Masonry Magazine April 2007 Page. 67
What does it take to be a Full Contact Project Manager? What does it take, in other words, to move through the job as quickly as possible, with the least number of mistakes, and no "dropped balls?" And don't they know that you've got their backs, and you'll do everything humanly possible to make sure that they have a safe work environment, with good tools, equipment and supervision? I hope I hear some of you saying "yes" out there, because that's why you have your job. Regardless of the company size and your title, much is expected and required of you.
The companies I've worked for in the past have sent me to seminars on project management, claims, scheduling, safety you name it. It's education. It's practice. It's expected. It's required. It's needed. And you need it!
These companies also have expected that I would continue to practice every day, honing my skills for "game day." But these days, my practice might consist of looking at the specs of every one of our jobs, talking to all of our forepersons about what they are doing, making sure that they are not doing any work not called for in our contracts. And if a foreperson tells me that something doesn't seem right, I jump into action, usually by firing off a "winning RFI to our client and letting him or her know that we might have a potential problem. I get into the game, and I do my best with every play. Sometimes we win and sometimes we don't, but we don't just sit on the bench and ignore the game.
I learned a long time ago - and you probably did, too that you can't cut practice if you want to get into the game. And I don't just want in; I want in as a starter. I expect to win. That's the attitude I caught from my coaches, and I suspect that you did, too.
So, now that you're out in the real world, aspire to be a Full Contact PM. Get as much coaching as you can. Go to every relevant seminar that you can possibly attend. Buy the best books - I can suggest a great one on how to get paid! And take every applicable course; it's all tax-deductible, as well as necessary.
And, most importantly, never cut "practice" - your best competitors don't. Your company pays you to practice. Your own team counts on you every day. And you know what this Coach expects of you. Get yourself off the bench. Be a player. Better yet, be a starter!
Gary Micheloni is a working project manager, consultant, speaker and author of the new book, "Get Paid for a Change!" For further information and insight on the Full Contact Project Management approach, simply send an e-mail to: coachgary@fullcontactPM.com.
Copyright © 2007, Gary Micheloni and Full Contact Project Management
COACH GARY'S PLAYBOOK:
Need to find out what to practice? Go to www.fullcontactpm.com, click on to the archives, and see the assistance available to you for free. You get Coach Gary's book there, too
Is the Monkey on Your Back?
MASONRY NEWS CONTRACTOR TIP
Do you have any money owed to you right now? If so, will you get paid? Have you done the proper paperwork it takes to insure you will get paid? And, what does this all have to do with monkeys?
The following story is an example of how easy it is for a general contractor (GC) to throw "the monkey" on a mason subcontractor's (MSC) back while swindling him or her out of thousands of dollars - and it's all due to a lack of paperwork on the MSC's part.
Let's say you are building a shopping center that is two weeks behind schedule because you have been waiting on colored mortar for the brick installation. Even though you verbally warned the GC's superintendent six weeks earlier that it takes four weeks to get custom colored mortar, the GC and/or owner didn't select the mortar color until two weeks ago. Whose fault does this become? Most likely, as the MSC, It will become yours if you didn't send the GC a memo in writing six weeks prior instead of verbally waming them notifying them of the need to order custom colored mortar early. On top of this, the schedule says that you were to start laying brick two weeks ago. Of course, the GC has put this in writing to you, which puts the "monkey on your back" for being behind schedule.
Now, the situation gets worse. The mortar finally comes in and it's the "wrong color" according to the GC. Even though the GC told you exactly what color to order and you followed his instructions to the letter, you are stuck with $15,000 of specially ordered mortar that can't be used. Who's going to pay for that? Let's find out who is carrying the monkey to determine that. If the GC's superintendent pointed to the sample and said to use "that" color, and you ordered it without making him put the specific mortar he selected in writing, "Congratulations, you own the mortar!"
Again, you have "the monkey on your back." If, at the time he selected it, you made him put the mortar selection in writing, he would own it.
Can the nightmare get any worse? Of course it can! We must now order the correct mortar and wait another four weeks. Now, the job is going to be behind schedule at least six weeks and there is a $1,000-per-day penalty being assessed to the GC for every day he goes over the finish date. Who will be responsible to pay the $42,000 penalty for the 42-day job delay? Obviously, the GC is going to try his best to pass this onto his MSC, isn't he? So, who will carry this monkey? Do I need to go on, or can you figure this one out on your own? Obviously, whoever hasn't done their paperwork documenting every issue as it took place has the monkey on their back.
This story is not one that I made up. These events happened to a mason contractor who called me asking for advice concerning why he was having trouble getting paid for completed work. And, it's another reason why I like to call today's GC's "Professional Monkey Throwers."
There is nothing more critical on any construction project than your ability to document a project properly as it progresses. Unfortunately, from day-to-day miscommunications to legal actions, you never know when you may need paper proof that you're doing your job property. Unless, of course, you really enjoy pet monkeys and have a craving for the taste of bananas!
Damlan Lang is the author of the book "Rewarding and Challenging Employees for Profits in Masonry." To order a copy of his book, or to attend one of his seminars held specifically for mason contractors, cail Kerri at Lang Masonry Contractors at (800) 417-9272.
Provided by Damian Lang, President of Lang Mastery Contractors, Inc., and EZ Grout Corp.
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The Voice of the Masonry Industry
April 2007
Masonry 65