1. Safety First - If a project needs to be done, it also needs to be done safely. Safety can't be something that is considered after you get started, it needs to be done along with the primary planning process. What safety protection measures need to be taken? What tools and equipment will be used? What separation or protection from danger will be needed? Talking through how a project is going to be built, gives an opportunity for all involved to think about safety, quality and efficiency before the work starts. A safe project is a clean project, and results in higher levels of satisfaction all-around.
2. Area Logistics - Where is the work going to be done? Is there room? Are there access or adjacency constraints? How do the materials, equipment and manpower get in and out of the project area? What is going to be affected by this project? This is the step that causes you to imagine building the project before you actually start, and what the project will be like when the work is going on. This is one of the most overlooked steps in project planning. You can travel around construction sites and look at projects that have well-thought-out logistics, and projects that don't. Project sites that are a mess, will affect the quality, safety and overall Owner satisfaction. Since construction is by nature disruptive, those projects that have good logistics planning are better neighbors, allow the work to progress more expeditiously, with higher quality ---and in the end, everyone involved is much happier.
3. Schedule & Sequence - This can be as simple as the answer to the question, "What comes first, and how long will it take?"--or as complex as a massive Critical Path Method chart, with thousands of activities, links and associated durations. The problem with many schedules is that they are created and then never updated. No schedule is completely accurate when it is created-- it needs to be updated and adjusted for changes in plan or inevitable impacts (like weather). The goal is to anticipate enough of the project conditions that the overall duration and major milestones are met, while communicating how the various work items will fit together along the way. Many times schedules are just re-used from a similar project, or even, "It took 2 months last time, so we'll use that--". Past history is a good starting point (or "Go-By"), but the best schedules are customized to take into consideration the most current information. Contractors in the past have been notorious for mis-estimating schedules - in the movie "the Money Pit" with Tom Hanks and Shelly Long, the contractor was constantly telling the Owners that the work was going to take "two weeks", and it always ran way past . . . if you haven't seen the movie, it is a comedy, with a very funny but unflattering portrayal of contractors. Although most projects have schedules, many miss the critical step of updating and communicating to all the parties changes, impacts and efforts to get back on track.
4. Rules/Requirements/Restrictions - Most projects have to be built within codes, standards, plans & specs and personal expectations. The best projects review all these requirements, and establish clear expectations at the outset. Without this, the builder may find himself re-building to meet the expectation, that was never understood or communicated in the first place. Project documents should communicate what the expectation is and allow that expectation to be confirmed. Questions are a great way to establish clarity-- and for the benefit of all involved, they should be documented in writing. Misunderstanding and miscommunication are the root of most project conflicts. "Measure Twice, Cut Once" is a long-used expression in construction that urges confirming and double-checking to remove doubt.
5. Follow-Up - Even with the best laid plans, directions and agreements - any of these left unchecked, will likely result in project disappointment. I believe there are 3 opportunities to impact or manage a work activity - establishing and confirming the reasonable expectation in the first place, second follow-up to confirm the commitment is on track, and finally confirming satisfaction after the commitment is completed. Amazon is a great example of this-- if you order something from Amazon.com, they immediately confirm the order and confirm the expectation of the delivery of the item (first follow-up). Then, when the item is being shipped, they confirm that it is coming and what the expected delivery date is (second follow-up) and then, after the item is delivered, they send a survey to ask how the service was (third follow-up). Construction projects would surely benefit from using this technique.
6. Clean-Up - Sometimes the hardest part of a project is finishing, getting everything removed and allowing the regular activities of the former worksite to return to normal. Thinking about cleanup and smoothly exiting the worksite from the outset --is essential to a successful project. Efficient cleanup planning could affect safety, logistics, schedule and certainly expectations. The best approach to a smooth cleanup is to finish the work and cleanup as you go. There is a tendency to want to leave certain items until the end - "we'll get it when we do the punchlist" or "let me come back and do all that at the same time"-- these approaches may seem most expedient, because all cleanup is done at one time - but I am convinced that more cleanup is required if left until the end, than would be required if done as the project progresses. The proof of this is when you consider human nature. If a project has mixed materials or trash (even in piles) around a site, there is a tendency to add to that trash rather than avoiding creating the trash in the first place. Sometimes the trash even creates damage to finished work.
7. Celebrate Success - Whether it is a round of drinks for the crew, a formal ribbon-cutting party, or more elaborate recognition of the efforts of those involved - celebration is something that is often neglected on projects. In fact, using the promise of celebration can be a great incentive to provide vision to the team.
I hope these ideas are useful, even if they confirm what you already know (or do), to make your personal and professional projects successful.
The answer to the trivia question 4 presidents elected WITHOUT popular majority:
John Q Adams (Andrew Jackson)
Rutherford B Hays (Samuel Tilden)
Benjamin Harrison (Grover Cleveland)
George W Bush - 1st term (Al Gore)
Next trivia question (winner gets lunch at Lawry's in Addison):
Which 3 presidents went on to later serve as (1) US Senator, (2) US Congressman, and (3) Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
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