provided the answer (and a few more dollars), and we moved on.
You're thinking, "Hey, Coach, how come this works so well for you? Nobody else talks about doing things this way." Sometimes the riskiest strategy in the game is to not play your best hand and to fold instead. The unfortunate thing here is that it is your company that takes over the risk, assumes costs not of your making, or bears a burden that belongs to others. I prefer that my company not adopt this strategy, so we generally don't. And you don't have to, either.
Sometimes you need to provide leadership on the project. Sometimes you need to help the other guy learn to lead, as well. And sometimes you can take all of that to the bank!
Gary Micheloni is a working project manager, author of the new book, "Get Paid for a Change!", speaker and consultant. For further information and insight on the Full Contact Project Management approach, simply send an e-mail to: info@fullcontactPM.com.
Copyright © 2006, Gary Micheloni and Full Contact Project Management
COACH GARY'S PLAYBOOK: I'm sure that you have your own set of questions. You don't? if you'd like to see my list, which is much longer, go to the website www.fullcontactPM.com, and look for the link "Pre-construction Meeting Checklist." You need this stuff!
The Best Contractors Manage
Systems, Not People
MASONRY NEWS CONTRACTOR TIP
There is an old adage that states: "Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." We can either show people how to do what we want each time before they do it, or set up systems that continuously check to insure we get the same results time and time again. If we put systems in place as we go, we will be able to grow without the chaos of managing every little task. This will help us focus on the things that matter most. Basically, the system manages the task for years to come instead of you having to go over the procedure time and time again.
One example comes to mind, when Donna, the kids and I decided to spend our summer vacation camping last year at Virginia Beach so we could visit our good friends Bob and Toni Hedrick at Sprinkle Masonry. Once we got settled, I promised my three daughters that I would take them to the trading post where they could each pick out a toy.
Of course, they bugged me every day until I got the chance to get our four-year-old, Rachel, and five-year-old, Amy, what they wanted. Our oldest daughter, Kaylee, wasn't with us at the time, so when we got back she asked about her toy. Being short on time, I decided to give her a little test (at seven years old). I gave her a $100 bill and told her to take it to the trading post and pick out any toy she wanted up to $5.
When Kaylee came back, she proudly said, "Daddy I got something for you," and handed me two Virginia Beach signature golf balls. I noticed that they were $2.79 each and figured that she must not have gotten anything for herself since she had a $5 limit. Then she hands me $70 change and says, "Dad, that's all they would give back to me."
Being a little disturbed, while at the same time trying to keep from busting out laughing, I asked, "Kaylee, what did you buy that cost so much?" It turned out that on the way to the trading post, she picked up her friends and told them she had money, to come along and pick out what they wanted up to $5. I let her know how I felt about her taking advantage when I trusted her with $100.
Knowing I was upset, and without telling me, she got the toys from her friends and took their toys as well as her own back to the store and brought my money back. I wondered how hard it must have been for her to take the toys back from her friends. I felt even worse than before she did it. However, I knew I couldn't buy them all something or she would not have learned the lesson. Later, I did get something special for Kaylee for being so compassionate not only for giving the money back, but for thinking of the rest of the kids. It turned out that I was the one who learned the best lesson.
Although I may have found out what happened, only because Kaylee had no other choice but to give my change back, what if we ran our companies with no systems to insure we had enough money left after expenses? Our people should have a system that rewards them for doing what's right—keeping sales up and expenses down. If we show them where our dollars are going and how their pay will be reflected based on monthly profit and loss, they will care about our company's success.
If you would like to learn how we set these systems up at Lang Masonry, I recommend you read my book, "RACE," or come to one of my seminars. Just call Keri at our office at (800) 417-9272.