Personal Reflection :)

I have really enjoyed my time here at Thunderbird School of Global Management and I look forward to continuing my work at the tower. I really love construction, green building, and learning and this has been a really amazing experience. I have learned so much about actual construction processes and a lot about LEED. The United States Green Building Council has set up an amazing certification process and although it requires major documentation, the end result of having a certified green building is wonderful. I have grown so much and I am very lucky that they are letting me stay on to continue my work. I have gained countless skills including communication and organization. This has been one of the most positive experiences in my life and I am so grateful!

Week 7 Communication

The only thing that I think that my organization can improve on is communication; experiencing it first hand, lack of communication just causes confusion and problems. Many of my daily duties are to document and research various materials, resources, construction activities, and actual building structures. LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Green Building rating system that we are using to certify the Thunderbird Tower a green building. LEED provides target for the design, operation, and construction of high performance green buildings, LEED also promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by identifying performance in five key areas that include sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. There is a lot going on and so many various items that must be documented for the LEED certification to become a reality. I personally believe that if everyone could come together and communicate on the different aspects of the project which they question or don’t understand then we would all achieve a much higher level of success. When I first came into the project I was seeing a lot of miscommunication, however as the months have progressed I have been looking to call everyone together and have meetings to discuss what is going on and where we need to go with this. So far all the meeting have been a success for everyone, the general contractors get to talk with the architects, the commissioners can communicate what they need to, I can ask questions and be helped, all in all everyone wins with open communication. Problem solving and communication are always great skills to carry. As the project continues I plan to arrange several other meeting just to get everyone together, communicating, and on the same page, I truly believe that the whole project and everyone involved will benefit from this.

Interview

The following is an interview with my mentor Dennis Udell on July 8, 2010

What types of challenges they face?
Construction deadlines, budget, city zoning and codes, laborers, juggling every group that is involved on a project and there people.

How do they deal with deadline stress, difficult people, and internal politics?
One day at a time, because of my position everyone answers to me and or comes to me when problems arise. Communication with the firm Kennedy Design Build and with everyone else involved helps with problematic situations however everything always has a resolution. With the stress of deadlines, again you deal with the situation as best as you can, right now we have students moving into the dorms on the August 7, the company that we have ordered 58 mirror medicine cabinets from can no longer guarantee that the cabinets will make it here in time, this is a huge deadline stress because I do not want to have to go back into the rooms after students already started inhabiting them to install these mirrors.

What do they like or dislike about their positions?
Working outside in Phoenix in the summer months.

What do they feel can be done to make work go smoother?
Communication is essential to succeed in this field. I feel that good communication is so important especially when you are dealing with so many different contracted groups and people on one project. You have your designers and architects, you have your building inspectors, commissioners, and then you have your laborers who are all in different groups as well. You have one group doing framing, one doing tile, one de-molding, one carpeting, and the list goes on and on, but without communication the project would not come along as well as we are currently experiencing here out at the tower. I am really happy that we have been able to establish great communication here.

How do they feel about working with others?
Out on the current site, Thunderbird Tower we are one big happy family, teamwork is essential in this field and I am very happy that everyone has been putting their all in and getting along with everybody else.

Do they enjoy working on group projects?
Yes, every project I have done over the past thirty years has been a group project, in this field that’s all there is, group work.

What is their ideal work environment?
A cooler one.

How has their education and experience prepared them for their current job?
Well after two years of Arizona State University, I dropped out to get a full time job and I have been employed and highly respected in the construction field for over thirty years. An education is a great start but really experience out in the field is where I learned the most.

Have they reached out to mentors and has the mentorship system worked for them?
I would not be where I am today without my mentors of the past.

Shadow

I personally shadowed my mentor Dennis, he is the main go to guy out on our job site at Thunderbird School of Global Management. During these past few months we have been renovating and restoring this old air craft tower that was built in 1941, along with renovating two dorms and several class rooms. One the day I shadowed Dennis we began at 6 am, early yes but in these hot summer months the early morning is much cooler and nicer to work in versus the afternoon. The morning began with a large load of lumber being transported up to the tower by a forklift and then hosing down the lot to prevent the stirring up of dust. We spent on hour or so talking with the guys who are supplying and installing the windows on the tower and also some of the laborers. Around ten thirty we went back to the office for water, check emails, and make some phone calls. We headed over to the A dorm to see how progress was going, there are 58 dorm rooms on the campus all of which need the bathrooms gutted, de-molded, the rooms with new carpet, new paint, and other various fixer up essential to make them more inhabitable. The different teams work as if it is an assembly line, once the plumbers are done the tile guys come in, and once the tile is finished the painters come in, and once the paint had dried then we have the carpet layers come in, each team is essential for completion of the project and it is nice to see everyone work together and get along. After walking through the A dorm and expecting it we head over to a meeting with Will Counts, project manager and the Commissioners of the tower. Communication is absolutely crucial to success and having these meetings really helps everyone answer and ask questions, discuss and get on the same level. The meeting lasted about and hour after in which I ended my day shadowing with a few more office documents and emails about the LEED certification. My mentor Dennis has so many responsibilities out on this job site and everyone employed out on the site comes to him, one of the major skills I have learned is communication, it is key to have and complete a successful job.