Ok, so a little off the subject of Construction Management Checklists here for a second. I wanted to just take a week and report on a cool backwoods adventure my deck and concrete overlay crew took this past week. I sent them to the backwoods of Afton, Wyoming to demolish and re due a concrete decking system that had failed.
We did not do the original system which had failed but we were sent up to fix the problem. It was a lot of hard work, and at times we wondered why we agreed to do the project, but when it was all done, it was worth the experience. We learned tons, and hopefully I can share some of the management systems we used to help us get the job done right. As well as some of the mistakes we made, so when you do a project you don't make them.
The picture you see is of my Superintendent Chris Abney standing on the log rail looking over the vast wilderness which is Afton. The cabin we went too was about 10 miles west of Afton. The cabin is so hidden by pine trees that you can't see the structure until you are about 500 yards away from it. Once we arrived we powered up the generator which ran on propane and then all of sudden it was like we were in the city again. The house lit up, and as we entered we found every luxury of life. Big screen TV, walk in showers, soft beds and plenty of room for relaxing after a long hard day of back breaking work.
In my Opinion it is worth making sure your living conditions are amazing. It made the difference for my guys as we ended up working about 14 hour days. When they were done, it was awesome for them to just be able to relax and unwind in a comfortable setting. Good food was also essential. It is amazing what good food can do for the moral of 3 hungry men.
Now who were the 3 hungry guys? They are one of the best crews I have been able to put together. From left to right you have Thomas Unga, a Construction Management Major at Brigham Young University. He is amazing with management systems and has been a great addition to the team. Next is Chris Abney, a Business Management Major at Utah Valley University. He also has several years of painting experience under his belt which has given him the eye for detail to make sure every job is done with perfection. And lastly is Tyler Nelson, he is a senior in high school. He is a great utility man. They are each over 6 feet tall and strong. Their brute strength was crucial in getting the job done.
These guys worked 14 hour days. The sun was out and bright, and even though the temperatures were only in the upper 80s, the deck surface got much hotter then that. We were reaching temperatures of 95 degrees plus on the deck. They didn't complain, they didn't make excuses, they just got to work, and with every challenge they met, they put a plan together and saw it through.
So here is the lesson for the day. There is no substitute for the right crew. They will make or break your project. Whether you are looking at hiring a general contractor, managing the project yourself, or doing the work yourself, make sure you hire the right man for the job. Don't let price get in the way of picking the right guy. If you let price take precedent, you may pay countless times more in headache and frustration from missed deadlines and unmet expectations with quality and service, not to mention warranty.
So to emphasize, I take the liberty of stealing a line from one of the greatest books written on building a business, Good to Great.........."Get the right people on the bus."
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