I'm Not Special

A few weeks ago I wrote on the nature of 'special' interview presenters.

I had just finished counseling a Construction Manager on how best to appeal to a University as it was considering a short list of candidates.  Shortly thereafter, I too was in the pageantry business as part of a larger team going after a University Planning project.  How ironic.

We knew the competition well - all respectable candidates; and we considered ourselves the dark horse in the race.  We formulated what we thought would be a distinctly different approach to the presentation, because we were after all 'different'.  What we didn't know is that the client was susceptible to promises that, to us, seemed unwise.  We lost.

Dark horse or not, this stung.  In the debriefing, our approach was complimented; and we were assured of future consideration. Here's the dilemma. Often in the past when I've lost out on a commission I wanted, I would eventually find some element of the project which would have been impossible had the job been landed.  Money loser, indecisive client, conflict of interest, anything that might seem awkward.  So now, with potential future work on the line, what's the recovery time with the potential client who let you down.

Is this anything like what goes through Britney Spears mind?  Nothing seems to stop her.

Angie to the Rescue?

Darn, she's tempting.  Angie, that is.

Here I am consulting on multi-million dollar capital programs, and I can't get a competent contractor to work on my house.  Or so it seems.

The house is old - 98 years, but its 'bones' are good.  It's the other things that are creaking, or even missing.  Getting concrete into the original dirt basement was a hilarious boondoggle.  Most recently, the vitrified clap pipe sewer line gave up.  Now I'm into the second contractor to restore the torn up bluestone walkway.  Wish me luck.

Luck is what it seems to take.  Even the big CM's tell me they have trouble finding residential contractors who will call them back.  Actually showing up is an uncommon bonus.  How could this possibly be?  It's simply not conceivable that they're too busy in this economy.  Maybe it's me.

In any event, Angie seems to have much to offer the hapless homeowner.  I haven't sprung just yet, still relying on my 'poor boy' network.  How 'bout you?  Is salvation there just for the asking?

You want it WHEN??

Contractors and Construction Managers live, eat and breathe detailed project scheduling.  It's a mandatory survival skill.  Architects are not nearly as adept.

The other day, I listened to a CM rant about an Architect who had activities he had to incorporate into a detailed preconstruction services schedule.  "They couldn't even tell me what their tasks would be within the standard defined design phases!  How could they possibly know they're on schedule if they can't name the activities?"  His comments fell on sympathetic ears, but I felt inclined to defend the hapless Architect.

"Fact of the matter," I said, "most Architects have an intuitive sense of where they are in terms of completion within the Phases".  They certainly know how much time they've spent against budget. (At least, usually)  Architects just don't have the experience of CM's to fall back on, with their emphasis on critical timing.

So, now here I sit just having prepared a qualifications submittal to a State agency looking to hire an on-call scheduling consultant.  Will I be stereotyped because of the AIA on the letterhead?  Time will tell.

Are You Special?

A former co-worker liked to call them 'Beauty Contests'.  Apply the right makeup,  Wear the most fashionable clothes.  Answer the test questions with apparent ease.  Luck into some endearing quirk.  Do any of these; and maybe, just maybe, you'll be picked as the Architect or Contractor for the plum commission offered up by the latest Owner's Rep.  The conversation relates to the parade of candidates during short-list interviews.

The allusion to pageantry was his way of saying how superficial the process can be, and particularly (in his mind) how unreliable the conclusions might be.  While I believe there are ways a cautious Owner can mitigate these possibilities, there's no denying the risk of enticement.

Architects, many of whom see themselves as great communicators, often revel in the moment at an interview.  Their self confidence is not always justified, of course; but they can be at ease much of the time.

The poor Contractors and CM's, on the other hand, have a tougher row to hoe.  Whether it's genetic or simply experiential, the performance is far from second nature.  As much as I coach them in their preparation, I do so with a faint hesitation about how unfair it may be.

What do you think?  Is there a better way?

Contractors

Whenever a sentence starts "Some of my best friends are ...", I prepare myself for the opinion of a bigot who attempts to cloak their bias with illusions of open-mindedness.

Alright, now I'm going to do it; and, I swear, there is not a scintilla of bias.  Some of my best friends are Contractors.  I like them, I like what they do, I like what they know, I like the pride they show in their craftsmanship, and I like collaborating with them.

But ...

I can't figure out why so many institutions are infatuated with Contractors when it comes to hiring for leadership positions in their facilities organizations.  Perhaps, more accurately, I think I know why; but wonder how effective the preconceptions are in practice.  By and large, Contractors are perceived as being "tough negotiators", with the training and experience to get the most value for virtually any contract.  They're seen as focused, no-nonsense managers who extract performance from those who work for them.  Actually, in my experience, much of this is true.

But then they commonly get thrown into an arena for which they have scant background.  Whether it's facilities operations (very different from construction), or negotiating with academics at a College or University, or a myriad of other activities for which they struggle to relate; they often have performance issues.

The goods ones, the smart ones, figure out how to adapt; but where does this leave the institutions which has those who struggle?  Adrift, I would venture.

Is this a business cycle that will shift at some point?  I wonder.

Standards?

For the last few months I have been working on the development of Design Standards for a Northeastern College.  While there is no denying the satisfaction of the work, I am intrigued by the lack of consistency from place to place of such documents.

In preparing for this series of documents, not only did I have my own work to recall; but there were any number of accessible precedents for this work.  No two were alike, or even similar in format.  How very odd.

The Construction Specifications Institute has format examples, and MasterSpec will guide you through a specification writing procedure (selling you their proprietary software to make this happen); but neither are on-target for the sort of guideline that good owners should have documenting their facilities expectations.

I suppose I shouldn't be too upset by this, since it presents a vacuum for my consulting practice to fill.  Good for me, and good for those who hire me.  But I have this vague sense that I'm missing something.  Comment, please, if you think I've missed the point.  Set me straight.  Thanks!